Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP): progress update

Goals

Building robust data and evidence

• A new Maturity Matrix was published to monitor progress towards becoming an anti-racist organisation. The tool was widely shared to encourage adoption or adaptation by other organisations. This enables the Welsh Government to document change and provides assurance to ethnic minority staff of an evidence-based plan for improvement.

Driving forward anti-racist leadership

• All senior civil servants are expected to have an anti-racist performance objective, and guidance has been provided for setting these goals. This action ensures Welsh Government staff work to improve outcomes for ethnic minority people in their roles. Teams have enhanced their learning and development opportunities to better support this aim.

Improving representation and development

• A recruitment review is underway to attract diverse candidates and support their progression within Welsh Government. Numerous enhancements have been made, and their benefits in improving underrepresentation are already evident.
• The 2024 Team Support Campaign contributed to the Welsh Government’s efforts for increased workforce diversity.
• Statistics for Public Appointments show a positive trend: in 2024 to 2025, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people made up 15% of applicants and 19% of appointees, compared to 6.2% of the Welsh population.

Strengthening governance arrangements

• A Governance Review is underway to implement recommendations from the review of HR policies, including establishment of a new sub-committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary This supports efforts to embed equality and diversity into Welsh Government governance structures more effectively.
• The Minority Ethnic Staff Network (MESN) is actively supported and ensures ethnic minority voices contribute to organisational policies and actions.

Goals

Schools: to improve the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners and teachers in schools

• Options for reporting all types of racist incidents in schools will be presented to the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the autumn. These have been informed by experiences of children and young people from reports such as the Children's Commissioner for Wales, EYST and Show Racism the Red Card.
• Education officials have engaged with stakeholders including local authorities, schools and equality organisations. Their objectives have been to understand current practice at a local and school level, consider how effective approaches could be consistently implemented, and to understand which barriers may exist.
• The Welsh Government communicated with all local authorities at the start of the autumn term about supporting pupils in relation to racist incidents reported over the summer.
• We have commissioned research into best practice for supporting multilingual learners with English and Welsh as additional languages. Reporting is due in May 2026.

Schools: to reduce the negative experience of racism by Gypsies, Roma and Traveller’ negative experience of schooling

• The Welsh Government is currently reviewing the terms and conditions of the Minority Ethnic, Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (MEGRT) Grant for 2026 to 2027. This is to ensure activity can best support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller learners to have positive experiences of education in Wales.
• We are conducting a wide programme of engagement to review the Celebrate and Participate Guidance. This includes engaging with a range of stakeholders including local authorities, education practitioners and community representatives.

Schools: ensure the well-being of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners

• A consultation of the Rights, Respect, Equality statutory anti-bullying guidance opened in May 2025 and closed in July 2025.  The revision will strengthen approaches to preventing and responding to prejudice-related bullying and harassment. It will consider data shared by children and young people about their experiences.  Responses have been reviewed, with a summary report due for publication in November 2025. 

Schools: to take steps to ensure the that exclusions are used in a way that doesn’t disproportionately impact specific groups

• A new forum launched in the Summer term includes partners, experts and practitioners, specifically focused on exclusions and detentions. The Forum will provide advice on issues such as guidance, best practice and preventative strategies to ensure consistency when issuing detentions and exclusions. 

School: to ensure that Black Asian and Minority Ethnic stories, contributions and histories are taught throughout the revised Curriculum for Wales

• It is now mandatory to teach the histories, contributions, and experiences of Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities as part of the story of Wales. The Curriculum design will enable learners to understand different beliefs and perspectives, challenge stereotypes, and celebrate diverse backgrounds.
• Delivering an anti-racist education involves the whole school community which includes leaders, staff, learners, and parents/carers.
• Curriculum and Wales framework and guidance were updated following recommendations from Professor Charlotte Williams' Cynefin report. This included updating the Statements of What Matters.

Schools: to create an anti-racist teaching workforce through embedding anti-racist professional learning

• The Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning (DARPL) reach across Wales through activities including webinars, ELS sessions, and strategic engagements.
• The Enhanced Leadership Series (ELS) aims to provide leaders with the skills and understanding to recognise anti-racist principles and critically engage with race equity policy.
• The DARPL Virtual Campus has been further developed with a broader range of diverse learning materials and shows growth in platform use. We are working with DARPL to evaluate the programme and develop an impact and involvement framework.

Schools: to increase recruitment of teachers from ethnic minority communities into the Education sector with a clear focus on recruitment onto Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes

• A review of the criteria for the accreditation of ITEprogrammes was undertaken in 2022 and 2023 for implementation in September 2024. The criteria will be in place for 5 years.
• Regular activities are undertaken to promote teaching as a career by ITE Partnerships, the Education Workforce Council and Welsh Government recruitment campaigns. 

Further Education (FE): to ensure anti-racist culture and practices are embedded in every F) institution and adult learning provider in Wales

• Medr has provided guidance and funding for FE colleges' anti-racism Action Plans in 2025 and 2026. It expects colleges to complete the Welsh Government ArWAP Maturity Matrix, as part of self-assessment and continuous improvement.
• Colleges will be updating their action planning and take the Black Leadership Group 10 Point Plan into account. Action Plans will be submitted to Medr in November 2025 reporting.
• Medr is in the process of developing learner voice forums, which will gather the views of learners across a wide range of areas inclusive of anti-racism.
• Professional Learning Fund applications have been received and approved by Medr for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. All 13 colleges have included activity on anti-racism in accordance with guidance and the requirement for this to become a mandatory theme.                                       
• Medr is consulting on its regulatory and funding conditions to include an equality of opportunity condition and a staff and learner welfare condition. The staff and learner welfare condition includes expectations of providers to ensure staff and learners are free from harms. This includes harassment, misconduct, violence, including sexual violence and hate crimes.

