Coventry University Business School · • Social class • Unrelated criminal convictions’ Clearly the Council aspires to extend the range of areas where it actively seeks not

Coventry University. PG Cert. Management. M61BS Kathy Pope 2005 1

Coventry University Business School

Post Graduate Certificate in Management

M61BS ORGANISATIONAL THEORY & PRACTICE Equality and Diversity within Adult Social Care –

learning from the inside out

Kathy Pope

October 2005


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nicki Atfield, Learning & Development Manager, Department of Adult Social Care, Cornwall County Council. Dr.Steve Jewell, Course Leader, PG Cert, Coventry Business School. Brenda Laker, Diversity Officer, Devon Social Services Department. Michael Wills, Tutor & Action Learning Set Facilitator, PG Cert, Coventry University Business School, and all members of the West ALS.


CONTENTS

Page

Executive Summary

4

Introduction and Aims

6

Legislative Framework

7

Local Authority & Departmental Context

9

Theories & Values

11

Comparison with other Public Bodies

22

Conclusion

25

Future Planning

27

References & Bibliography

31

Appendix 1: Outline Proposal & Action Plan for Learning & Development In Equality, Fairness & Diversity. August 2005.

33

Appendix 2: Summaries of Department of Transport, NHS ‘Positively Diverse’ and Devon Social Services equality and diversity initiatives in ‘mind map’ format.

41


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The valuing of difference and diversity, and genuine commitment to an equal

opportunity for each and every person, is such a core belief of social care,

and public bodies in general, that it can become difficult, embarrassing or

deeply uncomfortable to examine this area of practice and find oneself or

one’s organisation failing to learn and develop in response to changing

legislation, policies and practices. However, simply because of the primacy of

this principle, it is an area of practice which requires constant review,

updating and reinforcement to maintain its efficacy.

In legal terms there are six strands to the equality and diversity agenda,

namely: gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion & belief and age.

It would seem in Cornwall that because the overall numbers of our visible

Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities are small (Gypsies and Travellers

being the largest grouping), not only can workers tend to lose confidence

since their encounters with people from these groups are infrequent, but

there can be an associated reluctance to invest time and resources in learning

and development because of the perception that numbers are not significant

and other priorities are pressing. But clearly any learning in equality and

diversity issues will impact across all six strands and this investment needs to

focus on needs rather than numbers, on our own working environment as

well as relationships with service users and must also seek to influence

structures more widely.

This assignment seeks to review significant recent developments, both

legislative and organisational, examine a range of theoretical frameworks

which might provide some new perspectives in this area, and propose steps

which the Department of Adult Social Care in Cornwall could take to

effectively capture the enormous commitment which workers already have,

improve the confidence of managers to lead and model good practice, and


build capacity to continue learning in the longer term by training trainers

within the organisation. (ref. Appendix 1).


INTRODUCTION & AIMS

The rapid pace of recent legislative changes in the area of equality and

diversity has required Local Authorities to fundamentally examine their

policies and plan for significant adjustments in both practice and attitudes.

The result is a challenge to change at every level, and in the Department of

Adult Social Care, (DASC) (known as Community Care within Cornwall County

Council’s Department of Social Services, before 1st August 2005) it is the task

of the Management Board to formulate, lead and ensure implementation of

these necessary developments. It is therefore the intention of this assignment

to:

• Identify the changes in legislation which have come into force since

2001 and have affected Local Authorities, in particular DASC in

Cornwall.

• Briefly document the County Council response to date

• Consider the factors and theories most relevant to DASC which both

enable and prevent development towards an inclusive and truly diverse

service.

• Suggest methods by which those factors which inhibit change and

development might be lessened and the enabling factors enhanced,

and

• Explore ways in which other public bodies have responded so that their

experiences might inform an action plan proposal. This comparison will

be made with Cornwall’s ‘nearest neighbour’, Devon, one of the Local

Authorities to whom Cornwall is compared in the Comprehensive

Performance Assessment (CPA), the NHS in Cornwall through the

Training Department of the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, a partner in

many aspects of learning and development, and the Department of

Transport to give a national perspective.


LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

During the last decade the European Union established a common framework

(Employment Directive on Equal Treatment) to deal with unfair discrimination

on the six grounds of gender, disability, race, sexual orientation, religion or

belief and age in all member states. UK legislation has reflected these

directives and major changes have come about since 2001 primarily through

the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 (RRAA), Disability Discrimination Act

1995 (DDA) and Employment Regulations (Sexual Orientation) & (Religion or

Belief) 2003. They have prompted a refocus in the areas of both equality and

diversity and imposed particular duties on Local Authorities. The RRAA 2000,

which came into effect in 2001-02, placed on public authorities the General

Duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote both equality

of opportunity and good relations between people of different races. (ref.

Commission for Racial Equality www.cre.gov.uk 2004). In addition Specific

Duties tasked public authorities with publishing a Race Equality Scheme,

assessing, consulting, monitoring and publishing their policies and the results

of their assessments, ensuring public access to information and the training of

their staff.

