July 2022
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:
Below are the 9 Social Care WRES standard metrics and what we know about them from our data.
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.
Candidates who identify as white are more likely to get a job from shortlisting compared to candidates from Black and diverse communities.
Workers who identify as Black or from a diverse background are more likely to go through formal disciplinary processes than white colleagues.
We don't have enough examples of this to be able to analyse the data.
There's not a significant difference in the uptake of non-mandatory CPD between white staff and those from Black and minoritised communities.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 appoint 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 continue 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:
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:
The themes discussed were around:
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 metrics:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to the:
WRES metrics:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to:
WRES metrics:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to:
WRES metrics:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to the:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to:
The WRES themes and metrics relate to:
WRES theme and metrics:
People responsible:
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:
Timeframe to complete objective: October 2022
WRES themes and metrics:
People responsible:
Data from WRES metrics:
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:
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:
Timeframe to complete objective: January 2023
WRES themes and metrics:
People responsible:
Data from WRES metrics:
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:
Timeframe to complete objective: March 2023