Mystery Shopper

Haringey Disability First Consortium have developed a way for Haringey's residents to rate local services and share information with one another as well as helping to make Haringey accessible to everyone.

Please click the link below to download the form:

Mystery_Shopper_(Sept_2010).doc

Haringey Disability First Consortium

Haringey Disability First Consortium (HDFC) consists of four main partners, namely, Haringey REC, Haringey CAB, Age Concern Haringey, and Haringey Women’s Forum with the aim of making a real difference to the way people experience, benefit and are represented on disability issues in Haringey. The four main partners between them have decades of representation experience covering the diverse and vulnerable communities of Haringey and we will harness our combined skills to offer a new disabilities service in Haringey. The Consortium will establish appropriate networks to develop full participation from all sections of the local disabled community to improve local service delivery and the planning of future services and policies. This Consortium will also complement the national picture which demonstrates the capacity to embrace more than one equality strand, thus demonstrating value for money. In our opinion, there is clearly a role for an independent championing body, HDFC to perform the following roles in the borough:
  • Promotion and awareness of disability issues, rights and responsibilities to the public, statutory stakeholders, and the private sector
  • Provide a casework service for those who have complaints relevant to the DDA & DED.
  • Establish and support a Disability Forum for both individuals and organisations, with an interest in disability issues.
  • Work in partnership with the local authority and other key stakeholders to ensure best practice in its role as an employer and service provider on disability issues.

The Consortium will provide the opportunity to facilitate arrangements in Haringey, through which the local authority and other key stakeholders, can work with the community to carry out its responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and The Disability Equality Duty 2006 (DED). The Consortium is well placed to undertake this role, due to the partners’ established place in the community and its long record of work on equalities issues. There are strong similarities between the rights and duties imposed by the DDA and the DED, and those of other equalities legislation, for example the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Race Relations Act (Amendment) 2000. The nature of the work to be undertaken, much of it of a strategic nature is identical in character, and very familiar to the Consortium partners. A similar culture and style of working will also be required to progress the disability agenda.

Providing advice and information – facilitating representation

We aim to improve the way people experience, benefit and are represented on disability issues in Haringey. The Consortium will establish appropriate networks to develop full participation from all sections of the local disabled community to improve local service delivery and the planning of future services and policies.

• Promotion and awareness of disability issues, rights and responsibilities to the public, statutory stakeholders, and the private sector

• Provide a casework service for those who have complaints relevant to the Disability Discrimination Act & Disability Equality Duty. As of October 2010, The Single Equality Act has been introduced.

• Establish and support a Disability Forum for both individuals and organisations, with an interest in disability issues• Work in partnership with the local authority and other key stakeholders to ensure best practice in its role as an employer and service provider on disability issues

• Publish a disability newsletter, twice a year•

To inform and raise awareness of disability issues within the wider community

• To provide a strategic representation service on behalf of clients and/or their advocates

• To compile a database of local agencies who provide a specialist advice and service on disability issues, for use in signposting and networking

• To take a pro-active role in promoting effective partnerships with the statutory sector and other relevant bodies, for example the Equalities and Human Rights Commission

• To develop a means to deliver disability service improvements locally

• To encourage good practice and disability awareness in our advisory capacity

• To improve access and the distribution of information to people with disabilities

• To promote positive images of disabled people and challenge discriminating attitudes

 Representation

A representative Forum will meet at least three times per year and central coordinating support will be provided to its members. Advice will be offered to disabled people about services. During Forum meetings and other events there will be opportunities to meet, share experiences and develop closer links with other disabled people and service providers. Disabled people, as we know do not live without context and the benefits of connecting their families, friends and carers through the events and training sessions will add to the overall benefit by making sure people are informed about options and services available. It is expected that the key stakeholders, for example Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust, will benefit from the project which will in turn lead to service improvements for local disabled people. It is expected that the Forum members will also make recommendations to the HDFC. Speakers will be invited to give representations at Forums and seminars and users/members will be encouraged to raise issues. The Consortium will have 2 representatives from each partner organisation, one of which will be a representative of disabled people. The remaining places will be reserved for co-options from user groups/clients, representing disabled people. It is envisaged that there will be at least 60% Disabled representatives. 

Advice Provision

Haringey REC and Haringey CAB both operate within the Community Legal Service Quality Mark framework and will extend their services to include two part-time dedicated caseworkers to deliver the service. It is anticipated that the Business Plan will include a marketing and publicity strategy to advertise the service widely and to distribute leaflets and information to local agencies and community organisations. Haringey REC’s offices will operate a drop-in service (two days per week) and an appointment service (two days per week). Included in this we will also operate a telephone, email, text and correspondence service during the week. All clients will be interviewed and assessed and their complaint investigated in compliance to the CLS standards of service. Case file reviews will be undertaken on a monthly basis and six monthly reports and casework trends/analysis will be made to the HDF Consortium. At the end of the first year an impact analysis review will be undertaken to provide a basis for informing key policy decision makers of potential gaps in service and to make recommendations for service improvement. Lessons learnt will be shared with other agencies via the Forum and local networks.  

