Discrimination, prejudice, attack and harassment are sadly a reality for many people in Devon. This is why the need for the work of a Race Equality Council is imperative, in order to raise awareness of this reality and build a better future for Devon's minority ethnic population. The Racial Equality Council has helped people who suffer because of other people's prejudicial reactions to their race, culture, language, travelling heritage or faith. Many people who suffer in this way will have resisted seeking help for some time, for fear of an escalation of tension. When people do seek help, it is often in desperation or because silent endurance has yielded no results. People need to seek help from a source that they can be confident will understand the nature of their distress and bring about relief.

Not least by virtue of its name, the Racial Equality Council is the place to which people automatically turn for this help. We have to honour the confidence and trust which people have placed in us by responding to this need, and, importantly, dealing with complainant aid is the most direct means by which we can meet the need of those whose interests we primarily exist to serve. It is our privilege and our responsibility to put the needs of people who suffer the effects of race inequality, first. Statistics recently published in the Observer have shown that Devon is the fourth most likely county in the UK in which a resident is likely to be subject to a racist incident. Much more harassment remains unreported. In order to support people who have been subject to this widespread racism, xenophobia, Islamaphobia and anti-Semitism, and to ensure that support is locally accessible, Devon REC is also seeking to support the development of reporting and referral partnerships and the development of local case-work specialists. Referral of support needs to be done in a way that adds no further insecurities to the victim's/complainant's situation, ensuring that people feel that the support they receive is seamless, professional, and effective. Whilst there are a number of organisations which can help with case-work, such as Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Victim and Witness Support, the Devon Law Centre, the capacity of these organisations to deal with the race equality specifics of case-work in a comprehensive manner needs to be developed and co-ordinated. The learning arising from case-histories also needs to be garnered in a manner which protects confidentiality, but makes sure that proactive measures can be taken to prevent future incidents, repeat offending is identified and dealt with, and case-workers can draw on each other's experience and best-practice. Because Devon REC is the first place to which many people turn for help, and because of its expertise and its ability to influence service providers' policy and practice, Devon REC is ideally placed to co-ordinate a case-work network.

The Commission for Racial Equality's names for this work:

Racial harassment case-work and/or co-ordination.
Race specific case-work
Critical friend role
Research
Cross-community work - tackling far-right activity and tackling isolation and lack of support in rural areas.
Alienated communities - rural areas.