Race equality is an issue that affects all public services as local populations become increasingly diverse. The dispersal of asylum seekers and refugees means that new ethnic groups are increasingly present in local areas, for example, from sub-Saharan Africa, eastern Europe and the middle east.
Race equality is applicable to areas of low and high black and minority ethnic populations. The duties under the Act apply to all. Black and minority ethnic communities have traditionally settled in urban areas. This is likely to change in the future as British born children of migrants are more likely to live in areas of lower density black and minority ethnic populations than first generation migrants. Small, isolated and vulnerable groups can experience the effects of discrimination more acutely. Public services must take a new approach, focusing on their diverse communities' level of need, rather than on the size of their black and minority ethnic populations.
Delivering race equality requires a consistent and systematic approach to improving customer service, staff management and the quality of life experienced by diverse black and minority ethnic communities. This means tackling differences in outcomes in a range of areas including service delivery, access to services, employment, trust and confidence, community relations and involvement in decision-making. These improvements have a direct benefit to the whole of society.
Included in this report:
- What does race equality mean?
- How the local public sector is responding
- What is preventing progress
- Race equality and managing changes
- Encouraging and sustaining progress
- What next for race equality?