Wales Impact Report 2025 to 2026

I am pleased to present our latest Wales Impact Report for 2025 to 2026. It reflects on our achievements over the last year and looks forward to the year ahead.

We continue to see tensions in our communities and increasingly polarised debates. We must make the case that protecting equality and human rights is essential to addressing the challenges of everyday life, including the basic needs of housing, healthcare and education. Human rights provide a shared framework that promotes dignity and respect and can help reduce division and strengthen social cohesion.

During the first year of our 2025 to 2028 strategic plan, we focused our efforts where the evidence showed the greatest need and where we could make the biggest difference.

Over the past year, we have:

• helped strengthen the Disabled People’s Rights Plan
• signed a legal agreement with the Welsh Government to improve its compliance with equality law
• helped to embed equality and accountability in fire and rescue services, to improve workplace culture
• clarified the law through the updated code of practice for services, public functions and associations

2026 has been a year of considerable change for Wales, with a new Welsh Government and a reformed and expanded Senedd. We look forward to discharging our statutory duty to advise government on its equality and human rights priorities. We will build relationships with new and returning Senedd Members, providing expert insights and informing scrutiny of the government’s legislative programme, enabling it to make fairer and better decisions.

Progress and sustainable change on equality and human rights in Wales is built on effective partnerships, collaboration and accountability. I would like to offer thanks to our Wales team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure we continue to have real impact on people’s lives in Wales. I would also like to offer thanks to our statutory Wales Committee for their oversight of this work and to the many organisations who have worked alongside us over the last year, for their contributions to making Wales a fairer nation for all.

Martyn Jones, Commissioner and Chair of the Wales Committee 

This report sets out our performance and delivery in the first year of our strategic plan 2025 to 2028. This year has been a period of both continuity and change.

We have continued to deliver our core responsibilities and statutory duties, as well as conducting longer-term, coordinated programmes of action to achieve lasting change for society. We have adopted new ways of working to help us focus on the most significant and urgent issues, ensuring we apply the right tools and resources to maximise impact.

Our vision:A society founded on equality and human rights where everyone in Britain has the opportunity to live well and to live well together.

Our purpose: To safeguard and promote our equality and human rights protections so that everyone has a fair chance in life.

How we work: In everything we do, we aim to be agile, independent and authoritative.

We are Great Britain’s equality regulator. We were established under the Equality Act 2006 to protect and enforce the laws that ensure fairness, dignity and respect. We are independent of the Welsh, UK and Scottish governments. As Great Britain’s globally accredited ‘A’ status National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), we have a full human rights mandate in Wales and England and in Scotland in relation to matters reserved to the UK Parliament.

Our job is to challenge discrimination and protect people’s rights across Wales, Scotland and England. Our duties include:

• promoting equality and diversity
• protecting and promoting human rights
• monitoring the effectiveness of equality and human rights legislation
• publishing reports on progress on equality and human rights

As a regulator, we hold governments and other duty bearers to account. Duty bearers are organisations or individuals who have obligations or responsibilities in relation to equality and human rights law. This includes governments, businesses and public authorities.

We aim to ensure that duty bearers recognise and adhere to equality and human rights laws. This means that we:

• seek to ensure they meet their equality and human rights obligations
• interpret and assess compliance with the law and the effects and application of the law
• promote awareness, understanding and protection of human rights and encourage public bodies to comply with the Human Rights Act 1998
• where necessary, enforce the law by taking action against those who break it

As a national equality body and an NHRI, we maintain independence from governments and civil society.

Our strategic plan 2025 to 2028 is based on our principal purpose and duties. Throughout 2025 to 2026, we have focused our work in areas where:

• there is strong evidence of need
• we can make a unique contribution
• positive change is achievable

To support this approach, the strategic plan groups our regulatory work into three ‘pillars’. This helps us to deliver our core responsibilities while also progressing longer-term, coordinated programmes of action. This structure enables us to respond quickly to emerging issues and threats to equality and human rights.

