Chance to help victims of hate

Tariq Rafique

THE Oldham Race Equality Partnership is looking for someone dedicated and sympathetic to help victims of hate crime get back on their feet.

The new casework enforcement officer would work with the police and victims of hate crime to make sure that they have all the after-care services they need..

The post, which commands a salary of £23,749 to £26,067, is one of three which were created in July last year to tackle hate crime in the borough.

The three positions, which also include a counselling support officer and a project manager, are funded until July, 2010, by a £270,000 national lottery grant and £150,000 from Oldham Council.

And staff at the Oldham Race Equality Partnership reckon they are a winning team.

Tariq Rafique, project manager at the race equality partnership, said: “We dealt with 147 cases of race crime last year and we were given a target of just 100.

“The cases were also well staggered, with roughly even numbers of whites and Asians coming to us for help. We also dealt with a fairly large number of people from the Afro Caribbean community.

“With the help of a large army of volunteers, the people in these three roles help to organise after-care that the police might not have the time or resources to provide.

“We also receive many complaints directly from members of the public, who might be wary of going to the police.”

The Partnership is looking for someone who is committed and will have empathy for the needs of victims as well as understanding the impact that hate crime can have.

The ideal candidate will have experience of dealing with casework.

Mr Rafique said: “In the last year, there has been an increase of 18 per cent in the reporting of hate crimes in Oldham and we believe this is because people are more aware of the help that is available.

“We want to continue to build on this success.”

Anyone who would like an application pack is asked to contact Tariq Rafique at Oldham Race Equality Partnership, 1st Floor, A Block, Brunswick House, Oldham OL1 1DE. Telephone 0161-621 9690 or email:orep.tariqrafique@positivestepsoldham.org.uk

The closing date for applications is September 15.