This is still a developing area: December 2004 saw an extension of those

bodies to which both the general and specific duties apply under the RRAA

2000. In addition the final parts of the DDA 1995 came into force on October

2004 and a new DDA on 7th April 2005; the legislation now requires public

bodies to ensure and demonstrate that unlawful discrimination on grounds of

disability is eliminated, and the requirement of ‘reasonable adjustment’ is

extended to small and prospective employers, qualification bodies, landlords,

private clubs and transport. (ref. www.disability.gov.uk)

The Employment Equality Regulations make it unlawful, in the areas of

‘recruitment, terms and conditions, promotions, transfers, dismissals and

vocational training’ (CCC Personnel Services Handbook 2003), to discriminate


against, or harass, anyone on the grounds of their religion or belief or

perceived sexual orientation.

Although currently a voluntary Code of Practice on Age Diversity was put in

place in 1999, legislation on age discrimination should be implemented by

October 2006.

There is, as yet, little case law to reflect these developments and some Local

Authorities, in particular, are still formulating their detailed organisational

responses. It is likely to be many years yet before the full effects of these

legislative changes will be felt.


LOCAL AUTHORITY AND DEPARTMENTAL CONTEXT

In its Comprehensive Equality Policy (approved by Council on 29th October

2002) Cornwall County Council states it commitment to ensure that:

‘our employees and the people we serve are not discriminated against on

grounds of their:

• Age

• Disability

• Employment status

• Ethnic or national origins, race or colour

• Marital status

• Religious or political beliefs

• Responsibilities for children or dependants

• Gender/gender reassignment

• Sexuality

• Trade union activities

• Social class

• Unrelated criminal convictions’

Clearly the Council aspires to extend the range of areas where it actively

seeks not to discriminate beyond those currently legislated for; it also

subscribes to achieving Level 3 of the ‘Equality Standard for Local

Government’ by 2005/6 and Level 4 by 2006/7. As part of its revision of the

Race Equality Scheme a consultation process with agencies and groups across

the county was launched in February 2005. Although many criticisms were

made regarding the manner of this consultation, lessons have also been

learned about the need to be proactive in finding and listening to small and

particularly marginalised groups who will inform the future of such processes.

All of the above changes have inevitably impacted on DASC and certainly

reminded the Department of its need to ensure that workers are not only

competent in their anti discriminatory practice but aware of the duty to

‘promote good relations between persons of different racial groups’ (Schedule


1A RRAA 2000). One of the responses has been the issuing of two pieces of

‘Guidance’ in Adult Social Care (viz: Guidance for staff on assessing and

designing care plans to meet the needs of people from black and minority

ethnic communities & Guidance for staff working with prejudiced (including

racist) service users); however, although the ‘Guidance for staff working with

prejudiced (including racist) service users’ is very clear about reporting

procedures, it offers no help to workers in terms of the skills they need or

could employ in actively challenging such behaviour.

It is within this context of responding to changing legislation and developing

corporate policies that the challenge for Adult Social Care therefore lies,

particularly in the areas of race, disability, sexual orientation and religion or

belief, although the forthcoming act to address age discrimination and

existing laws regarding gender and equal pay are also relevant.


THEORIES & VALUES

The principles underpinning anti discriminatory and anti oppressive practice

are fundamental to every role in social care. Ironically the pre-eminence of

theory and practice in this area can undermine the learning and development

of operational workers and managers alike. The anxiety that a clumsy or

careless remark will be noticed and criticised, resulting in the risk of being

labelled ‘racist’, ‘homophobic’ or in any other way discriminatory, can cause a

reluctance to admit a lack of competence and inhibit sharing, and

consequently learning, within a peer group.

The many changes of recent years make appropriate development more

pressing than ever, so this section aims to examine relevant tools, namely

those of Force Field Analysis and Schein and Weaver’s models, together with

theories of change and a perspective from postmodernism, in an attempt to

provide an easily accessible and useful framework.

Force Field Analysis

Evidently, in its engagement with the developments required, Adult Social

Care needs to undergo organisational change and Kurt Lewin (1951, cited in

Buchanan and Huczynski. 2004. p284) recognised three stages in this

process: unfreezing, transition and refreezing, with change (refreezing) being

made permanent by securing the new ‘force field’. Below is a ‘Force Field

Analysis’ (FFA), Fig. 1, which identifies the driving and restraining forces for

the development of Adult Social Care into an inclusive and anti discriminatory

organisation as a step towards identifying the most effective method of

achieving such a goal. Both the driving and restraining forces reflect

frequently expressed attitudes by workers in Adult Social Care, including

senior managers who comprise the Adult Social Care Management Board, the

size of the arrow being proportionate to the size of the force:

FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS (after Lewin, 1951). Fig.1:



The FFA suggests that the restraining and driving forces are broadly

balanced; both Lewin and Peter Senge et al (1999, cited in Buchanan &

Huczynski. Ibid.) agree that lessening the restraining forces is more likely to

produce the required change, rather than seeking to strengthen the driving

forces which, which can reinforce resistance. In the model above the driving

forces would seem to need no reinforcement since the combination of

legislative requirements and corporate response together with underpinning

theories and the largely common value base of people who work in social care

is powerful indeed.

