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Deeds Not Words Resources

 

We have compiled this resource page to support you with your Deeds Not Words pledge, it will contain information and support from us here at Tai Pawb as well as resources and best practice shared from you. This page will continually be updated so make sure to check it regularly, also if you have any resources you believe will be helpful then please email them to us on info@taipawb.org

We look forward to supporting you over the coming years!

Mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and other minority ethnic staff and communities

    • Public Health messaging for communities from different cultural backgrounds. Read more here

 

 

Improve the ethnic diversity of board and staff at all levels

The ‘Rooney Rule’ means that BAME candidates will be offered an interview providing they meet the essential job criteria

  • Organisations can decide on what roles or levels it applies to, for example it can be for all roles or you can use it within specific areas where you have the most under representation
  • You would shortlist all candidates first, ideally anonymously to prevent any unconscious bias during the shortlisting process, then will identify any Black, Asian or ethnic minority candidates in the shortlisted pool and offer them an interview provided they meet essential criteria. You can decide on e.g. at least one candidate from this group or allow all who meet essential criteria to interview.
  • Organisations are encouraged to use equality monitoring forms to identify BAME applicants and other protected characteristics, read our equality monitoring resource here
  • However, in order not to fall foul of GDPR laws, you should ask for applicants consent to use information provided about their ethnicity in the recruitment process
  • It may also be worth making clear that the Rooney Rule will not disadvantage any other candidates and that BAME applicants will only be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria

Useful links

 

Exec Summary 

Full report 

Welsh language version 

  • Cardiff Community Housing Association Increasing Ethnic Diversity on board – presentation

No. The ‘Rooney Rule’ means that BAME candidates should be invited to interview provided they meet the essential criteria for the post.

Organisations are able to decide on a target number if they wish; similarly, it can apply to specific roles where, for example there is data that demonstrates a significant under-representation, or it can be for all roles. In many cases, it is adopted for leadership roles. Candidates are shortlisted first; if there are BAME candidates in the pool who meet essential criteria, you invite them to interview (based on any target number you may introduce). We would also advise to check against non-BAME candidates who scored the same number of points, and allow them to interview, to avoid discrimination.  Moreover, you may wish to state in the application process that adopting the Rooney Rue will not disadvantage any other candidates. You’ll also need to consider how to handle GDPR (usually through seeking consent from candidates to use their data in this way).

We’re aware that this won’t work without candidates applying. We are conscious that this needs to be a specific area of focus and we are looking to work with partners to develop initiatives to support this.

Communicate and engage

Develop an inclusive culture

The Harvard implicit association test uses image association and questions to determine unconscious bias in participants.

Take the test here

This resource provided by United Welsh lists some reading materials, podcasts and TV shows people can use to educate themselves further.

Diagram on how to be an antiracist 

Black History Resources

  • Events on Black History throughout the year
  • One of our members Linc Cymru tenants were involved in producing a document celebrating Black History Month and influential people of colour both on a global and local scale. Read it here.
  • This Guardian article on 10 Black History events that should be taught in schools including the Bristol Bus Boycott and the Bachy Head Woman. Read it here.
  • These teacher resources help provide a grounding in Black History
  • The People’s Collection are celebrating Black history in Wales with shared stories from a number of Welsh Communities
  • The British Library has a page reflecting on the traces of history of South Asians in Britain
  • https://blackbritishhistory.co.uk/
  • This article looks at Black film history and pioneers in the industry
  •  The Equiano Centre, UCL  aims to foster the development of historical research into the black presence in Britain

Other Resources

Guest Blogs

Frequently Asked Questions

No. While we want to support organisations to implement the pledges as best as possible and will be conducting annual reports, this is not with the intention of singling out individual organisations or ranking them. The purpose of the annual reports is to measure what has or has not worked so we can measure the impact and adapt and tailor our support. Our reports will be published in reference to the whole group of organisations signed up and will never ‘name and shame’ organisations.

No. The ‘Rooney Rule’ means that BAME candidates should be invited to interview provided they meet the essential criteria for the post.

Organisations are able to decide on a target number if they wish; similarly, it can apply to specific roles where, for example there is data that demonstrates a significant under-representation, or it can be for all roles. In many cases, it is adopted for leadership roles. Candidates are shortlisted first; if there are BAME candidates in the pool who meet essential criteria, you invite them to interview (based on any target number you may introduce). We would also advise to check against non-BAME candidates who scored the same number of points, and allow them to interview, to avoid discrimination.  Moreover, you may wish to state in the application process that adopting the Rooney Rue will not disadvantage any other candidates. You’ll also need to consider how to handle GDPR (usually through seeking consent from candidates to use their data in this way).

