New Equality information, advice and support service

From 1 October 2012, information, advice and support on discrimination will be provided by the new Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

The new service is aimed at individuals who need more expert advice and support on discrimination than advice agencies and other local organisations can provide. It will aim to give bespoke advice to individuals across the whole of Great Britain on discrimination issues, including an explanation of legal rights and remedies within discrimination legislation. It will explain options for informal resolution and help people to pursue them. It will refer people who cannot or do not wish to go down this road to conciliation or mediation services.

The new service will work closely with the Equality Human Rights Commission (EHRC), referring on potential test cases and sharing information to inform the EHRC’s wider work on equality. Following a procurement process carried out under EU rules, the contract to provide the EASS has been awarded to Sitel. Sitel describe themselves on their website as:

With over 26 years of industry experience, Sitel has twice been ranked as the top overall call center outsourcing provider in Datamonitor’s annual Black Book of Outsourcing survey. Sitel’s 57,000 employees provide clients with predictable and measurable Return on their Customer Investment by building customer loyalty, increasing sales and improving efficiency. Sitel’s solutions span 120+ domestic, nearshore, and offshore centers in 25 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific. The company is privately held and majority owned by Canadian diversified company, Onex Corporation.

Sitel will work with Disability Rights UK, the Law Centres Federation, Voiceability, the British Institute of Human Rights and the Royal Association for Deaf People.

For the Home Office press release, see Equality information, advice and support