Our interventions this year have led to:

• public bodies improving their practice following our monitoring of their compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)
• improved procedures to protect staff at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) from harassment and discrimination following our legal action
• a legal agreement and action plan with the Welsh Government, to strengthen its compliance with equality law
• equality protections and accountability being embedded in the regulation of post-16 education in Wales
• clarification of complex areas of equality law through updates to the code of practice for services, public functions and associations
• action on disabled people’s rights, enhanced through an improved national action plan
• a human rights-based approach in national guidance on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation
• steps to improve workplace culture in Welsh Fire and Rescue Services by placing equality and accountability in service governance and inspection reforms
• stronger equality, diversity and inclusion requirements in statutory guidance for youth work services in Wales
• commitments to understand equality data to improve accessible transport requirements in Wales

During 2025 to 2026, we have focused on strengthening local authority compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Wales. Our monitoring and engagement programme has generated a strong, positive response from the sector and has already begun to influence local authority improvement on compliance with the PSED.

Building on our 2024 to 2025 monitoring findings, we:

• engaged directly with all 22 Welsh local authorities
• shared advice based on findings from compliance reviews
• developed a programme of targeted interventions aimed at improving Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) practice, leadership accountability and scrutiny

We have shared and supported learning across public bodies. 54 representatives from public bodies across Wales attended our Equality and Human Rights Exchange event in February to hear about findings from our PSED monitoring programme. We also provided guidance on upcoming compliance requirements. In March, we presented to the Welsh Local Government Association Cabinet Members Equality Network, attended by representatives from 20 local authorities, covering both socio-economic duty implementation and findings from our PSED compliance monitoring.

Compliance monitoring

In July, we issued letters to all Welsh Local Authorities (LAs) with the results from our PSED monitoring in 2024 to 2025, including sector-wide findings, individual LA performance summaries and requests for action to address compliance gaps.

All 22 authorities responded on time, setting out planned actions to address identified gaps. Some examples of changes made include:

• strengthening equality objectives to make them more specific and measurable
• publishing more detailed action plans
• incorporating the EIA process into Strategic Equality Plans (SEPs)
• demonstrating more clearly the evidence base for developing equality objectives and SEPs

We held follow up meetings with 13 authorities to inform our future interventions and discuss barriers to compliance.

The response from local authorities demonstrates a high level of engagement to act based on our findings.

PSED interventions

In autumn 2025, we undertook an in-depth review of compliance with the duty to assess and monitor equality impacts across ten local authorities. In July 2026, we published the findings of our review, along with practical guidance and support designed to improve decision-making across the sector.

Our findings identified common challenges in EIA practice. We shared solutions, including improving quality assurance and improving real world impacts. We also published case studies where EIAs have, or could have shaped, good decision-making. These case studies were based on multiple examples shared by Welsh local authorities and our understanding of principles that make an effective EIA.

We co-produced a PSED assessment framework with more than 40 councillors and local authority officers, which we published at the same time as our findings. Feedback highlighted demand for a practical tool to support councillors. The framework was designed to strengthen leadership accountability and support effective scrutiny of equality implications in decision-making.

Next year, we will work with local authorities to evaluate progress on EIA practice in the sector following our interventions.

Guidance for social care commissioners

Following our impactful advice to the Welsh Government on the development of its national framework for commissioning care and support, we published guidance for social care commissioners in July 2025.

The guidance was developed to align with Standard 10 of the framework. This requires commissioners to actively address inequality and fulfil human rights obligations through contracts and service specifications, including embedding the PSED.

The guidance provides a practical step-by-step guide alongside illustrative examples of how commissioners can use the PSED to address inequalities.

The guide was well received, with the Chief Social Care Officer for Wales saying:

Advising Medr’s regulatory framework

Our advice to Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, has helped to embed equality and human rights into the development of the regulatory framework for tertiary education in Wales, including the Equality of Opportunity regulatory condition.