Further Education: to ensure that we have in place a modern FE curriculum that reflects an anti-racist Wales

• Medr has committed to funding the fourth phase of the Anti-Racism Curriculum project led by Cardiff and the Vale College.
• Medr will monitor the Anti-Racism Curriculum project to ensure it makes effective progress. Project reporting will be submitted to Medr in February 2026, and July 2026. Medr, in partnership with Estyn and the Welsh Government, is holding a mini-summit in December 2025 to focus on identifying how to support the ArWAP.
• The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) provide a common currency for learning achievements and helps learners make informed decisions about potential progression pathways. 

Further Education: to ensure that clear information is available about the ethnicity of staff at all levels in FE and WBL, and that staff are supported to progress in their careers regardless of ethnicity

• The Education Workforce Council (EWC) are gathering improved data on the ethnicity of post-16 practitioners, leaders and learning support workers. The Annual Education Workforce Statistics for Wales 2025 provides a detailed breakdown.
• EWC data published in July 2025 showed a further reduction in the proportion of registered staff with unknown ethnicity. The most ethnically diverse groups included school learning support workers (8.1% Black, Asian or minority ethnic). The next data capture exercise is scheduled for Autumn 2025.
• Medr and the EWC will continue discussions and explore potential future activities around recruitment and retention.
• EWC continue to publish an Annual Equality Report.

Further Education: to increase the numbers of representatives from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities training to become FE and WBL practitioners

• A sub-group has been established as part of the wider Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Further Education review work. It is chaired by Medr and aims to design a new scheme to implement in the 2026 to 2027 academic year. The first meeting took place in September 2025 and plans to feedback options for a new scheme in December 2025.
• Equalities is a standing agenda item at the Education Workforce Council (EWC) monthly senior management team meetings. These provide a formal forum to discuss updates or matters arising. Medr and EWC will work together to further develop actions, informed by qualitative research on learner and staff experiences of racism.

Further Education: the participation, outcomes and progression of learners from different ethnic backgrounds are systematically monitored and action taken to address inequalities

• Medr will be publishing Race Equality Monitoring data for colleges as it relates to learners in Autumn 2025. This is the first edition of publication of this data for the Further Education (FE) sector. 

Further Education: to ensure that high quality, consistent further education and adult learning is in place to meet the needs of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers

• Medr's Strategic Plan has committed to reviewing the planning, organisation and flexibility of adult community learning, which includes English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). It will also consider how improvements can be made to access, participation and success.
• Medr meets regularly with the Welsh Government to support its delivery of the Reach Hub project which provides English language assessment to enable learners to access appropriate ESOL support.
• Medr continues to engage with relevant partners to understand the needs of learners and barriers to learning.

Higher Education (HE): staff and students can expect their experience of HE to be positive irrespective of their racial and ethnic background

• All 8 Welsh universities have been awarded the Advance  HE Race Equality Charter (REC) bronze award. This is in recognition of their progress to understand and tackle the issues faced by its Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Wales is the only UK nation where all universities have achieved a REC award.
• Universities have begun to implement action plans developed as part of the Charter process. Medr will continue to monitor action plans and progress against them.
• Medr’s first annual Race Equalities Monitoring Report provides an understanding of the diversity of students and staff in HE. It shows a continued increase in the numbers and proportion of student applications from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of staff from minority ethnic backgrounds has also increased.                                                                                                                 
• Medr is currently consulting on its regulation and funding conditions which include a condition on learner engagement.

Higher Education: better use of levers available to promote anti-racist culture in higher education

• Medr has published guidance and monitoring expectations for 2025 to 2026 and highlighted the Welsh Government’s ArWAP Maturity Matrix. This can be used as a tool to self-assess leadership, governance, processes and procedures through an anti-racist lens.
• All universities are delivering action plans developed as part of the Race Equality Charter recognition process.

Higher Education: a highly effective, anti-racist tertiary education and research organisation

• Medr is consulting on its regulatory conditions of registration as they relate to Equality of Opportunity and Staff and Student Welfare in Autumn 2025.
• Plans are ongoing to update Medr’s Strategic Equality Plan and further develop its integrated impact process, including digitalisation.

Youth Work: to promote equality, inclusion and diversity, both in terms of access to youth work services in Wales, and in relation to the role that youth work services can play in proactively challenging discriminatory attitudes and behaviours within society

• We have invited youth organisations to submit case studies that demonstrate anti-discriminatory practice.
• A pan-Wales roadshow and monthly online Community of Practice sessions are being developed. This will enhance professional learning and sector-wide engagement.
• Initiatives are being launched to strengthen anti-racist leadership. This will ensure greater representation of underrepresented groups within youth work.
• We are embedding intersectional approaches and co-developed resources. These address overlapping inequalities such as gender, disability, and socio-economic status.

