Developing our approach to anti-racism
Liverpool is proud of being a welcoming city that celebrates its diverse communities. We want it to be a more inclusive and equal city and are continually striving to tackle inequalities, whilst promoting and celebrating the city’s distinct identities and our many communities.
Liverpool has a long history of multiculturalism and we recognise the prominent historic role that the city had in the transatlantic slave trade which impacted on millions of lives and continues to leave a legacy in our communities.
The city is home to Europe's oldest Chinese community, Britain's oldest black community, the first mosque to be built in the UK and one of the oldest Jewish communities in Britain. It has welcomed successive waves of immigration through its port from Ireland, the Middle East and Mediterranean and more recently, from newer communities in Eastern and central Europe.
We recognise that racism is a significant challenge that continues to have profound impacts on our city and in our communities and that it is no longer enough for us to tackle inequalities, we must be actively anti-racist.
As part of this, the council is committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation and in our leadership role, we want to promote an anti-racist approach as widely as possible across all aspects of life in the city.
Our proposed approach
We are proposing to develop an anti-racism strategy for the city working closely with other major institutions and anchor organisations in the city.
This will include developing clear commitments and actions which organisations in the city, including the council itself, will take to become actively anti-racist.
We know that this work will require us to listen to and strengthen our relationships with communities across the city and to have maximum impact, there needs to be a collective approach with city partners. As part of this work we will:
- Develop a strong evidence base built up from quantitative and qualitative data from council, partner organisations and the community.
- Undertake comprehensive community engagement and produce a report of those views.
- Develop a draft citywide anti-racism strategy and underpinning action plans.
- Consider how we involve the voice of our communities in implementation and monitoring to ensure accountability.
- Develop a monitoring framework for how we measure success and publish progress.
The findings and learning from the Liverpool Race Equality Task Force, chaired by Tracey Gore during 2020/21 at the request of the council, will form a vital part of the evidence base for this work. The council is grateful for the significant efforts of the task force and the people they spoke to, and the considerable value of their work. The council recognises that the lack of response to that work, due to the challenges it was facing at that time, was not acceptable and we are committed to working hard to rebuild trust, continue to work in partnership and build on the foundations laid.
Starting the engagement process
The council is proposing to procure an external partner with a strong reputation for delivery in this area. This will be done through an open procurement process, in line with the council’s procurement policies.
A key element of the support required will be designing an inclusive process for the development of the plans and the facilitation of engagement and consultation sessions.
This additional capacity will help us to widen our reach and to listen to and engage with our residents and communities across the city better and improve our understanding of their needs and issues.
As part of this work, we will also explore options to establish a steering or advisory group with community representatives and partners to provide oversight to our plans and on other work to tackle racism in the city.
Proposed process timeline
The proposed timeline for this process is:
- November – December 2024: Pre-engagement and procurement phase
- January 2025 – April 2025: Consultation and engagement phase
- May 2025 – August 25: Drafting and development phase
- September 2025: Plans in place with clear governance
How to comment
We are interested in your comments on our proposed approach to creating an anti-racism strategy before we go out to open procurement for an external partner. Please use our online form below to tell us what you think by Sunday 24th November 2024.
Tell us what you think about our proposed approach
What happens with my views?
Your comments will be used to inform the proposal and action plan. We will protect your confidentiality and ensure your responses are anonymised and stored securely. They will be deleted as soon as they are no longer needed.