We have been awarded the prestigious Race Equality Matters Bronze Trailblazer Status for taking significant steps to make a meaningful impact on tackling race inequality and becoming a more diverse, inclusive and equal organisation.
The Bronze status was determined by an independent panel of experts all with lived experience of race inequality in the workplace. It recognises the work we are doing to develop a more inclusive culture through our Race Equality Action Plan and maintains momentum to stamp out intolerance for all kinds of racism across our organisation.
Becoming a Trailblazer means the work we have done has resulted in change and made an impact across the breadth of the entire organisation. A step that aims to successfully address racial inequality and become a more diverse, inclusive and equal organisation.
Although this is a fantastic achievement for the progress we have made, we still have a good deal of work to do to ensure all our colleagues feel safe and included. The Bronze Award is the first stage in the Trailblazer series but it’s not a lifetime award, and we have to work hard over the next 18 months, demonstrating that we are continuously improving, to keep it.
Progress on our Race Equality Action Plan can be found on our website as part of our commitment to transparency, and progress is reported every six months to our Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee.
Designed to recognise organisations driving meaningful change in the race equality sphere, Trailblazer status is #MoreThanAnAward. The purpose is to:
- identify what is making a meaningful impact
- encourage those making an impact to keep the momentum going
- inspire others to up their game
- evidence an organisation’s commitment to #ActionNotJustWords to tackle race inequality
Becoming a Trailblazer means the work we have done has resulted in change and made an impact across the breadth of the entire organisation. A step that aims to successfully address racial inequality and become a more diverse, inclusive and equal organisation.
Lianne Hewson, Race Equality Group Co-ordinator and member of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, says:
“We are thrilled to be recognised for our work since the Equality Audit in 2021. It’s been a difficult and emotional journey for us all, and sadly staff and members of our community still experience racism and prejudice on a daily basis. Our aim is to ensure that Devon County Council feels safe and inclusive for everyone.
“It’s the ambition of our Equality Commission, for Devon County Council to be a beacon of best practice. This type of recognition and being awarded ‘Race Equality Matters Bronze Trailblazer Status’ tells that we are heading in the right direction.
“The Bronze Award is the first stage in the Trailblazer series but it’s not a lifetime award. We all have to work hard over the next 18 months, demonstrating that we are continuously improving in order to keep it.
“The audit has helped us break down the walls, and we have turned these walls into bridges. We need all teams to continue engaging around this agenda so that we can achieve silver status – where we evidence that we have made meaningful impact.”
Progress on our Race Equality Action Plan be found on our website as part of our commitment to transparency, and progress is reported every six months to the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee. Our most recent progress report included:
- Improved support to staff who raise concerns and a new policy to resolve issues
- New wellbeing, recovery and resilience service for staff who have experienced racism from next month
- ‘Zero tolerance’ approach when staff are racially abused
- New Prayer and Contemplation facilities with improved disability access
- New Race Equality Staff Group and a Race Equality Delivery Group
- Increase in the size of the equality, diversity and inclusion team and its budget
- New anti-racism webpage with staff resources and information
- Improved risk assessment to safeguard staff who work in the community from racism
- Staff encouraged to report racism and other forms of discrimination
- A new living in the UK course for international recruits through Learn Devon
Why the need?
Trailblazer has been developed in response to requests Race Equality Matters regularly receives from people who want to know which organisations are successfully taking action and making an impact on race inequality.
- It shines a light on the organisations that are #ActionNotJustWords
- It accelerates progress
- It encourages organisations to keep the momentum going
Feedback from the community on the impact of achieving Trailblazer status:
- 81% said it would attract more diverse talent
- 72% said it would encourage managers and senior leaders to take it more seriously
- 81% said it would keep the momentum going in tackling race inequality
- 89% said it would inspire and energise the race network/ethnically diverse colleagues
Race Equality Matters is a not-for-profit that aims to be the catalyst to move organisations and individuals from just talking, to taking meaningful action that has a real impact on tackling race inequality. Formed in response to 2020’s Black Lives Matter movement, mindful that for far too long progress in addressing race inequality has been too slow, if it is not addressed now, will it ever be?
Race Equality Matters co-creates concepts and solutions in collaboration with those with lived experience of race inequality and develops the tools and know-how for them to be implemented.
Through the Race Equality Matters network of thousands of changemakers, these co-created solutions reach organisations and millions of employees, from race networks, to allies to achieve the change we all want to see and feel.