Welsh language: that the voices of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Welsh speakers are heard and listened to and that more is done to promote access to the Welsh language by ethnic minority communities in the areas of education, language learning, the workplace and community activities

• We continue to seek opportunities to engage with Welsh speakers from ethnic minority communities and listen to lived experiences. A panel event at the 2025 Eisteddfod featured a range of Welsh speakers from ethnic minority backgrounds.
• Work is underway with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to implement their anti-racism action plan and monitor progress through existing grant monitoring mechanisms.
• 3 new videos are available on YouTube which highlight the positive experiences of families from diverse backgrounds with Welsh Medium education. These offer an insight into how Welsh medium education fosters a sense of belonging, deepens links with Welsh culture, and strengthens community ties. 

Welsh language: to ensure all Welsh-medium educational resources and supporting materials funded are anti-racist and reflect the true depth of our diverse cultural heritage while avoiding stereotyping and cultural appropriation

• Local authorities across Wales are reporting data around the number of learners from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic families in Welsh medium education. Adnodd has launched a strategy with focus on diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. 

Goals

Leadership: to hold publicly funded organisations accountable for the delivery of anti-racist measures and actions, as set out in this action plan

• Amgueddfa Cymru delivered anti-racist awareness training for its leadership teams. They also participated in a 7 month anti-racism programme for museums. They have also engaged with key stakeholders, such as police and educators, to strengthen anti-racist practice.
• The Arts Council of Wales advanced actions in its Widening Engagement Action Plan to include targeted staff training on anti-racism.
• Sport Wales developed bilingual anti-racism training materials and a 'Train the Trainer' approach. They have reviewed recruitment practices to improve inclusion.
• The Culture Division commissioned DARPL to launch a digital platform. This offers anti-racism learning resources, specific to Wales, for the Culture, Heritage, and Sport sectors. Phase 2 of development is underway.

Funding: to work with our sponsored bodies to ensure they use their spending powers to embed anti-racist practice, facilitate equality of access and outcomes, and maximise participation for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people

• The Arts Council of Wales is creating work opportunities for people from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds. They also have a new Strategic Equality Action Plan.
• Sport Wales introduced anti-racism training and 2 staff members were appointed to strengthen community engagement work. They commit to widening funding access for organisations led by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
• Amgueddfa Cymru is advancing inclusive practices with new exhibitions, partnerships, and resources. These include BSL and anti-racist education materials developed with DARPL.
• Amgueddfa Cymru Staff have attended training on equality in procurement. Further work is underway with WRAP-Cymru to develop a sustainable procurement template.
• Large grant programmes now require organisations to engage with diverse communities. Co-production will be a core element of programme delivery.
• The Welsh Government relaunched the Culture Grant Scheme to ensure Grassroots Organisations have broader reach. A more intersectional approach will be taken to support applicants. 

Celebrating diversity: support all parts of the society in Wales to embrace and celebrate its diverse cultural heritage while understanding, and recognising the right to, freedom of cultural expression

• Between the financial years 2022 and 2025, over 80 organisations across Wales received funding. A further 9 projects have been supported in the current financial year through local sector grants. We intend to fund 40 additional organisations to nurture creativity, promote inclusion and enrich cultural vibrancy at grassroots level.

The historical narrative: to work with public bodies to fully recognise their responsibility (individually and collectively) for setting a balanced historical narrative, taking into account historical injustices and the positive impact of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people

• ArWAP grant funding supports organisations in decolonising collections to promote diverse, balanced narratives. These narratives reflect the histories and lived experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people.
• 9 organisations have been awarded grants to challenge dominant narratives within their collections and diversify stories told in museums, archives, and libraries. Additional funds have been allocated to embed anti-racism principles in wider divisional activities.
• Cadw are partnering with Heneb to enhance the Historic Environment Record and improve representation of the full range of Welsh heritage sites.
• The Royal Commission has documented the Welsh Ugandan Asian story to highlight community changemakers. 66 buildings and spaces of cultural, religious and historic significance have been mapped. Research and case studies will be added to Coflein, their heritage database.
• The ‘Museums, Collections and Cynefin: Delivering a Lasting Legacy’ project, helped over 28 local and independent Welsh museums receive support in decolonising their collections. The initiative has enabled staff to review, reinterpret and present inclusive representations of diverse histories and experiences.

Learning about our cultural diversity: identify and meet targets to deliver anti-racist education and learning; including interpretation, marketing and educational materials that recognise and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural mix of our society, encourage widespread physical and intellectual engagement and so promote anti-racist practice and principles throughout

• GEM Cymru has been funded to support learning practitioners and cross-sector professionals in embedding Anti-Racist Practice. This will help foster inclusive approaches to the new Curriculum for Wales and promote the meaningful integration of Black history into museum learning programmes.
• A digital learning portal was developed on the DARPL platform to support Culture, Heritage, and Sport practitioners in strengthening professional practice around anti-racism.

Goals

Leadership: the NHS in Wales will be anti-racist and will not accept any form of discrimination or inequality for employees or service users

• In 2022, the Welsh Government established an Internal Challenge Board to monitor progress of health and social care actions within the ArWAP. This became the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Implementation and Challenge Board in 2023 and is led by the Chief Executive of NHS Wales. It continues to oversee progress by meeting every two months, ensuring actions are carried out correctly, and assessing the impact of changes.
• All NHS organisations in Wales, including Boards, Trusts, and Special Health Authorities, must show they are actively working to tackle racism. The requirement to demonstrate anti-racism has been included within Chairs objectives since 2022. Progress is now reviewed through NHS planning and quality assurance processes.
• Organisations must demonstrate evidence and impact of their local anti-racist actions. These plans are reviewed, and feedback is given to highlight what’s working well, what is missing, and where improvements can be made.

