HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network

About HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network

HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network is a network of voluntary and community sector organisations across London working for equality, rights and social justice and against discrimination. We are currently funded by City Bridge Trust, Trust for London and the National Lottery.

Under our Bridging Divides funding we work to ensure that specialist equality and human rights groups, particularly the smaller and user led ones, and the Londoners they work with, can connect and work together across London and across equality specialisms. With our members we work to make equality issues central in local and regional decision making, and to raise awareness and work more closely with universities, think tanks, professional bodies and business. This funding also supports our core activities as a network: regular bulletins and information provision, knowledge sharing, signposting, website and networking.

The Trust for London project funds our Policy and Campaigns work, which supports organisations to campaign together on equality and rights issues of joint importance. Currently campaigns are focused around support for Deaf and disabled refugees and asylum seekers and Digital Exclusion and we are currently developing a theme with members on Decent Homes as a Human Right. We lead for Disabled customers on the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum Equality Sub-Group, who work alongside the Home Office to ensure the rights of asylum seekers are protected, and established and used to host Charities Challenging Hate Crime, the London pan equality hate crime network.

In the NetEquality project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Reaching Communities, through the Cornerstone Fund, dozens of smaller user-led and ‘grass roots’ equality groups and equality partners in London are working together. Over an initial two years, to mid 2021, we will design, test and pilot exciting new ways to use networking and online tools to strengthen our connections and quickly and easily share information and knowledge. We will be exploring ways to join up our voices for solidarity and influence and for more coordinated, effective campaigning to fight discrimination and improve equality in London. Through Stronger Together, funded by Awards for All, we provide activities and support for individual campaigners and those in the smaller, user-led and grass roots groups.

Find us online

Visit our website at http://www.HEARequality.org.uk/

Join one or more of our mailing lists:

NetEquality

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Digital Inclusion - London Network

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Decent Homes As A Human Right

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Latest posts

Video Explaining NHS Services for Recent Arrivals

Our members Doctors of the World have sent information about a video explaining the different NHS services, from General Practice to A&E and when and how to use them, which has recently been published by Bevan CIC in collaboration with partners. It also includes advice on self-care, pharmacies, dental and optical care. It is aimed at people who have newly arrived in the UK, including refugees and asylum seekers, and is subtitled in a number of languages.

Link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVH5eQP1m4

Help Improve Maternity Services in North East London

Does your organisation or group work with people who live in or use maternity services in North East London? If so please consider circulating the following survey information from our members Havering Healthwatch, with the aim of improving maternity services, based on lived experience.

"We want to ensure all women and pregnant people in north east London are offered the best experience when using maternity services. This survey aims to better understand your choice around maternity care; whether you felt you could make choices and, if yes, why you chose to have your maternity care at your chosen hospital or birth centre. We will ask questions based on your pregnancy experience, and by taking part in this survey, you will help shape NHS maternity services to make them better for local people.

The survey is led by Healthwatch, an independent organisation who represent the voice of local people on health and social care issues. We work to make sure your voice is heard to improve care. Healthwatch will share what they learn from the survey responses with the North East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System – a partnership of organisations, women and their families working together to deliver improvements in maternity services in north east London.

This survey is anonymous (no one will see any of your personal information); however, at the end of this survey, you will have the option to leave us your name and contact details, in case you want to keep in touch this is so we can let you know the outcome of the survey and give you the opportunity to be involved in designing future services. This will be stored separately from your survey answers"

Take part in the survey here:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/maternity_choice/

And here is a recently published report on maternity services in North East London:

https://www.northeastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/downloads/Maternity/NEL%20LMNS%20equity%20and%20equality%20strategy%20and%20action%20plan_full%20report.pdf

Antiracism Practice Learning Hub

The GLA is establishing an Anti-Racism Practice Learning Hub in co-production with key Health partners and race equality organisations. It intends to deliver training, share best practice and provide peer networking and support to participating organisations with the aim of creating a more anti-racist health and care sector that reduces inequalities experienced by Black, Asian and minoritised Londoners. Future Hub iterations will expand to cover other sectors.

The Anti-Racism Hub is envisaged as a collaborative online and in-person learning and peer support network. Potential services include: guidelines on becoming an anti-racist organisation, what that means and how to take tangible steps to do so, access to the latest toolkits, training and racism-informed data as well as peer support both online and offline.

The Hub is one of the outputs from the Mayor's Building a Fairer City Plan, which focuses on addressing the structural inequalities that caused certain communities to experience disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the London Health Inequalities Strategy which aims to make London a healthier, fairer city. You can read more about the Health Inequalities Strategy here:

https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/health-and-wellbeing/health-inequalities/london-health-inequalities-strategy

Core current partners include the Mayor of London, NHS London, Office for Health Inequalities and Disparities (OHID) and the Association of Directors of Public Health London, London Councils, HEAR and London Plus.

