As part of that work, an action plan has been agreed to increase the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees and teachers across the council and involve partners and the community in improving support and services for BAME residents.

Since August 2020 when the council made a public commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement, research has been carried out among employees, schools and communities to understand the experiences of BAME people.

Some of the key outcomes are:

• There are disproportionately low numbers of BAME employees in the council compared to the local population.
• Language can be a barrier for people accessing health and social care services, and when integrating with other communities.
• In most BAME communities there is a clear divide between younger and older generations’ digital skills and between those individuals with more proficiency in English.
• Employment opportunities can be limited even for people with good educational qualifications and experience from their country of origin, and BAME people are overrepresented in low paid jobs.
• Most BAME people feel that diverse ethnic cultures are not celebrated in North Lanarkshire as much as other areas of Scotland.

“Our objective in carrying out this work has been to look at ways the council and partners can ensure that all residents are able to live their lives free from racism or discrimination of any form,” said Councillor Geraldine Woods, Convener of the Wellbeing and Tackling Poverty Committee.

“By talking to BAME people about their experiences of living and working in North Lanarkshire, we have a much clearer understanding of the issues they face as well as their suggestions on how we make changes to improve their quality of life.

“We have now developed action plans which will help us to advance race equality in education, employment, cultural and leisure services and ensure North Lanarkshire is an inclusive place for everyone.”

The community event will provide feedback on the results of the research carried out and how the issues raised will be addressed by the council and its partners. It will also shape future engagement with local BAME communities to help achieve the council’s plans and ambitions.

The date and content of the community event will be developed by the council and its community partners along with Councillor Ayeshah Khan, the council’s Equalities Champion.

As a result of the research, a number of actions are being taken forward including:

• Developing recruitment policies within the council to attract, retain and support employees, including teaching staff, from BAME communities.
• Raise awareness and understanding of the culture, language and faith of BAME communities within schools.
• Provide targeted support to businesses run by BAME people.
• Encourage and support young BAME people with employment and apprenticeship opportunities.