Racism in Britain is not a black-and-white issue. It’s far more complicated, an Oped in The Guardian said. While this statement has a sea of interpretations and emotions attached to ethnic minorities, Asian Voice reached out to members of ethnic minority communities to understand their take on diversity and inclusion. We spoke to NHS Race Observatory, the Met Police and more experts about how far have they penetrated into the layers of society and how much has the UK adapted and accepted the differences between people who belong to ethnic minorities.
Jasvir Singh CBE, City Sikhs told us, "For the Sikh community in the UK, diversity and inclusion means ensuring that people understand that Sikhs have a distinct faith and identity, as well as ensuring that other communities get the recognition that they deserve. The landscape has changed hugely over the last decade. ED&I is now deeply embedded within many corporate organisations, and society more widely is catching up with that change. We are in the midst of a Vaisakhi celebration at the moment, and this year has seen Vaisakhi being acknowledged and recognised in various ways that would not have been imaginable before, be it an Ardas taking place on the football pitch at Wembley Stadium or a shop floor display and gatka performance at John Lewis in Leicester. The hope is that this approach will have an impact on wider society better understand the Sikh faith and identity. However, there is also much work that needs to be done on diversity and inclusion within many sections of the British Sikh community as well, and speaking as an openly gay man, true allyship and support as opposed to performative allyship is what is needed to effect proper change in respect of all of the nine protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010."
In another example of embracing diversity in Britain, Mayor Sadiq Khan switched on London’s first-ever celebratory Ramadan lights, in Piccadilly Circus. It was the first time a European city saw such a grand display for the festival, with the installation featuring 30,000 sustainable lights. The iconic West End street was lit up for the month of Ramadan, which is observed by Muslims, including the mayor of London himself. The initiative was led by the non-profit organisation Ramadan Lights UK’s founder Alisha Desai, which rallied to set up the display through public donations.
Understand more about disparities
Older people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds have, on average, worse health than people of other ethnicities who are the same age. Those from Bangladeshi backgrounds also have some of the highest rates of disability prevalence among the over-65s, and evidence shows that these health inequalities are already in place by people’s 50s and remain in place throughout later life. Asian pensioners also face other challenges, with 29% living in poverty compared to 17% of White pensioners. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said, “ These stats are truly shocking and work should be carried out to understand more about these disparities and ensure that the root causes are fully understood and addressed. We also need to invest more in the kind of services used by older people and scale them up, in line with our growing older population. For example, our social care system which many depend on has been chronically neglected and needs a complete overhaul and a lot more money. Similarly, older people are the biggest user group within the NHS but there aren't enough dedicated, integrated programmes in place to help them stay fit and well, and living independently for as long as possible in their own homes.”
Met committed to bold steps to build a workforce
According to the Met, the latest available figures show that as of the end of February 2023, a total of 17% of the Met’s police officers – 4,218 – and 20% of staff, were of Black, Asian or mixed ethnic heritage backgrounds. For PCSOS, the figure was 41%, and for Specials, the figure was 32%. Overall, taking into account all these groups, 20% of the total workforce strength of 47,388 at end of February ‘23 were from diverse communities.
A Met Police Spokesperson told Asian Voice, “We have committed to bold steps to build a workforce that truly reflects all of London’s diverse communities, something we know is vitally important for the communities we serve and for everyone who makes up our organisation. We are proud that we currently employ more than half of all police officers in England and Wales from under-represented groups - over 5,000 - and that there have never been as many Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnic heritage officers working for the Met.”
The Met Police spokesperson further added, “We continue to work hard on multiple fronts to improve workforce representation. The MPS makes full use of the equalities framework in our recruitment processes and has a strong positive action offer for all candidates from under-represented groups going through the application process. We have prioritised recruitment from these groups through our Outreach Teams; over 50 of them are deployed in key areas across the capital to encourage applications in areas where there are greatest demographics of under-represented groups, and track candidates through various support initiatives through to any subsequent application.
“We also have youth engagement officers working with London schools to encourage more young people from diverse communities to join us. We run targeted recruitment drives to inspire, build confidence and attract Londoners from underrepresented groups, featuring current officers who share their stories to help break down some of the barriers we know can put off potential joiners. We know that internal workforce confidence is critical in developing external confidence in the wider community. This is why a key initiative has been focused on the selection, progression and promotion of our staff from under-represented groups.
“We want more officers from under-represented groups at senior ranks in the Met and want to build on the progress we have already made in this area through successful initiatives like our positive action workshops for black officers. Our bespoke development programme ‘Inspiring Leadership’ complements wider support programmes for all under-represented groups, whilst recognising the key needs of Black officers.”
The Met Police spokesperson also explained that the workforce recognises that increasing retention is also an instrumental factor in working towards better representation and that they want to ensure that attrition rates for voluntary leavers from under-represented groups are equal to or lower than their colleagues.