Workforce: staff will work in safe, inclusive environments, built on good anti-racist leadership and allyship, supported to reach their full potential, and ethnic minority staff and allies; both be empowered to identify and address racist practice

• The NHS Wales Disciplinary Policy has been updated to include the ‘Avoiding Employee Harm’ approach, created by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. This new version will be launched in Autumn 2025. It aims to reduce unnecessary harm to staff during investigations and to tackle inequalities that affect staff from minority ethnic backgrounds. In October 2025, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and the Welsh Government will hold an in-person event to focus on avoidable harm and how it affects Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) staff under investigation.
• The NHS Wales National Workforce Safety Board is working to reduce racism, improve reporting of discrimination, and ensure fair implementation of the Speaking Up Safely framework. New Violence and Aggression Prevention Standards are soon to be published by the NHS Wales Anti-Violence Collaborative.
• The Aspiring Board Members Programme was launched to increase ethnic minority representation on NHS Wales Boards. It received 52 applicants and selected 14 diverse participants. All 14 participants in the Aspiring Board Members Programme have been matched to health boards and Llais. Both sponsors and participants are receiving targeted anti-racist and leadership training. The programme focuses on leadership development and board governance to promote inclusive and anti-racist workplaces across NHS Wales.
• The ‘Getting to Equity’ programme, supported by the Chief Nursing Officer, uses a sponsorship model to support ethnic minority nurses and midwives in progressing to senior roles within NHS Wales.

Workforce: data in relation to race, ethnicity and intersectional disadvantage will be routinely collated, shared and used transparently, to level inequalities in health and access to health services, and provide assurance that the NHS Wales is an anti-racist and safe environment for staff and patients

• The first social care Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report has been published, and primary care data has been shared to inform an upcoming all-Wales NHS WRES report.
• Annual monitoring is now in place to track the experiences of minority ethnic staff across health and social care. Findings show that good anti-racism practice across NHS Wales have demonstrated tangible improvement in areas such as recruitment. Targeted anti-racism actions are leading to improved staff experiences and greater confidence among employees.
• The revised Accessible Communication and Information Standards was launched in September 2025. This will require regular data collection and biannual progress reporting to drive continuous learning, strategic decisions, and quality improvement in NHS services.
• From January 2025, GPs will be contractually required to record patient ethnicity data to support more holistic healthcare planning and delivery.

Workforce: we will identify and break down barriers which prevent equitable access to healthcare services for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people

• The Accessible Communication and Information Standards will help make NHS services in Wales easier to use for people with low literacy or for those whose first language is not English or Welsh. These improvements include better translation and interpretation services.
• We are embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion in perinatal care by creating mechanisms for community feedback. Additionally, the ELEVATE programme is being introduced to ensure fair career opportunities within maternity and neonatal workforces.
• National guidance on palliative and end of life care is in development to ensure culturally sensitive care for ethnic minority groups. Publication is expected in October 2025.
• Population Health Management is a data-driven method being developed to improve outcomes for ethnic minorities. A working group led by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer is creating new policies, guidance, and a business case for PHM tools.
• We have enabled all NHS Wales maternity units to participate in a cultural competency accreditation scheme to improve staff awareness and practice. Pre-registration training is delivered using the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) decolonising midwifery education toolkit. It helps to foster inclusive, culturally competent learning and addresses the needs of women and birthing people from the global majority.

Workforce: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people will have confidence that action is being taken to address health inequalities and their voice is heard in shaping decisions which affect them

• The National Emergency Department People Experience Survey collected over 50,000 responses from August 2023 to March 2025. The results highlight the importance of examining patient experience by protected characteristics to improve care in NHS Wales. Survey questions now focus on language and ethnicity, and patient comments are analysed to identify disparities in care quality.
• NHS Wales launched the People’s Experience Survey and Framework in April 2025. It is a bilingual, standardised survey across all care settings to promote accessibility, and embed continuous feedback into service improvement. Feedback will be combined with patient outcomes and shared publicly.
• We are updating Travelling to Better Health Guidance to better support Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities. The new version is co-produced with people who have lived experience. This will add trauma informed approaches, practical templates, and best practice examples for inclusive health assessments.
• In 2024, we released the Suicide Prevention and Self-harm and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for public consultation. Both strategies prioritise equitable access, experiences, and outcomes for all.

Goals

Leadership: to ensure that leaders at all levels in the social care workforce model and champion anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion and deliver an anti-racist social care sector for both people who are receiving care and support and for the social care workforce. This will also entail development work to grow a senior workforce of greater ethnic diversity

• The Leadership Behaviours Framework is being implemented for social care leaders throughout Wales and includes principles of anti-racism and compassionate leadership.
• Diverse Cymru co-developed a draft programme and selection criteria for pilot sites with an expert panel who have lived experience. The pilot sites which represent adult social care throughout Wales have been identified. Diverse Cymru is delivering cultural competency training to these organisations to promote fair treatment and improve representation within the social care workforce.

Service delivery: to continue to identify and work to break down barriers to social care service provision for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, to ensure people feel confident accessing social care services and that the services provided are anti-racist, accessible and culturally appropriate

• The ArWAP Social Care Working Group was established in March 2023. This group includes statutory, independent, and third sector service partners as well as individuals with lived experience. The group meets quarterly and oversees progress on ongoing social care actions.
• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) continues to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion within operations. Teams are expected to demonstrate values in practice and have reflective sessions to raise awareness of the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in their roles.
• New guidance is being developed to help inspectors better understand key areas. CIW now check care files for people with protected characteristics or from minority ethnic backgrounds during inspections to ensure their needs are met.
• CIW is working with DARPL to improve the confidence of inspectors when assessing anti-racist practice in childcare and play services.
• A thorough review of social services in all Welsh local authorities is underway to measure progress on cultural and language support since the ArWAP.

