Agenda item

Race Equality Report – Sheffield City Council’s Response

Report of the Director of Policy, Performance and Communications.

Decision:

9.1

The report sets out Sheffield City Council’s (SCC) proposed response including its action plan, to Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission’s recommendations (July 2022). This is part of a three-year improvement plan to help the Council, and more widely the city, to become an anti-racist city.

 

Over the next three years, SCC will commit to making continuous improvements, develop racial literacy and eradicate racial inequalities which exist within the Council and the services it delivers, across the diverse communities it serves. The report identifies advancements which will have to be realised internally and externally to improve life chances and outcomes for people of colour who either work for the Council and or live in the city of Sheffield.

 

The report outlines the urgent performance challenges that SCC will prioritise and focus on over the coming year, as well as identifying longer term goals for the Council’s work. It includes key areas which need rapid improvement within the infrastructure of the Council, so racial equality and equality more widely, can become embedded through our work. This in turn will benefit Black, Asian and Minoritised groups working and living within the city

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

 

 

1. Agrees Sheffield City Council’s proposed detailed response to the Race Equality Commission, including:

 

a. Committing all Members, Senior Leaders and staff to lead and contribute to SCC becoming an anti-racist and inclusive organisation through everything they do for the city and how they do it.

 

b. Committing to real actions that will eradicate racism within the Council’s practice rather than actions which are performative and unsustainable;

 

2. Acknowledges that Sheffield City Council has to improve practice for its employees and its communities if the goal of becoming an antiracist city is to be realised; and

 

3. Agrees that in our role as a Civic Leader we should work with anchor institutions, partners and communities to champion equality and lead the city in tackling racism and racial inequality as we work towards our goal of becoming an anti-racist city.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

As with many places in the UK, Sheffield continues to experience significant levels of inequality, poverty and discrimination and findings from the Sheffield Race Equality Commission (REC) in July 2022, indicate that Black, Asian or Minoritised Ethnic Communities face additional racial prejudices, and racism which impacts on their health, wellbeing, life chances and outcomes stopping them from reaching their full potential.

 

 

9.3.2

The publication of the REC report is part of a journey for the whole city as well as for SCC as an organisation, as an employer, as a service provider and as a city leader. We will need to plan, sequence, and implement short term and long-term actions to make improvements and bring about powerful change thoughtfully and consistently. We need to do this with and alongside our communities, who rightly should hold us to account for achieving that change.

 

 

9.3.3

Although we are in a challenging financial time both within SCC and in communities following the impacts of the pandemic, now more than ever before it is essential to ensure the widest range of voices are heard in all we do to help shape the future of the city and its diverse communities.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Do nothing. The do nothing option was discounted as the Commission’s recommendations are actions to address the very entrenched inequalities around race, to not follow through on the work already undertaken by supporting the Commission will pose a reputational risk to SCC and further undermine trust and confidence

 

 

9.4.2

Embed the recommendations in wider EDI work.  There is a possibility however that other protected characteristics with similar intrenched inequalities will not receive the same level of commitment and resource as a result of the specific time and focus on race. An alternative option is to embed the recommendations into the work the Council undertakes across equality and engagement more broadly and to address those areas specific to race only separately but combine the other actions, such as workforce diversity.

 

Minutes:

9.1

The Committee received a report of the Director of Policy, Performance and Communications setting out Sheffield City Council’s (SCC) proposed response including its action plan, to Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission’s recommendations (July 2022). This is part of a three-year improvement plan to help the Council, and more widely the city, to become an anti-racist city.

 

Over the next three years, SCC will commit to making continuous improvements, develop racial literacy and eradicate racial inequalities which exist within the Council and the services it delivers, across the diverse communities it serves. The report identifies advancements which will have to be realised internally and externally to improve life chances and outcomes for people of colour who either work for the Council and or live in the city of Sheffield.

 

The report outlines the urgent performance challenges that SCC will prioritise and focus on over the coming year, as well as identifying longer term goals for the Council’s work. It includes key areas which need rapid improvement within the infrastructure of the Council, so racial equality and equality more widely, can become embedded through our work. This in turn will benefit Black, Asian and Minoritised groups working and living within the city

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

 

 

1. Agrees Sheffield City Council’s proposed detailed response to the Race Equality Commission, including:

 

a. Committing all Members, Senior Leaders and staff to lead and contribute to SCC becoming an anti-racist and inclusive organisation through everything they do for the city and how they do it.

 

b. Committing to real actions that will eradicate racism within the Council’s practice rather than actions which are performative and unsustainable;

 

2. Acknowledges that Sheffield City Council has to improve practice for its employees and its communities if the goal of becoming an antiracist city is to be realised; and

 

3. Agrees that in our role as a Civic Leader we should work with anchor institutions, partners and communities to champion equality and lead the city in tackling racism and racial inequality as we work towards our goal of becoming an anti-racist city.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

As with many places in the UK, Sheffield continues to experience significant levels of inequality, poverty and discrimination and findings from the Sheffield Race Equality Commission (REC) in July 2022, indicate that Black, Asian or Minoritised Ethnic Communities face additional racial prejudices, and racism which impacts on their health, wellbeing, life chances and outcomes stopping them from reaching their full potential.

 

 

9.3.2

The publication of the REC report is part of a journey for the whole city as well as for SCC as an organisation, as an employer, as a service provider and as a city leader. We will need to plan, sequence, and implement short term and long-term actions to make improvements and bring about powerful change thoughtfully and consistently. We need to do this with and alongside our communities, who rightly should hold us to account for achieving that change.

 

 

9.3.3

Although we are in a challenging financial time both within SCC and in communities following the impacts of the pandemic, now more than ever before it is essential to ensure the widest range of voices are heard in all we do to help shape the future of the city and its diverse communities.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Do nothing. The do nothing option was discounted as the Commission’s recommendations are actions to address the very entrenched inequalities around race, to not follow through on the work already undertaken by supporting the Commission will pose a reputational risk to SCC and further undermine trust and confidence

 

 

9.4.2

Embed the recommendations in wider EDI work.  There is a possibility however that other protected characteristics with similar intrenched inequalities will not receive the same level of commitment and resource as a result of the specific time and focus on race. An alternative option is to embed the recommendations into the work the Council undertakes across equality and engagement more broadly and to address those areas specific to race only separately but combine the other actions, such as workforce diversity.

 

 

Supporting documents: