Hertfordshire County Council is committed to making the council a more diverse and inclusive workplace and to encourage more conversations with their staff about what this means for the organisation. In our new blog Nasay Franklin, HR Officer in the HR Inclusion Team and HR link to the BAME Staff Network Group, tells us about how they are doing this and about how they are working with staff to celebrate Black History Month in a meaningful way given all of the events in the last few months.
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has been working closely with many of our staff network groups, including those representing BAME colleagues, to refresh our Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, which we have recently published.
We are really proud of the strategy because it includes a number of case studies, where colleagues openly share their stories. We recognise that to make it come to life continuous work and an ongoing conversation about diversity and inclusion is needed amongst all of us. We have therefore asked every individual and every team in the council to continue to work together to discuss its contents and agree the actions and behaviours necessary to make this strategy a key part of keeping HCC as a place where D&I considerations and an anti-racist culture are embedded in all we say and do.
One of the main actions in our strategy is to see progression of BAME employees into senior roles. We have already had some success but there is more to do so we will continue to work hard to do all we can to ensure we meet this objective.
As part of Black History Month this year, the BAME Staff Network Committee at HCC have worked really hard to identify innovative ways to celebrate in a different, but effective way considering the current climate.
We have been working with the Black History Month (BHM) planning team in preparation for the events in October. Here are some words from some members of the Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) Staff Network Committee, around their planning and preparation during BHM.
Black Asian Minority Ethnic Staff Network – Black History Month
I was keen that a session on Slavery and the Abolition of slavery was included in the events because it is important for the Hertfordshire workforce, Senior Management teams and local Councillors to understand the impact this history has had on the lives of Black people in the UK. More importantly, I was keen for people to be aware of the links with Hertfordshire both the positive and negative aspects. It is important that we recognise and applaud the work of the Abolitionist in Hertfordshire, we should also remember that many people who owned slaves were paid huge sums in compensation when slavery was abolished.
I have chosen specific articles to be shared on the Herts memories platform.
In addition to this I have been involved in planning a screening for Senior Managers, Leader of the Council and Local Councillors. The screening will be of the Hertfordshire Hidden Histories DVD an excellent piece of work funded by the Heritage lottery fund. I was keen to share this video with Senior Managers, the leader of the Council and local councillors to demonstrate how history can be told through the eyes of those writing the story. There are some omissions in the story which are likely to evoke further discussion when viewed.
The setting of the historical context allows us to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of this history when moving onto other periods in history such as the Windrush generation.
Elaine Hickling
HCC Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME)
Staff Network Committee
This year for Black History Month we have put together a virtual event telling stories from our historical past as well as celebrating achievements and the determination to succeed in challenging environments, we are also looking at how we can shape the future.
We have an article on the Empire Windrush detailing why people from the Caribbean made the journey to the UK, how they lived and how they were treated (good and bad). We look at the present-day indignity of their treatment by the UK government and what the future holds.
We have been and continue to work closely with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Archive and Local Studies who are supporting us in our efforts to make Black Asian and Minority Ethnic history, heritage and culture in Hertfordshire more visible. The BAME staff network committee alongside the archiving service are also asking for accounts from BAME communities, using their own words, stories, documents, records and materials that cover events such as Windrush, Covid-19, success stories (individual, family, community), life stories etc. We really want to capture information for future researchers, educators and commentators and to ensure our collective history represents all Hertfordshire communities; the expertise of the Archive service will be invaluable in documenting and preserving treasured information. The HCC Library service has put together a book list of BAME bestselling authors of adult fiction and non-fiction and children’s titles that are available from the library.
Also included in BHM are interviews with Gary Younge, British journalist, author, broadcaster and newly appointed Professor of Sociology at Manchester University and Lionel Wallace, Chief Quality Officer and Head of the Office of Airworthiness and one of the Deputy Lieutenants of Hertfordshire. Both Gary and Lionel grew up in Hertfordshire and they talk to us about growing up, their work and about Black, Asian and Minority, Ethnic young people. We want to inspire people from diverse backgrounds and show them role models they can relate to and what they have achieved through differing circumstances.
And…
We are hosting coffee mornings once a week throughout October, giving all our colleagues the opportunity to come and chat with the BAME Staff Network Committee and each other about anything they like.
Whilst I am passionate and proud to be part of Black History month I also feel it is important to understand that black history should not be confined to one month, it is not just about the historic contribution of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic people to society but about the present and the future stories too.
Caroline Hedley
HCC Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME)
Staff Network Committee