Workforce: to ensure that minority ethnic people seeking a career or role within social care in Wales will experience no barriers to employment

• Social Care Wales (SCW) is developing an anti-racism e-learning resource to supplement cultural competency training in the sector. A dedicated learning and support officer has been appointed to promote the resource among workforce managers via a train-the-trainer approach. Plans are underway for a broad communication and launch campaign to ensure all social care staff access anti-racism training.
• In partnership with local authorities, we are conducting collaborative reviews to address workplace racism, including microaggressions and gaps in policy. Actions include mandatory cultural awareness training, better reporting processes, and embedding anti-racist principles in services. This contributes to promoting a zero-tolerance approach.

Accountability: to embed accountability actions and behaviours across the social care sector, including robust governance structures and clear, measurable metrics, in order to determine the impact and effectiveness of the social care sector in delivering the actions set out in this action plan

• The Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru is collaborating with local authorities to review and improve their complaints procedures. This will be informed by recent findings on the lived experiences of ethnic minority staff. Key challenges identified include microaggressions, overt discrimination, and policy gaps. The resulting plan advocates a zero-tolerance stance on racism, mandates cultural awareness training, enhances reporting processes, and aims to embed anti-racist principles in service delivery. This initiative, supported by Llais, strives to create an inclusive and equitable workplace for all social care workers.

Data and research: to improve qualitative and quantitative data, research, evidence, analysis, intelligence and understanding; including a significant increase in the lived experience data gathered from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic people to address existing data gaps and support the delivery of all the social care goals and actions

• SCW is expanding workforce data collection via surveys to enhance understanding of diversity and experiences of racism among staff. Data collection now includes Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller groups as a key area to ensure their specific needs are recognised.
• The Welsh Government has introduced an annual survey to gather comprehensive diversity data from those receiving care and support, including ethnicity, gender, disability, and age.

Goals

Representation: to significantly increase representation of ethnic minority people in senior leadership and at all levels to create a workforce within the homes sector to reflect the diversity of the population in which they operate

• ‘Get into Housing’ work placements have helped over 100 people from diverse backgrounds. 75% have secured jobs after, mostly in Welsh social housing.
• Staff training on unconscious bias and anti-racism has increased significantly, reaching up to 80% and 65% by 2025. Board member training on these issues has also improved, with over 60% coverage.
• Nearly 5,500 people have completed Equality and Diversity training, and nearly 2,000 completed Hate Crime training since their launches.
• There is increased ethnic minority representation among senior managers and board members in Welsh housing. Ethnic minority staff in non-managerial jobs increased from 4.1% to 7%. Among senior managers, the proportion went up from 2.9% to 5%.
• The proportion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic board members in Welsh Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) has risen to 9%, which surpasses their representation in the wider Welsh population.
• Rent Smart Wales has worked with Tai Pawb and Victim Support Cymru to provide training for landlords and managing agents on tackling racism and hate crime. Since March 2023, more than 1,930 training sessions have been completed.
• 5,416 private sector landlords have taken equality and diversity training. 2,900 have participated since March 2022.
• Extra funding has helped Tai Pawb give more support to social housing landlords. This includes new advice on equality checks and making sure building designs respect different cultures.
• Tai Pawb staff training has progressed with 2,391 people trained in equality, diversity, and inclusion since April 2022.

Standards, provisions and services: to ensure that standards provision and services around the provision of homes advance race equality, embed anti-racism, equality and human rights, and meet the diverse needs of ethnic minority people

• The Allocation of Accommodation and Homelessness Guidance was updated to provide local authorities with a framework for managing housing allocations and homelessness services. This guidance supports fair and effective provision and is aligned with the upcoming Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill.
• An Integrated Impact Assessment has been published to update eligibility regulations, ensuring everyone has fair and equal access to housing support.
• The expanded Housing Support Grant Practice Guidance emphasises service user involvement, regional collaboration, and measuring impact. These updates enhance local decision making for housing services to remain fair, effective, and responsive to diverse community needs.
• Homelessness reduction programmes are being developed and delivered by the Ending Homelessness National Advisory Board (EHNAB). Policy and data guidance are informed by the Race Stakeholders Group's report.
• The Welsh Housing Quality Standard sets a tenant-centred approach for improving social homes. It emphasises positive outcomes in health, education, and wellbeing, and was developed with input from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic tenants.

Private rented sector: to ensure that Private Rented Sector (PRS) housing and accommodation, and service provision advances equality, embeds anti-racism and meets the diverse needs of ethnic minority people

• Tai Pawb are preparing anti-racism materials for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to increase awareness of anti-racism among PRS landlords and agents and reduce race-based discrimination.
• A collaborative work plan with Rent Smart Wales and the Housing and Regeneration ArWAP Stakeholder Group is being developed to promote anti-racist behaviours in the PRS. There is potential for these initiatives to be integrated into the PRS Code of Practice.