Following engagement with Medr’s new Chief Executive and senior officers, we provided pre-consultation advice on draft proposals. We recommended:

• stronger alignment with the PSED
• clearer monitoring and accountability arrangements
• measurable equality outcomes
• greater integration with the four-year equality objective setting cycle

We responded to Medr’s formal consultation on its regulatory framework. We recommended that Equality Act 2010 obligations be embedded throughout the framework, and that the Equality of Opportunity regulatory condition align more closely with PSED requirements, including setting evidence-based equality objectives.

Our engagement with Medr has strengthened its new regulatory framework for further and higher education providers in Wales. As a result, their recently revised Equality of Opportunity condition includes a clearer emphasis on the PSED and protected characteristics, stronger expectations on the use of equality data and closer alignment with SEPs, which are required by Wales-specific duties. This has helped create a more practical and coherent framework, reducing regulatory duplication and better supporting improvements in advancing equality of opportunity.

Promoting and protecting human rights

We have scrutinised the implementation of human rights actions by the Welsh Government and its effectiveness through our Human Rights Tracker.

Our work has generated strong interest and positive feedback. Welsh Government officials and the Senedd Research Service welcomed the tracker as a practical resource in scrutinising implementation and supporting Senedd Members and committees in holding the Welsh Government to account.

At a major conference in Cardiff, the Chair of the UN CEDAW Committee praised the tracker’s methodology and indicated an interest in exploring similar approaches within the UN system.

This year, we published our Universal Periodic Review mid-term report and updated tracker assessments of Welsh Government progress against international recommendations on the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). We facilitated discussions with civil society on the implementation of recommendations from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and to support our submission on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

We engaged directly with Welsh Government officials, the Senedd Research Service, civil society organisations and academic partners, demonstrating how the tracker can be used to monitor progress against recommendations made by UN treaty bodies.

To mark Human Rights Day, we published an article for the Senedd website to examine progress on human rights in Wales. We produced a briefing for Senedd Members explaining how the tracker can support scrutiny of government performance and strengthen accountability on human rights commitments.

We continued to provide advice to the Welsh Government on its commitment to incorporate CEDAW and CRPD human rights conventions into Welsh law, as observers on the Human Rights Advisory Group (HRAG) and the Legislative Options Working Group (LOWG). In March, the LOWG published its report setting out options for strengthening rights through legislative and non-legislative routes.

We look forward to providing advice to the Senedd and the new Welsh Government on proposals to strengthen human rights protections in Welsh law.

Welsh Government section 23 agreement

We entered into a new section 23 legal agreement with the Welsh Government to improve its compliance with equality law. Under the action plan, the Welsh Government will:

• review current procedures and guidance relating to the PSED and EIAs
• deliver training
• improve governance of PSED compliance
• develop guidance
• implement an internal communication plan to drive cultural reform and improve knowledge of equality law requirements

The formal enforcement action comes after extensive private engagement. We initially wrote to the Welsh Government to express our concerns about PSED compliance in 2020 and continued to monitor the issue. In 2023, we held regular discussions with the Welsh Government regarding its failure to conduct and publish EIAs for many of its policies. In 2024, we recommended the Welsh Government enter into a section 23 legal agreement, which resulted in an agreement and action plan in November 2025. The agreement is expected to conclude by November 2027.

Addressing workplace culture at the Welsh Rugby Union

During 2025 to 2026, we continued to work with the WRU after entering a legal agreement to address concerns about a workplace culture that did not adequately protect staff. The legally binding agreement set out actions the WRU must take to improve its workplace policies, practices and culture to protect employees from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. Actions include:

• mandatory training on equality, harassment and dealing with complaints of sexual harassment
• reviewing and amending workplace policies, including a specific sexual harassment policy
• establishing a system to record and monitor discrimination and harassment complaints
• a review of the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

Having monitored the improvements made by the WRU, in September 2026, we announced that enough progress had been made to conclude the agreement.

There are now better procedures in place to protect staff from harassment and discrimination, and much more effective ways for staff to raise concerns in the first place.

