Workforce Race Equality Standards Action Plan (WRES)

Brighton & Hove City Council Action Plan July 2022

• name of local authority - Brighton & Hove City Council 
• Senior Director responsible for the social care workforce race and equality standards (SCWRES) - Deb Austin, Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning Rob Persey, Executive Director for Health & Adult Social Care 
• LA programme leads - Tom Stibbs and Richard Cattell, Principal Social Workers 
• Staff voice leads - Millie Kerr, Anti-Racist Lead Practitioner (Families, Children and Learning) Amanda Stockford (interim lead for Health and Adult Social Care) 
• number of direct employees - 1,930

Summary of how we've agreed this action plan

• monthly meetings of the WRES Project Board
• the Safeguarding and Care Anti-Racist Practice Project Board will monitor the actions included in this plan
• the directorate equality delivery groups for HASC and FCL will evaluate this action plan in line with the existing Fair & Inclusive Action Plan
• we will get staff feedback from regular focus groups and staff surveys - we will use this to develop the plan in the future

The social care WRES asks that we report data against 6 themes. This will help us learn more about the diversity of our organisation and the experience of staff from communities that experience racism.

The 6 themes are:

1. Leadership
2. Recruitment and retention
3. Learning and career development
4. Culture and staff experience
5. Health and wellbeing
6. Employee voice

Below are the 9 Social Care WRES standard metrics and what we know about them from our data. 

1. Pay band comparisons

Staff from Black and minoritised communities are under-represented in the middle and upper pay-bands, which includes social workers. They are more likely to get a job in the lower pay band.

2. Recruitment - appointment from shortlisting

Candidates who identify as white are more likely to get a job from shortlisting compared to candidates from Black and diverse communities.

3. Disciplinary 

Workers who identify as Black or from a diverse background are more likely to go through formal disciplinary processes than white colleagues.

4. Fitness to practice (regulated professionals, social workers and occupational therapists)

We don't have enough examples of this to be able to analyse the data.

5. Continuing professional development (CPD) uptake

There's not a significant difference in the uptake of non-mandatory CPD between white staff and those from Black and minoritised communities.

6. Harassment & bullying from service users or public

We don't have a robust system for collecting this data - we're completing a survey of our staff in June 2022 to record their experiences.

7. Harassment & bullying from colleagues or managers

We don't have a robust system for collecting this data - we're completing a survey of our staff in June 2022 to record their experiences.

8. Leaving the organisation

In children’s social care, turnover rates are higher for staff who identify as from Black and diverse communities – this is not the case in adult social care.

9. Progression to senior and leadership roles

Staff from communities who experience racism are under-represented at senior manager level.

The WRES complements our wider aims and programmes, and we've made a committment to become an anti-racist organisation.  

We have a Fair and Inclusive Action Plan built around the themes of:

• making sure we're accountable and there are consequences for our behaviours
• improving learning and development
• making sure our recruitment, retention and progression is fair and inclusive
• improving how we work with and understand the city’s diverse communities

We're signed up to the Race at Work Charter and we're already making sure our social care practice is anti-racist. 

Both children’s and adult services have demonstrated a commitment to embedding anti-racist principles into organisational development.

The WRES work is closely aligned with the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan, being a fair and inclusive council, and we've completed work such as recruitment training of equality, diversity and inclusion.

In children’s social work, we appointment a permanent anti-racist lead practitioner. This is a good example of turning intention into action. This post is having an impact on social work practice within our service and more widely.

We also hold weekly anti-racist practice discussions and regular bespoke learning events on race and racism. An anti-racist project board has been in place for over 2 years. The board oversee workstreams covering staff support, practice with families, and the voice of children, families and carers.

As part of the WRES, we have held cross service focus groups with staff and we will continuing with these.

We recognise that we're trying to bring about long-term culture change. We hope the action we've taken during the year of piloting the WRES has begun to make a difference. 

Our data suggests this may be the case. For example, in relation to Metric 1, between March 2021 and March 2022, there was an increase in the proportion of staff from Black and diverse communities in the middle pay-bands. This is where social workers and most social care workers sit in both adult and children’s services.

We've reflected on what we know from our data and feedback from our staff. We've decided the priorities for the action plan should focus on the following objectives:

• understand the experience of staff from communities who experience racism and make sure support is in place
• embed an anti-racist approach to recruitment
• provide training and development for staff from communities who experience racism
• offer robust anti-racist training
• create a diverse leadership team who are able to promote anti-racist practice

Staff voice  

We've held two focus groups with staff across social care to consider the WRES. 

Key feedback from the sessions built on the wider work of the anti-racist project in children’s social care. This included specific workshops for staff from minoritised communities and a Black Practitioners’ Group. 

