BTEG

Black training & enterprise group

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Increasing black and minority ethnic and women's representation on Local Strategic Partnerships

Introduction

This report summarises the lessons learned from a programme of events developed and delivered by the Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) which aimed to increase black and minority ethnic (BME) and women's representation on Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs).

To download this summary report click HERE

About the LSP project

From June 2008 to April 2009, BME developed and delivered a series of one day workshops aimed at increasing BME and women's representation on, participation in, and engagement with LSPs.   BTEG was supported by an advisory group of representatives from the Urban Forum, Oxfam, Women's Resource Centre and the Black Neighbourhood Renewal and Regeneration Network, and with funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The LSP workshops took place in Islington, Hackney, Northampton, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Bristol.  Representatives from the LSP contributed to each event.  Community and equalities networks in each area helped to plan and deliver the workshops, ensuring that local issues were addressed. The local partners were:

The workshops were aimed at people working in local BME and women's organisations. A total of 86 people took part in the seven events.

Lessons learned

• 1. Through delivering a successful programme of events addressing race and gender issues, the project has demonstrated that race and gender equality can be successfully integrated within a single approach.
  
• 2. Far more work is needed to support local communities to become involved in LSPs. It is clear from the events which took place that many local voluntary and community groups still do not know what LSPs are or what they do, and few have the resources to keep up with the rapid pace of policy development in this field. There was a higher demand for these events than the project could meet; BTEG was unable to respond to requests for workshops from several local areas, due to lack of time and funding.
  
• 3. A majority of the 86 people who participated in the workshops were interested in becoming more involved in their LSP. Under-representation of women and BME people on LSPs cannot be attributed to a lack of interest from these communities.
  
• 4. The one day workshop model developed through this project is an effective way of engaging with and supporting local groups. The workshop approach allows a great deal of information to be covered; facilitates networking between groups; and enables participants to question, discuss and explore issues in depth.
  
• 5. There is a clear role for an independent, national organisation such as BTEG in supporting local networks to build links with LSPs. Several of the local partners in this project had become disengaged from their LSP. With no vested interests and no involvement in local politics, BTEG was able to focus these workshops firmly on the subject of BME and women's representation on LSPs, without becoming mired in existing disputes. This ‘honest broker' role is a valuable one which helped to improve relations between the local network and the LSP in at least two local areas.
  
• 6. The project achieved a range of outcomes for BME and women's organisations, including increasing knowledge about LSPs; increasing understanding of the existing routes for community representation on LSPs; promoting closer relations between BME and women's groups and LSPs; developing local interest about the LSP's role and priorities. The project also achieved positive outcomes for local partners and LSPs including improved engagement between equality networks and LSPs, and increased understanding by LSPs of priority issues for BME and women's groups.
  
• 7. Many issues were raised by participants in the workshop discussions, particularly about the barriers which prevent BME and women's groups from engaging with LSPs. Perhaps the single most important issue, which was raised in all workshops, is that the infrastructure which supports involvement of community and equalities groups in LSPs is fragile. LSPs must take responsibility for supporting these networks (Community Empowerment Networks, BME networks etc) if they want to ensure that there are local structures for community engagement, representation and involvement. Of the many reasons for doing this, not least should be the new ‘duty to involve', which requires the LSP's statutory partners to inform, consult and involve ‘representatives of local persons' in planning and delivery of their services.

Future work

• 1. BTEG will continue to work with the advisory group partners on integrating approaches to race and gender equality wherever possible.
  
• 2. BTEG and partners will seek funding to carry out research into what works in increasing BME and women's representation on LSPs. This research will help to fill the gap identified by the LSPs which took part in this project, by providing them with examples of actions which have been effective in increasing BME and women's representation on LSPs.
  
• 3. BTEG will seek funding to deliver more LSP events for BME and women's groups, building on the successful one day workshop model and information resources already developed for this project.
  
• 4. BTEG and partners will seek funding to carry out an audit of BME and women's representation on LSPs. This audit will use the baselines established by previous research on BME and women's representation on LSPs[1]. The audit will identify whether any changes have been made in the proportion of BME and women LSP members; the proportion of BME and women's organisations represented on LSPs; the proportion of LSPs monitoring the gender and ethnicity of their members; the number of LSPs conducting and publishing equalities impact assessments.
  
• 5. BTEG and partners will lobby the Department for Communities and Local Government, IDEA, Local Government Association and other associations of statutory LSP partners, to press for LSPs to do more to support engagement with BME and women's groups.

For further information about this project or the Black Training and Enterprise Group, contact:

Mr. Jeremy Crook OBE
31-33 Islington High Street
Lancaster House
London
N1 9LH

[1] Participation and Local Strategic Partnerships: A research project for the Commission for Racial Equality, Black Training and Enterprise Group, Urban Forum, June 2007

Where are the Women in LSPs?, Urban Forum, Oxfam, Women's Resource Centre, 2007