The Met Police has installed career development leads to support local managers with the development and retention of under-represented groups. They aim to signpost options and capture feedback on what is and is not working, and aim to better understand the lived experience of Black Asian and Mixed Ethnic Heritage officers. Their exit surveys with those departing the Met also form an important channel for gaining insight, as do their staff support associations and independent advisory groups, acting as critical friends to advise and also participating in, and reviewing, their training.
“The Met remains committed to working towards its long-term aspiration for the workforce to truly reflect London, meaning at least 40% of our people would be from under-represented groups,” the spokesperson said.
NHS is the largest employer of Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in England
Dr Habib Naqvi, Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, told the newsweekly, “Sadly, workforce race equality data continue to show how far we still need to go and how crucial it is for the NHS to remain steadfast in its pursuit of understanding, and actively improving, the experiences of its diverse workforce. The NHS is the largest employer of Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in England, it is vital therefore that these members of the workforce feel valued and are provided with recruitment, career progression and promotion opportunities as afforded to their White colleagues. It has proved too easy in the past for the healthcare system to lose focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, either because it's not prioritised by leaders or because it falls between the gaps left by different organisations.
“Accelerated action is urgently needed to diversify senior leadership and to improve the experience of Black, Asian and ethnic minority workforce. And whilst organisational diversity is not always a precursor to progressive, compassionate and inclusive workplace cultures, we know that, with the right conditions over time, healthcare organisations can achieve the latter. For that to happen, organisations must take a strategic approach to tackle the root causes of this inequity head-on, and create a culture of inclusion”.
Really important to use Asians as an umbrella term
It is important to note that a recent report on ethnic inequality revealed that Indians are among the highest number of property owners in London, the capital of the United Kingdom (UK), more than the English themselves. "The largest group of property owners in London are Indians, who are represented by those who have lived in the UK for generations, NRIs, investors from other countries, students, and families who travel to the UK for education," according to London-based residential developer Barratt London.
"English and Pakistani people are next in number," Barratt London noted adding that, Indian investors, who reside in both the UK and India, are prepared to spend anywhere between £290,000 and £450,000 for a one, two, or three-bedroom property in London. "We are seeing strong demand from Indian investors looking to purchase properties in London and invest in the stable and long-term property market. Outside of London, most of our products are sold to UK residential buyers, who buy these properties and live in them," Stuart Leslie – International Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt London, told Financial Express.
Priya Shah, Founder, Director of BAME in Property told us, “It's really important to use Asians as an umbrella term, rather than a literal term - Indians have the highest homeownership statistics in the UK, at nearly 70%, but Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities lag behind on home ownership. Not all South Asians have benefitted from the property market in the same way. While some consider their 'home as their castle', others struggle to obtain Islamic finance, for example or don't know where to access information about shared ownership, which would be a first step in owning a home. Some households have poor access to the internet, at a time when most housing services are digital. So, while some South Asian communities have thrived, not all have and it's important to understand the inequalities in information and education, in order to direct resources to where they are needed the most."
‘Diversity and inclusion’, a desirable association
Sharmen Rahman, Councillor, Leicester who is passionate about equality told us, “Diversity and Inclusion’ have superficially at least penetrated society, it is a common theme in most organisations. However, a little digging beneath the surface and the clear limitations are apparent. It is not lost on ethnic minorities that most diversity and inclusion roles and spaces seem to be occupied by white people. The term itself has become a buzzword and tick-box exercise rather than a truly meaningful attempt at the real inclusion of people of colour. Much like ‘green’ and ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘diversity and inclusion’ is a desirable association, a sticking plaster masking the real, structural reality of a racially unequal society.”
More needs to be done
Last year it was reported that UK health services are failing South Asian people with dementia, because of an outdated system designed for white British patients that leads to inequalities in diagnosis, care and support. People of South Asian heritage in the UK are more likely to develop the disease than the general population due to their higher risk of other illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, that increase the risk of dementia. The number of them living with dementia is set to increase by 600% within the next three decades.
Speaking to Asian Voice, Caroline Scates, Deputy Director of Admiral Nurse Development at Dementia UK said, “For families of South Asian heritage there can often be barriers when accessing dementia diagnostic services and post-diagnostic support. It is vital that we bridge this gap in care if we are to meet the needs of families from the South Asian community. Getting to know the person with dementia, their needs, their background, and culture, as well as building strong partnerships with their close family members, is fundamental to delivering tailored support and care. Dementia UK’s specialist Admiral Nurses play a key role in facilitating this care by offering expert advice to both families and professionals.
“However, more needs to be done to ensure that people living with dementia and their families from the South Asian community, get the right care and support, in the right place and at the right time. Inclusion is the bedrock of Dementia UK’s Policy strategy, and we are committed to driving the change for dementia care that meets people’s specific needs and circumstances. Families living with dementia should feel included, listened to, and have equitable access to timely support of their choice when needed, regardless of their backgrounds and communities.”
For our exclusive coverage of Be The Change: Diversity & Inclusion, an initiative by Royal Air Force and Asian Voice, turn to P16-17.