HEAR has been proud to be part of this work; if you are interested in this important initiative and want to contribute as a HEAR Network member to future work please contact:

christine@hearequality.org.uk

NSUN New Funding Black and Minoritised Communities Mental Health

Our members NSUN hosted project, Synergi, has just launched a new Fund for grassroots/user-led groups. The Synergi Small Grants Fund is aimed at groups led by and for Black people and people of colour with experience of mental ill-health, distress or trauma working at the intersection of mental health and racial justice. Grants of between 2-3k for activities such as collective care like peer support and campaigning/changemaking, as well as organisational development, are available and applications are open until the 29th January.

Full details here:

https://www.nsun.org.uk/news/synergi-small-grants-fund-now-open/

London Communities Emergencies Partnership-3 Vacancies

As some of you will know, LCEP has been formed as a result of the last few years of learning and reflecting on how the voluntary and community sector, partners in the faith and belief sector, funders and statutory partners work together in planning for, responding to and learning from major emergencies across the capital, and is co-chaired by London Plus and the VCS Emergencies Partnership, with funding from City Bridge Trust, the GLA and London Councils

For more information about how to get involved in the partnership email:

info@lcep.london

There are currently vacancies for 3 roles to support the new partnership:

Partnership Manager

https://londonplus.org/news/london-plus-vacancy-partnership-manager

Information Manager

https://careers.redcross.org.uk/vacancies/6914/information-manager-london-communities-emergencies-partnership.html

Support Officer

https://careers.redcross.org.uk/vacancies/6915/support-officer-london-communities-emergencies-partnership.html

Invitation-The Cost for Communities 27th January

Invitation-The Cost for Communities: Community Development, Health Equality and the Cost of Living

Friday 27th January, 11am to 3pm, lunch and refreshments included

In person at:

London Borough of Southwark, 160 Tooley Street, SE1 2QH (close to London Bridge Station)

HEAR is proud to be a member of the Planning Group of the London Community of Practice Network for Health Inequalities and as such and on behalf of our fellow Planning Group members, we would like to invite you to join us on 27th January; all HEAR members concerned about health inequality in London are welcome!

You are warmly invited to join us for this interactive networking event on 27th January 2023, designed to bring together individuals across public health, local authority, voluntary and community sectors with the shared goal of improving health inequalities in London.

Brought to you by the London Community of Practice Network for Health Inequalities, in partnership with Volunteering Matters and the Greater London Authority, we are coming together to network, share insights, learning and practical examples of work in community development with a particular focus on the cost of living.

-Expert speakers from across sectors

-Members from the London Community of Practice Network for Health Inequalities will welcome us and guide us through the session

-Innovations in practice: You will have a chance to hear directly from colleagues about leading examples of work taking place in London

-Stimulating conversation: We want to hear your insights, experiences and challenges in community development and create space for you to connect with colleagues across sectors

Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cost-for-communities-tickets-465757903427

If you have any queries, specific access or dietary needs, or would like to tell us about your own work prior to the event so we can showcase it, please email:

copn@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

Age Discrimination and Ageism-Employment Report and Free Ageing Better Webinar

Our members Wise Age, who work to combat age discrimination in the workplace, have circulated the below study, which highlights a number of important issues in respect of discrimination in recruitment practice and barriers to equitable recruitment:

https://hrnews.co.uk/half-of-the-uks-job-hunters-have-experienced-discriminatory-hiring-processes/. This report found that managing inequitable inclusion is the biggest challenge that UK employers

Ageing Better Free Webinar

26th January, 11am-12pm online

"What's in an Age Positive Image?"

You'll hear from experts on imagery and on anti-ageism, discussing what it takes for a photo to accurately capture the diversity of old age

You will learn about inclusive imagery that avoids the stereotyping and objectifying of older people and the portrayal of ageing as a wholly negative experience – something commonly seen in stock images and the media.

This webinar is aimed at people and organisational teams of all photographic ability, as well as those who download and use images for communications in their work

Details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/719720319722681

Register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QFHgnwKiSR2LVNMw3MZzcg

Equally Ours Vacancy

Equally Ours Vacancy: Community Engagement Officer

Equally Ours are looking for a highly organised person to enable them to continue to convene organisations from across the human rights and equality sector on key policy areas. 

Full details here:



https://www.equallyours.org.uk/equally-ours-vacancy-community-engagement-officer/

Free Stuff! Find Out About Eventcycle

Eventcycle is a recycling service that distributes surplus materials and equipment from corporate events to charities and community groups. This might include furniture, technical equipment, decorating materials, items such as fabric, stationery, plants and gardening equipment and so on. If you would like to find out more about how your group might be able to benefit please visit:

www.eventcycle.org

Digital Exclusion Map Update

The London Office for Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has updated its Digital Exclusion Map; you can visit the site to view the maps and updates here:

https://gis2.london.gov.uk/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=44fd21710d444f9b88604eb726fb678e

LOTI recognises that the maps may not be accessible to all; if you would like to send feedback on the accessibility, or get more help and information please contact Jay Saggar at LOTI direct:

jay.saggar@loti.london