Helping schools to understand the Equality Act

We are developing technical guidance for schools in Wales on the Equality Act 2010 for the first time. Our technical guidance will explain the obligations and set out the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 as they apply to schools in Wales, particularly regarding the delivery of education and access to both educational and non-educational benefits, facilities and services.

It is intended for a wide audience, including school staff, legal professionals, advocates, courts, tribunals and anyone needing a thorough understanding of the law or its practical application. The guidance will reflect developments in law and policy, including new case law.

We launched a 16-week public consultation in June 2026, encouraging responses from school leaders and professionals, as well as groups representing parents and pupils. Responses will be analysed to ensure the final guidance is clear, practical, legally accurate and will effectively support compliance and good practice in schools. We plan to publish the final guidance in 2027.

Updating the code of practice for services, public functions and associations

This year we have worked to update the code of practice for services, public functions and associations, which will apply to service providers and associations in Wales.

The code provides practical guidance on the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) and helps courts, lawyers, advisers and others interpret and comply with the law. It does not make new law or create any new legal obligations. Updating the code is a core part of our statutory duties.

The updated code reflects more than a decade of significant developments in legislation and case law. These developments include:

• the legalisation of same-sex marriage
• case law relating to the definition of disability
• the threshold for a philosophical belief to be protected
• the April 2025 Supreme Court judgment on the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010

The code came into force on 5 August 2026.

In 2025 to 2026, we responded to ten consultations and two pieces of legislation. We provided evidence and advice on the equality and human rights implications of these proposals.

Strengthening disabled people’s rights in Wales

We were pleased to see several of our recommended changes made to the Welsh Government’s final Disabled People's Rights Plan, published at the end of 2025. 

In our response to the draft plan, we called for a commitment to clear targets and timeframes, as well as stronger accountability measures to ensure disabled people in Wales see meaningful improvement. We encouraged the Welsh Government to continue working with disabled people to design and deliver policies affecting them, especially in areas like employment, education and transport. 

We were pleased to see a clearer delivery approach in the final plan, including a framework with some measurable indicators. The final plan also includes stronger links to human rights, a clear focus on co-production with disabled people and an improved approach to data. 

While there is more to be done, we welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving disabled people’s rights in this plan.

Human rights approach embedded in guidance on the management and design of Gypsy and Traveller sites

Our advice strengthened Welsh Government guidance to local authorities on the management and design of Gypsy and Traveller sites.

We recommended that the guidance should take a human rights approach and reflect United Nation Convention rights, such as the right to adequate housing and the children’s rights to rest, leisure and play. We advised that using a human rights approach would help the Welsh Government to meet concluding observations from the UN CERD on the provision of sites.

We recommended that the commitments to collaboration and consultation with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities should go further.

The updated guidance, published in July 2026, has incorporated our recommendations that it be framed by human rights. The guidance advises local authorities to apply a human rights-based approach and support the rights of residents, including the right to adequate housing, healthcare, education, sanitation and play facilities.

Advising on the BSL (Wales) Bill

We provided advice on the BSL (Wales) Bill to the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee at Stage 1. We welcomed the bill’s intentions to promote the use of British Sign Language and remove barriers for deaf people in accessing services. We recommended that oversight and accountability mechanisms be put in place to monitor compliance. The act that passed requires listed public bodies to report on progress annually and the Welsh Government to report every three years. We look forward to seeing how the new legislation will improve the lives of deaf people in Wales.

Embedding equality into youth work

The Welsh Government’s statutory framework for youth work, published in June 2025, was strengthened following our advice in 2024. The published framework includes a new section on ‘Championing equality and diversity in youth work provision’, referencing local authorities’ obligations under the PSED. This reflects the concerns we raised in our consultation response.

Schools anti-bullying guidance

We responded to the Welsh Government's consultation on its statutory anti-bullying guidance for schools. Our submission raised concerns about the absence of a clear requirement for schools to record and report incidents of bullying related to protected characteristics. We also highlighted inaccuracies in the guidance’s description of the PSED, and provided recommendations to ensure schools understand and meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

In August 2026, the Welsh Government announced that it will examine options to enhance data collection on bullying incidents in schools. We will monitor progress of this work.