From the many techniques available in the ‘toolkit’ of organisational

development, which can be applied to lessen the restraining forces, the

following are particularly applicable (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2004. p586ff):

Sensitivity Training – this could be offered, in a modified form, by inviting

senior managers, initially, to engage in a programme of development where

they feel safe enough to express their beliefs and uncertainties and are able

to plan how to apply both theory and value base with the systems and people

they manage. This learning would need to include sound information about

diversity issues in order to provide the confidence for subsequent application,

being used in conjunction with Process Consultation for continuing support.

This could be facilitated by ongoing access to the training/consultation agency

in order to enable specific problem solving by offering informed perspectives

from outside the organisation. (Schein, E. 1969).

Through the proposed learning and development programme (Appendix 1)

Changes to Structure are likely to occur – firstly by providing the opportunity

for interested workers to receive training for trainers in delivering one or more

of the courses, and secondly by demonstrating the desirability of encouraging

equality and diversity ‘champions’ within each team who will become sources

of support and expertise.


Survey Feedback is an ongoing process. In DASC, through the Information

Team and corporately through Personnel, both service users’ and employees’

opinions are sought regarding the quality of the service received, how

planning should take place for future needs and for identifying the

effectiveness of internal systems. Ethnic monitoring is routine in contact with

service users, in recruitment and selection and applications for training, and is

often argued over as different views of fairness are proposed. For example,

early in 2005 an employee survey asked the usual questions about ethnic

identity but instead of listing ‘White’ at the beginning, opted for an

alphabetical order. This resulted in some 70% of employees identifying

themselves as Asian, an unlikely reality since only 1% of Cornwall’s population

of some 500,000 (2001 Census) were in fact from any BME group. Other

debates centre around whether ‘Cornish’ should be added to each category as

recognition of a distinct ethnic group, a much disputed point of view. Survey

Feedback clearly has the potential to be provide valuable information which

could influence the restraining forces of both ‘Underlying Attitudes’ and

‘Uncertainty…’ (Fig 1) but its limitations of not necessarily reaching the most

excluded people or being entirely sure that important issues have been

recognised, must also be acknowledged.

The fundamental importance of effective Team Building cannot be

underestimated. In the pressurised environment of front line social care, team

leaders employ a range of strategies. In demonstrating good practice in

equality and diversity, it is essential that members of teams are able to

challenge, support and inform each other in an atmosphere of trust and

openness since this is an area where individuals can fear saying something

which is unacceptable or offensive, or being considered prejudiced or

discriminatory and as a consequence suppress attitudes which could

otherwise be subject to positive change.


Postmodernism

The growth of consciousness that equality and diversity are essential for the

development and creativity of organisations has become both accepted and

promoted, so perhaps postmodernism can be useful as a lens for viewing

initiatives in this area since ‘the organisation remains a social construction,

subject to the culture, perceptions and irrationalities of its members’ (McBride

et al. 1997). Postmodernism seeks to expose, or deconstruct, arguments and

language to reveal the fundamental underlying assumptions which often

‘support particular versions of ‘the truth’, by concealing uncertainties and by

suppressing opposite meanings and contradictory viewpoints’. (ref. Buchanan

p57. 2004); examples would be the stereotypical supposition that female

managers always work in a consensual and intuitive way, or the assumption

that black managers will only be judged on merit.

An interesting application of a postmodernist approach comes from the world

of IT management. McBride, Lander & McRobb (1997) state that:

‘Organisations cannot be viewed as logical, physical entities,

responding to set laws and ways of working that can be subjected to

scientific reductionism. Rather they are organic social groupings,

formed with some common purpose that could not be fulfilled by

individuals. As organisations grow, habitual patterns of working

develop, based on the combined knowledge and culture of

participants.’ (p4)

In a county where visible minority groups are very small in number

uncertainties in the workforce may persist because of the perceived lack of

experience in interacting with people of different races and cultures. So the

perspective of postmodernism can offer insights into more familiar aspects of

diversity – gender and disability, for example – and consider ways in which

attitudes and skills can be transferred, or challenged, acknowledging that


individual perceptions vary and providing information, training and support in

order to increase confidence and self awareness.

Values and Culture

In its expression, behaviour which truly reflects an attitude of ensuring

equality and encouraging diversity, both individually and organisationally,

results from a positively underpinning culture and consonant values. The

argument that prejudices can be safely ‘bolted down’ is widely discredited as

situations will always eventually occur when such beliefs will be exposed. As a

remedy reflective practice is important in raising awareness and an attitude of

cultural relativism enables other people’s practices to be understood in their

own cultural terms by suspending premature judgements. (Equality, Fairness

& Managing Diversity. Prejudice and Discrimination Literature Document.

IODA.2004). These approaches can apply both to the individual and the

organisation since a phenomenological perspective would recognise that

organisational change is stimulated by critical self awareness (ref. Buchanan

& Huczynski. 2004. p25) just as postmodernism acknowledges the usefulness

of contradictory interpretations in the deconstruction of assumptions.

