Very recently a number of people have asked me how they can develop their careers in equality, diversity and inclusion. I’m not surprised as the interest in equality and particularly race equality has increased massively with the advent of requirements such as the Workforce Race Equality Standard, the spotlight on issues surrounding concerns of structural discrimination thrown up by the Black Lives Matter and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities communities. I could go on and talk about all of these specific areas at length but I won’t. Maybe another time and perhaps in light of the very recent (and many would argue unhelpful) Sewell Report (March 2021).
So, how did I start my career in equalities? I guess my interest in equality issues came about from studying sociology at A level. Later I went on to complete my undergraduate degree in Applied Sociology gaining a respectable 2:1 BA (Hones). I was delighted to secure a part-time position with a disability charity in January 1994. The charity supported me to start a MA in Policy, Organisation and Changes in Professional Care which I began with earnest in 1995. On that course there were a couple of factors which sparked my further interest in equalities. The first was that I picked the Equal Opportunities module which I found extremely interesting and unsurprisingly I got a distinction on completion. The second factor was that I decided to do my course dissertation on the Disability Discrimination Act which was passed by parliament after considerable campaigning by the Disability Movement in 1995 (later to be consolidated in to the Equality Act 2010).
I applied for an Equality Officer role in May 1996 and was offered the position which I started in June of that year. I talk extensively about my equalities career in my book “From Blind Man to Ironman” which I would urge readers to download or purchase the paperback copy which will give you a fuller picture of my overall life journey and the choices I made generally, but also in my career. The book provides you with a great sense of my lived experience and some of the ups and downs I have experienced in my life and career. It’s not been a picnic I can assure you. However, the book was published in 2017 and of course at the time of writing this blog, it is now 2021. So, much has happened since the 5 years of writing my book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blind-Man-Ironman-Haseeb-Ahmad/dp/1788033302
The fact that I had completed a Masters in the right kind of area and completed an Equal Opps module and focused my energies on a dissertation specifically on the DDA played in my favour when I applied for my first equalities role at local council which I worked at for 5 years. By this time I was thoroughly fed up with equalities. I had enough of some of the microaggressions I faced by some of the staff at the council during that time. Not all of them of course. My manager Steve Phipps was utterly brilliant. And, to this day I am so pleased that we have remained the best of friends.
As I say, I have had an illustrious career in EDI. I’ve had 4 different roles within local government securing the Head of Equality and Diversity at Nottingham City Council and now I am in my third role within the NHS as the Head of EDI at Leicestershire Partnership Trust. So, apart from the fact I picked the right subjects to study at Leicester University and Loughborough University respectively, what else did I do to ensure I gained the right level of experience and knowledge? I’ve listed the key ingredients of what I think you need if you want to advance your career in EDI:
1. Know your stuff – there is no substitute for hard graft which is achieved with plenty of reading and taking in what you need to know on the law, codes of practice and the raft of guidance available on equalities.
2. Complete an accredited course on EDI. If you can do this as part of a recognized qualification even better.
3. Work on EDI projects – get stuck in to EDI projects no matter how small or insignificant they might seem. The more experience you pick up, the better positioned you will be for the next project which may be the one that gets you noticed.
4. Get involved – there is no substitute for getting involved in things like staff networks and volunteering to be a chair or vice-chair. Yes, its on top of your day job but how seriously are you going to take equalities? I’m writing this blog on bank holiday Easter Monday just to make the point that I do throw in additional hours to help with this agenda and on a human-to-human level. Also, don’t forget that many staff network chairs are getting paid to carry out their very important duties.
5. Be prepared to take a pay cut. Many equality roles don’t start at a particularly high salary. I’ve had to fight hard (and work hard) to get to (and maintain) where I’ve got to. It’s not been easy; however, I continue to work harder than ever to be the very best EDI Head of Service I can be. That takes dedication and focus, and, yes, putting in more hours than maybe some of my counterparts. However, I don’t mind. I love my job and making a difference to people’s lives.
I really hope that this helps a little in terms of those of you wanting to move in to EDI roles and those wanting to advance their careers. I’ve been doing this work for 27 years now and still have at least 13 and a half years to go. If you want to drop me a line for further help or support please do not hesitate to do so. Good luck.
5th April 2021
Photograph of Haseeb Ahmad with guide dog Walt at book signing.
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