Agenda item

8.1

Homaira Ibrahim, Equalities and Engagement Officer, gave a presentation to the Local Area Committee.

8.2

It was explained that race equality commission was a city wide commission with city wide implications and recommendations. They had an Independent Chair and 24 Commissioners. They received written and oral evidence. They prioritised 6 areas: Education, Business/Employment, Health, Civic Life and Communities, Crime and Justice, Sport and Culture.  

8.3

Following the commission, 7 recommendations were identified: -

Recommendation 1: Sheffield - an anti-racist city and an anti-racist organization.

Recommendation 2: Educating future generations and showing leadership in our educational institutions.

Recommendation 3: Inclusive healthy communities: Wellbeing and longevity for all.

Recommendation 4: One Sheffield in Community Life: Inclusion, cohesion and confidence.

Recommendation 5: Celebrating Sheffield through Sport & Culture: past, present and future.

Recommendation 6: Proportionality and Equity in crime and justice.

Recommendation 7: Sheffield Equal and Enterprising: Supporting black Asian & minoritized ethnic business and enterprise.

Further information relating to each recommendation could be found online.

8.4

Following the evidence the commission gathered. The evidence stated that: -

•       Sheffield has been found to be a racist city.

•       Change is needed to improve outcomes.

•       Partners across the city will be held accountable through the Legacy Group to see if improvements to becoming anti racist have been made.

•       Organisations/Communities need to thinking about Race Equality.

•       Their responses needed to be thought about carefully, delivered and scrutinised to measure delivery and impact.

•       Targets need to be managed wisely, achievable timescales agreed to maximise impact.

•       Action plans/ targets need to incorporate all voices (staff, communities, members)

•       Efforts in becoming an anti-racist organisations need to be whole organisational approach and practice embedded systemically- this is everyone’s journey together.

8.5

Homaira Ibrahim referred to the recommendation that stated that a Legacy Group be set up to hold organisations account against the recommendations listed above.  She mentioned that this is currently with the Sheffield Partnership Board and that they had a task and finish group determining the best model for this.

8.6

Sheffield is home to approximately 556,700 people. It is currently one of the UK’s most culturally diverse cities. There are roughly 120 languages spoken in the city approximately 14% of Sheffield’s citizens were not born in England. Sheffield is home to 2 universities which attract students from all across the world. Sheffield is growing in diversity and this is spreading across the city.

8.7

The East of the city has a population of 83,467 people. The East of the city has a diverse population in terms of age, ethnicity, disability (intersectionality). Many different languages, cultures, religions and beliefs. This meant that we have to be discussing race and how to improve race outcomes meant or our local residents. This works better when we work collectively and in collaboration, sharing good practice and learning from our communities.

8.8

Homaira Ibrahim asked attendees to think about the following questions: -

What are the challenges you face as an individual, citizen of Sheffield, organisation, employee, manager, senior leader?

What would help you overcome these barriers?

Do the organisations/ communities you work with know about the REC?

What support do you as an individual/ team require to share this message.

What tools would you need to support your anti racist practice / service delivery?

8.9

Councillor Mazher Iqbal mentioned that ward councillors and LAC officers had a session with a number of residents and that English was not the first language spoken for some of those residents. Therefore, what resources were the Council providing to the LACs to improve resident engagement. He also referred to the 10 Point Plan and stated that the Council needed to ensure that more physical engagement were carried out with its residents.

Homaira Ibrahim agreed with the comments made and mentioned that many factors needed to be considered when planning for LAC meetings. This included accessibility and equality issues, such as having hearing loops and translators available at meetings. She added that many organisations had individual action plans although the Council’s internal plan had gone to Strategy & Resources Policy Committee in December and that she was doing a follow up piece of work on that and then feeding that back into Strategy & Resources Policy Committee in August 2023.

The Chair mentioned that this work might want the LAC to think about their own individual action plan.