Tower Hamlets Council

Religion / Belief Equality Scheme

2009-12

Contents

Foreword 3

Foreword by Councillor Sirajul Islam, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Equalities

Really improving the lives of everyone working and living in Tower Hamlets means putting diversity and equality at the heart of what we do. We have to understand the diverse nature of our communities and tackle the inequalities that many of them continue to suffer. This is why we are committed to maintaining the very highest level of equalities practice in relation to both employment and service provision and remain proud that in 2006 we were the first council to be externally validated at the highest level of the Equality Standard for Local Government (Level 5).

We cannot be complacent however and always need to question how what we do is improving the life chances of all local people. This is why the production of our new three Equality Schemes for Age, Religion and Belief and Sexual Orientation is another important step forward. Sitting beside our existing Schemes in relation to Race, Disability and Gender they will be crucial tools to shape our work. All the Schemes meet a number of statutory requirements but they are something more than that.

Based on an understanding of our communities, the Schemes have the job of improving equality to help individuals and groups actually achieve the valuable things in life, to foster their independence to make decisions affecting their lives and to tackle discrimination or disadvantage by other individuals and groups or by institutions and systems. Our core value of Valuing Diversity is a real driver of our everyday work. Delivering the Schemes effectively will help to improve health, housing and education, tackle worklessness and strengthen community cohesion.

Over the coming year the Council will be working to demonstrate how we will exercise our Single Equality Duty. The individual Schemes will make that Duty robust and real.

Getting to this stage has involved the participation of residents, staff and partners from the public, private and voluntary and community sectors. I would like to thank you all and hope that you will continue to work with us to create the One Tower Hamlets which local people desire.

Executive Summary

This is the Council's first Religion / Belief Equality Scheme and it aims to promote equality and eliminate discrimination for all Tower Hamlets residents and staff regardless of their religion or belief. We are a unique borough in terms of the pattern of religion / belief; over 80% of residents claim a religious belief, while the third largest religion / belief category is people who have no religious belief. We also have the largest proportion of Muslim residents of any local authority in the country. The history of the borough as a `jumping off' point for new communities has contributed to the religious diversity of the area.

Although this is our first Religion / Belief Equality Scheme the Council has a strong track record of work in this area. Our work on promoting community cohesion and involving communities has been widely recognised as best practice. The borough's Interfaith Forum (THIFF) has been supported by the Council since its establishment in 2004 and provides an effective mechanism for involving faith communities in shaping and scrutinising services, as well as strengthening the links between communities. At an operational level Council services have worked with faith communities to respond to issues of common concern in areas as varied as child protection, domestic violence and recycling.

This Equality Scheme identifies the Council's priorities for addressing inequality experienced by specific faith communities and people of non-religious belief in relation to the five Community Plan themes of: One Tower Hamlets; a Prosperous Community; a Safe & Supportive Community; a Healthy Community and; a Great Place to Live. It also identifies our priorities as an employer.

This Equality Scheme also contains a set of principles which will guide our approach to delivering our commitment to tackling inequality and discrimination based on religion / belief:

Introduction

The Council's vision and the vision of the Tower Hamlets Partnership is to improve the quality of life for everyone living and working in Tower Hamlets.

Everyone should realise their full potential in Tower Hamlets. The 2020 Vision Community Plan outlines our aspiration of `One Tower Hamlets'. One Tower Hamlets is about reducing the inequalities and poverty that we see around us, strengthening cohesion and making sure our communities continue to live well together. Most of all, One Tower Hamlets is about recognising that we all have a part to play in making this a reality.

One way of ensuring this vision is to focus our attention on inequalities experienced by our residents. The Council has been awarded Level 5 of the Equality Standard and is one of the best councils in the country for its equalities work. This religion / belief equality scheme, along with others for gender, disability, race, sexual orientation and age will enable us to provide services and develop policies and strategies which make sure that we provide for equality for all. We plan to combine these schemes into a single Equalities scheme in 2010 to best serve the individual needs of each of our residents. This reflects the move nationally towards a Single Equalities Bill which recognises the whole experience of every person.

