The Black and Minority Ethnic Citizens' Jury event was held at County Hall in November 2005. This followed an extensive consultation process involving many communities and local groups, with active assistance from groups such as Refugee Action and Age Concern Leicestershire and Rutland. 18 jurors took part in the event which was broadly reflective not only of ethnic groupings, but also in relation to gender, age and faith.
Following analysis of the consultation/engagement process, six broad areas were prioritised for consideration by the Jury at the event:
- Understanding Ethnic Diversity in Leicestershire
- Information, Advice and Guidance on Public Services
- Access to Key Identified Services for Black and Minority Ethnic People (focusing on Health, Housing and Transport)
- Community Cohesion
- Employment
- Active Citizenship (which looked at the involvement and inclusion of people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities and access to power and influence opportunities)
A particular focus for the Jury was the prevalence of discrimination (both institutional and otherwise), racist crime and behaviour, and issues relating to ethnicity, cultural sensitivity and access to particular services. Employment focused on issues related to career progression, not simply initial access to jobs.
Language issues and the need for effective and culturally sensitive communication/information was also a persistent thread throughout the two days. Recognition of disadvantage and exclusion also permeated the sessions, with questions posed regarding understanding of BME needs/issues and also whether there exists a genuine commitment to change the status quo.
The project consultants (ECOTEC) produced a comprehensive Report which included broad recommendations based on the six themes. An Action Plan has now been drafted and widely circulated. The Action Plan attempts to address the key messages from the Citizens’ Jury, namely: that the content and approach to underpin race equality in the development of policy and services cannot be developed in isolation from an understanding of the experience of the BME communities in Leicestershire."(Citizens’ Jury Report: Executive Summary).
For further information, please contact Julian Harrison.