This week, I had the pleasure of making some introductory remarks during our council’s celebration event for Black History Month, sharing some reflections – as an ally – on the theme of standing firm in power and pride. The staff network had organised a brilliant event with an inspiring guest speaker and a great turnout, including those from across the corporate leadership team. I hope our global majority colleagues felt the widespread support.

Sadly, on more than one occasion recently, I have felt it necessary to write to colleagues in the children’s directorate, acknowledging that there is hostility on social media and troubling signs of division across our communities, which may be making everyone – but particularly colleagues from minoritised groups - feel unsafe at work and in their personal lives. In doing so I have wanted to commit, visibly, to our children’s services being a place where all are welcomed and all belong.

As leaders in public sector children’s services, we hold a unique and urgent responsibility — not only to the workforce we lead, but to the children, families and communities we serve. It feels essential to be demonstrating inclusive leadership more than ever right now.

Children’s services are built on trust, safety, and belonging. When hostility and prejudice go unchallenged, they erode the very foundations of our work. Inclusive leadership is not a ‘soft’ skill — it is a safeguard. It ensures that our teams feel valued, our services remain equitable, and our children grow up in environments that affirm their identity and dignity.

The children’s workforce is diverse, resilient, and deeply committed and we strive to ensure we are representative of our communities. But that workforce is not immune to the impact of discrimination — whether experienced directly or witnessed within the communities we support. Inclusive leadership means recognising this reality and responding with empathy and action. It must show up in the decisions we make, the conversations we host, and the culture we cultivate.

As leaders we are challenged to:

• Speak out against racism, xenophobia and other ways that communities and colleagues are denigrated — in team meetings, public forums, and policy discussions
• Test our own policies and practices for bias: whether that is our recruitment processes, casework, assessments, or the language we are using to describe the individuals and groups we work with
• Create safe spaces for dialogue: hosting listening sessions, staff forums, and reflective practice groups
• Support and mentor staff from underrepresented backgrounds and advocate for their progression
• Ensure children and families from all backgrounds feel seen, heard, and respected in every interaction with our services.

I know that I don’t manage to show up in all these ways all of the time, but thinking of what I could do, helps me to know what I must do to meet the present moment.

Leadership in children’s services is about more than education or safeguarding — it’s about shaping the kind of society our children will inherit. By finding ways to lead inclusively – and holding on to them when they are challenged - we send a powerful message: that every child matters, every voice counts, and every person belongs.

Stand firm.