We recognise that people may experience specific disadvantages due to their religion / belief. Misconceptions and prejudice about specific religions or beliefs and the people who hold them can lead to them being socially and economically disadvantaged, excluded and marginalised. We believe that people of all faiths and none have the right to equality of opportunity and make a significant and valuable contribution to the community as a whole. As such, this first Religion / Belief Equality Scheme will focus on ensuring that we are able to respond appropriately to their needs.

We are already doing significant work to tackle the particular inequalities faced by specific faith communities. One of the key ways in which this is evidenced is through the support given to the Interfaith Forum. The Forum embraces almost 300 organisations, meets every two months, has its own website, regular newsletter and organises a series of events in Interfaith Week. The Forum also plays an active role in other local groups and activities - on the Partnership Management Group and in the Race and Hate Crime Interagency Forum - as well as providing a useful partner in monitoring ongoing community tensions. The Council also works with faith communities on a number of service issues, including: the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE) which brings together representatives from all faiths to agree on the local curriculum for religious education; Children's Services Working with Muslim Families sub-group of the local Safeguarding Children's Board; Jewish Care which provides day care services to older people in the Jewish community and; support for a range of public events and activities throughout the year to promote understanding of all the borough's faith communities and includes annual events to mark St George's Day, Holocaust Memorial Day and Islam Awareness Week.

This Religion / Belief Equality Scheme will ensure that religion / belief equality is delivered by multiple services across the Council. To this end we aim to put in place policies and services which enable everyone to access our services regardless of their religion / belief and to improve outcomes for all. We also want to ensure that people of all faiths and none have choice and control in decisions affecting their lives.

Key priorities

Within each of the Council's Equality Schemes we have identified three priority areas of inequality which require significant and sustained action across a number of Council services. These priority areas provide the Council with some high level direction about where attention and resources need to be targeted in order to make real progress.

In reaction to religion / belief inequality, these priorities are set out below and are explored further in this Equality Scheme. Linked to poverty, all three sit at heart of inequality in Tower Hamlets. To make a dramatic shift against the inequality of Tower Hamlets and make progress on the wide range of issues identified in each of Equality Schemes it is recommended that investment to address these three core inter-connected areas will lead that change.

Religion / Belief Equality Legislation

The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations came into force in December 2003 (at the same time as similar provisions covering sexual orientation; regulations against discrimination on grounds of age followed in 2006). These Regulations make it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the grounds of religion & belief.

The regulations in this field apply to discrimination on grounds of religion, or religious or philosophical belief (the requirement for philosophical beliefs to be similar to religious beliefs was removed by the passing of Part 2 of the Equality Act in 2006). They cover discrimination on grounds of 'perceived' as well as 'actual' religion or belief, and the religion or belief of someone with whom the person associates. It is also illegal to discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods, facilities and services, and the disposal and management of premises.

The Human Rights Act (1998) sets out the right of everybody to have access to public services and the right to be treated fairly and with dignity. It includes the right to be safe and protected from harm and the right to take an active part in your community and society, which have particular implications for our work with young and older people. It prohibits discrimination on a wide range of grounds and case law has extended this to include age.

How we developed our Religion / Belief Equality Scheme

The development of our Scheme has been led by the Corporate Scrutiny & Equalities Team. This has been supported by officers from the Corporate Equalities Steering Group (CESG) who are the key equalities representatives from each Directorate. The development of the scheme has followed a clear project plan, the steps of which are outlined below:

Gathering Baseline Information

A comprehensive baseline exercise was undertaken using a combination of research and input from staff across the Council including analysis of demographic and statistical information, analysis of existing consultation and a review of relevant Equalities Impact Assessments (EqIAs).

Consultation Exercises

From the baseline information we were able to identify a number of areas for further examination and discussion. To test our findings and to gain further input as to which areas should be our priorities we undertook a number of consultation activities with residents, voluntary and statutory agencies and members of staff. This involved public events, online surveys, targeted consultation with specific communities. During the course of the consultation we engaged with all the major faith groups in the borough as well as people of non-religious beliefs.

Setting Priorities and Objectives

Using feedback from our consultation and baseline exercises, a number of key themes for priority and overarching activity have emerged.

