SC-WRES – a tool for continuous change
31 Oct 2025
3 min read
October is Black History Month, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of Black people to British society. We round off the month by looking at the findings from our latest Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) report and reminding everyone that anti-racism is active work.
The Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES) is an ongoing improvement programme for local authorities in England. It supports councils to collect and analyse workforce data annually across nine key indicators to uncover racial inequalities, enabling the development of action plans to drive tangible change and improvement.
Oonagh Smyth, Skills for Care’s CEO and Beverley Tarka OBE, Skills for Care Board member, reviewed the findings in a recent conversation.
Beverley is a former ADASS president – the first ever Black President of the organisation - and held the position of Director for Adults, Health and Communities at Haringey Council in a career that spanned over thirty years.
Beverley highlighted how pleased she was that Haringey had participated in the SC-WRES along with a record number of other local authorities.
She said:
The report really marks an important step in public reporting on disparities of global majority staff in social care. I believe that all local authorities who have signed up to SC-WRES are demonstrating a commitment to embrace the values and behaviours that encourage courageous conversations and action that enables and is supportive of the progress of global majority staff. Having quality data like this is central to helping us think about how we can make sustainable changes, and it's important to really re-emphasise that SC-WRES is more than just a data exercise; it's a continuous improvement program that centres around action, engagement and change.
The latest report shows that social care is diverse, but it’s not always inclusive.
Some of the key findings included:
- 14% of staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background were in the higher pay band of £70,000 and over, compared to 18% in the pay band of less than £30,000.
- Staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background were 48% less likely to be appointed from shortlist than staff from a white ethnic background.
- Staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background were 37% more likely to enter formal disciplinary processes compared to staff from a white ethnic background.
- Staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background were 5% more likely to access, funded non-mandatory continuing professional development (CPD).
- The likelihood of staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background leaving during the last 12 months was around the same compared to staff from a white ethnic background.
- 12% of staff from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background are in senior management positions, compared to 20% of the overall workforce being from a global majority background.
- People from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background are 45% less likely to be in senior manager roles.
Reflecting on the findings Beverley highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability in eliminating barriers to progression for all staff. Linking into this she spoke of the importance of raising confidence and competence around equalities, diversity and inclusion, particularly for managers.
Beverley also spoke of the importance of recruitment and retention processes, and building career pathways which support people to thrive.
She highlighted the need for representation across recruitment panels to support with diverse recruitment, and about the importance of building a positive workplace culture and a feeling of psychological safety to support an environment where discrimination can be challenged.
Beverley also spoke of her own experience with development programmes that helped with her leadership journey and why programmes such as this for underrepresented groups in social care leadership are so important.
As #BlackHistoryMonth draws to a close the SC-WRES and the latest findings are a reminder that the focus on equity, diversity and inclusion must be an ongoing effort.
As Beverley says:
The findings don't just tell us what's wrong. They show us where we can act. We've seen the power of good data, targeted support and intentional leadership. Now, we need every local authority to use the Social Care WRES, not as a report to read once a year, but as a tool for continuous change. Anti-racism is active work, and it has to be everyone's responsibility.
Oonagh adds:
The workplace our colleagues deserve, one that is actively anti-racist and inclusive and fair, is within our reach, but only if we all take responsibility for building it, and that’s every single one of us. So, what we want everybody to do is to work with us to move from awareness of the issues to impact and to do that together.
Watch the full discussion between Oonagh and Beverley.
Learn more about SC-WRES.
Discover our #BlackHistoryMonth information and resources.
Print this page