The General Social Care Council Codes of Practice (GSCC. 2003) reflect the

ideal aspirations both for social care workers:

Statement 1:

As a social care worker, you must protect the rights and promote the

interests of service users and carers. This includes….

1.5 Promoting equal opportunities for service users and carers;

and

1.6 Respecting diversity and different cultures and values.

And their employers:


Statement 4:

As social care employer, you must put into place and implement

written policies and procedures to deal with dangerous, discriminatory

or exploitative behaviour and practice. This includes…

4.5 Putting in place and implementing written polices and

procedures that promote staff welfare and equal opportunities

for workers;

Any development therefore in equality and diversity will affect both

organisational effectiveness and the quality of working life and these are, in

turn affected by individual, group, structural, process and management

factors

(Fig 2):


Schein & Weaver

Edgar Schein defines culture within organisations as that sharing of meanings

and basic ‘assumptions which lie behind the values and which determine the

behaviour patterns’; in addition the assumptions are those which

‘a group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope with its

problems of external adaptation and integration, which have worked well

enough to be considered valid, and therefore to be taught to new members

as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to problems…’ (ibid p

644)

His model specifies three levels (ibid):


Each level refers to the visible signs, so the surface manifestation is

expressed in objects or behaviours which can be easily seen by others.

Examples would be norms, jargon or rituals which exist at the interface with

service users, which are peculiar to the organisation but they are not the

culture itself. The values can be consciously held (an example would be the

GSCC Codes of Practice) or unconsciously (an individual’s moral or religious

precepts); again they are not the organisation’s culture but both underpin the

surface manifestation and affect the basic assumptions which:

are located at Schein’s third level and are, in his view, the organization’s

culture. They include the assumptions that individuals hold about the

organization and how it functions. They relate to aspects of human behaviour,

the nature of reality and the organization’s relationship to its environment.

They are invisible, preconscious and ‘taken for granted’. They are therefore

difficult to access. (ibid p650).

Schein’s model has important parallels with Gary Weaver’s ‘Iceberg Analogy

of Cultures’ (1993), cited in Singh, Intercultural Management Quarterly,

Winter 2004. (Fig. 3) in that the Values and Thought Patterns equate to

the ‘process’ or Basic assumptions of Schein’s model. Institutional

Conduct and Behaviour is at the top of the ‘Iceberg’ and here the task of

building trust and changing behaviour takes place (as in Schein’s Surface

manifestations above) although an understanding of Beliefs, or the

cognitive maps, is essential in order to explore what change is possible given

the organisation’s or society’s values.

Weaver’s model is set within the context of intercultural communication but

illustrates that the most important elements of any culture are hidden below

the water line, these being the most difficult to perceive as well as to change.

The area of Values and thought patterns is where fundamental conflicts

can occur, of particular relevance to multi agency working, and where

misunderstanding can be most intractable and approaches most diverse.


The Power axis is particularly relevant in the context of equality and diversity

in an organisation and Singh emphasises the capacity of cultural

communication, as exercised by skilled practitioners, to empower a

community (or organisation):

‘By approaching people as equals and engaging them in dialogue, the

development practitioner not only establishes trust but also restores

dignity to people who have been dehumanized over centuries by

oppression. It is in this sense that the great educator Paulo Friere

thinks of development problems almost as a spiritual quest,

or…consciousness awakening’

Singh, J.P. The dynamics between intercultural communication and

development. Intercultural Management Quarterly. Winter 2004.

Fig. 4. The Iceberg Analogy of Culture (Weaver.1993)

Societal features (Structure)

The development, growth or change required to enable Adult Social Care

become a more ‘inclusive and anti discriminatory organisation’ can be

compared to the meeting of two organisations or cultures when change needs

to occur at the level of ‘Values and Thought Patterns’ and therefore where


resistance is greatest. Reviews and research into the effectiveness of such

cultural change at this level generally agrees that this cannot effectively be

controlled or directed by management. (Thompson & Findlay 1999 and

Ogbonna & Harris 2002. Cited in Buchanan & Huczynski 2004), rather it is

behavioural modification which is the realistic realm of influence of

management initiatives. So how is the danger, particularly in the area of

equality and diversity, of merely ‘bolting down’ attitudes to be avoided? Hope

surely lies with the largely common value base in social care and the

fundamental intentions of practitioners and managers alike to be fair, equal

and inclusive, valuing difference and appreciating diversity. If the Restraining

Forces of ‘Underlying Attitudes’ and ‘Uncertainty about the issues and

apprehension about the way forward’ can be lessened through learning and

development, if confidence can be increased and contacts improved, then

there must be much which can be achieved in terms of both organisational

and individual growth at all levels.


COMPARISON WITH OTHER PUBLIC BODIES

Contained in Appendix 2 are three summaries in ‘mind map’ format

constructed for each of the organisations being considered: the Department

of Transport offers a national or centralised perspective, the NHS map

considers how the ‘Positively Diverse’ Programme works in Cornwall, and

Devon Social Services Department, as one of our designated ‘nearest

neighbours’, has similar profiles and numbers of people from BME groups.

