Agenda item

(A period not exceeding 15 minutes for questions from members of the public.)

Mr Tim Brown put the following statement and questions to the Board:

“Thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of so many distinguished leaders and officers. 

I am grateful to Reni Eddo-Lodge and her inspirational book, “Why I am no longer talking to white people about race” to help me understand structural racism and micro aggressions.

I attend these meetings in good faith to offer a race equality lens and support to enable the board to address ethnic minority health inequalities in the context of access, experience and outcomes. 

From reading Reni Eddo Lodge book:-

‘I do now feel that entering into conversation with defiant white people is a frankly dangerous task for me.  As the heckles rise and the defiance grows, I have to tread incredibly carefully, because if I express frustration, anger or exasperation at their refusal to understand, they will tap into their pre-subscribed racist tropes about angry black people who are a threat to them and their safety.’

It is very likely that the Team Doncaster leaders and their white friends will conspire and rally around, ignore, disbelieve, rewrite history and make lies the truth. I will be subjected to further punishment for having the temerity to champion an anti racist and aspirational Doncaster!

Trying to engage with the Council and navigate the structural racism that was independently verified by Professor Gus John is why black citizens are increasingly tired of fighting for our basic rights. 

With little or none of Professor Gus John report recommendations ever being implemented, it comes as no great surprise that in 2022 social work practitioners are still failing to properly record the ethnicity of children and young people reference the recent Ofsted report in Doncaster children services 

Once again and year after year the race equality fundamentals are overlooked and there appears to be no accountability for failing to meet the cultural needs of black children and young people? 

It is in this context that I respectfully ask what exactly does good race equality progress look like in 12 month, 3 and 5 years and whether an assurance can be given that a review of recording the ethnicity of service users will be seen as a priority across the health and wellbeing board?”

In reply, the Chair, Councillor Rachael Blake stated that with regard to Mr Brown’s comments, this Board had never been defensive or defiant and had always welcomed the views expressed by Mr Brown, however offensive these might be to people in terms of calling them racists as he had done in previous meetings.  She explained that there had been much reflection in Doncaster over the last few years on where we are in terms of the governance arrangements, in terms of recognising our failures and in terms of recognising instances of systemic racism, not just in Doncaster, but everywhere and how that manifests itself.  And she confirmed that new governance arrangements had been put in place.  The Chair confirmed that she had also read the book quoted by Mr Brown, and had found it to be very interesting.

The Chair stated that we have in place in Doncaster a number of opportunities to get involved, one of which was the Minorities Partnership Board, Chaired by Dr Victor Joseph, which she believed Mr Brown had attended at its last meeting.  The Chair was aware from having attended those meetings that Dr Joseph ran them in a very open, transparent and welcoming way.

In terms of the Children’s Trust, the Chair stated that it was acknowledged that there were issues with recording ethnicity and outcomes for children with the Mosaic software, and this had been discussed publicly at Cabinet and Full Council meetings.  It was an issue that was being addressed urgently and no doubt would be raised by Ofsted when they visited again at the end of this month. 

In terms of action being taken, the Chair stated that she believed at the last meeting she had connected Mr Brown with Pam Allen at the Children’s Trust.  The Chair explained that she was due to attend a meeting this afternoon with the Inclusion and Fairness Forum and colleagues from Children’s Services to look at further steps that could be taken to address the inequity and inequality we have in provision for black children and she was expecting that meeting to be very successful.  The Chair added that she had also had an interesting meeting yesterday with the Director of TellMAMA regarding hate crime which would be discussed as a topic at another partnership body in the near future, to ensure that all residents of Doncaster feel welcome, which is what this Board, the Council and all its partners wanted to achieve.

In concluding, the Chair thanked Mr Brown for his comments and encouraged him to try and get involved in the governance arrangements that had been set up in the light of recent reflections and the improvements that were being implemented.