Sectoral guidance: central governement 

On this page

• Your role
  
• Promoting good race relations: dos and don’ts
  
• Your organisation
  
• Working in partnership
  

Your role

The role of central government departments and their agencies is vital to set the agenda for promoting good race relations. Government not only controls a vast range of resources and can influence much of public service delivery in Britain, but it also has a leadership role to play. If central government can provide a model for good practice, it can encourage similar good practice across the public sector. Conversely, if central government is seen to be lagging behind, this could harm the overall approach to promoting good race relations in other parts of the public sector.

Promoting good race relations: dos and don’ts

Do:

• Make sure that your race equality scheme addresses the duty to promote good race relations, and provide adequate resources to carry out all requirements.
• Encourage dialogue among people from all racial groups on how well your departmental or agency policies work.
• Promote activities that recognise and appreciate diversity generally, and that foster understanding of, and respect for, the cultures and faiths of all communities in Britain.
• Use your grant-giving powers to support activities that will promote good race relations.
• Monitor patterns in the rise of racial tensions locally and nationally.
• Publicise your policies on, and commitment to, promoting good relations through the national media, as part of your departmental communications plan.
• Make sure your contractors understand and take into consideration the duty to promote good race relations.
• Work with other public authorities and voluntary or community organisations in all these areas and take the lead in creating partnerships where needed.
• Make sure that all staff are fully consulted on, and are supportive of, policies to promote equality of opportunity and good race relations, including using the use of positive action measures where appropriate.
• Deal with complaints of discrimination and harassment from staff speedily, and notify staff of the outcomes of action taken.

Don’t:

• Omit to address in your race equality scheme the duty to promote good race relations, or provide adequate resources to ensure delivery.
• Fail to demonstrate leadership, internally or in public, or recognise the need to be proactive in promoting good race relations.
• Fail to make adequate resources available for promoting good race relations.
• Fail to identify, assess, consult on or monitor the effects of policies that are relevant to the promotion of good race relations.
• Fail to make information about their policies and practices accessible to all communities.
• Ignore complaints of discrimination and harassment from staff, which can lead to a drop in staff morale.
• Fail to make sure that all staff are fully consulted on, and are involved in, the development of policies to promote equality of opportunity and good race relations.

Your organisation

The role of ministers (and senior civil servants)

Ministers are responsible for ensuring that central government departments meet the statutory duties under the RRA, including the duty to promote good race relations. It is essential that there is public confidence in the ways in which they carry out their duties. Ministers and senior officials should provide leadership in promoting good race relations both internally and externally, as well as ensuring that policies and practices take account of the duty to promote race equality.

Working in partnership

Central government departments should take the lead in forming strong partnerships with other agencies, in order to promote good race relations nationally, regionally and locally. Where possible, you should build the promotion of good race relations into existing arrangements. If necessary, for example to tackle racial harassment or reduce community tensions, you should create new partnerships to promote good race relations.

When working in partnership, you should inform partner organisations of how you intend to meet the requirements of the race equality duty, including the duty to promote good race relations, and make sure they all adopt your approach. This should include, where relevant, the requirement to promote good race relations in procurement contracts and service agreements as a performance standard for how services are delivered.

You can find documents relating to this section at the race equality duty publications page.