Shelter Scotland reveals findings and response from independent anti-racist review of services

Shelter Scotland has published findings from an independent anti-racist review of its services in Glasgow, conducted by The Collective.

Most participants reported positive experiences, with 92% saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences with Shelter Scotland. Key themes outlined in the review were the support, patience and compassion shown by staff. There were also areas of improvement identified at both a staff and organisational level to help address systemic racism, and two participants shared incidents characterised within the review as a 'microaggression' and a 'moment of ignorance'. In its response to the findings, Shelter Scotland said it takes these accounts seriously and is incorporating them into its next steps.

The research used surveys and focus groups to understand the experiences of Black and People of Colour accessing Shelter Scotland services. Participants shared that experiences of racism from the wider housing sector and in communities were common, having a significant and negative impact on their lives. Scottish Government data shows that Black and People of Colour are 3.1 times as likely to experience homelessness compared to White Scottish households.

In its response, Shelter Scotland also committed to take actions to develop its anti-racist commitments including by resourcing capacity building work to increase rights awareness, publicly and directly calling out racist practice and attitudes within the Scottish housing system, and continuing to build relationships across communities to demonstrate that Shelter Scotland is a trusted ally for Black and People of Colour.

The project, which is a partnership with Wheatley who have conducted their own independent review, has also developed a toolkit for other housing organisations to undertake their own anti-racist review of services.

The review, Shelter Scotland’s response and the toolkit can all be read in full on the Shelter Scotland website.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, Interim Director at Shelter Scotland said:

“We welcome these findings, which will help us to better meet the needs of Black and People of Colour. Systemic racism is deep-rooted in Scotland’s housing system, so we are committed to taking proactive action to ensure everyone can access our services safely, confidently and without discrimination.

“By sharing what we’ve learned, we aim to support lasting change beyond our own organisation. We hope our experience, and the development of the new toolkit, enables other housing organisations to review and improve their own services too.”

Social Research Consultant at The Collective, Talat Yaqoob said:

"Reviews of this kind are incredibly important to ensure that services are effective for those who need them most but are often ignored. The review aimed to assess how Shelter Scotland's services can deliver for communities of colour who are disproportionately more likely to be living in unsafe and unfit housing.

“By conducting research with people who have direct lived experience, we include real stories and co-produce recommendations that are more likely to deliver positive solutions and improve peoples' lives. Being an anti-racist organisation requires proactive outreach and accountability; we need more of this across the housing sector."