THAMES Valley Police has signed up to the Race at Work charter, committing to improving equal opportunities for black, Asian, mixed race and ethnically diverse employees in the UK.
The initiative, founded by Business in the Community, consists of a number of main focus points aimed at improving equality and racial diversity.
Organisation which take part commit to collecting and publishing internal data about diversity, to appointing an executive sponsor for race, and to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying “at the board level.”
It also commits organisations to taking action to support black, Asian, mixed race, and ethnically diverse career progression.
Those signed up to the charter further commit to making equity, diversity and inclusion the responsibility of all leaders and managers, supporting race inclusion allies in the workplace, and including ethnically diverse-led enterprise owners in supply chains.
Dennis Murray QPM, assistant chief constable at Thames Valley Police, said: “Thames Valley Police has been and will continue to focus on these complex issues.
“Through our localised police race action plan we will put in place demonstrable activity to ensure everyone internally and externally is protected, respected, involved and represented.”
The Race at Work charter was started in 2018 to build on the work of a 2017 review which found that people from ethnically diverse backgrounds are still underemployed, under promoted and under-represented at senior levels.
The review was conducted by Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith.
Business in the Community’s 2021 Race at Work Survey found that though 76% of employers said that race recruitment and progression was “a priority”, only 46% had set targets to improve the racial diversity of their boards.
Mr Murray said: “Signing this charter helps show our officers and staff that we are committed to delivering sustainable change and equality of opportunity for all our ethnically diverse employees.”
