This is the second part of a two part retrospective of my first six months in business as Audrey Ludwig Training and Consulting Limited. The first part was the business bits and is at https://audreyludwig.com/my-first-six-months-part-1-the-business-bits/.
This part is about my work as an Equality Act compliance trainer and consultant
I have loved equality law since I specialised in it, back in 2006, having dabbled in it previously. It’s both simple, yet complex and nuanced. It is universal, as everyone is protected and everyone potentially liable. It affects many contexts in life. Everyone both seems to know about it, yet are often misinformed, with a lot of inaccurate “guidance” out there.
In my work as a specialist equality lawyer I worked on all aspects of equality law (except equal pay), covering all nine protected characteristics, undertaking ET and County Court litigation and advising on the Public Sector Equality Duty.
It is constantly changing (the last year alone has seen new:
- s19A indirect associative discrimination,
- s40A duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment of employees,
- the Higgs v Fermor judgment re freedom to manifest belief and
- For Women Scotland v Scottish Minister Supreme Court judgment definition of sex, man and woman).
Throughout my time in the pro bono and legal aid advice charities, and now in my own training and consulting business, I have loved explaining, decoding, demystifying what the law is and how to apply it, using audience-specific language and a risk minimisation approach. Since 2006 I have provided training to a very diverse set of audiences from adults with learning disabilities, Chinese and Caribbean elders clubs, police officers, letting agents, journalists, feminists, lawyers, Roma factory workers, homeless young people and independent police complaints staff.
So what have I been asked to do in my first six months? Well I have:
- trained a mixed group of US and European lawyers on an overview of UK Equality law plus emerging issues for their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) day. I managed a whistlestop tour with slides in one hour and then questions (though now decided absolute minimum of one hour and quarter before questions is necessary)
- done one to one casework mentoring with young specialist equality/employment lawyers helping them to work though complex issues like valuing claims, evidencing disability, advising on and negotiating settlement agreements.
- for North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre undertook three sets of training. The first was Introduction to Equality law with special focus on service provision (for most staff); the second was Equality Act compliance for line managers, so additional advice on the workplace parts of equality law; and the final was for advice staff supervisors on spotting equality law issues for clients presenting with other problems particularly welfare benefits.
- One to one coaching for a public affairs professional on equality law over 5 separate hours of one to one training. I was approached by my keen client as she wanted a more in-depth understanding than that provided in shorter courses. She had to talk me into it as was new to that style of training. I devised a bespoke syllabus which she agreed. I ended up giving her a sixth bonus session as found five hours slightly too short to achieve the depth we both wanted (also we laughed a lot together). Both of us found it really rewarding and I am open to repeating that with a similarly motivated individual.
- for Women’s Resource Centre, given a 90 minute presentation on the consequences of implications of For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers and the interpretation of sex, man and women as biological sex for the women’s sector. The first session attracted over 100. We are doing a repeat of this remote talk on Monday 7th July 1-3pm. Book here https://www.wrc.org.uk/Event/implications-of-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-the-womens-sector2
- for IRWIN MITCHELL LLP a national leading firm of solicitors, commissioned by Joanne Moseley I have undertaken training to lawyers (including their professional support lawyers) on Equality law outside employment, focussing specifically on services, public functions and associations. I touched on Public Sector Equality Duty and they indicated they would appreciate a session later this year specifically on PSED. As there is some evidence that more legal disputes/litigation will arise going forward (due to use of crowdfunding, greater use of law by activists and Government consultation on cost protections) skilling up on non-employment parts of the Equality Act is very good investment by them.
- For Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls I did a face to face, very interactive session on Equality law for their 10 or so staff. It was so much fun and rewarding, with them throwing numerous, fascinating questions at me, and clearly very interested and engaged.
- For a multi-office family law firm, Rayden Solicitors I was a speaker in person at their Annual Training Day, to about 100 people, from lawyers to administrative staff. I delivered a service provider focused whistlestop tour of Equality Act in 1 hour and 15 minutes. I got lots of compliments from the audience afterwards indicating they found it a very clear and useful explanation and contrasted it positively with one delivered by another provider a few years before. I enjoyed the training immensely and everyone was lovely. However, my journey there (traffic jams), misplacing my hearing aids (luckily at home and now found) and the high temperatures (got quite dizzy afterwards) were tricky.
The next six months sees me helping a small local charity, more lawyers, a university and a training company which specialises in Occupational Health Advisors CPD. Also in talks with other organisations.
If I can assist you, do contact me for a free chat by email at audrey@audreyludwig.com or by phone on 07712762755