Almost half of Black safeguarding professionals (BSPs) say they lack fair and equal opportunities to progress in the workplace, with the problem particularly acute in children’s social care. That was a key finding from a survey of 100 BSPs, which also found that almost two-thirds felt their ethnicity had resulted in barriers being imposed upon […]
Low representation at senior level
It added that the findings also fitted with the low representation of Black professionals in leadership roles across organisations. Analysis published last year by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) found that 1% of directors identified as Black African and the same proportion as Black Caribbean, despite 12% of children’s social workers in England being Black.
The report also identified challenges for BSPs about raising race-related issues within the workplace – a problem that has come under the spotlight following the killing of George Floyd. Half of respondents disagreed that they found it easy to raise racial issues within the organisation or with clients, with a third agreeing.
The survey also found that almost half of respondents (45%) said there was no active equality, diversity and inclusion strategy within their workplace.
And in the context of the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black people, and those from other ethnic minorities, 37% agreed that their organisation had responded well to the pandemic by providing sufficient protection for BSPs, though 31% disagreed.
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