We’re aware that this won’t work without candidates applying. We are conscious that this needs to be a specific area of focus and we are looking to work with partners to develop initiatives to support this.

No. Of course, we are aware that dependent on size, some organisations may need to prioritise certain areas of work around the pledge. This might mean finding creative ways of addressing the pledge in ways which are best suited to the individual organisation.

Moreover, we know that some areas of the pledge won’t be relevant to all organisations, for example overcrowding or refugees.

There is no doubt that some areas of work in the pledge are more challenging than others e.g. addressing overcrowding. It’s important that we use the timeframe wisely to look collectively and in more detail at what the issues and reasons behind them are, and thinking of what can be done to improve. On this particular issue, it’s a chance to begin looking at this early as overcrowding is cited in recommendations in the First Minister’s COVID-19 BAME socio-economic report.

We are keen not to be prescriptive on reverse mentoring as it can work in many different ways, whichever best suits the organisation. Investing doesn’t necessarily mean finance – it could mean time spent with colleagues, for e.g. younger BAME peers. We will be discussing with partners whether this is something we could help facilitate, especially in organisations where there aren’t any younger BAME colleagues or where there is a lack of or no interest from younger BAME colleagues. It could be that organisations can work across each other, or with younger BAME people who might be interested in working in the housing sector but don’t currently. Both sides have a huge opportunity to gain valuable insights into each other’s roles and experiences.

Some background reading for reverse mentoring: Reverse Mentoring at Virgin and Reverse Mentoring: what is it and does your company need it?

Tackling racism is applicable to all of us – both as individuals and as organisations. Here are a few pointers which might help with your thinking:

Communities and workplaces are changing – Census data from the last few decades clearly indicates an increase in the number of people from a ethnic minority backgrounds in England and Wales. Undoubtedly the 2021 Census data, when available, will correlate with that trend. With remote working on the increase, people are increasingly moving out of urban areas (or they can work wherever they want). Some organisations we work with are asking themselves how ready and inclusive they are, if their workforce/tenant make up changes.

Asylum dispersal areas will probably be changing – a number of local authorities in Wales act as dispersal areas for asylum seekers, but there are plans to widen these areas (especially those close to current dispersal areas of Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Wrexham)

Allyship – while some communities are more diverse than others, we all have a role to play in the way we think and act on inclusion and equality. Being a strong and supportive ally – actively rejecting inaction and division – is a fundamental element of ensuring we build an anti-racist Wales. Anyone can be an ally in dismantling racism and challenging the status quo – this may be even more important in areas which are less ethnically diverse.

Isolation and access to services – in less ethnically diverse areas, this can be a real problem. This can be because of limited access to specific advocacy services or service providers not being ready for diverse service users/tenants.

European migrants are also an ethnic minority group and face specific barriers – it can be surprising how many different groups live in areas traditionally thought of as non-diverse.

Knowledge is key – it can be easy to mistake your local communities for not being diverse. We would encourage you to look closely at the data you hold and, more so, the gaps within it. Often the data you don’t hold can help identify those gaps and is a means to reaching out and better understanding the make-up of your communities. We’ve worked with some more rural organisations on this and the results can be surprising.

Yes, to some extent. While Deeds Not Words focuses specifically on race equality, there are clearly common threads in the pledge that can lend themselves to a framework or plan for supporting other diverse groups e.g. disabled people (but there are also some threads which are very specific to ethnic minority groups). There may be work you would like to undertake around better understanding the profile of your staff with regards to disability and how they are supported in the workplace; how disabled tenants experience the organisation; or increasing the diversity of your board make-up.

The key aim of Deeds not Words however is tackling race inequality, so we would encourage organisations to keep that focus (even if they are using the framework for other purposes). Tai Pawb will remain committed to supporting members on this journey and monitoring the progress and impact of the initiative.

We’ve received several enquiries from members who have developed action plans under Deeds not Words asking if Anti-racist Wales Action Plan had additional commitments (so they can address any gaps). We have created this table which will let your organisation review your Deeds not Words action plan against ARWAP requirements:

 

ARWAP VS DNW.docx (taipawb.org)

Download a pdf of the pledge:

English 

Cymraeg