Examples of the feedback from staff were: 

• staff viewed the WRES very positively 
• there was understanding that racism was an issue for staff
• staff liked adult and children social care working together and wanted us to do this more
• staff recognised the importance of language and that we shouldn't use the label ‘BAME’ which stand for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic
• the principal social workers and other senior leaders plan to offer more engagement sessions, they will inform and seek feedback on the action plan as it develops
• staff were keen to use existing resources, such as the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan, to support individuals and teams to take action
• staff want to have anti-racism as a standing item on team meetings and group supervisions
• staff want to consider bespoke learning opportunities
• adult and children social care should engage with a wider group of higher education institutions to support diversity
• compared with children’s social care, there's a lack of opportunities in adult social care to talk about race equality and anti-racist practice - we need to have opportunities in adults service team meetings, supervision and other team forums for these discussions
• staff want a clear communications plan for the WRES, and would like regular sessions about developing and reviewing the WRES action plan

The themes discussed were around:

• personal responsibilities and allyship
• acknowledging and listening to the experiences of Black and minoritised staff, including the need for institutional awareness of these experiences
• representation of Black and diverse staff on interview panels, HR processes, and in all recruitment
• making sure the right support structures are in place for Black and diverse staff joining the organisation and those already here
• training for managers and practice educators on how we deal with racism experienced by Black and minoritised staff from families and the community we serve
• developing mentoring for Black and minoritised staff in adult and children’s social care
• recognising that social work values apply to everyone

The principal social workers and senior leadership will arrange focus groups at least 3 times a year, to discuss the WRES.

We have agreed a communications plan with the communications team. This includes, regular updates for all staff and external communication about our action plan and progress in implementing it.

Directorate Equalities Delivery Groups (DEDG) deliver recommendations from the WRES. This is part of their work to take action to counter racism in the workplace and increase diversity of its workforce to represent the city’s communities.

HASC's communications strategy looks at how to reach staff in frontline services. They will look at care workers where there are more staff from diverse communities in lower pay bands. This will enable us to promote the work of the WRES in these areas.

WRES theme - Leadership

WRES metrics:

• 1. Pay band comparisons
• 9. Progression to senior and leadership roles

The WRES themes and metrics relate to the:

• Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: communities and services
• Corporate plan: a stronger city

WRES theme - Recruitment and retention 

WRES metrics:

• 2. Recruitment - appointment from shortlisting
• 8. Leaving the organisation

The WRES themes and metrics relate to:

• the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: recruitment, retention & progression
• the Corporate plan: a city working for all

WRES theme - Learning and career development 

WRES metrics:

• 5. Continuing professional development uptake

The WRES themes and metrics relate to:

• the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: learning and development
• the Corporate plan: a growing and learning city

WRES theme - Culture and staff experience

WRES metrics:

• 3. Disciplinary
• 4. Fitness to practice (regulated professionals like social workers and occupational therapists
• 6. Harassment and bullying from service users or public
• 7. Harassment and bullying from colleagues or managers

The WRES themes and metrics relate to the:

• Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: accountability & consequences
• Corporate plan: a city working for all

WRES theme - Health and wellbeing 

The WRES themes and metrics relate to:

• the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: accountability and consequences and recruitment, retention and progression
• the Corporate plan: a healthy and caring city

WRES theme - Employee voice

The WRES themes and metrics relate to:

• the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan: accountability and consequences
• the Corporate plan: a healthy and caring city

WRES theme and metrics:

• employee voice
• health and wellbeing
• culture and staff experience - metrics 3, 4, 6 and 7
• recruitment and retention - metrics 2 and 8

People responsible:

• Principal Social Workers (PSWs) children and adults 
• HR business partners 
• Lead consultant  - social work 
• Anti-racist lead practitioner

Data from WRES metrics:

We were not able to present data on metrics 6 and 7 during the pilot.

Actions:

1. Develop a system of support and guidance to report bullying and harassment. We can do this using information from the staff survey and other focused surveys. This information will help us understand experiences, including those of carers in the external workforce.

2. Monitor how effective the Black practitioners’ group is in children’s social work. Consider a similar group in adult social care.

3. Continue to provide regular WRES focus groups as part of staff engagement and feedback.

4. Complete exit interviews for all staff moving internally and leaving the organisation. This includes exit interviews with Black managers for staff from communities who experience racism. Analyse the themes from these interviews. Consider the development of ‘why I joined’ and ‘why I stay’ interviews and focus groups.

