Most social workers unaware of Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard, poll finds

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Launched in 2021, the SC-WRES involves an assessment of racial inequalities in councils’ adults’ and children’s services workforces, based on data submitted by participating authorities, who then formulate action plans to tackle the issues revealed.

It was initially implemented in 18 local authorities, but 76 took part in 2024, half the total number of English councils.

Despite this, 62% of 817 respondents to a Community Care poll reported being unfamiliar with the scheme.

Just under a quarter (23%) said the SC-WRES had been implemented in their council, with only 5% saying it had had a positive impact on tackling racial inequalities and 8% saying it was too early to tell.

SC-WRES impact ‘not fully felt at the front line’

The findings reflect recent comments made by Tricia Pereira, co-chair of SC-WRES’ independent advisory group, which comprises black, Asian and minority ethnic practitioners, leaders, academics and people with lived experience.

“We continue to hear from global majority professionals working within social care about persistent experiences of discrimination and racism in their organisations,” said Pereira, previously Skills for Care’s director of operations and a former principal social worker. 

“Many share that while the SC-WRES provides a mechanism for accountability, the impact is not yet being fully “felt” at the front line.”

Meanwhile, Skills for Care is looking to increase the numbers of councils taking part in the scheme.  

Its chief executive, Oonagh Smyth, said last month: “Each year, as the number of organisations participating in the SC-WRES grows, we’re able get a clearer understanding of the inequality present in our sector. As the programme continues, we’ll see even more comprehensive action plans being developed and implemented that lead to better experiences and outcomes for people from minoritised backgrounds.”

2024 SC-WRES report outcomes

The 2024 report found that minority ethnic staff fared less well than their white counterparts on most of the nine indicators designed to measure racial inequalities. 

Compared with white staff, they were:

• 48% less likely to have been appointed to a role from a shortlist, a similar rate to that in 2023;
• 37% more likely to have entered a formal disciplinary process in the previous 12 months, compared with 40% in 2023;
• 21% more likely to have left their role in the previous 12 months, up from 10% in 2023;
• 45% less likely to be in senior manager roles.

What are your thoughts on the potential of SC-WRES?

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

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Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

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If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com