Corporate Framework for Diversity and Equality

Delivery framework

Valuing diversity is one of four core values of Tower Hamlets Council. We will promote diversity and equality in everything we do to improve the life for everyone living, working and visiting Tower Hamlets. We will build upon this by working with the Tower Hamlets Partnership to provide accessible and responsive services that enable everyone to take part in the social, cultural and economic wealth of the borough. Achieving this is central to delivering the Council's vision, is linked to the Strategic Plan priorities and objectives, and forms a driving force within the Community Plan and key to creating a cohesive community.

Our aims and values

As a service provider we will:

As an employer we will:

We will recognise our community leadership role and use this to work towards a cohesive community in which inequality is tackled and equality promoted.

Our commitment is supported by a number of legal duties that require us to promote equality and eliminate discrimination, including:

However under current legislation, the requirements to address inequality and discrimination and promote equality vary between equality `strand'. For example, while under current legislation we are required to address discrimination against employees on the basis of all six equality strands, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and religion / belief, it is only in relation to race, gender and disability that this duty extends to the provision of services and the active promotion of equality. We believe however that we have a strong moral and social duty to recognise that discrimination takes place and inequality exists for individuals and groups belonging to all of the six equality strands. We are therefore committed to going beyond the requirements laid down in law to address all six equality strands and to do everything that we can to challenge prejudice and discrimination and promote better understanding and respect between all people.

To demonstrate our commitment to all six equality strands, the Council has gone beyond the legal requirement to produce Equality Schemes in relation to gender and disability and has published Schemes covering Religion / Belief, Age and Sexual Orientation equality. Each Scheme sets out what we know about the profile of our community in relation to the relevant strand and the nature of inequality experienced by people as a result of this element of their identity. The Schemes also contain a summary of the action which the Council and partners will undertake to address inequality and discrimination in relation to this equality strand.

How we will deliver our commitment

Tackling discrimination and promoting equality requires action at corporate, directorate, service, team and individual levels. At a corporate level the six Equality Schemes and the overall Diversity and Equality Action Plan identify priority areas for work on equalities across the organisation. The Diversity and Equality Action Plan is agreed by Cabinet annually and monitored by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee six-monthly along with a summary of progress against each of the Equality Schemes.

Below we describe the processes and procedures we have put in place to embed the delivery of our commitment to promote equality in relation to all six strands within everything that we do as a Council:

The profile of religion / belief in Tower Hamlets

The consultation for the Religion / Belief Equality Scheme revealed a wide variety of views and opinions about the way in which the Council relates to faith communities and questions about religion / belief. These can be broadly drawn into the following three categories:

The lack of consensus about the role of the Council in addressing issues of religion / belief and the fact that there was no discernable pattern in terms of which groups / individuals subscribed to which view, illustrates the unique nature of religion / belief as an equality strand. Despite this variety of views, there has emerged through consultation and research for the RBES a set of principles which should guide our approach to delivering our commitment to tackling inequality and discrimination based on religion / belief:

Religion / belief in the community

The profile of religion and belief in Tower Hamlets is very distinctive. During the 2001 Census seventy eight percent of residents stated that they have a religious belief, which is significantly higher than the national average. The borough has the highest proportion of Muslim people of any local authority area in the country, at 36.4%. However, fourteen percent of people described themselves as having no religious belief, which makes them the third largest religion / belief group in the borough. The section below describes what we know about the demographic profile of individuals and groups of people who hold religious and non-religious beliefs in the borough, as well of those of no belief. It then goes onto describe some of the ways in which faith communities both past and present have contributed to and shaped the borough.

Demographic profile of religion / belief groups

The information in this section draws extensively on the findings of the 2001 Census, it is therefore important to note that while these statistics provide the most comprehensive information available on the profile of religion and belief in the borough it is likely that this profile has changed in the last eight years as the population of the borough has changed and adapted. Information on the profile of religion / belief across London is taken from the Greater London Authority's `Key Facts for Diverse Communities: Ethnicity and Faith' published in 2007.

