Managing Competing Equality Claims

EDF/brap2010

What are competing equality claims?

Competing equality claims – hard to define?

Why this report ?

The remit of this work

To identify and review available evidence about how to successfully prevent, manage and resolve conflicts of this type

To identify and review available evidence about how to successfully prevent, manage and resolve conflicts of this type

Approach

Findings

Conflicts of this type tend to be:• Rights based • Identity based• Resource based

These characteristics can make conflicts particularly hard to resolve

Conflicts of this type tend to be:• Rights based • Identity based• Resource based

These characteristics can make conflicts particularly hard to resolve

Scenario: Pensions advisor didn’t want to provide advice to people in civil partnerships because of her religious beliefs

Response: Consultation with relevant equality groupsDecision: Providing advice to all, was an essential part of

the advisor’s role. Could job role be carried out effectively, if exceptions were made?

Learning: Focusing on task /the role in question took the ‘heat’ out of the situation. Advisor felt comfortable enough to bring up the situation with line manager.

Scenario: Location of a medium secure forensic facility in a majority Pakistani community setting. Local fears of safety, and denial that ‘mental health problems’ affect the community. ‘NIMBY’

Response: Widen consultation base – talk beyond those most vocal. Education of community on issues of mental health.

Decision: Still under negotiation, but less conflict.Learning : Staff skills (non-judgmental, listening,

clear messages) widening consultation. Clarity around what is negotiable and what isn’t .

Transferable practice

Emerging issues

Decision-Making Tactics

When a decision has to be made about whose claim holds most weight:Use of proportionality – clearer and more

transparent process for public decisionsRights as ‘relationships’: our actions have an

effect on othersUse of principles like ‘dignity’ as a benchmark

to judge relative merit/ value of claims

Beyond Identity... (sometimes)?

Drawbacks to previous equality based advocacy and campaigning and ‘equality’ in the media:• Can prevent recognition of common experiences

or causes of discrimination• Representation can exclude diversity and the

voiceless

Need for a more sophisticated and neutral process for debate and decision-making.

Drawbacks to previous equality based advocacy and campaigning and ‘equality’ in the media:• Can prevent recognition of common experiences

or causes of discrimination• Representation can exclude diversity and the

voiceless

Need for a more sophisticated and neutral process for debate and decision-making.

Where to now?