Private rented sector: to ensure ethnic minority people across Wales have a voice and influence in ensuring the Welsh Government policies around the provision of homes reflect the diversity of ethnic minority people’s needs and priorities

• The TPAS Cymru tenants’ pulse survey showed 2.4% of tenants identified as Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic, lower than last year’s 4%. This year, 4% of respondents were in the Private Rented Sector (PRS), compared to 2.1% in social housing. Efforts are ongoing to improve tenant engagement data and representation of ethnic minorities.
• The "Get into Housing" scheme has supported over 100 ethnic minority participants, with 75% gaining employment. Angell Green, a beneficiary of the Get into Housing and Pathway to Board schemes, received the TPAS Tenant of the Year award.
• Tai Pawb and EYST have helped ensure the lived experiences of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities influence new housing legislation. This includes bills addressing homelessness, building safety, and the White Paper on Adequate Housing, Fair Rents, and Affordability.
• Local authorities now follow updated guidance when completing Local Housing Market Assessments. This ensures the future housing needs of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people are considered.
• Revised Registered Social Landlord (RSL) Regulatory Standards now require evidence-based actions on equality, diversity, inclusion and hate crime to reflect the communities they serve.

Gypsy and Traveller accommodation: to recognise that safe, culturally appropriate accommodation is necessary in order for individuals to flourish in other parts of their lives and to address the lack of site provision and poor quality of Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in Wales

• Revised guidance has been issued to local authorities to ensure that Local Housing Market Assessments address the future housing needs of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities. This is supported by culturally sensitive design guidance from Tai Pawb.

Gypsy and Traveller accommodation: to continuously improve our policy-development processes to create anti-racist approaches to all aspects of policy creation

• Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller organisations will join the Equality Advisory Panel to support the Housing and Regeneration directorate. They will help develop homelessness reduction programmes via the Ending Homelessness National Advisory Board (EHNAB) and submit the EHNAB Race Stakeholders Group report for policy development.

Goals

Engage with local government to encourage its leadership of the delivery of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan

• The Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in June 2025. This focuses on equity, inclusivity, and public participation. The Agreement requires both parties to make decisions and provide services with an anti-racist approach, and ensure diverse communities are represented.
• The implementation of the ArWAP is supported by regular engagement between government ministers, officials, and local authorities. This engagement reinforces the importance of Welsh values and the nation’s role as a place of sanctuary.
• Progress of the ArWAP was discussed at the Partnership Council for Wales meeting in July, attended by Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna. Further updates and discussions are scheduled at Welsh Government-led meetings in the autumn. These are due to involve local authority Chief Executives, the Permanent Secretary, and Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna.

Legislation and guidance challenges local government to be more representative and fully engaged with the communities it serves

• Wales is piloting automatic voter registration in four local authorities, focusing on improving accessibility and inclusion for underrepresented groups. The results will be evaluated by the Electoral Commission by the end of 2025.
• The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 has introduced financial and non-financial support schemes for disabled candidates. Applications are expected to open by October 2025.
• A Candidate Diversity Grant will be piloted in Autumn 2025 for organisations to support candidates from underrepresented groups in the 2026 Senedd and 2027 local elections.
• The Access to Politics Grassroots Network supports deaf and disabled people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds considering standing for office. The network is working alongside Disability Wales to co-develop a Welsh Access to Politics Charter. This is designed to develop best practice toolkits, and provide peer support through training, mentoring and work experience.
• The Welsh Government has committed £400,000 annually for 3 years to the Democratic Engagement Grant, supporting activities that help underrepresented communities take part in democracy.
• The Welsh Refugee Council received £33,512 to provide training which enables refugees in Wales to better understand democratic processes and participate in local decision-making.
• Swansea Mosque and Islamic Community Centre was awarded £16,000 for a project offering bilingual workshops, voter registration clinics, and educational sessions. The aim is to increase democratic participation among under-represented groups in Swansea, including ethnic minorities, asylum seekers, refugees, and young people aged 16 to 25.
• South Riverside Development Centre secured £10,945 for a Cardiff-based project supporting foreign nationals learning English. Materials were created and interpreters were consulted for public awareness workshops to boost understanding of Wales’s democratic system ahead of elections.
• KIDCARE4U was granted £28,800 for a project in Newport focused on raising awareness of democratic rights among diverse ethnic communities. This was particularly directed towards women and children facing language and IT barriers.

That local government develops as an exemplar employer, so that there is a safe and inclusive environment for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people

• Anti-racism training is offered by the WLGA and local authorities to ensure lived experiences of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people shape improvement strategies.
• The WLGA and One Voice Wales receive funding to support improving services and digital changes in local government, with a strong focus on equality.

Goals

Employability and skills: the Welsh Government employability programmes will offer a safe, positive, and inclusive environment for all staff and participants, where racism is addressed

• We are engaging with representatives from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups to gather lived experience evidence. This includes awareness of our programmes, the barriers to accessing support and intersectionality. Evidence is shared with policy leads to support the development of the new Employability Support Programme.

Employability and skills: to increase number of ethnic minority people starting and completing Apprenticeships

• Recommendations from a review of our employability programmes have informed the development of the Employability Support Programme (ESP). The review focused on ethnic diversity and inclusion, particularly the needs of ethnic minority groups and women.
• We have engaged with stakeholders to assess how providers deliver programmes, manage processes, and support ethnic minority participants. These recommendations are being used to improve current programmes.