Buddhist community, approx. 1%

The proportion of Buddhists living in Tower Hamlets is three times higher than the national average. The London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green is a major centre for the Buddhist community. The Centre and surrounding area is home to several residential Buddhist communities along with a number of associated businesses and organisations. The Centre is run by the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and a large proportion of people who attend the centre are from a western European background. The Buddhist population however is spread across the borough, ranging from 0.44 percent of the population in St Dunstan's and Stepney Green to 1.6 percent in Blackwall and Cubitt Town.

Christian community, approx. 39%

There are numerous Christian communities in the borough from a variety of theological and ethnic backgrounds.

Obtaining accurate and up to date information about congregations is difficult as a number of newer Christian communities do not have dedicated accommodation and may meet in churches belonging to other faith communities or in other informal venues. However the Interfaith Forum's database of faith organisations includes 134 Christian organisations, including a large number of Black-led churches, as well as Philippino and Vietnamese congregations. In addition we know that there are thirteen Catholic churches in the Tower Hamlets Deanery and in 2007 the total number of people attending Sunday Mass at these churches was just under five thousand. We also know that there are twenty Anglican congregations in parishes in the borough. In addition there are Chaplaincies in Docklands, Barts & the London hospitals, the London Metropolitan University. There is an Anglican community based at the Royal Foundation of St Katherine.

In terms of age the community is varied, with a larger proportion of older people than other faith communities. Christian communities are varied in terms of ethnicity with significant numbers of Roman Catholics from Eastern Europe and Pentecostal Christians from African countries.

Geographically the proportion of Christian people varies significantly across the borough, from eighteen percent in Spitalfields and Banglatown to sixty percent in Bow East.

Hindu community, approx. 0.8%

The Hindu community in the borough is proportionally one of the smallest in London. Within the borough Hindu people are geographically dispersed. The majority of Hindus in the borough come from Bangladesh - a fact which illustrates the importance of not relying on ethnicity as a proxy for religion / belief. A smaller number of Hindus come from Pakistan, India and elsewhere. The number of Hindus in the borough appears to be increasing as a result of increased migration.

Data on the borough's Hindu population is limited, however London-wide data suggests that Hindu people tend to be younger than the capital average, with thirty six percent of the population falling into the 25 - 44 age group.

Jewish community, approx. 0.93%

There has been Jewish population in London since the eleventh century; however it was from 1881 that the rate of migration of Jewish people to the East End increased significantly. The capital's first Ashkenazi synagogue was built in Aldgate in 1722. By 1901 the Jewish population of Tower Hamlets was over 50,000 and there were estimated to be 150 synagogues in the East End. Significant migration to north and east London has taken place over the last years. The remaining community is of an older demographic than the borough average.

Muslim community, approx. 36.4%

Tower Hamlets has the largest proportion of Muslim people of any local authority area in the country. The 2001 Census shows that the vast majority of the Muslim population is Bangladeshi, however there are also significant numbers of Somali, Algerian and Moroccan Muslims living in the borough as well as smaller numbers from Arab countries, the Indian subcontinent and eastern Europe.

In Tower Hamlets, 61% of the under 15 population are Muslim whereas 21% are Christian. In contrast, amongst the 50+ population, 61% identify as Christian and 19% as Muslim.

The youthful profile of the Muslim community and the significant migration into the borough of Muslim people from other parts of Britain and the world make the Muslim community the fastest growing faith community in the borough.

Sikh community, approx. 0.35%

The proportion of Sikhs living in Tower Hamlets is significantly smaller than the national proportion for England (0.67 percent). The majority of the population in the borough are from an Indian background. There are large Sikh communities in neighbouring boroughs of Hackney, Newham and Walham Forest and some people from these areas travel into the borough to worship at the two Gurdwaras in the east of the borough.

Data on the borough's Sikh population is limited, however London-wide data suggests that Sikhs living in the capital are slightly younger than the London average with half the proportion of pensioners, compared to other groups.

People with non-religious beliefs

The 2001 Census question on religion / belief provided limited data on non-religious belief. People who did not wish to tick one of the religions included on the census form had to tick either “no religion” or choose not complete the section. The figure given for "No religion" therefore includes people who ticked 'None' on the religion question plus those who wrote in Jedi Knight, Agnostic, Atheist and Heathen and those who ticked 'Other' but did not write in any religion. In Tower Hamlets this was 18%, making it the third largest group, after Christianity and Islam.

