Council Awarded with the Prestigious Race Equality Matters Trailblazer Status
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has been awarded Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status in recognition of its work to address racial inequality through the creation of Safe Spaces.
Safe Space is a Race Equality Matters innovation, co-created with those who have experienced racism, that provides protected environment in which people who might otherwise be too uncomfortable can have frank conversations on this subject.
Designed to recognise organisations driving meaningful change in the race equality sphere, REM Trailblazer status has been determined by an independent panel of experts, all with lived experience of race inequality in the workplace.
Becoming a Trailblazer means the work the Council has done has resulted in change and made an impact across the breadth of the entire organisation, addressing racial inequality and become a more diverse, inclusive and equal organisation.
The panel deemed that the Council’s work to ensure that ethnic minority voices are heard in Safe Space meetings was “clear and substantial” and gave the highest score possible for making sure that improvement suggestions were implemented.
With only 64 per cent of applicants achieving Trailblazer status, this demonstrates how serious the judges took this decision and the level of achievement attained by the Council.
Councillor Ruba Sivagnanam, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Equalities and Regulatory Services said: “I’m very proud that the Council has achieved this prestigious status. This news demonstrates that we are leading the way in creating change.
“As a council, we are committed to tackling prejudice and discrimination throughout the Vale. At the same time, we recognise that we also that we need to promote anti racism through our policies and ensure that we listen and learn from our minoritized communities.
“This award is an acknowledgement of the strides the council is making in its journey towards a fairer and more equal Vale.”