Equality data gaps remain a significant barrier to effective policy development in Wales by government and public services. During 2025 to 2026, we have promoted the importance of taking action to tackle data gaps and worked with the Welsh Government to address this issue.

Welsh Government statistical output consultation

We have highlighted key risks in the Welsh Government’s proposed changes to its statistics outputs. Our consultation response noted the proposals will likely make existing issues with data gaps in Wales worse, particularly around protected characteristics data.

Without detailed equality data, public bodies cannot accurately assess whether their policies help or harm people with protected characteristics, including disabled people and older people. 

As the regulator of the PSED, we know the lack of strong, reliable equality data in Wales makes it difficult for public bodies to take effective action to tackle inequalities and meet their legal duties. The proposed changes will make it even harder.

Our response made several recommendations, including the expansion, or at least maintenance, of data sets including equality and diversity statistics, to ensure equality data gaps do not get bigger.

We will continue to make the case for action to improve equality data in Wales.

Research on socio-economic duty implementation

We published new research to explore the experiences of duty bearers in Wales and Scotland in implementing the socio-economic duty.

Our research found that duty-bearers in Wales and Scotland reported widespread understanding of the socio-economic duty. It also highlights differences in implementation between the two nations.  

In Scotland, organisations reported that tackling socio-economic disadvantage has become part of strategic decision-making, but this does not always result in organisation-wide understanding or implementation of the duty. In Wales, there are more mixed views on the ease of implementation, though most organisations have developed processes or frameworks to support compliance.

The research identified several areas where public bodies would welcome additional support to improve implementation, including greater training, guidance and resources, better access to good practice, knowledge sharing networks with other duty-bearers and collecting reliable data on socio-economic disadvantage.

Call for evidence on the future of tertiary education in Wales

We responded to the Welsh Government’s call for evidence on the future of tertiary education in Wales. We welcomed work to address existing data gaps in further and higher education in Wales. Our response drew attention to the data gaps that we identified in our 2023 report, ‘Is Wales Fairer?’. We also shared findings with the government from our inquiry into racial harassment in higher education. 

This programme aims to support employers and regulators of uniformed services to start delivering changes to address sex and race-based discrimination, harassment and victimisation within the police, fire and rescue services and the armed forces. Launched in 2024, this programme takes a coordinated approach to advancing equality, strengthening collaboration and supporting these services to meet their equality duties. The programme has six activities, which draw on our full range of powers.

Our work with Fire and Rescue Services in Wales

All three Welsh Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) responded to our survey on how uniformed services are implementing the new duty for employers to prevent workplace sexual harassment.

In September, Commissioner and Chair of our Wales Committee Martyn Jones represented the EHRC at an event to launch the publication of our guide on collecting and analysing data in the uniformed services. We shared this guidance with Welsh Government and all three Welsh FRS.

Strengthening fire and rescue service reform in Wales

We engaged extensively with the Welsh Government and Fire and Rescue Service stakeholders to support reforms to governance, inspections and workplace culture across Wales’s Fire and Rescue Services. We provided pre-consultation advice to the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and the Welsh Government’s Inclusive Fire Team.

We responded to two Welsh Government consultations on reform of Fire and Rescue Services in Wales: reform of fire and rescue authorities in Wales 2025 and the 2026 Fire and Rescue National Framework for Wales.

Our engagement helped strengthen the focus on equality, accountability and workforce culture within the Welsh Government’s reform programme. Several recommendations made through our consultation responses were reflected in secondary legislation. These include the introduction of independent Fire and Rescue Authority members through open appointments processes and a more independent inspection model incorporating workforce equality considerations. Furthermore, the Wales Local Government Association is organising equality training, including training on the PSED for Fire Authority members.

The final Fire and Rescue National Framework demonstrates greater recognition of workforce culture issues and increased use of equality data. Some of our other recommendations on recognition of equality duties, sexual harassment prevention and enforceable accountability were partially addressed.