Social Partnership and Fair Work: to embed anti-racism into our social partnership structures and our approach to increasing the prevalence of fair work

• The Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership has written to all Welsh Ministers about the importance of embedding ArWAP goals into Wales’s social partnership structures. Ministers have been asked to ensure teams know about the plan and consider how they contribute to making Wales an anti-racist nation. Officials are collecting responses.

Social Partnership and Fair Work: to improve awareness, understanding and adoption of anti-racist workplace practices, processes and cultures

• We have published Fair Work guidance which include practical case studies and a short animation. These resources aim to make Fair Work principles accessible and relatable with a focus on anti-racist and inclusive employment practices.
• Anti-racist workplace practices will be embedded in the Fair Work learning modules. These modules will help employers and workers build their understanding of Fair Work and are expected to launch in 2026.
• The Workforce Rights and Responsibilities Forum held a discussion on anti-racism and promoted the TUC Cymru anti-racism toolkit. The toolkit provides practical strategies for tackling racism at work and has been shared across member networks.

Social Partnership and Fair Work: to reduce and eliminate the ethnicity pay gap between ethnic minority and white employees

• We continue to promote the Real Living Wage to help raise pay for the lowest-paid workers across Wales. This includes annual funding to support accreditation efforts through partners such as Cynnal Cymru.
• We are engaging with the UK Government on the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, which aims to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting for ethnicity and disability. This would apply to large employers and is expected to improve transparency, tackle pay disparities and support fairer workplace practices.

Entrepreneurship: to create an anti-racist Business Wales service that engages with diverse communities in a culturally appropriate way to increase business start-ups and growth amongst Black Asian Minority Ethnic people

• A Business Wales anti-racist action plan, created by Race Equality First, is now a core part of Business Wales service contracts and is regularly reviewed by the Welsh Government.
• In the past 6 months, 6 Participation Fund applications have supported clients' language needs, including Arabic and Bengali.
• Service leaflets have been produced in Bangla, Hindi, and Simplified Chinese, and distributed throughout community hubs.
• Three out of 22 recent case studies (13%) feature people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
• Cultural Inclusion Sessions and Unconscious Bias training have been delivered by EYST to the full Business Wales team. Anti-racism training is launching in September 2025 and will feature pre and post training questions to measure impact.
• Since June 2023, 1,316 clients have been supported to start a business through Business Wales. 81 (6.28%) are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Out of 16,267 individuals accessing the service, 685 (4.76%) are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

Goals

Nation of Sanctuary: become a Nation of Sanctuary through the implementation of the Nation of Sanctuary vision

• Preparations for the Welcome Connectivity Project are underway, aiming for delivery by December 2025.
• A panel of Sanctuary seekers are now helping shape services through the Experts by Experience project. This will embed lived experience into decision-making when recruitment finishes in the autumn.
• A statistician will work for 6 months to improve data for the Migrant Integration Framework. A Cardiff University student is assisting on presenting this data and preparing a feasibility report.
• Interviews with partner migrant organisations are underway to better understand the Migrant Integration Framework’s reach. These results will be reported after thematic analysis.
• Additional funding has been provided to Settled so that specialist immigration advice can be offered. This includes Ukrainians facing complex cases, as over 8,000 Ukrainians have been supported to settle in Wales since 2022.
• Welsh Government partnerships have enabled tailored support to be available for sanctuary seekers with complex needs, such as No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) households and survivors of abuse.
• Integration pilot projects are helping reduce gaps and fragmentation so sanctuary seekers can experience smoother support transitions.
• An increased budget has been secured for 2025 to 2026 to strengthen accommodation, employment support, and launch the second phase of the Welcome Ticket. The upcoming Welcome Ticket Phase 2 is expected to improve mobility for sanctuary seekers. Impact will be monitored through user feedback.
• The Migrant Integration Framework is driving collaboration across sectors, with an annual progress update showing tangible improvements.
• Refugee Family Reunion is being supported via the British Red Cross, and Displaced Talent Mobility through Talent Beyond Boundaries.
• Progress on NRPF includes new guidance, annual training, legal advice, and partnership work.
• The ‘Team Wales’ collaborative approach has proven effective, particularly during the Ukraine crisis and Afghan resettlement.

Goals

Crime and justice: to work with the police and other criminal justice partners (e.g. Criminal Justice in Wales and members within it) to create an anti-racist criminal justice system in Wales, taking a challenging and radical approach to improve outcomes and to tackle systemic racism

• A positive action framework is being developed to improve consistency and diversity in Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) recruitment across police forces. Efforts focus on identifying and addressing barriers to recruitment, aiming for police numbers to better reflect local communities. An upcoming meeting presentation on PCSO recruitment progress will include data on ethnicity, retention, and challenges.

Crime and justice: to use the levers within the Welsh Government PCSO commitment to tackle discrimination and support an anti-racist approach

• Ongoing reviews of recruitment practices seek to pinpoint areas for improvement and ensure a consistent, fair approach.
• We are in the process of commissioning an evaluation of PCSOs, which will look to include a request for capturing data specific to ethnicity. 

Crime and justice: to strengthen the evidence base to identify racial disparity in the justice system by providing advice and guidance to stakeholders, and by increasing confidence and trust of Minority Ethnic people in the use of their data

•  We are working closely with the Race Disparity Evidence Unit (RDEU) to assess the existing data sources available that we could use to aid our monitoring and reporting. We will map this to our existing goals to track progress and identify trends.

