Published in October 2015 the Solutions for Equality and Growth report highlights:
- the contribution made by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to our economy;
- the context for disabled, LGBT and BAME people, and women who are pregnant or returning from maternity leave, and the kinds of discrimination they experience;
- what the different stages of the employment relationship are and the changes that could improve equality and growth for workers and SMEs;
- ten recommendations including short and quick solutions, medium term solutions that build on and complement existing provisions, and proposals for longer term solutions for improving equality and growth in the future.
Click here for the report and an overview of the recommendations for government, intermediaries and employers.
This report is part of the Solutions for Equality and Growth project run by Citizens Advice in partnership with the Equality and Diversity Forum and seven Citizens Advice Bureaux. Its overall objective was to identify innovative solutions to help people who are disabled, from an ethnic minority, LGBT and women to overcome discrimination, barriers to employment and advancement in the workplace and to fulfil their potential. It is particularly focused on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). As part of this project focus groups across England and Wales, online surveys and desk based research were carried out.
The report was launched at the Solutions for Equality and Growth conference on 20 October 2015. The conference was an opportunity to hear about and discuss the project’s innovative solutions. We were delighted to be joined as our keynote speaker by Caroline Dinenage MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Family Justice. Please see videos from the day as well as the slides from the different sessions.
In addition, the project has produced equality resources for advisers, employees and employers including short leaflets with top tips for employees and employers as well as an e-learning packs.