There is limited information on people with non-religious belief in the borough. London-wide figures suggest that people with non religious belief are more likely to live in cohabiting couple households than other Londoners, are slightly more likely to live in one person households and significantly less likely to live in married couple households. The age profile of people with no religious belief is distinctive in that significantly more people are between the ages of 25 - 44 than the London average, whereas there are significantly less older people than in other religion / belief groups.

History of religion / belief in Tower Hamlets

Historically the nature of new communities settling in the East End has partly been defined by their religion - French Huguenots (Calvinist Protestants), Irish Catholics, East European Jews, Bangladeshi Muslims are the most well known. For each group faith has been a driver to participation in public life, whether through charity work, community engagement or politics. There is a strong tradition of faith-based charities locally which often pick up those people who may fall through the net of statutory provision. Faith organisations are themselves either the owners or the guardians of a range of community assets including buildings, land and their congregations / communities.

Buildings and land

Many of the borough's historic faith communities have erected buildings both as places of worship and to serve social needs of communities past and present. These historic buildings are often linked to green space. There are also non-purpose built sites which have been used and adapted by faith communities to meet changing community needs. In 2007 English Heritage funded a research programme to map all places of worship in the borough and produced a guide to sites, both those in use and those now lying empty. This map can be found at:

http://www.religionandplace.org.uk/

While many of these buildings are valuable assets, they are also a costly inheritance and meeting the costs of maintaining, adapting and repairing these often historic sites, many of which are listed, is a significant financial challenge for a number of faith communities. Smaller and newer faith communities have different problems finding accommodation to meet their needs. As a joint Community Development Foundation / Home Office needs analysis report found in 2006, "the need to find suitable accommodation for their worship and internal needs saps the energy for becoming involved in wider issues".

Charitable work and giving

There is a strong tradition of faith-based charities locally which often pick up those people who may fall through the net of statutory provision, both from their own faith communities and the wider population. Such charities are a proportion of our local `third sector'. The foundation of the Salvation Army in Whitechapel in the late nineteenth century is perhaps just one of the more famous examples of what this might mean. A study by Praxis, a local voluntary organisation, published in 2007 on the needs of new communities in the borough noted the important role faith communities can play in providing new residents with links to wider communities, services and social support.

Social and support services provided by faith communities in the borough are wide ranging and vary in terms of scale and formality. Examples of services include supplementary religious and non-religious education, drug treatment services, English language classes to welfare advice and family conflict services.

Reasonable Adjustments

This section provides guidance about factors to take into account when delivering a service, running an activity or event, providing funding or scheduling meetings to ensure that you promote equality and do not adversely affect any individual or group as a result of their religion or belief. It is important to note that these are intended to highlight some of the most common barriers to promotion of religion / belief equality, it is not a comprehensive guide to providing an equitable service and it is important that we take a proactive approach to identifying individual needs rather than presuming what we know the best solution. The key principle here is to ensure that it is clear that efforts will be made to accommodate needs and preferences based on religion or belief and encourage staff, service users or residents to discuss their needs where they feel there may be a barrier to their access or involvement in an activity. A participant in one of the RBES consultation events said:

“I would like the Council to understand the importance of faith but not to presume they know all about it in terms of how I would like services provided, make no assumptions please!”

Timing of activities and events

http://www.faithintowerhamlets.com/default/1150.calendar/index.htm

Guidance:

o When planning meetings, the following general principles should be followed:

 Where the membership of the group is known, future meeting dates should be made available to all members of the group and members invited to indicate if they are unable to attend.

 Where attendees of meetings are not known in advance, for example public meetings, dates of major religious festivals should be avoided. These dates can be found on the Interfaith Calendar.

Food and catering

Further information about the food requirements of different faith communities can be found in the ACAS publication `Religion or Belief in the Workplace':

http://www.efbelief.org.uk/legal/ACAS%20Guide%20-%20Religion%20and%20Belief.pdf

The story so far

The Council has worked closely with faith communities and organisations for a number of years on a wide variety of issues of common concern, from targeted projects to address inequality for specific communities to the promotion of community cohesion and service provision. Faith communities are represented at all levels of decision making within the Tower Hamlets Partnership.