Each map differs in content to reflect the particular emphasis and approach of

the organisation: the Department of Transport (DfT)(Fig. 4a) has focused on

the ‘drivers’ for equality and diversity as including the business case of

‘improved customer satisfaction’ and ‘organisational priorities’, as well as the

value of reflecting a diverse community profile. Its priorities for learning and

development (Fig 4b) include communication, career development, direct

training and improved leadership and management.

The aims of the NHS ‘Positively Diverse’ Programme (Fig 5a) are to improve

the quality of working life for staff and their retention, together with sharing

learning and best practice, as well as needing to compare favourably with

other NHS organisations. It works by mapping the organisation, setting goals,

taking action, evaluating and planning once again (Fig 5b).

Devon Social Services Department (Fig 6a) has the drivers of various

inspection bodies and regulatory tools (CPA, DIS, CSCI) as well as Focus

Groups and the direct effects of legislation. Its response has been a

coordinated and comprehensive programme of learning and development

beginning with a learning needs analysis and training which prioritised Chief

Officers before being rolled out to other members of staff (Fig 6b).


Comparator Analysis

Clearly there are many similar features between all three organisations which

also apply to DASC in Cornwall: each have the common drivers of legislation,

employment regulations, their individual regulatory or inspection bodies and a

value base which recognises the importance of diversity and anti oppressive

practice both within the workforce and towards their service users. A

significant difference between DASC and the NHS in Cornwall is that

‘Positively Diverse’:

‘was developed to provide a strategic approach to addressing equality

and diversity issues based on understanding how staff felt. Positively

Diverse provides an established systematic means of tackling diversity

issues.’ (Working Lives: Programmes for change. DH.2004)

And the NHS knowledge and Skills Framework – Core Dimension 6: Equality

and Diversity applies the learning and development aspects of the strategy at

levels 1 – 4. In contrast DASC has no such comprehensive framework:

Legislation has informed The Equality Standard for Local Government which

has helped formulate the Corporate Equality Strategy which includes the

Comprehensive Equality Policy and Action Plan. Also, the new NVQs in Health

& Social Care now emphasise equality and diversity in the core units to a

much greater extent and National Occupational Standards apply to more roles

than ever before, although all of these strands, and more, need to be co-

ordinated before a workable strategy can be devised for DASC which will

receive commitment at all levels.

Devon SSD has a much more extensive history of action in this area of

learning and development which has developed since criticism in its CPA in

2002. Beginning by engaging an external consultant who devised a

questionnaire to survey all staff members, this was followed by the formation

of focus groups and a learning and development strategy which was proposed

and costed; commitment was received from the Chief Officers (Devon SSD is


composed of five Trusts), and the roll out of a three year equalities learning

and development plan began.

The DfT HR Diversity Strategy of 2002 – 2004 aimed to make the Department

a champion in this field and has certainly won a number of awards, most

notably:

• Gold standard award in the category ‘Diversity in the Public Service

Champion’ at the 9th annual British Diversity Awards.

• Opportunity Now platinum award for ensuring that core policies benefit

women in the workplace.

(www.dft.gov.uk. 2005)

Comparison with these public bodies would seem to illustrate that DASC has

been lacking in any sense or urgency or priority as far as equality and

diversity issues are concerned. The, genuinely held, belief that as long as

quality social care practice is ensured and reinforced then equality and the

valuing of diversity will follow, is based on the false premise that no specialist

knowledge or awareness is required, that the prejudice of individuals can

always be overcome by such good practice and that the effective inclusion of

each person needs no additional skills, training or targeted resources. Our

very small numbers of visible minorities in Cornwall has, in large part, caused

this view remain substantially unchallenged, although there has been a recent

part time appointment of a Social Worker to work with Gypsies and Travellers.


CONCLUSION

The Force Field Analysis would suggest that if the myth that good practice

alone is sufficient could be dispelled and the interest and confidence of senior

managers in particular increased, then the Drivers of the now higher profile

County Council Policies, recent and forthcoming legislation and the already

inherent value base, will be enough to engage leaders to commit to a

substantial programme of learning and development.

Neil Thompson, in his book aimed at Social Workers and students, (Anti-

Discriminatory Practice, 2001) encourages ‘those who wish to play their part

in this major change’ that they can:

‘make a contribution by:

• Helping to develop the necessary knowledge base;

• Stimulating debate, discussion and further study of the relevant issues;

• Motivating readers to develop the skills, values and attitudes needed;

• Encouraging the creation of support groups and a collective approach;

and

• Acting as an introduction, and bridge, to other more specialist texts on

the subject.’

(p162-163)

He also reminds readers that anti discriminatory practice needs to operate on

all three levels of the PCS model (ibid p21-22) to ensure that structural and

cultural aspects are addressed as well as the more everyday, and seemingly

often more pressing, needs of the individual at a personal level.

Social care increasingly seeks to be soundly evidence based but the intrinsic

danger is that positivist research extrapolates its findings from sampling to

generalisations. Postmodernism challenges any assumptions so made,

suggesting that there are multiple views of reality, so particularly if we are to

apply findings from elsewhere to the often isolated BME groups in Cornwall, it


becomes essential to remember that their experiences, perceptions and needs

are unique and may not conform to established norms or easily fit into social

work models. The danger is that the values and theories of the majority, even

the informed and conscientious social care majority, become the norms by

which other beliefs, behaviours and cultures are judged.

