School of Law » Latest News (tag [spending cuts])

"Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments: making them work for you"

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 09:38:10 GMT

Centre Co-Director, Dr. James Harrison will be speaking at an event in Edinburgh entitled "Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments: making them work for you" on 1 October in Edinburgh. The event is designed to explore how Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EQHRIA) can be used as tools that can help any organisation, whether public, voluntary or private to improve the lives of the people of Scotland. For more inormation about the event click here.

Dr. Harrison will be talking about the The 10 Good Practice Building Blocks which he designed to assist public authorities and those carrying out public functions in Scotland to undertake equality and human rights impact assessments (EQHRIAs) that will lead to better outcomes for the individuals and communities they serve. You can find out more about those building blocks here.

Lacuna Writer in Residence Short-listed for Orwell Prize

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 07:57:59 GMT

It has just been announced that the Centre and Lacuna Magazine's writer in residence, Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi has been short-listed for her work by the prestigious George Orwell Prize for Journalism. All the other short-listed journalists are from leading national newspapers (the Guardian, Economist, Independent and Scotland on Sunday). If Rebecca wins, it will be the second Orwell Prize for the University of Warwick’s Centre for Human Rights in Practice in three years. Andrew Williams won the Orwell Book Prize in 2013 for 'A Very British Killing'

Rebecca's shortlisted pieces included:

LACUNA Magazine article featured by The New Statesman

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:49:34 GMT

A feature on foodbanks written for LACUNA magazine Centre Co-Director James Harrison has been republished in The New Statesman. The article, which offers a critical appraisal of the expansion of foodbanks in the UK, was published to widespread acclaim and has attracted praise from journalists, commentators and writer of "The Thick of It" Armando Iannucci. Read the article here. For more exciting content from Lacuna Magazine subscribe to our mailing list.

Centre launches second edition of LACUNA Magazine

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:59:08 GMT

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice has launched the second edition of it's flagship project: LACUNA Magazine: A Writing Wrongs Project. This edition showcases original expert commentary and investigative journalism on the theme of "Austerity and Prosperity", an issue in which the Centre has developed particular expertise. The lead feature: "Down the rabbit hole: Single parenthood in austerity Britain" has been picked up and re-published by the New Statesman. To read the exciting and challenging content featured in this edition please visit www.lacuna.org.uk

Centre Advertising Phd on Impact of Welfare Reform

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 09:42:26 GMT

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice is currently advertising a fully-funded Phd studentship on the human rights and equality impact of welfare reform. The closing date is 15 May.

The project is a collaboration between the Centre and Coventry City Council. The ESRC-Funded Collaborative PhD will investigate the human rights and equality impacts of welfare reform, public spending cuts and cost of living increases on vulnerable groups and individuals in Coventry.

To find out more about this opportunity please see http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/chrp/projects/spendingcuts/welfarereform/

Centre hosts "Equality and human rights legislation and challenges to welfare benefit sanctions" round table

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 23:47:21 GMT

On the 10th February, The Centre is hosting a round table meeting: using Equality and Human Rights legislation to challenge welfare benefit sanctions.

Coventry families left penniless after benefits stopped: Uncovering the impact of benefit sanctions in Coventry

Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:04:46 GMT

Thousands of families in Coventry over the last year were left without any income after their benefits were sanctioned (stopped or reduced) according to advice agencies working in Coventry. The agencies are so concerned about what is happening to people in Coventry that, together with the Centre for Human Rights in Practice, they are launching a three month survey to find out the full impact of welfare benefit sanctions in Coventry.

The survey is being launched following a meeting attended by over 30 organisations and individuals to discuss benefit sanctions in Coventry. Problems raised at that meeting included:

Examples of sanctions that appeared particularly severe including one person sanctioned for six weeks for being five minutes late to sign on, who as a result may become homeless, and another sanctioned for accidently putting the date of a job application and the job applied for in the wrong boxes on a form.
Examples of stress, depression and other mental health problems, including increased suicide risk among clients as a result of sanctions, particularly among female victims of domestic or sexual violence.
In some cases people only found out that they had been sanctioned when their benefits were stopped and did not know what they had done wrong, or that they had a right to appeal.
Families with children being left with no income to buy food or pay bills and at increased risk of homelessness because of rent arrears.

As a result of this meeting it was decided to launch a Coventry wide survey to uncover the full extent and impact of sanctions. Coventry agencies are asking their clients and any members of the public who have been sanctioned to take part in the survey, which is completely anonymous. Copies of the survey and advice about what to do if you are sanctioned are available here: http://www.covlaw.org.uk/welfare/sanctions.html

A direct link to the survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWW7YYW

Speaking at the launch of the survey Janet Gurney from Coventry Law Centre said:

We are really concerned about the impact that sanctions are having on some of the poorest families in Coventry. From the cases that agencies are seeing it looks as if some sanctions are being imposed unfairly, but few people know about their right to appeal, or that appeals are often successful. We would like to support more appeals in Coventry, but we also need to know more about how sanctions are being imposed in Coventry and what affect this is having on families.

The results of the survey will be published, and shared with the Job Centre locally and DWP nationally in the hope of improving practice.

For more information contact Janet Gurney on 02476 253 174 or Mary-Ann Stephenson on 07957 338582

For a link to the full media release click here and also read the Coventry Telegraph's article on the topic of the survey.

Equality and the cuts – measuring the impact

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 08:31:44 GMT

Read our recently launched database of resources on the impact of the cuts which aims to assist groups across the country who want to demonstrate what the cuts are doing to their communities.

Event: Impact of welfare benefit sanctions in Coventry roundtable

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 09:03:08 GMT

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice is jointly hosting a roundtable meeting with Coventry Citizen's Advice Bureau, Coventry Law Centre and Coventry Women's Voices. James Harrison, Co-director of the Centre, and Mary-Ann Stephenson, co-ordinator of the Human Rights, Equality and the Spending Cuts project and CHRP Associate Fellow, will be attending.