Rose Simkins Director 11 th September 2008 stophateuk
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Transcript of Rose Simkins Director 11 th September 2008 stophateuk
Rose SimkinsDirector
11th September 2008
www.stophateuk.org
Background to Stop Hate UK
Established since 1995
A registered charity, Company Limited by Guarantee & Social Enterprise
Our Vision is: Raising awareness and understanding of Discrimination and Hate Crime, encouraging its reporting, and supporting the individuals and communities it affects
The Impact of Hate Crime
• Individuals and families– Health and well being– Living in fear and prisoners in their own home– Self esteem– Homelessness– Disengagement– Loss of employment or studying opportunities
Additional pressures on families include:– Child Development– Tensions within the home and impact on relationships
The Impact of Hate Crime
• Neighbourhoods– Lack of stability (short term occupancy)
• Properties boarded up
– Insecurity and fear (fear of all types of crime increases in areas of high tension/hate crime)
– Hostility, segregation and polarisation
– Reputation and perception
– Real danger and disorder
– Creates no-go areas
The Impact of Hate Crime
Communities
- Lack of cohesion
- Increased misperception
- Increased fear
- Inter racial/faith
The Impact of Hate Crime
• Agencies/Services– Schools– Police and Criminal Justice System– Healthcare services– Housing and homelessness– Support agencies
Challenges for Victims
• Recognising that they are victims of Hate Crime• Recognising that support is available• Knowing how to access appropriate support
– Cultural and language barriers• Trust and confidence in receiving support• Getting heard – being listened to• Knowing that their wishes for confidentiality will
be observed• Knowing whether the response received from
agencies is appropriate and fulfilling their needs
What does Stop Hate UK do to support victims?
• The Stop Hate Line - Hate incident reporting 24 hours a day, every day– Response to Stephen Lawrence Recommendation 16
• Immediate telephone support and information for victims and third-party reporters– Someone to listen to their concerns and help them
find appropriate support
• Provides a direct alternative to reporting to the Police
• Provides an independent and confidentail service
What does Stop Hate UK do to support victims?
• Face to face casework support – Emotional support
– Practical Support• Target hardening
– Explore options and rights
– Evidence building
– Partnership working
– Monitor, evaluate and challenge agencies’ performance
What does Stop Hate UK do to support victims?
• Youth and Community Services– Community development work– Breaking down barriers– Intensive work with young victims and
perpetrators– Training and consultancy in schools– Resource design
Outcomes of Stop Hate UK’s work
• Individuals supported – Activity ceased – successful mediation
• ASBO, NISP, harassment warnings, ABC, etc
– Increased housing priority– Rehoused– Perpetrator convicted– Disciplinary procedures in school/workplace– Wider support addresses other needs
• Increased cohesion and integration, resulting in fewer serious incidents and increased opportunities for different groups and communities to mix
How should things move forward for victims?
• Raise the profile of Hate Crime reporting, justice, and awareness of how serious an impact it can have
• Provide easily accessible and trusted methods of reporting Hate Crime
• Improve partnership working and accountability• Ensure system is transparent, and that victims are
kept informed of outcomes
Other initiatives to reduce incidents of Hate Crime
• More work with potential perpetrators
• Increased general awareness and feeling of responsibility for the safety of our communities
• Increased understanding of tensions, and capacity to respond to them
Added value of the Stop Hate Line in reducing Hate Crime
• Partnership working to deal with Hate Crime
• A recognisable brand that increases awareness of the concept of Hate Crime
• Network across UK sharing and developing models of good practice
The Stop Hate Line: What does Stop Hate UK
deliver?• Provide a 24 hour reporting service for all forms of Hate Crime
• Provide promotional material templates currently in 26 community languages, Braille, large print, words into pictures, audio.
• Template newsletter articles and press release• Promotes Hate Crime Reporting across the UK• Cover the helpline using trained operators • Provides immediate support and signposting to callers• Works with other agencies to find solutions• Disseminate referrals to referral point in caller’s local
area• Local statistics and comparative information on
performance compared to other parts of the UK
Working in Partnership
• Stop Hate UK operates the line in West Yorkshire, Hull, Oldham, Wolverhampton, Merseyside, Peterborough, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, the London Borough of Havering, and Derbyshire.