A number of projects and initiatives involving faith communities in the borough have been recognised as innovative by external bodies. For example the School Attendance Project run as a partnership between Children's Services and the London Muslim Centre was highlighted as a key area of work in the Council's Beacon award for Getting Closer to Communities in 2004. The Council- supported Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum has featured in a number of best practice publications by the IDeA and Interfaith Network of the UK. In 2008 the `Faith in the City' project commissioned as part of the Council's Preventing Violent Extremism programme was awarded the Government Office for London award for innovation.

Some examples of existing work with faith communities to tackle inequality and promote cohesion include:

Understanding equality in the context of religion / belief in Tower Hamlets

The section below describes what we know about how people of religious and non-religious belief and those of no belief experience inequality and disadvantage in Tower Hamlets. This section is organised according to the themes of the Tower Hamlets 2008-20 Community Plan and draws on the ten domains of inequality set out in the Equality Mapping Framework.

ONE TOWER HAMLETS

Capacity to enjoy individual, family and social life

Throughout the consultation on the RBES people told us how much they valued the opportunity to celebrate religious festivals and to have these festivals recognised. Both within the Council and in the wider community, religious festivals are celebrated throughout the year. Staff told us that they were keen for recognition of these festivals to be formalised to ensure that the major festivals of all faith communities in the borough receive coverage and provide an opportunity for people of all faiths and none to learn about one another.

Objectives

Capacity to be and express yourself, and have self-respect

In 2008 over seventy percent of people in Tower Hamlets felt that the borough is a place where people of different backgrounds get on well together. However there were factors which some participants in the RBES consultation felt contributed to fear and could lead to people being treated without dignity or respect as a result of their religion or belief. Many participants highlighted the detrimental impact of negative press coverage of interfaith relations and incidents of tension between communities.

For newer faith communities access to facilities for worship and social activities was highlighted as a major issue of concern. For some faith communities, including Hindus, a lack of place of worship means that they have to travel out of the borough to worship. For others a lack of resources mean that worship and community activities take place in inadequate buildings. This can lead to health and safety concerns and enforcement action being taken where building regulations are being breached.

Objectives:

Capacity to participate in decision-making and have a voice and influence

The RBES consultation revealed a number of different perspectives on the relationship between faith communities and local public authorities. A number of participants felt that the role of faith communities in decision making should be expanded and support provided to faith communities to play this advocacy and representation role on behalf of members. Others however felt it was important that faith communities maintained their independence from public authorities and that too close a relationship with the Council and other public bodies could compromise their ability to play an active role in civil society.

A number of participants suggested that the role of faith communities within local decision making structures should be clarified to ensure that representatives are encouraged to reflect the interests not only of their own faith community but of the wider faith communities of the borough. For example the faith community representatives on the Tower Hamlets Partnership should be accountable not only to their own faith communities but also to the wider Interfaith Forum, which is open to people of all faiths or none interested in interfaith activity and dialogue.

Objectives:

A PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY

Capacity to have the skills to participate in society

Throughout the consultation for the RBES, participants identified opportunities for learning about the range of cultures and beliefs of people in the borough as a key priority. Schools and workplaces were identified as spaces where people of different faiths and backgrounds met and learnt about one another. Interfaith activities, including meetings of the borough's Interfaith Forum and events such as the annual interfaith service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, were also described in positive terms.

The consultation also suggested that opportunities for interfaith dialogue and contact need to be extended to ensure that people are able to take part in these activities. Particular points raised included:

Consultation with staff within the Council suggested that activities designed to increase understanding of faith communities and religious belief should not focus on one religion or belief, but give information about the variety of faith communities in the borough. This would avoid any implication that one faith community is being favoured over another and support the Council's aim to increase interfaith understanding and relationships between people.