The improvement indicators are:

• reporting policy and guidance is in place and the data is available
• staff who experience bullying and harassment understand how to take action
• managers and teams understand how to support a colleague who has been the subject of racism. They also understand how to report this when they see it
• staff survey reflects a positive impact of an improved reporting system. Regular well attended practitioner groups and focus groups taking place. Considering the WRES and also recruitment and retention of staff
• all leavers have an exit interview

Timeframe to complete objective: October 2022

WRES theme and metric:

• recruitment and retention - metrics 2 and 8

People responsible:

• PSWs children and adults
• HR business Partners
• Professional education consultants
• Recruitment team
• HR diversity recruitment lead consultant

Data from WRES metrics:

• at the start of the WRES pilot our social care workforce identified as 91% white and 9% from communities who experience racism
• 53% of white applicants who were shortlisted got jobs in roles in social care and 41% of candidates from communities who experience racism

Actions:

5. Recruitment strategies and recruitment and retention working groups are in place in both adult and children’s services.

6. Monitor mandatory equalities Recruitment and Selection training for all recruiting managers through HR data.

7. Make sure anonymised shortlisting takes place for all social care posts. Make sure we review recruitment processes. Make sure questions are not biased towards internal or white British candidates. Make sure interview panels are diverse.

8. Make sure job adverts are clear about anti-racist practice and the work we're doing as part of the Fair and Inclusive Action Plan and WRES.

9. Encourage active participation in external recruitment events. This includes events targeted at diverse communities, in schools, further education and youth settings. Make sure adult education hubs talk about working in care.

The improvement indicators are:

• recruitment and retention strategies are in place and monitored in adult and children’s social care
• all recruiting managers attend required equalities training
• an improvement in the data for candidates from communities who experience racism who are successful from shortlisting to appointment
• an increase in the proportion of our staff from communities who experience racism
• an increase in awareness of vacancies and social care roles - these roles are promoted and understood better by minoritised communities

Timeframe to complete objective: January 2023

WRES themes and metrics:

• culture and staff experience - metric 3, 4, 6 and 7
• learning and career development - metric 5
• recruitment and retention - metric 2 and 8

People responsible:

• PSWs children and adults
• HR business partners
• Anti-racist lead practitioner
• Lead consultant - social work
• Lead consultant - learning and development

Data from WRES metrics:

• at the start of the WRES pilot, 90% of the staff taking up Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with ethnicity recorded, identified as white and 10% as from communities who experience racism - this is equal to the make up of the social care workforce
• training and development opportunities for staff from communities who experience racism are available and accessible and training and CPD offers address anti-racist practice

Actions:

10. Put a programme of face-to-face engagement sessions with frontline staff in place. For people with limited access to the internet, these sessions will help to:

• agree preferences for information sharing
• improve access to new job opportunities and development opportunities
• improve engagement with staff surveys

11. Put a mentoring and shadowing scheme in place for staff from communities who experience racism in children’s social work. Consider expanding this scheme to other social care services.

12. Monitor the core training and development offer, and the wider external CPD offer. Make sure it covers race and racism. Make sure an anti-racist conference across social care takes place.

13. Develop a learning and development programme for staff at lower pay bands. This programme should support progression into professional and management roles for staff from communities who experience racism.

The improvement indicators are:

• all staff across social care are engaged with and are aware of the WRES action plan and the training and development offer
• mentoring and shadowing schemes are in place and have a good take up by staff from communities who experience racism
• the core training offer and external CPD offer include courses on race and racism - the take up by staff from communities who experience racism is, at least, as high as for white staff
• a development programme for staff from communities who experience racism is in place with good engagement
• defined career pathways are in place, with increased representation in middle pay bands - barriers to access CPD are removed, such as cover for release and promotion of opportunities not reaching those who are digitally excluded

Timeframe to complete objective: January 2023

WRES themes and metrics:

• leadership - metrics 1 and 9
• culture and staff experience  - metric 3, 4, 6, and 7
• learning and career development - metric 5

People responsible:

• PSWs children and adults
• Recruitment team
• HR business partners
• HR diversity recruitment lead consultant
• Anti-racist lead practitioner

Data from WRES metrics:

• at the start of the WRES pilot, 92% of senior managers, with ethnicity recorded, identified as white and 8% as from communities who experience racism

Action:

14. Develop and embed an equalities module into the modernisation leadership programme in adult social care. 

15. Have diverse interview panels for leadership roles, adverts and job packs for senior leadership roles. This emphasises accountability for diversifying the workforce. 

16. Put a mentoring scheme in place for white managers who want support to lead work around race and racism. 

17. Regular quality assurance of supervision, both group and 121, and personal development plans, will take place. This will make sure anti-racist practice and staff from communities who experience racism receive support and have developmental opportunities.

The improvement indicators are:

• an increase in the relative proportion of senior roles filled by staff from communities who experience racism
• all leaders have completed training and development around race and racism and are confident in implementing anti-racist practice
• all staff from communities who experience racism have support around their experiences and development

Timeframe to complete objective: March 2023