Our role includes clarifying the law and advising on how it can be shaped in a way that respects everyone’s rights. In line with our 2025 to 2028 strategic aims, we act as an authoritative and impartial voice focusing on complex and longstanding equality and human rights challenges.

Given the sensitive nature of this work, we have spent time conducting careful and detailed scoping to understand the evidence of need, the prospect for impact and our unique role. This exercise has revealed some prominent areas of tension in relation to freedom of expression, including in the workplace.

Cases such as Higgs v Farmor’s School and Miller v University of Bristol evidence areas of tension in the workplace where freedom of expression intersects with protected beliefs and other protected characteristics. These cases demonstrate the challenge of balancing individuals' rights to hold and express lawful beliefs with the need to protect colleagues and services users from discrimination and harm linked to other protected characteristics. These cases demonstrate the importance of carefully managing competing rights and protections.

In Wales, we could add significant value in assisting organisations in understanding and complying with the law, with a view to reducing litigation while also promoting the benefits of human rights and the protections set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Pre-election guidance on freedom of expression and respectful discourse

We promoted our guidance on freedom of expression and respectful discourse to all major parties contesting the Senedd elections in May.

At a time of increasingly polarised debate on equality and human rights, our aim was to set out clear advice to parties and candidates on freedom of expression and give recommendations and principles for respectful discourse. The guidance received positive feedback from parties and was shared with candidates.

We developed a programme of work on access to public transport for older people and disabled people across Great Britain. We gathered evidence, had conversations with organisations working to improve equal access to transport and reviewed our previous work. We identified persistent barriers that limit access to essential services and undermine a range of rights, including healthcare, education, employment and family life. We focused on bus and rail travel.

We established a strong foundation for our new programme of work through engagement with key stakeholders across Wales. We met with the Chair of the Disability Rights Taskforce’s Accessible Transport Group, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Welsh Government officials and Transport for Wales representatives to gather evidence, share priorities and identify opportunities to influence policy and practice.

Advising on Travel for All

A key achievement was influencing the Welsh Government’s Travel for All plan. Following our advice, the plan was strengthened to include action to address gaps in data on accessible transport in Wales, improving the evidence base needed to monitor progress and tackle inequalities.

Advising on bus legislation

We provided advice to the Senedd and the Welsh Government on the Bus Services (Wales) Bill. Our advice called for clearer duties on public bodies to embed equality and accessibility when planning new bus services, ensuring that reformed services meet the needs of disabled and older people. We will continue to provide advice on the implementation of the legislation and subsequent regulations, including advising on embedding equality and accessibility into new bus service contracts.

Guiding principles for accessible transport

In March we published our guiding principles for accessible transport. The principles aim to help transport policymakers, planners and operators understand:

• their equality and human rights obligations
• what they need to do to enable disabled people and older people to enjoy their rights

With powers given to it under the 2006 Equality Act, the Wales Committee is a decision-making body. Among other things, it:

• sets the direction of our work in Wales
• oversees our advice to the Welsh Government and Senedd
• advises on research about equality and human rights in Wales
• undertakes stakeholder engagement in Wales

Read more about the Wales Committee’s work in the minutes of its meetings.

Wales Committee members from April 2025 to March 2026

Martyn Jones, Commissioner (appointed on 24 March 2026) and Interim Chair of the Wales Committee (from November 2023)

Martyn’s previous roles include the Education, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at South Wales Police and CEO at Learning Disability Wales and Diverse Cymru. He is Interim Chair of the Wales Committee and served on the Human Rights Commissioner Working Group and Disability Advisory Committee.

Martyn’s extensive work with the Welsh Government includes chairing the Poverty Practitioners Group and representing the EHRC on the COVID-19 Moral and Ethical Advisory Group. He was the Equality and Human Rights Lead for the Older People’s Commissioner and a member of the Future Generations Commissioners implementation review panel.