Objectives:

Capacity to take part in productive and valued activities

Worklessness

In Tower Hamlets we have the second highest level of economically inactive working age women in the country, at forty nine percent. The Greater London Authority has published research showing that across the capital Muslim people are almost twice as likely to be economically inactive compared to the average. Of the economically inactive group, Muslim people are more likely to be looking after a family or be studying than other groups.

There is significant evidence to indicate that Muslim women are particularly likely to be economically inactive and experience multiple barriers to accessing paid employment. In 2006 the Equal Opportunities Commission published research into the experiences of Muslim women in the workplace, which drew on interviews with women in Tower Hamlets. The report concluded that Muslim women experience numerous barriers in entering and progressing in the labour market and this amounts to an area of significant inequality. The Tower Hamlets Employment Strategy sets out a framework to tackle some of these complex issues of employment and worklessness within the borough.

Volunteering and charitable work

Levels of volunteering and charity work in Tower Hamlets are high. Faith-based community groups and voluntary organisations make up a significant proportion of these groups. In addition, a significant proportion of people with religious belief in the borough give time and money to support the management of places of worship and faith related activities. For example, local residents are members of mosque management committees, stand as governors at faith schools in the borough and run voluntary activities such as Sunday schools. A report on mosques in the borough, published in 2008, identified worshipper donations as the major source of income for all mosques in the borough.

Objectives:

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE

Capacity to enjoy a comfortable standard of living, with independence and security

Housing

In the borough the demand for social housing suitable for families far exceeds the available supply. The impact of this on communities is significant, with large numbers of families living in inadequate and poor quality housing. London-wide research by the Greater London Authority indicates that, due to the above average family size, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh families are more likely to live in overcrowded housing. Overcrowding can have adverse effects on health, educational achievement and indirectly lead to increased fear and experience of crime and anti-social behaviour. Local research undertaken with the cooperation of the borough's Council of Mosques in 2008 identified a shortage of suitable housing as the primary issue of concern to local Imams and mosque management committee members.

Objectives:

A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Physical security

Crimes which are reported to the Police "where anyone, including the victim, believes the victim has been targeted because of their actual or perceived religion or belief" are recorded as faith hate crimes. In addition, incidents of anti-social behaviour reported to the Council which do not constitute criminal offences but cause alarm, distress or harassment, or where anyone believes the victim has been targeted because of their actual or perceived religion or belief, are also recorded as faith hate incidents.

Local research has shown that victims of faith hate crime and incidents are more likely to be repeat victims than other victims of crime. Furthermore, they often experience feelings of not being able to escape the reason they are victimised, and that people may question the seriousness of the offence or incident.

There were five faith hate crimes in Tower Hamlets reported to the Police in 2007; in 2008 this increased to fourteen, with increases identified around religious festivals and incidents of international tension. However there is evidence of significant under reporting of faith hate crime in the borough and actual figures are likely to be much higher. There is a complex relationship between race and faith hate, with evidence suggesting that offenders may be driven by religious intolerance but display this intolerance in racist language, as opposed to identifying a specific faith. In general people seem to be more comfortable reporting race as opposed to faith hate crime.

Qualitative research carried out by the Council's Community Safety service in 2007 suggested that significant numbers of faith hate incidents go unreported. For example, at focus groups female Muslim participants described almost daily faith-related abuse and intimidation and young women reported repeated experiences of faith-related intolerance including having hijabs pulled off, verbal abuse and damage to personal property.

A review of reported faith hate crimes suggests that individuals, buildings and events are the most frequent targets and crimes include criminal damage, assault and actual bodily harm.

There are several factors which affect the vulnerability of people of faith and faith communities to hate crime.

Location

Many places of worship are identifiable as such and are therefore at risk of faith hate attacks. In the past this has included graffiti and desecration of religious symbols or artefacts. Furthermore many of these buildings are historic and making changes to improve security is both costly and may threaten the character of the original building. Many of the borough's Anglican churches also have churchyards which are publicly accessible open spaces in which incidents of anti-social behaviour and vandalism have been reported both to the Police, Council and Interfaith Forum.

Visibility

Religious dress also appears to increase vulnerability to hate crime. A 2007 report on hate crime in the borough highlighted experiences of harassment and intimidation of Muslim women who wore the hijab or niqaab; Christian clergy wearing clerical dress, Rabbis walking in and out of synagogues as well as people collecting for religious charities.