Therefore, if the ‘good’ of greater equality and the appreciation of diversity is

to be enhanced then the aim of initiatives in learning and development must

be to help create an environment where anxieties, uncertainties and even

basic assumptions can be shared, where a greater degree of openness

provides an opportunity for ‘bolted down’ attitudes to be revealed and

challenged or even dispelled. However the postmodernist notion of goodness

is itself very subjective; in Management and Goodness (2003) Hopfl and

Beadle conjecture:

‘Whether we are considering the average text book approach to the

notion of Good or the pursuit of the good in management training and

development, we are confronted by implicit and frequently explicit

assumptions about the nature of goodness and about whose good is

being defined…

Management is about the construction of future states of desire, of the

construction of the sublime, of sterile perfectionism, of gendered

realities and these are fundamental to the construction of the ‘good’

which is the goal of such striving.’

So postmodernism too can have its limitations when the view that all realities

are as valid as each other could threaten to undermine the protection of the

most vulnerable through inaction and therefore reinforce an oppressive status

quo.


FUTURE PLANNING

In September 2005, after an initial rejection the previous May, the DASC

Management Board accepted the ‘Outline Proposal and Action Plan…’

(Appendix 1) and senior managers are now regarding the initial sessions,

which will be tailored to their needs, as mandatory. Although this is not yet a

detailed or comprehensive document and its time scale is short, it would be

reasonable to expect that, if this tranche of training is well received, and

capacity built within the Department, with existing expertise harnessed, then

progress will be unstoppable and future developments exciting, both for

workers within DASC as well as its service users and also as a powerful

influence on corporate policy and practice.

All training sessions delivered within the Department are monitored by means

of daily evaluation sheets. While these can provide useful pointers about how

a session has been immediately received, the effects of longer term learning

and change, if indeed there are any, will also need to be captured for future

planning to be effective. Individual responses can be measured by carrying

out an evaluation of self perceptions of learning at some later date, say three

and/or six months later and discussions within Management Board meetings

(for senior managers) can be valuable as this is a relatively ‘safe’

environment. The monthly case file reviews are important for monitoring

practice and should begin to reflect a more conscious consideration of each

practitioners duties towards equality and diversity if the training has made a

difference. Finally the gathering of anecdotal evidence is also an essential

element in ensuring that evaluation is both qualitative and quantitative.

In terms of further development a useful framework for could be ‘The

Diversity Excellence Model’ (DEM), devised by The Centre for Management

and Policy Studies (National School of Government), by linking diversity to

The Excellence Model (EFQM 2005). The DEM, Fig. 7 below, last updated on

20th June 2005, aims to take a holistic approach and mainstream ‘diversity

through all the business processes and to evaluate its effectiveness, especially


on the bottom line’ focusing ‘on the expectations and perceptions of all

stakeholders’.

(nationalschool.gov.uk/diversity/chart.asp) Fig. 7

The Diversity Excellence Model™ A unique and complete framework

A comprehensive, well structured and long term learning and development

plan is clearly required to support this model. It will need to reflect and

reinforce the expectations that:

• As leadership commitment and confidence is increased best practice

will be modelled more consistently.

• Policies and strategies will then be developed, refined and effectively

applied and monitored

• Partnerships will be developed through outreach, particularly to

previously disenfranchised or even unidentified groups

• Effective processes will be embedded in practice at all levels

• Thorough evaluation will inform further development


While, as noted above, cultural change and beliefs are most difficult to

change it is the aim of this tool to develop a vision of the future, requiring the

organisation to ‘examine its history and challenge present practice, by looking

behind the policy statements to examine the reality experienced by people in

their daily work’. The Model also notes what Results should be achieved and

in the field of social care where the great majority of practitioners share a

passionate commitment to working towards equality and social justice, there

must be every expectation that those results can be achieved, behavioural

and cultural changes can take place and positive difference be achieved for

individuals, communities and political structures.

A successful example of such a process is quoted by Meyerson & Ely (2003):

in this case an American law firm, Dewey & Levin’s, was seeking to increase

the number of ‘people of color’ in their workforce as an ‘opportunity for

organizational learning and development' and so that they could ‘expand their

reach and visibility in the Latino communities.’ Not only does this experience

demonstrate that the commitment needs to be long term but that it needs to

be genuine rather than tokenistic.

‘As this case illustrates, the goal of the approach we are advocating is

to set in motion an ongoing process of incremental organizational

change anchored on a vision of productive work and social interaction

unconstrained by oppressive roles, images and relations. The process

relies heavily on learning as a primary motivation for people’s

interactions with each other. It is the mechanism by which people

came to challenge old ideas and ways of doing things and generate

new ones….

Not surprisingly the firm has had little difficulty attracting and retaining

a competent and diverse professional staff.’


