TRID - Tackling Racism, Inequality and Disproportionality

What is ‘Tackling Racism, Inequality & Disproportionality’?

We want our residents to feel safe in Newham and will work tirelessly to stamp out racism and challenge anyone who practises it.

Racism is prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their racial or ethnic group, typically on that is a minority or marginalised.

The marginalisation and/or oppression of people of colour is based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that give privilege to white people. Racism can be best understood as someone behaving differently to another person based on the colour of their skin or culture.

Inequality is the condition of being unequal, for example unfair treatment in the sharing of wealth and opportunities.

Disproportionality is the extent to which the number of people in a particular group at a particular point of decision is too large or two small compared with that group’s proportion in the entire population.

If something is disproportionate, it’s unreasonably sized in comparison with something else.

Our TRID Programme

Our Tackling Racism, Inequality & Disproportionality programme has four pillars – each with its own pledges to the people who live and work in Newham, summarised below:

• Newham as an Employer

Pledge One: To improve workforce diversity and delivery, we will do everything we can to ensure that in all recruitment there is a Black, Asian or minority ethnic candidate suitable to be shortlisted

Pledge Two: To ensure people are fairly rewarded for their work and have the opportunity to develop, we’ll tackle any evidenced ethnicity pay-gap at Newham Council and do more to promote Black, Asian or minority ethnic talent to senior levels

Pledge Three: To have a representative and inclusive workforce, we will enable our staff to live our values – Honesty, Equality, Ambition, Respect, Together – and take action to protect them against unconscious bias

We have already listened to our colleagues by scrapping the use of the acronym “BAME” after a substantial proportion in a survey expressed their dislike of its othering and marginalising nature.

• Newham as a Beacon of Social Change

Pledge One: We will ensure all new road names and planning changes recognise our history and diversity so residents don’t feel alienated.

Pledge Two: We’ll reclaim the rich, important and diverse history in our local heritage so, increasingly, people feel proud to live in Newham

Pledge Three: We will not tolerate any form of racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism or hate-speech, whether direct, indirect or online, working with partners to eradicate it and challenge anyone who practises it, so our residents feel safe.

• Newham as the Best Place for Children & Young People

Pledge One: We will take action to inspire every child in Newham so they all have hopes, opportunities and aspirations for the future

Pledge Two: We’ll invest in a Youth Endowment Fund to help promote opportunity for children and young people including from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds so they have a fairer chance in life

Pledge Three: We will make sure young people in Newham are safe, and know there are opportunities in the borough for them to develop and to contribute to their communities

• Newham as Deliverer and Commissioner of Services

Pledge One: In all our procurement and commissioning, we will encourage small and medium-sized firms and organisations to work with Newham Council to develop a more mixed economy of provision, better tailored to local needs

Pledge Two: We will require all Council services, whether directly run or externally provided, to act inclusively and give support that recognises Newham’s diversity

Pledge Three: We will use our commissioning influence and strategic partnerships to encourage good equalities practice across Newham to ensure people, regardless of ethnicity and personal characteristics, feel confident accessing and benefiting from our services.