This report provides a summary of the work undertaken by the Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic Inequality Commission and provides details of some of the main findings and recommendations from the health theme of the Commission. The questioning on the main points of the discussion on the Strategy may be summarised as follows.

The Sub-Committee:

v  Acknowledged that Tower Hamlets has always been a borough committed to creating a cohesive, fair, and inclusive community. One of the Borough’s’ biggest strengths is its proud history of fighting racism and fascism and its continued commitment to diversity. With over 137 languages spoken and 43% of residents born in over 200 different countries Tower Hamlets is one of the most diverse places in the country.  However, recent events have once again shone a spotlight on racial inequality and has required that everyone including leaders of public, private, faith, voluntary and community sector organisations and institutions, to consider their position and what more must be done.

v  Noted the disproportionate impact of Covid on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population has exposed the severe consequences of the unacceptable structural disadvantages and discrimination faced by these communities especially in key areas such as housing, employment, education, and criminal justice.

v  Noted the constraints of structural racism are most apparent when considering health outcomes of the Borough’s Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic residents which are worse than those of White residents in many areas, with many Blacks, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents suffering from a higher burden of multimorbidity.

v  Observed a considerable emphasis needs to be placed on improving the partnership approach to tackle the wider determinants of health, with too many Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic residents experiencing poorer employment and housing conditions.

v  Indicated that access to health services needs to be improved by ensuring services meet the cultural needs of the Borough’s diverse communities and developing strong and effective relationships with these community.

v  Was reminded that digital exclusion is a prevalent access barrier, exacerbated by the pandemic, alongside ineffective communication, and inadequate translation services.

v  Agreed that the need to work with the local Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities should be at forefront of the Boroughs recovery agenda ensuring that Tower Hamlets using good ethnicity data to provide targeted programmes  is able to deliver real improvement in health outcomes.

v  Noted that whilst Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic children are achieving good academic success however this has not translated into careers in the professional, corporate world.

v  Commented that many children from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic families lacked the confidence and networks to compete with their White peers. Too many young people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic families are unfamiliar with the testing and recruitment processes employers undertake, and have not been exposed to the professional, corporate world.

v  Indicated that key local employers must consider how they can develop pipelines, structures, and support to engage Black, Asian and Minority young people and how they can accelerate the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5