Influencing race equality policy for over 30 years
Action for Race Equality has been shaping national and local race equality policy since 1991. Policy and research is a key cornerstone of the work that we do.
Spanning across education, employment, criminal justice, and Windrush justice, our dedicated policy team seek to highlight and end institutional and systemic racism and promote the voices of Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people in policy change across these areas.
What are our policy priorities?
Whilst we have several priorities which cut across all our work, Action for Race Equality’s key priority is drawing attention to and ending institutional racism.
We also prioritise the need to: ensure better funding for by and for services, improve ethnicity data collection and transparency, encourage cross agency and stakeholder strategic working, evidence what works to tackle racial disparities, and promote intersectional policy response.
Criminal Justice
ARE has worked in the criminal justice system (CJS) for over 15 years. We believe that equal treatment under the law is a fundamental aspect of the criminal justice system that is being consistently denied to people who are Black, Asian or Mixed Heritage. Our priorities are; to end racial disproportionality in the CJS, including the over policing of Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people and the racial disparities in the prison and probation system; to keep young people out of the CJS; and to improve prevention and diversion programmes for Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people.
Education
Through our flagship project Routes2Success, Action for Race Equality has developed a deep insight into the impact that role model and mentoring programmes can have, as well as the challenges young Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage children are currently facing in schools, including the early criminalisation of young people in schools. Our priorities are; increasing the use of positive culturally competent interventions; ending the disparate use of punitive measures and the criminalisation of children and young people in schools; and improving educational attainment of young Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people. We are also promoting improved apprenticeship accessibility.
Employment
For ARE, having a more equal society means young people will believe that their race, ethnicity or faith won’t limit what they can achieve in life – and employment is central to this. Our priorities are; embedding good leadership in government, local authorities, and with chief executives; championing good employment practice; promoting positive action; and encouraging employer transparency and responsibility.
Windrush
The full list of priorities under our Windrush Justice programme of work is set out in the Manifesto for Windrush Justice. We are currently prioritising; making the compensation scheme faster and fairer; implementation of the Wendy Williams Lessons Learned recommendations; and securing legal support for claimants.
How do we create impact?
Our policy work, programme delivery and consultancy services are fundamentally intertwined with our community and solutions-led ethos. Expand the drop-down menus below to find out how aim to want to create impact.
Working Collaboratively
We believe that working collectively with partners across sectors will achieve change more effectively. We are glad to be a member of a number of partnerships and networks, including:
Latest blogs
Evidence led, community focused
ARE Publications
A better way to tackle institutional racism, Alliance for Racial Justice
The Home Office Scandal: A manifesto for Windrush Justice Submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial , Alliance for Racial Justice
Consultation Papers
ARE Comment
Staff at Action for Race Equality have a wealth of expertise to share. If you are a journalist looking for a trusted voice to comment on a race equality story covering education, employment, criminal justice or Windrush, or a researcher looking for input into an upcoming project, we welcome you to get in touch.