Racial inequalities have worsened, group says

Racial inequalities have worsened in Sheffield during the past four years, according to an organisation set up to assess the impact of racism across the city.

Sheffield Race Equality Commission (REC) published a report in 2022 with a number of recommendations on how major institutions should tackle inequalities.

In an open letter, the group has now said institutions including the council have not only failed to act, but the situation has become worse.

Sheffield City Council said the Race Equality Partnership (REPS) had been set up in response to the report. REPS said "good progress" had been made in areas such as "increasing diversity in workforces" and "supporting diverse businesses".

The REC was commissioned by Sheffield Council but is independent.

It published a lengthy report in 2022, in which it made a number of recommendations on how workplaces, health services and major institutions should change.

The report said 19% of Sheffield residents are from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities - totalling about 105,861 people.

The commission has now published an open letter which said there was a "crisis of moral leadership" and said despite city leaders' public promises and strategies, the vast majority of recommendations from the 2022 report had not been implemented.

The letter, published by REC chair Kevin Hylton and commissioners, has been signed by individuals, organisations and institutions from across the city.

In a statement, they said: "Black and brown communities and those committed to anti-racism in Sheffield have waited for generations to see the city confront the realities of racial inequality.

"We see black and brown workers locked out of leadership, organisations locked out of funding, families harmed by failures in safeguarding and healthcare, and communities consistently excluded from the decisions that shape their lives.

"This is a crisis of moral leadership. We will not remain silent while inequality deepens under the banner of progress."

They said workers belonging to ethnic minorities were absent from senior management roles and executive boards, and were instead employed in a disproportionately large share of entry level and insecure jobs.

They added that organisations serving these communities were also "sidelined" and received lower levels of funding, while health inequalities remained unaddressed.

The commission said cultural and anti-racism training remained inconsistent and called for "a transparent, citywide progress review" of what recommendations had been implemented since 2022.

A spokesperson for REPS said the commission's work had "created a powerful foundation for action".

REPS, which is made up of organisations including the council, hospitals, universities, police, businesses, voluntary sector and community groups, said "meaningful progress" had been made in the past few years.

This included "increasing diversity across many workforces, introducing the Race Equality Programme in Sheffield's schools, establishing the Diverse Business Advisory Board, piloting a Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, and hosting landmark cultural events such as the 26th MOBO Awards and The Fringe, celebrating and supporting grassroots musicians of black origin".

Fatima Khan Shah, chair of REPS, said: "We remain grateful to the members of the Race Equality Commission whose work helped catalyse this movement and the many commissioners who continue to support our work.

"We are committed to working together to create a city where everyone can belong and thrive."

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