Minority Ethnic staff are underrepresented in management roles in Wales’s social care workforce, and many say they need more training to progress in their career – these are some of the findings from our latest Workforce Race Equality Standard report.
Together with Welsh Government, we’ve published the second annual social care Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report. This report helps monitor the experience of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people who work in health and social care in Wales.
In Wales, 7.2 per cent of social care managers are from Minority Ethnic background, and of these, five per cent are women.
The report found that:
- Ethnic Minority staff were more likely to experience either bullying, discrimination or harassment from the public or people who use care and support than their White colleagues
- overall fitness to practise referrals and timings were broadly the same between White and Minority Ethnic staff, which is an improvement from last year’s findings
- Minority Ethnic staff are twice as likely to seek progression, but some structural barriers (such as progression pathways, sponsorship and training access) and discrimination currently stand in their way.
Last year, 66,454 people were registered as social care professionals in Wales. Of the registered workforce, 72.8 per cent were White and 22.8 per cent were Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. The remaining workforce (4.4 per cent) chose not to share their ethnicity.
The report made six recommendations for leaders, managers and organisations to support equal opportunities across social care in Wales. They include:
- focusing on progression, and not just representation by setting measurable goals for leadership diversity and track progress
- reviewing recruitment and promotion processes to make sure they are transparent, fair and free from systemic bias
- strengthening approaches to tackling racism and discrimination, particularly from members of the public and people using services, through clear reporting processes and a strong zero-tolerance culture.
Sarah McCarty, our Chief Executive, said: “Racism is, and will always be, unacceptable. Social care staff join the profession to help, support and make a positive difference to people’s lives. They’re committed to helping people and have a fundamental right to be treated with respect. It’s unacceptable that many Minority Ethnic staff are not being treated fairly by the those that they support.
“This report helps build our understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by the workforce. We’re committed to continuing our work with Welsh Government, partners and employers to address and break down the barriers, and support equal opportunities for all social care workers in Wales.”
Supporting progression for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic workers in social care
Over the last year, we’ve been delivering a bespoke Ethnic Minority Leadership Development Programme, co-designed with people who have lived experience. It’s designed to support participants in taking their first steps into leadership and management roles.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many reporting an increase in confidence and motivation to apply for progression opportunities and leadership roles.
The Leadership Development Programme forms part of our wider work to create an anti-racist social care sector. This is underpinned by updates to our Code of Professional Practice, which includes an active requirement for social care workers to challenge and/or report discrimination. These expectations are supported through our professional learning and development offer, helping to build a more equitable, inclusive and anti-racist workforce.