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“How You Can Deliver Race Equality in the Workplace” Sandra Kerr, CBE | Tuesday 18th May

On Tuesday 18th May, SAADI, the SHRLG Diversity and Inclusion Working Party hosted an interactive surgery with Sandra Kerr, CBE, Race Equality Director, Business in the Community.

Sandra is the driving force behind practical and effective interventions that all organisations can take to improve inclusion with the BIC Race Programme (https://www.bitc.org.uk/race/).

Titled “How you can deliver race equality in the workplace” the session provided an opportunity for a host of Scotland’s senior HR leaders to see what changes they can make, to ask questions and to share the successes they have had in improving inclusion within their organisations.

We are delighted to be able to share this lecture with you:

Sandra Kerr CBE, Race Equality Director, Business in the Community

Sandra works together with business leaders and government policy makers to influence action on race in the UK.  Prior to working at Business in the Community Sandra worked for DWP and the Cabinet Office. Between 2012 and 2016, Sandra chaired the DWP Ethnic Minority Employment Stakeholder Group, advising the Government on employment barriers facing individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds. The Race at Work survey that she launched in 2015 with 24,457 responses and in 2018 with 24,310 responses provided the evidence to create the McGregor-Smith: Race in the workplace Review Scorecard and to establish the Race at Work Charter announced by the Prime Minister which now has more than 600 employer signatories.

In 2012 Sandra received an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours for Services to Black and Minority Ethnic people and in 2019 Sandra was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list for Services to Equality and Diversity.  Sandra published the Race at Work Black Voices Report in August 2020 and the Race at Work Charter 2020 report in October 2020. Sandra also sits on the Royal Society Diversity Committee, the ONS Centre for Equalities and Inclusion Strategic Advisory Board and the Cabinet Office Race Board.

She is a big advocate of mentorship, sponsorship and allyship. The Race at Work 2021 is now open and Sandra is calling on employees now to share their stories.

SAADI was set up last summer in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the differential impact of COVID on minorities.  We want Scotland to be leading from the front in organisations signing up to the Race at Work Charter and promoting the Race at Work Survey 2021 to their colleagues.