Discrimination law provides a legal route to seek redress to individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against. While an individual’s access to an effective remedy is very important, there are wider implications for the design, management and delivery of services.

Discrimination is a negative experience that can damage an individual’s self-esteem and confidence, and this may have a knock-on effect on their health, their educational and professional achievement and ultimately their life chances. Equality-sensitive practice avoids discrimination in the first place to the benefit of both service users and service providers.

Taking an approach to organisational policy-making and practice development, and to service planning, design and delivery that builds on a thorough understanding of equality and human rights will help you ensure that your organisation provides an excellent, high-quality service to the whole community, which meets the specific needs and expectations of your service’s diverse clientele. It will also dramatically reduce the risk of litigation and damage to your organisation’s finances and reputation that successful discrimination claims may bring.

As a result, equality-sensitive service provision and good equality practice is a win-win situation for both service providers and service users.