Rachael Wardell, ADCS President, said:

“Improving equality, diversity, and inclusion across children’s services, so that we can reflect and respond to the communities we serve, is an ongoing priority in my presidential year.

“These latest workforce findings are sadly not surprising and reflect patterns we see across the wider public sector. However, they reinforce a critical truth — that structural inequalities are still deeply embedded in recruitment, progression, and the day-to-day workplace experiences of our workforce from Global Majority backgrounds.

“This data may not be telling us something completely new, but it is undeniably a call to action. This is particularly so where the data suggests that colleagues in the children’s workforce may experience greater discrimination than those in the adults’ workforce. Awareness alone is not enough — we must now focus on delivering sustained, systemic change.”

ENDS