onflict between the two.
             Since the Act deals with racism and seeks to promote anti-racist practice, you will find that it links well with anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. Braye and Preston-Shoot (1995) distinguish between these two terms in that they describe the former as 'two-dimensional' and 'reformist', while they regard the latter as 'three-dimensional' and associated with 'revolution'. They describe the Race Relations Act 1976 as being reformist and hence 'anti-discriminatory', because it is concerned with challenging racist practice at an individual level. However the new Act is concerned with changing the way in which public institutions operate, and it is thus demanding structural changes. In that respect it is 'anti-oppressive' and it should play a significant part in making anti-racist practice more real and more achievable for social workers. It should be particularly important in tackling institutional racism.
             The Act arose out of the government's response to the findings of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, which was set up in July 1997, to examine the way in which the Metropolitan Police Service had investigated the murder of a black teenager four years earlier. The Inquiry reported its findings in February 1999 and it emphasised that:
             'If racism is to be eliminated from our society there must be a co-ordinated effort to prevent its growth. This needs to go well beyond the police services.' (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, 1999) It concluded therefore that 'It is incumbent upon every institution to examine their policies and practices to guard against disadvantaging any section of our communities; (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, 1999) The Government accepted this and thereby officially acknowledged the existence of institutional racism. It decided to achieve the changes recommended by the Inquiry by amending and extending existing legislation. One of the most significant changes was that the police services came ...