References: Buchanan, D & Huczynski, A Organizational Behaviour. 5th Ed. 2004. Prentice Hall. Harlow General Social Care Council. Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and Employees. 2003. GSCC. London.. Guidance for Staff on assessing and designing care plans to meet the needs of people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. 2003 Cornwall County Council. Social Services Department – Community Care. Guidance for Staff working with prejudiced (including racist) service users. 2003 Cornwall County Council. Social Services Department – Community Care. Hopfl. H & Beadle. R. Management & Goodness. 2003 Issue. Tamara: Journal of Critical Postmodern Organizational Science. Ioda. Equality, Fairness & Managing Diversity. Updated 2004. Individual & Organisational Development & Assessment Ltd. Nottingham. Mcbride, N., Lander, R.& McRobb, S. 1997. Postmodernist Business Information Management. www.cse.dmu.ac.uk Meyerson, D.E & Ely. R. Excerpt from The Difference “Difference” Makes. 2003. HBS Working Knowledge. (Ed: Rhode. D. 2001) Singh, J. P. The Dynamics Between Intercultural Communication and Development. Intercultural Management Quarterly. Winter 2004. Vol. 5. No.1. Thompson. N. Anti Discriminatory Practice. 3rd Ed. 2001. Palgrave. Basingstoke. Comprehensive Equality Policy. 2003. Cornwall County Council. www.cornwall.gov.uk Working Lives: Programmes for Change. 2003. (online) http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/index.htm NHS KSF. Core Dimension 6: Equality & Diversity. 2004. (online) www.doh.gov.uk DfT Human Resources Diversity Strategy. 2004. (online) www.dft.gov.uk Diversity & the EFQM Excellence Model. 2005. (online) www.nationalschool.gov.uk


Bibliography: Caver, Keith. A & Livers, Ancella. B. Dear White Boss – What it’s really like to be a black manager. November 2002. Harvard Business Review. Clements. P & Spinks. T. The Equal Opportunities Handbook. 3rd Ed. Kogan Page. 2000. London. Kirton, G. Book Review (Noon, M & Ogbonna, E (Eds) Equality, Diversity & Disadvantage in Employment. Basingstoke:Palgrave 2000.) Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 2001. Persaud, Deborah. Leading Change in Diversity and Equality. March 2005. The Centre for Excellence in Leadership’s strategy for improving diversity in leadership in the Learning and Skills Sector. Centre for Excellence. Tamkin. P, Aston. J, Cummings. J, Hooker. H, Pollard. E, Rick. J, Sheppard. E, Tackey. N D, A Review of Training in Racism Awareness and Valuing Cultural Diversity. Home Office RDS Online Report OLR 09/02. Meyerson. D & Ely. R. Women Leaders & Organizational Change. 2004. Harvard Business School. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/index.jhtml The Equality Standard for Local Government. & The Equality Strategy. 2002. Cornwall County Council. www.cornwall.gov.uk


Appendix 1


DEPARTMENT OF ADULT SOCIAL CARE

An outline proposal and action plan for learning and development in Equality, Fairness and Diversity. August 2005 Background & Aims: The impetus to develop the learning and development available in this area has been multi layered. There have been numerous changes in legislation:

• The Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and Employment Equality Regulations (Religion or Belief & Sexual Orientation) came into effect in December 2003.

• December 2004 saw an extension of those bodies to which both the general and specific duties apply under the RRAA 2000.

• The introduction of the final parts of the DDA 1995 came into effect in October 2004 and a new DDA was passed on 7th April 2005.

Also corporately progress has been achieved in attaining Levels 1 and 2 of the Equality Standard. Consequently the next aim is to complete Level 3 during 2005/6; this includes the directive to:

• Provide training for all staff on the detailed implementation of the Equality Standard including action plans and updates on legal and other developments.

Level 4, which it is intended to achieve during 2006/07, will involve:

• Meeting the training needs of staff appropriately. In addition the General Social Care Council Code of Practice for Social Care Workers states:

• As a social care worker, you must protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers. (Code 1). This includes:

o 1.5. Promoting equal opportunities for service users and carers; and

o 1.6. Respecting diversity and different cultures and values. And in Adult Social Care we have two pieces of ‘Guidance’ which seek to apply these Codes, viz:

• Guidance for staff on assessing and designing care plans to meet the needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities (BME), and

• Guidance for staff working with prejudiced (including racist) service users.


Any learning and development strategy therefore needs to enable staff to practically apply all of these principles in relation to their interactions with service users, colleagues, other professionals and members of the public in any other capacity. Because it must also be appropriate to the degree of responsibility and qualification of each group it is proposed that the following levels are addressed:

