Simon Ighofose
Workforce diversity needs a higher profile if it is to be considered as a priority by local authorities and translated into serious action that will drive out inequality in the workplace.
I was the first black voluntary director in Leicester city council. Working with colleagues in the council's black workers groups, equality forums and senior management teams, we developed the Reach Higher programme, which is helping address under-representation at a senior management level within the council.
A rolling annual programme selects eight black and ethnic minority (BME) staff to attend the council's most senior decision-making boards as voluntary directors. Each candidate is expected to contribute to and inform strategic discussions from their perspective, using their understanding of the situation.
In addition, Reach Higher provides a wrap-around support programme, utilising mentoring and training to develop management competencies in areas identified by a 360-degree survey conducted at the outset.
The survey also serves as a baseline against which individual performance can be assessed. The annual cost of implementing the programme equates to approximately £2,500 for training and 20 days participation per candidate.
A second phase of Reach Higher will see the current pilots, targeting middle-managers, rolled out across the organisation.
Once implemented, this will create up to 21 further opportunities for candidates to attend divisional management meetings as voluntary heads of service, again supported by mentoring and training.
Compete successfully on merit for middle and senior management posts
Reach Higher will continue to develop, empower and grow a pool of BME staff that can inform as well as challenge the quality of service planning and implementation across all parts of the council. We hope that this in turn will increase the likelihood that candidates from this home-grown BME management talent pool will compete successfully on merit for middle and senior management posts as they become available through recruitment.
The programme has been championed from the outset by Sheila Lock, the council's chief executive. It has received unanimous cross-party support from all the council's elected members.
Unlock, tap into and focus talent
The process of developing Reach Higher has helped unlock, tap into and focus talent, passion and capacity latent among BME staff, many of whom now advise and help council divisions implement positive action aimed at delivering a workforce that at every level of the organisation reflects the local population.
On its own however, the Reach Higher programme is not enough. Targets around workforce diversity are also required because competing priorities place great pressure on local authorities to allocate sufficient resources to deliver a workforce that, at every level, reflects the local population.
In developing the next phase of Reach Higher, we are looking into the possibility of creating Reach Higher apprenticeships in middle and senior management. This would seek to further develop managerial competencies among BME staff by supporting them to take on greater budget and management responsibilities.
Reach Higher is designed as a positive action initiative and as such, future phases of the programme will seek to tackle under-representation of other equality groups.
Simon Ighofose is chair of the Regeneration & Culture Black Workers Group at Leicester city council
• More information about the Reach Higher programme is available from his website
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