11 March Feedback Conference

Participants discussed the following question in relation to the work of key areas of Government: How can you/your organisation help implement the Government’s race strategy?

Points from discussion groups:

Education

Educational outcomes depend on pupils themselves, parents and schools – Government needs to remember this and constantly reassess the links between the three when assessing race equality within education and considering/launching initiatives to close the attainment gap.  For example, there is no point attempting to raise aspirations of BME pupils,  if the schools they attend have lower expectations of these pupils because of conscious or unconscious institutional racism.

Initiatives such as the Leeds-based Stephen Lawrence education standard – innovative curriculum projects designed to make schools more inclusive – should be rolled out more widely. [Editors note – this award is now being promoted nationally by DCSF]  Similarly, the new OFSTED inspection framework, with a renewed emphasis on race equality needs to be closely monitored – both in terms of how it is being applied and what it is revealing.

While the use of role models can be inspirational, example should not only be set through exposing pupils to the highest achievers in a particular field, but also through encouraging individuals to achieve better on their own terms.  Individual mentoring is invaluable in this regard – the Government should encourage and allow more volunteering to enable this – maybe allowing a fixed number of hours off work per month for mentoring in schools.

Employment – progression and professions

The group discussed ways to help workers from minority ethnic groups to improve their promotion and career prospects. The group acknowledged the work of staff networks in supporting the development and progression of minority ethnic employees. The group also stressed the impact of positive interventions in early years in informing people’s career aspirations. Three key messages from the group were:

• Thought should be given to ways to support Staff Networks in Public and Private sector organisations. Staff Networks should work together to maximise their impact.
• TRIF partners with an interest in employment and professions should link up to share knowledge and develop joint work. This will help to break down the wider silos across the tackling race equality agenda.
• Early intervention is important in raising aspirations – schools and parents should encourage children to set challenging career goals.

Employment, Unemployment and Recruitment

• To be successful in addressing high levels of unemployment there is a need to make progress at different levels – Individuals – Employers – Co-workers/Operational level.
• There is still a need to shift perceptions/attitudes around ethnic minority employment issues and the levers we have e.g. we should address ignorance around positive action training.
• Training/solutions need to tackle both managers and HR but crucially also people at all levels throughout the organisation.

Criminal Justice System

• Build the business case for alternative methods of rehabilitation.
• Capacity build the VCS with resources and knowledge to challenge agencies.
• Honest and upfront dialogue on what is going on.
• There needs to be a significant alternative to current Eurocentric models of custody – especially for young people (review policies and procedures)
• Review the recruitment processes so that those recruited are more aware of diversity (e.g. the interview question ‘Can you give an example of how you have challenged senior management…’)

Housing, Regeneration and Civic Participation

• There is still much work to be done to effectively tackle race inequalities.
• The Quality of Impact Assessments varies considerably.
• Choice Based Lettings (CBL) – not everyone has access to a PC, therefore accessing CBL is problematic.
• When an asylum seeker receives a positive decision on their asylum application they are required to leave UKBA accommodation within 28 days. Without appropriate planning this risks homelessness and considerable disruption.  The third sector spends considerable time and resource helping people access accommodation and other services e.g. access to GP.

Civic Participation and Regeneration

The key issue is that the “black voice” is not strong in public/civic and political life.  Many communities are very under represented e.g. Chinese and Gypsy and Traveller communities and people that fall into more than one equality group (e.g. ethnic minority LGBT)

The debate has to be about access and inclusion in terms of need:

• identifying it
• acknowledging it
• engaging with communities
• thinking about resolutions
• resourcing  work
• enforcing delivery
• evaluating impact
• BME health is still seen in ‘project’ terms instead of as mainstream provision
• Single equality legislation does not mean attention should divert from the need to promote race equality. BME communities encompass all the equality strands
• Commissioners have the power to change services, and the World Class Commissioning Competencies give scope to target services to meet community needs
• Services should be based on needs not numbers – so having a ‘small’ BME population is no reason to ignore need
• Don’t forget the strength of equality impact assessments- and don’t forget to carry them out