Induction: Since November 2004 a session has been included on the General Induction Programme. The aim of this session is to outline the legislative, corporate and departmental framework for equality, fairness and diversity, informing about appropriate standards of behaviour in the workplace, essential definitions and engendering further interest in and awareness of the wider issues. Recommendation: Having been piloted, this session now needs some revision and producing in a complete format so that it can be delivered by any of the Staff Development Officers. Proposed timescale: Complete by September 2005 E Learning programmes: There are many of these available, some of which have, or are currently being, reviewed. Although they can be very useful as a flexible resource, cost effective and provide basic information, they are no substitute for the challenging and modelling of group training or the confidence which skills practice provides. Recommendation: Further exploration and input is required. Proposed timescale: ongoing evaluation as new programmes are released Developmental and continuing training – a proposed action plan is attached which aims to address the needs of different levels of responsibility and roles as well as build capacity and expertise within the Department. ‘Ioda’, a market leader in equality and diversity training, who have also provided input corporately, have suggested a staged approach whereby priority is given to senior managers, followed by upskilling a small group of trainers who will then assist the Ioda trainers in delivering sessions to other managers and professionally qualified staff. Ultimately this would be followed by training a further group who would be able to deliver sessions and provide another valuable source of expertise to people working towards an NVQ or already at that level.

In addition, the new NVQ Health & Social Care Standards have a far more explicit emphasis in the Core Units on equality and diversity practice which will be valuable for those currently enrolling.


Finally, further aspects of learning may be essential in the future for particular individuals or groups and could include:

• Methods of community consultation

• Equality Impact Assessments • Updating on developments of recent employment law • In depth theoretical frameworks • Research projects • Specialist areas or affirmative action in sexual orientation, gender

reassignment, race relations, disability, religion or belief.


DEPARTMENT OF ADULT SOCIAL CARE

Proposed Action Plan: Equality and Diversity Training 2005/06 (ref. Level 4 Equality Standard: Meet the training needs of staff appropriately)

Training provider: Ioda – Regional Manager: Ruth Langdon

Proposed Training Target Group Outcomes Participants will be able to:

Duration Dates

Event 1: Layers of an organisation Driving and resisting forces Institutional discrimination Legislation Equality Standards for Local Government Challenging & confronting Strategic roles & responsibilities Equality Impact Assessment

‘A highly participatory course supported by formal inputs ensuring practical and productive understanding. The course includes presentations, group discussions and practical case studies used to explore issues in a structured manner matching course objectives with organisational aims.’

Assistant Directors, General Managers & Divisional Managers 12 delegates per session

Understand the concept of proportional treatment as opposed to equal treatment Understand current legislation & guidelines, also task, process and structured based approaches. Understand how to improve community cohesion through developing partnerships, community links and including minority groups.

One day (cofacilitated by two Ioda Senior Trainers)

9th or 10th November 2005

Event 2: In-depth understanding of terms Staff Development Understand the theories and concepts Two days 15th & 16th


& theories Training techniques Adult learning & communication Theories

‘The course is designed to build on delegates’ current skills and experience in a problem centred manner. The course is participative and allows delegates to explore issues through group discussion and tutor support. The main focus is one of relevant and practical strategies and techniques to assist in the successful training of equality and fairness.’

Officers & nominated Staff 4 – 6 delegates

involved in adult centred learning, and task, process and structured based approaches Identify the key processes in successful value based training. Understand the importance of role modelling and standard setting Recognise issues requiring challenges or education within the training environment and how to manage these interventions.

(One Ioda Senior Trainer)

November 2005

Event 3: As Event 1 with more emphasis on day-to-day management responsibilities ‘A highly participatory course supported by formal inputs ensuring practical and productive understanding. The course includes a variety of training methods including group discussions and case exercises used to explore issues in a structured manner matching course objectives with organisational aims.’

Managers 12 – 15 delegates per session

When managing equality and diversity issues, identify the driving and resisting forces and distinguish between task, process and structure. Identify the symptoms and causes of harassment, bullying and victimisation in the workplace. Ensure staff understand and behave within current legislation, guidelines and organisational responsibilities. Know when, where and how to challenge behaviour and understand institutional discrimination.

One day (Cofacilitated by Ioda trainer and one trainer from Event 2

23rd & 30th November, 7th December 2005


Event 4: As Event 3 ‘A highly participatory course supported by formal inputs ensuring practical and productive understanding. The course includes a variety of training methods including group discussions and case exercises used to explore issues in a structured manner matching course objectives with organisational aims.

Professionally Qualified Staff 15 delegates per session

Understand proportional treatment as opposed to equal treatment. Identify the symptoms and causes of harassment, bullying and victimisation within the workplace Know when, where and how to challenge behaviour and understand current legislation, guidelines and organisational responsibilities. Understand Institutional discrimination both formal and informal.

One day (Cofacilitated by Ioda trainer and one trainer from Event 2)

8th & 16th December 2005, 5th, 12th & 19th January 2006

Event 5: As Event 2 bespoke trainers workshop with practice delivery of sessions

Nominated /released trainers 12 delegates

Four days (One or two Ioda Senior Trainers)

20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd February 2006


Appendix 2


Comparison with Other Public Bodies in ‘mind map’ format Department of Transport

Fig. 4a


Fig. 4b


NHS (in Cornwall) ‘Positively Diverse’ Programme

Fig. 5a

Fig. 5b


Devon Social Services Department

Fig.6a


Fig. 6b

Documents

Coventry University Business School · • Social class • Unrelated criminal convictions’ Clearly the Council aspires to extend the range of areas where it actively seeks not