Equalities, Refugee and Migrant Service

 

 

 

Welcome to the Equalities, Refugee and Migrant Service web pages. We are the team responsible for driving the equality and diversity agenda across the full range of council services.

Islington Council has a proud history in celebrating diversity and challenging discrimination in all its forms. The council is committed to ‘Dignity for All’ for our staff, residents and service users alike, regardless of age, gender, disability, faith, race or sexuality. We are keen on promoting these values amongst our partner agencies and in the wider community.

As an organisation, we are keen to identify and eliminate the processes, practices and behaviours which constitute discrimination. The most common forms of discrimination involve race, gender, disability, age, sexuality and religion/faith. You will find information about these issues in the 'Equality Strands' section of these web pages.

It is important to have an understanding about the human consequences of discrimination. Ignorance, prejudice and discrimination of any kind, tarnishes the quality of life of the men, women and children affected.

People may identify with more than one "equality strand". For example, someone may be older, gay, disabled, and have a faith. Rather than pigeon-holing people according to one aspect of their person, what fundamentally matters is that we are whole men and women, each with our own needs and aspirations. As people, there is far more that unites us than sets us apart.

The Equalities, Refugee and Migrant Service has been busy. A range of equality staff forums are now well established for Women (Gender), Disabled Staff , LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Staff and BME (black and minority ethnic) Staff, respectively. The team also stage a wide range of events, including Refugee Week, International Women’s Day, Black History Month, LGBT History Month and International Day of the Disabled to name just a few Approximately 3,000 people have attended our events in the last three years alone.

The Equalities, Refugee and Migrant Service also includes a specialist team working with destitute people from abroad who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and are ordinarily resident in Islington. The NRPF Team works in partnership with children's social services and the community care and mental health teams in Islington. In addition, it works with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and other outreach and specialist services. Contact can be made through these services or directly with the NRPF Team.

Thank you for supporting the equality and diversity agenda.