Race Equality Officer

Also known as:

Community Officer (Race Equality)
Equality Officer, Race

Introduction

Race equality officers protect people from racial discrimination, harassment and abuse. They work across a wide range of social issues, including housing, employment, training, health and education. They have an active role in the community, discussing and representing the views, concerns and needs of ethnic minority groups.

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Work Activities

There are many different roles within race relations. Some race equality officers (REOs) will be responsible for all the various aspects, while others have specialist roles, concentrating on a particular area of race relations.

For example, some REOs deal with racial issues relating to employment and training. They may have the title of employment officer. They process the complaints of individuals who have been discriminated against, providing help and advice in preparing a case and, later, representation in an industrial tribunal. Some people suffer a direct form of discrimination when they apply for a job vacancy and are refused because of their race or ethnic origin. An indirect form of discrimination could be a dress code that stops people wearing a turban or headscarf in the workplace.

Race equality officers must treat cases in the strictest confidence, protecting people from any victimisation from managers or colleagues resulting from their complaint.

Officers also investigate and address high levels of unemployment within ethnic minority groups. They monitor recruitment of people from ethnic groups into public sector organisations such as local authorities and the police force. Drawing on their conclusions, REOs may come up with ideas to give organisations special training in how to recruit people from ethnic minorities.

Race equality officers contact public, private and voluntary agencies to promote strategies that result in equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices. An REO may also monitor the progress of ethnic people after they leave full-time education, coming up with ideas to support their transition from education to employment.

Officers organise meetings, seminars, conferences and training courses to highlight race discrimination and the best methods to remove it from the workplace.

Race equality officers also tackle racism and promote equal opportunities in education (specialists may be called education officers). They work closely with staff from the local education authority, helping to draw up, put into practice and monitor equal opportunities policy. Race equality officers may train teachers or other professionals, for example, in how to plan educational activities, such as role-plays, that promote equal opportunities in the classroom and the playground.

Race equality officers have an active role in the community. They meet regularly with community groups, local authority representatives, voluntary organisations and the police, to discuss the views, concerns and needs of ethnic minority groups. They also deal with referrals, often from the citizens' advice bureaux, from people seeking justice and legal protection from racism. Specialists in this area may be known as welfare aid officers.

Race equality officers may have to deal with problems arising from the special conditions applied to asylum seekers who do not yet have refugee status. Within Scotland most asylum seekers are based in Glasgow.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You must be committed to working towards a fair and equal society.

You must have a thorough knowledge of equal opportunities legislation and individuals' rights against racism.

You will need a sympathetic and caring nature, and the ability to win the trust of people from different ethnic and racial groups. You will have an active role in the community, so you must be good at working with people from all backgrounds.

Good communication skills are very important. You must be able to listen carefully, and ask the right questions to find out more about people's experience of discrimination. You may visit schools or companies to give talks on equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices.

You must be able to analyse and interpret information and have strong written skills to produce concise information and reports.

You must be calm and tactful, and able to support people who may have experienced racial violence. Strong negotiating and persuading skills are essential when representing clients in court or at tribunals.

You will need to be well organised, to manage your caseload and appointments diary.

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Pay and Opportunities

Pay rates for race equality officers vary, depending on the duties of the post.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Race equality officers earn in the range of £14,500 - £18,000 a year, rising to £21,000 - £25,500. Higher earners can make around £28,000 a year.

Full-time race equality officers work a basic 36-40 hours, Monday to Friday. However, working hours can be long and irregular, both in the office and in the community. Part-time posts may be available. Some posts may be for short-term projects lasting six months to two years.

Race equality officers are employed in a range of organisations, including Race Equality Councils, local authorities and the Civil Service.

Most Race Equality Councils are in urban areas with the greatest number of people from ethnic and racial minorities.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

You are likely to need work experience, either paid or voluntary, in areas such as community and youth work. You may also have gained the necessary skills and abilities through working in areas such as social work, education, law, housing and teaching.

Postgraduate qualifications are available in race and ethnic relations, and related subjects, on both a full- and part-time basis.

The Open University offers a relevant degree level course, Sociology and Society (DD201), by distance learning.

• 28% of people in occupations such as race equality officer work part-time.
• 22% have flexible hours.
• 10% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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