Home Office
Reducing inequalities in perceptions of racial discrimination
The problem
Home Office data showed many Black and Asian people did not trust public services to treat them fairly, with damaging consequences for the reputation of the public sector, for ethnic minority communities and for community cohesion.
No one knew what the results meant, nor how to reduce inequalities in perceptions of racial discrimination. In fact, senior civil servants were not sure this was even worth doing, if perceptions were unrelated to reality.
Our approach
We conducted in-depth interviews with 120 Black and Asian people to determine:
Who trusts which public service(s), who does not, and why?
Where attitudes come from and whether they vary in relation to different public service?
What, if anything, can be done to improve perceptions of fairness in each public service?
Insight
Overall, Black and Asian people tend to underestimate the extent to which racial discrimination exists. People who do expect to be discriminated against define racism in structural , not just individual, terms. They clearly distinguish between poor and specifically ‘racist’ service; between providers, areas, and groups; and between discrimination based on race, faith, gender and class. Importantly, they notice change over time, both positive and negative, and can point to the specific reasons who they expect to be treated unfairly, as members of their group.
Impact
Galvanised by the insights, leaders in eight public services - local schools, local surgeries, social housing, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Courts, the Prison Service and the Probation Service - conducted a ‘root and branch’ review of their policies and practices, resulting in year-on-year increases in trust in public services among Black and Asian people. The Home Office met its Public Service Agreement target.
