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News from the Equality and Human Rights Commission
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Welcome to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s latest stakeholder newsletter. In this edition, we share updates from across our work to protect and promote equality and human rights, including the publication of our Annual Report and new resources to support decision-making under the Public Sector Equality Duty in Wales.
We also highlight our recent engagement with stakeholders across government, parliaments, regulators, trade unions and civil society, alongside our advice to government on issues including non-disclosure agreements, conversion practices and proposals for a new College of Fire and Rescue. In addition, we share updates from our work with the uniformed services, including our latest Equality Exchange Event and ongoing support to help organisations prevent harassment and build positive workplace cultures.
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Annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026 published
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We have published our annual report and accounts for 2025 to 2026, providing an overview of our work over the past year and the impact of our activity across Britain. The report includes reflections from our Chair and Chief Executive, a summary of key achievements, and information on our governance, finances and performance.
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| Read our annual report and accounts |
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Chair discusses equality and human rights priorities in The House
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Our Chair, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, recently spoke to The House magazine about the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the importance of protecting rights for everyone, and some of the key issues shaping the equality and human rights landscape.
The interview explored a range of topics, including the Equality Act, Public Sector Equality Duty, Code of Practice, and the importance of providing clear guidance to help organisations understand and meet their legal responsibilities. Dr Stephenson also highlighted the breadth of our work, from tackling discrimination to improving access to public services and advancing human rights across Britain.
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| Read the interview in The House |
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Meetings and engagements
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Our Chair has continued to engage with stakeholders across parliaments, government, trade unions and civil society, helping to build relationships and shape discussions on key equality and human rights issues. Recent engagements included meetings with the Office for Statistics Regulation, UNISON, the Trades Union Congress and Women’s Aid and with various political party equalities spokespersons Claire Coutinho MP, Mims Davies MP, Baroness Stedman-Scott, Marie Goldman MP and Sian Berry MP.
Alongside these meetings, Dr Stephenson spoke at a webinar hosted by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, and joined a Protect panel event discussing non-disclosure agreement legislation. The Chair also took part in a briefing session with the TUC on the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations, supporting wider understanding of its practical implications.
Our Chief Executive, John Kirkpatrick, met with the Fair Work Agency to discuss areas of shared interest, while our Deputy Chief Executive, Penny Hobman, continued our regular engagement with the Office for Students. These discussions support our work to influence policy, share expertise and advance equality and human rights across Great Britain.
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Advising government and Parliament
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Draft Conversion Practices Bill published
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The UK Government has published its draft Conversion Practices Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Bill aims to provide protection from harmful conversion practices and will now be subject to detailed examination before any legislation is introduced.
Our Chair, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, welcomed publication of the draft Bill and highlighted the importance of ensuring the legislation includes clear definitions and appropriate safeguards for individual rights.
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| Read our statement on the draft Conversion Practices Bill |
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Response to consultation on a new College of Fire and Rescue
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We responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s consultation on proposals for a new College of Fire and Rescue. We welcomed the focus on improving culture within the sector and highlighted the importance of embedding equality, inclusion and effective responses to discrimination, harassment and victimisation throughout leadership development and training.
Our response also emphasised the value of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in supporting positive workplace culture, alongside the importance of robust equality data and considering the impact of proposed assessment and entry processes on people with protected characteristics.
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| Read our consultation response |
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Chair responds to Immigration and Asylum Bill
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Following the UK Government’s announcement of an Immigration and Asylum Bill, we highlighted the importance of understanding how human rights protections apply in practice, including the role of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Our statement also notes that proposed reforms to the Modern Slavery Act should be considered carefully to ensure vulnerable people continue to receive appropriate protections and access to justice.
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| Read our statement |
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Sharing practice at our Equality Exchange Event
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Our latest Equality Exchange Event brought together colleagues from across the uniformed services to share practical approaches to tackling race and sex‑based discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
The event featured a contribution from our Chair, alongside a talk from Mariette Hughes of the Armed Forces Commissioners Office on the importance of language in handling complaints. Discussions explored how organisations are strengthening reporting, supporting those affected, and learning from initiatives already making a difference. Participants also learned of an initiative which supports those affected within a police force and key themes within a successful race discrimination case. Breakout discussions created space for participants to connect, exchange ideas and reflect on how to apply learning within their own services.
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| Read about the Uniformed Services event on LinkedIn |
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Sharing learning on preventing sexual harassment
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Our latest webinar for the fire and rescue sector explored training and responding to harassment complaints, covering steps five and six of our guide to preventing sexual harassment at work. Attendees heard from the EHRC’s Compliance team on effective training approaches and handling complaints when they arise.
The session also featured Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, which shared insights from its experience of delivering training on preventing sexual harassment.
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| Read our 8-step guide on preventing sexual harassment at work |
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Sign up for our newsletter
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We produce a monthly newsletter including updates on our legal and enforcement action, policy briefings, guidance, research, and latest announcements.
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| Sign up for our newsletter |
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