Martyn chaired the South Wales Police Independent Advisory Group. He was also an Independent Member of South Wales Police and Crime Panel and a Presiding Justice and Domestic Violence panel member on the Mid Wales Bench. He is a Deputy Lieutenant for Mid Glamorgan and a South Wales Criminal Justice Board member.

Beth Thomas – resigned June 2025

Beth Thomas was the previous Group Chief Executive Officer for ELITE SEA. As CEO, Beth was responsible for leading the Group, comprised of a charity and two social enterprises, to support people with disabilities and learning disabilities into meaningful and sustainable employment. Outside of her role, Beth is a trustee for Street Football Wales, a charity working to tackle social inclusion through football. Beth is also a proud member of the Women’s Equality Network in Wales and was part of the 2019 cohort of the WEN mentoring programme.

Chris Dunn       

Chris is the former Chief Executive of Diverse Cymru, Wales’ only equality and inclusion charity. With extensive leadership experience in the Welsh third sector, Chris has dedicated his career to fostering inclusive environments and driving systemic change. His journey is marked by a commitment to innovation, collaboration and the empowerment of marginalised communities.

Chris is a development coach and mentor, providing support to third-sector leaders, academics and civil servants, supporting their leadership development.

Helen Mary Jones

Helen Mary has 40 years’ experience of work in public service, including as a member of the Senedd. She was Deputy Director of the Morgan Academy at Swansea University and has been Chief Executive of a leading national youth work organisation.

Helen Mary has held a wide range of roles in the public and third sectors. Currently she is a public affairs consultant, leading campaigns for private and public sector organisations. Helen Mary is a board member of Social Care Wales and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Children in Wales. She has presented on children’s rights at Harvard, Houston and Austin universities in the United States.

In 2017, Helen Mary was awarded an honorary doctorate by Swansea University. This was in recognition of her contribution to public life, particularly the promotion of social justice.

John Williams

John is an Emeritus Professor of Law at Aberystwyth University. His research focuses on the relationship between older persons and the law. He has extensively published on topics such as older persons and social care, older prisoners, elder abuse, the design of care homes and mental capacity.

John co-founded the Dewis Choice Project at Aberystwyth University and has presented papers at national and international conferences, including the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, the World Congress on Gerontology and the American Bar Association. He has provided expert advice to several government and public sector bodies.

John has been a trustee for Age UK and Age Scotland. He is a trustee of West Wales Domestic Abuse Service and Mind Ceredigion. Since 2020, John has been chair of Age Cymru.

Lauren McEvatt

Lauren McEvatt is a former UK government Special Adviser in the Wales Office and was previously a member of the Welsh Government’s Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales. She is a government affairs and communications specialist who has worked across Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, with a particular focus on constitutional affairs.

Mary van den Heuvel

Mary is the senior policy officer for the National Education Union Cymru, and leads on policy, press and public affairs for the union in Wales. Mary has worked in various policy and public affairs roles in Wales for more than 15 years, including for several charities working with disabled people.

As a disabled person, Mary is passionate about social justice, representation and equality, and is a member of the Access to Elected Office Fund Wales panel, which helps disabled people with the extra costs of standing for election. Mary was on the Board of Careers Wales and was on the Wales Neurological Alliance Steering-Group which helped establish the Llais Niwro / Neuro Voices Project.

Mary has an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 Award in Leadership and Management, a postgraduate diploma in public affairs and she mentors students at her former university.

This publication and related equality and human rights resources are available from our website.

Questions and comments regarding this publication may be addressed to: correspondence@equalityhumanrights.com.

For information on accessing one of our publications in an alternative format, please contact: correspondence@equalityhumanrights.com.

Keep up to date with our latest news, events and publications by signing up to our e-newsletter.

EASS

For advice, information or guidance on equality, discrimination or human rights issues, please contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service, a free and independent service.

Telephone   0808 800 0082

Hours           09:00 to 19:00 (Monday to Friday)
                     10:00 to 14:00 (Saturday)

Post              FREEPOST EASS HELPLINE FPN6521