Background Information

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 established legal rights for disabled people and makes it unlawful for public authorities to discriminate unreasonably against disabled people in the provision of services and employment. The Disability Equality Duty Dec 2006 grants individual civil rights to disabled people and introduced a new statutory duty on the public sector to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Key public authorities have published a Disability Equality Duty scheme that sets out how they will implement the Disability Duty. This new duty shifts the responsibility for changing the culture of public sector away from individual disabled people towards Ministers and officials responsible for designing policies and services. It requires public authorities to carry out their functions with “due regard” to the need to:

  • eliminate unlawful disability discrimination and disability-related harassment.
  • promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, taking steps to account for disabled people’s disabilities.
  • promote positive attitudes to disabled people.
  • encourage disabled people to participate in public life.
  • take steps to meet disabled people’s needs, even if this requires more favourable treatment.

Quality Systems

Haringey REC is accredited under the Community Legal Service for General Help and Casework and the CRE’s Core Standard Level 2/3. Our extensive experience includes the following Quality Assurance Systems:

Commitment to Quality; Equal Opportunities; User Centred Services; Monitoring, Evaluation and Complaints; Training and Development; Governance; Management; Staffing; Managing Resources; Financial Planning and Management; Administration; Planning Service Provision; Community Development; Public Awareness; and Policy Development.

This extensive experience has led to a staff skills base which can be shared locally.

*The CLS audit our services every two years and are due to undertake our next audit in November/ December 2011

Community Development

Haringey REC has more than 30 years experience in community development with some of the most disadvantaged people in Haringey and have direct experience of facilitating local initiatives such as Haringey Refugee Action Group, the Satellite Consortium, Haringey Muslim Network and Safety Forum and more recently, Haringey Disability First Consortium.

We often work closely with other partners in a multi-agency approach to deliver services to hard to reach communities. Our staff team possess a wealth of skills and experiences that can be shared with innovative projects locally and can assist /support/arrange one-off conferences and seminars.

Conflict Resolution and Equality Specific Casework

Haringey REC is well established and recognised as a key strategic partner by the statutory, non-statutory, independent and voluntary sector. Whilst there are other organisations that do casework, Haringey REC is unique in that it is the sole body in Haringey specialising in race specific casework. We now offer a Disability specific casework service as well as Age, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Religion and Belief in partnership with Haringey Citizens Advice Bureaux, Haringey Women's Forum and Age Concern Haringey as referral agents.

Haringey REC is funded to carry out this area of work under the EHRC's GFA/ACN1. 

Haringey REC aims to ensure that all clients have access to redress their complaints under all the Equality Enactments by providing a quality assured and uniformed approach to casework and sharing of good practice between agencies:

  • To ensure all clients have access to redress their complaints under the Equality Act 2010 (as well as all the previous equality legislation)
  • To provide an effective quality service to clients under the Community Legal Service Quality Mark
  • To work in partnership and share information with key local casework agencies
  • To publicise strategic casework and influence policy where appropriate


Haringey REC has a proven track record in dealing with complex conflict resolution problems and adheres to its confidentiality policy at all times.

Organisational Development, Governance and Management Skills

BME and Refugee organisations often work on a shoestring budget, bridging gaps unmet by mainstream service provision.

This presents challenges for these organisations and it is therefore imperative to develop strategic leadership skills to ensure good governance and competent management. Haringey REC can provide One-to-One support on how they can actively improve their internal systems to improve the organisations’ longer term sustainability.

Training

Training can be provided in individual or group sessions which cut across several  equality themes. For example, Race Relations Act 1976; The Race Relations Act (Amendment) 2000, Race Equality Impact Assessments;Single Equality Act 2010; Strategic and Business Planning; and Quality Assurance Systems. Through our Haringey Disability First Consortium partners, we may be able to provide you training around disability issues.

Capacity building

There are a range of capacity building programmes aimed at community organisations. However, these are mainly focused on enabling the delivery of traditional employment and training programmes. Haringey REC targets BME, Refugee and Disability organisations that would require intensive One-to-One support to enhance the organisations sustainability.


Haringey REC’s support services aim to develop leadership, governance and overall management skills that would improve BME, Refugee and Disability organisations’ participation, representation and accountability. This also enhances these organisations’ capacity to understand the policy context of equality issues in neighbourhood regeneration and renewal and the practical impact of policies/initiatives on how they deliver services which will establish existing baselines and map out their sustainability over time that would bring them on a level playing field.