The Capstone Group Anti-Racist Statement

Anti-racism is actively identifying and eradicating the systems, structures and processes that produce radically differential outcomes for ethnic minority groups. It involves acknowledging that even when we do not regard ourselves as ‘racist’ we can, by doing nothing, be complicit in allowing racism to continue. It involves collaborating with ethnic minority people with lived experience of racism to collectively contribute to our service development.

Anti-racist practice seeks to identify where people are discriminated against because of race or membership of minorities communities and take active steps to address the systems, privileges and everyday practises that maintain this unequal treatment, whether they be intentional or unintentional.

This statement sets out the principles and actions we at the Capstone Foster Care Group will adopt towards this aim. Anti-racist practice extends to how we work together as colleagues with our foster carers our children, young people and their families and all other stakeholders.

Our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organisation has been a dedicated area of focus since the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, and the renewed sense of injustice that followed, combined with the racial disparities exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. More recently the conflict in the middle east has seen an increase in both Islamophobia and Antisemitism and these tragic events continue to ensure we remain focussed on how racism affects us as an organisation including any detrimental impact on our staff, carers and children.

Being actively anti-racist means that we will never tolerate racism where we see it, and we will challenge and change policies, behaviours and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas and actions. We are a work in progress: we will reflect, we will learn, and we will act so that we improve. We are committed to doing better and have already acted to improve the scope of our training offer to all our stakeholders and strengthen policy, guidance and awareness regarding all forms of racism stemming from ethnic and religious prejudices.

To rid our society of racism is a huge task and it may take longer than we want it to. We all speak from different vantage points and there is no one homogenous experience. Race is not the only lens, it is important to acknowledge intersectionality and that class, religion, gender and sexuality all play a part in shaping our experiences.

As an organisation that has as its mission to ‘improve the life chances for children and young people in care’ we have a duty to try and seek the solutions and the answers. We believe that for change to happen we must continually challenge ourselves against our perceived views and how these might be affected by unconscious bias. We must also continually examine our practices in relation to race and anti-racism and take responsibility for actively changing things, along with embracing any power we hold in active allyship.

To be anti-racist we must identify the ways in which we contribute to the problem and commit to actively working for change. We must start talking about race and racism and how it affects us, our relationships and our work. Without open dialogue, challenge and feedback that help us learn and grow, change is unlikely to happen. Meaningful change is unlikely without open dialogue, constructive challenges, and feedback that supports our learning and personal growth in this area.

The Capstone Group Commitment to Anti-Racism

On behalf of the leadership of the Capstone Foster Care Group, we commit to this work now, as a core and constant value of our agency. We actively commit to opposing racism by speaking out against disrespectful or unacceptable behaviour when we witness it and treating all individuals with dignity and equality. Our ongoing efforts include;

• In line with our PACE principles; valuing the unique experience of each individual through focused active listening, humility, acceptance and curiosity - this will take time, trust, empathy and respect.
• Being aware of our own prejudices, potential for stereotyping and bias, be that conscious or unconscious, actively acknowledging and challenging them, whilst also fostering an inclusive environment in which we invite those with lived experience to contribute positively to our collective learning.
• Not making assumptions about someone's race, ethnicity or cultural background.
• Always considering race, ethnicity and the cultural needs of staff, foster carers children and their families.
• Deepening our understanding of the structures of racism.
• Developing our cultural competence and cultural humility through training, personal development, curiosity and challenge.
• Being aware that adults and children from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities’ will have lived experience of racism which may impact on how they present.
• Being aware that the cumulative impact of racism is trauma which may impact on children's and adults’ mental health and potentially lead to anxiety and depression.

Anti-racism is an ongoing collective effort that involves actively identifying, challenging, and changing values, structures, and behaviours that perpetuate systemic racism wherever they are found. It is not a single event or a checklist of actions. This statement therefore does not cover all planned work, but rather sets out our commitment, to give confidence and assurance that change is, and will remain, a deeply held passion and commitment of the Capstone Group.