While the Equality and Human Rights Commission provide access to numerous written resources including important legislation, handbooks, codes of practice and technical guidance specifically for advisors, this now has the backing of a telephone based support service - the Equality and Human Rights Commission advisor helpline.  The service, which is available within core office hours, has separate lines for England, Scotland and Wales, is not offered to members of the public and is instead aimed at solicitors, trade unions, organisations that support individuals with their problems and ombudsman schemes.

For those needing to quantify the injury to feelings aspect of a discrimination claim, the Vento guidelines have been updated.  The now annual update adjusts the bands to take account of inflation.  The new bands are:-

• Lower band (less serious cases): £900 to £8,800
• Middle band: £8,800 to £26,300
• Upper band (most serious cases): £26,300 to £44,000

It is only in exceptional cases that an amount over £44,000 would be awarded for injury to feelings.