Bristol City Council takes new actions to prioritise racial equality within its workforce

Bristol City Council is set to invest almost £335,000 as part of a drive to dismantle structural racism and become a “national exemplar” for inclusive practice.

David Weaver, who has been conducting a review of the organisation’s practices on race and equality, has said there are undoubtedly challenges to overcome, but has welcomed the commitment to change.

His recommendations have informed a report going to the cabinet meeting on July 14 that sets 50 new strategy measures to prioritise racial equality within the council, with changes to recruitment, leadership and talent management.

The report comes the week after Bristol became the first major city to publish the pay gaps around ethnicity, gender and disability, which revealed the pay gap between white and Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees is 12 per cent.

The report sets out issues within the council in regard to race and provides recommendations and its publication coincides with the council’s annual progress report on Equality and Inclusion for 2019 and 2020.

“There has undoubtedly been progress over the last year, with roots tracing back several years,” says Weaver.

“However, our intervention and engagement with the organisation and in particular with senior managers, determines that the existing approach and strategies will not materially advance the council’s ambitions in the area of race equality and equalities in general.”

David Weaver authored the new report. Photo: LinkedIn

The 50 actions created in response to Weaver’s report will cost £334,500, in addition to existing commitments of £126,000 to equality and inclusion activities.

The council’s equality impact assessment form, created following the report from Weaver, sets out the range of internal actions to improve diversity in the workforce and increase the quality of the council’s performance on race equality.

The assessment found that the overall percentage of Black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) workforce increased from 10.5 per cent in 2017 to 12.72 per cent in 2019.

16 per cent of people living with Bristol are BAME, according to the 2011 census.

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The local democracy service reported that Labour councillor Ruth Pickersgill said the authority was not trying to attract BAME candidates the right way.

“It is brilliant we do publish the ethnicity pay gap but it’s actually pretty shocking because really there shouldn’t be an ethnicity pay gap,” says Pickersgill. “I went onto the council’s website but there is nothing that says we particularly welcome people from black and Asian minority ethnic groups.

“It talks about why come to Bristol and architecture and even Stonehenge. If I was a black, Asian or minority ethnic person thinking of relocating from London to Bristol, I want to know we are a vibrant, diverse community.

“I would want to know about the wide range of places of worship, I would want to know we have a carnival, I would want to know St Mark’s Road is one of the top roads in the country for Asian foods and cultural gatherings.

Ruth Pickersgill says the the council’s website should reflect the city, and give a spotlight to places likes St Mark’s Road in Easton. Photo: Bristol City Council

“I really don’t think we are selling the council as a diverse place,” Pickersgill added. “I am just thinking of the young black people I know. If they look at the website, they wouldn’t think ‘Wow, this is the employer I want to work for’.”

In 2019, only 4.35 per cent of council employees earning more than £50,000 were BAME, and BAME staff were statistically more likely to be subject to formal grievance – 33 per cent of all grievances – and disciplinaries, at 17.65 per cent. It also found that there are a disproportionately large number of BAME employees on fixed term contracts.

Together, the reports highlight challenges that still face the authority as it works to tackle structural and institutional racism and change its organisational culture.

The 50 measures outlined aim to put direct action at the heart of the authority.

“We know that being truly inclusive is not just about welcoming different contributions and standing against any discrimination, it also means actively addressing our everyday practice and the systems we use that inadvertently lead to a lack of opportunity or fairness for black, Asian and other colleagues from minority ethnic backgrounds,” says chief executive of Bristol City Council, Mike Jackson.

“Structural inequality also affects women, disabled employees, our younger staff and LGBTQ+ colleagues and we are working hard to improve things for everyone.

Mike Jackson (second from right) says there are still challenges to be faced. Photo: Women’s Coin Foundation

Jackson added: “Change doesn’t happen overnight and I understand that the experience colleagues have of working for the council is not the same across the board. These reports will help us take even more practical action put equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do.”

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees adds: “We have made significant progress in recent years, particularly in facing head-on the kind of race equality challenges that have been centuries in the making.

“We’ve had to look long and hard at the organisation; its history, its ambitions and its character. What we’ve found along the way is what we see reflected across our society as a whole – an organisation that was built many years ago with little concern for diversity and a need to modernise and reflect the citizens it serves.”

Additional reporting by Adam Postans, a local democracy reporter for Bristol.

Main photo: Martin Booth

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