Objectives:

A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

The capacity to be healthy

Access to sports facilities and activities was a key issue identified by faith communities through the consultation for the RBES. There were two key concerns raised:

Support services

Faith communities play a significant role in providing support services for individuals and communities to promote wellbeing and provide support to those experiencing hardship and crisis. During the consultation for the RBES we came across numerous examples of faith communities providing support to vulnerable people, including those with mental health conditions, older people, drug users and the homeless. This support is provided in a variety of ways, from informal voluntary activities such as befriending to services provided by faith based organisations on behalf of and funded by public authorities.

There was also significant variation in who activities were intended to benefit, with some groups offering support principally to members of their own faith community, whilst others set out to meet needs of local people of all faiths and none. The diversity of the population in Tower Hamlets and the history of changing communities has led many faith communities to reach beyond their immediate memberships and respond creatively to the needs of the communities around them.

Responses to the RBES consultation revealed a wide variety of opinions and perceptions about the attitudes of the Council and other public bodies to working with and funding faith based organisations. This wide spectrum of views about the way in which the Council should engage with faith communities and people of faith is matched by a variety of opinions about the adequacy of Council resourcing of faith communities and the relationship between the public, private and social roles of faith communities and organisations.

Objectives:

Promoting religion / belief equality as an employer

Internal consultation with Council staff revealed a variety of opinions about the way in which religion / belief should be regarded in the workplace. There was a strong feeling that the workplace played an important role in bringing people of different backgrounds together to build positive relationships and many people stated their willingness to help colleagues to understand their religion or belief. However participants also identified some factors which they felt had a detrimental affect on their ability to be open about their own religion or belief in the workplace which included: world events which lead to a negative portrayal of certain faith communities in the media; the use of language which is offensive to some faith communities in the workplace and; a feeling that some faith groups got more publicity and resources than others.

There was significant support for more interfaith events in the Council as these provided opportunities for staff to learn about the variety of religions / beliefs in the borough in a well managed and safe environment.

The information below describes the representation of people of specific religion / beliefs employed by the Council in 2007. It should be noted that this data has only been collected since 2006 and there are significant gaps in the information. We have no data on the religion / belief of twenty six percent of staff and a further ten percent declined to provide the information when asked. Expanding our understanding of the profile of religion / belief among staff is a key commitment in this Scheme.

In terms of overall representation, the proportion of Christians and Muslims in the workforce is similar to the proportion in the local working age population. The proportion of people of no belief however is lower at ten percent than the comparable borough figure of eighteen percent. The figures relating to other faith groups are too small to draw conclusive comparisons. If we analyse representation at various pay grades however, the picture is different. The proportion of Christian staff remains fairly consistent at all grades at between 28 - 34%. Muslim staff, by contrast are more likely to have jobs falling in the less than £20,000 and £29,000 pay bands, with proportionately fewer Muslim staff having jobs in the top three pay bands, at 8%, 5% and 3% respectively. The reverse appears to be true of people of no belief who make up just five percent of staff in the lowest pay band, increasing to 10%, 25%, 41% and 36% of staff in the higher pay bands.

Objectives:

Delivering the Religion / Belief Equality Scheme objectives, 2009-12

`New Communities in Tower Hamlets: Characteristics, trends and challenges', Praxis (2007)

Ibid.

`Needs Analysis of Capacity Building in Faith Communities in Tower Hamlets', CDF/Home Office Research (2006)

New Communities in Tower Hamlets: Characteristics, trends and challenges', Praxis (2007)

Tower Hamlets Annual Residents Survey, 2008

`Key Facts for Diverse Communities: Ethnicity and Faith', Greater London Authority, (2007)

`Moving on Up: Workplace Cultures Report', Equal Opportunities Commission, (2007)

`A window of opportunity: Developing a better understanding of the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets', Agroni Research (2008)

Ibid.

`Faith Hate Crime Workshop Report', Tower Hamlets Community Safety Service (2007)

Ibid.

`Faith Hate Crime Workshop Report', Tower Hamlets Community Safety Service (2007)

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