Crime and justice: to develop our skills and confidence in understanding what an anti-racist justice system looks like, and to robustly influence and encourage anti-racist policy from the UK Government

• The Minority Ethnic Staff Network (MESN) attended the Community Safety Division Directorate meeting in June to raise awareness of their work.
• Line Managers in the Crime and Justice Branch attended the 'Leading for an Anti-racist organisation: A Manager's Guide' training in October. This training was delivered by members of the ArWAP implementation team.
• Although criminal justice is reserved, we engage with the UK Government when concerns are raised. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip was informed about potential racial disproportionality in police use of Taser 10. These issues were raised with the former Policing Minister who detailed existing safeguards.
• We are engaging with the Home Office regarding reforms to child strip search procedures. Updates to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes are anticipated which are intended to strengthen safeguards and ensure an anti-racist approach.
• The Cabinet Secretary participated in an Equality and Social Justice Committee session focused on Criminal Justice in Wales. It highlighted efforts to reduce the overrepresentation of Black and care-experienced children in the youth justice system. A disproportionality taskforce is being developed by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service to address these concerns.

Hate crime: to ensure that Wales continues to strive to be an anti-racist country and so is a safe place to live, by eliminating hateful attitudes and supporting victims of racially motivated hate crime

• We awarded a new contract for the Hate Hurts Wales anti-hate crime campaign and delivered a focused media campaign in October 2025. This aligned with Hate Crime Awareness Week and featured digital and outdoor advertising across Wales.
• The Lived Experience Advocacy Forum (LEAF) continues to drive improvement at the Wales Hate Support Centre. They recently provided feedback on the campaign and are supporting the develop of recruitment materials to expand LEAF’s representation.

Hate crime: to tackle anti-semitic hate crime in all its forms

• We are developing the latest phase of Hate Hurts Wales to include focus on religious hatred. We have awarded the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust a 3-year grant to deliver holocaust commemorations in Wales.

Hate crime: to tackle Islamophobic hate crime in all its forms

• As part of the development of Hate Hurts Wales, we are focusing on faith-based hatred and are monitoring the UK Government's work to define anti-Muslim hate.

Hate crime: to tackle racism through building cohesive and integrated communities

• The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has agreed to extend the funding of the Cohesion Programme for 3 years to build on efforts to foster cohesion in Wales. 

Supporting Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities: to tackle racism through building cohesive and integrated communities

• Although policing is a reserved matter, the Welsh Government is dedicated to enhancing community safety. Recently, officials and members of the Police Liaison Unit met to review ongoing work with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. This discussion highlighted the importance of police taking an anti-racist approach and keeping open communication to better understand and support communities. The subgroup will continue to collaborate, ensuring police are well-prepared and that policies are shaped by lived experience and expert advice.

Goals

Improving the experience within the workplace: staff will work in safe, inclusive environments, built on Allyship, supported to reach their full potential, and be empowered to identify and address racist practise

• Ongoing research is being guided by a steering group and community mentors to understand the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic childcare workers. Workshops and fieldwork have begun, and the findings will support collaborative action plans. These aim to improve staff experiences and increase minority ethnic representation in childcare roles.
• Recent social media issues are being addressed collaboratively by offering support, sharing insights with governance groups, and creating guidance for childcare providers.
• A best practice toolkit has been developed alongside targeted training to help childcare staff adopt anti-racist approaches and support both staff and children.
• Recruitment for a new cohort of community mentors is almost complete. It includes individuals whose lived experience will enhance policy and programme development. Community mentors in the previous programme contributed over 400 hours. Many reported positive impacts on their development and valuable contributions to the work.
• CIW have developed the Childcare ArWAP Champions group to support updates to the inspection framework. The group is planning professional learning for inspectors alongside DARPL. There are plans to create discussion questions on anti-racist practice for use during inspections.

Offering more culturally appropriate provision: the Welsh Government will work with parents and carers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, to improve access to childcare and play settings as well as access to play opportunities

• We are researching the perspectives and experiences of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic families in Wales regarding their experience of childcare and play services. A steering group has been established with community mentors to co-design the research.
• The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) and the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) carried out research to improve access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic children and families in Wales. The IPPO shared findings and recommendations with policy officials, using the Theory of Change approach. This led to new actions for improving data collection and supporting anti-racist work in the Flying Start programme.
• The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) review launched with a consultation seeking input from under-served groups. It aims to improve local authority guidance for engaging and representing these groups in their assessments.
• Local authorities have collaborated to improve statutory Childcare Sufficiency Assessments (CSAs) and Play Sufficiency Assessments (PSAs). Workshops have helped develop better Play surveys and engagement methods for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young people.
• Anti-racism training from DARPL and Cwlwm partners has made meaningful change in childcare settings. There is greater staff diversity and anti-racist practices are embedded. Staff report more awareness, and they celebrate diversity with children to build empathy and confidence.

Improving the experience of children: all children will have the opportunity to explore and celebrate racial diversity in a positive and supportive way

• Ongoing DARPL sessions support the Creating an Anti-racist Culture in Settings toolkit. This provides practical guidance for promoting diversity and inclusion in childcare. The toolkit will be linked to National Minimum Standards to ensure anti-racist practice becomes a standard part of childcare provision.
• Stakeholders such as Play Wales and local authorities are working to create inclusive, welcoming environments for all children. Following negative social media reactions to their anti-racist work, sector-wide support and best practice guidance have been issued.
• CIW's Childcare ArWAP Champions group is helping to update the inspection framework. They are planning professional learning for inspectors with DARPL and will create discussion questions on anti-racist practice for inspections.