At IPS Grow, we’re committed to fighting for racial justice in everything that we do. Over the last year, we’ve worked with the IPS community to build our understanding of what works in driving equitable access and outcomes for IPS clients from minoritised communities.

I’m proud of what our community has achieved:

  • 34 services have achieved the IPS Quality Mark since it was updated to include race equity as a key component. It’s powerful evidence that the best IPS services are those that are prioritising race equity in the way they use data, approach learning, structure processes and nurture partnerships.
  • More than 300 people attended our national Race Equity webinar, delivered in collaboration with NHS England.  We heard inspiring stories from IPS services across the country about the work they’ve been doing to advance equitable practice. Together, we reaffirmed our collective commitment to action in the year ahead.
  • We held a successful Regional Community of Practice on Race Equity in the Midlands. We also spotlighted race equity in a session at IPS Grow’s inaugural National Conference, which was so well attended it was standing room only. 
  • IPS Grow’s race equity working group has shared our learning with international partners in Europe and the USA, helping to spread the message and contribute to the international movement for equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
  • Over 80% of IPS services are now using the IPS Grow Reporting Tool. It gives us strong national and regional data to compare access to IPS services against the local population demographics, and tracks job outcomes and sustainment by ethnicity. We’ll be investing in the Tool in 2026 to further enhance its functionality and user experience.
  • IPS Grow’s Workforce team are supporting services to enhance their recruitment processes, including a new e-learning module on recruiting for diversity. Our Workforce team are also helping employment specialists to deepen their understanding and improve their practice through our onboarding support and our Level 3 Qualification.

In 2026, we plan to go further on this journey:

  • Launch a national IPS Network for staff of colour
  • Improve our practice and enhance the experience of staff of colour within our team within IPS Grow and at Social Finance
  • A learning-focused, qualitative study exploring race equity in IPS, aiming to understand what’s working well, emerging impacts and perceived benefits, alongside the challenges services are facing. By learning from practice and the real-world experiences of our communities and stakeholders, we hope to improve together and shape the future of race equity in IPS – supporting frontline staff and driving positive outcomes for the populations we serve.
  • Reflect and analyse key success factors in our work to promote race equity and highlight areas for learning and improvement

With events abroad and at home, action to tackle racism and promote equity feels more urgent and necessary than ever. We’re proud to reaffirm our commitment to race equity in 2026 and share our profound thanks to those who continue to join with us to take on the important work still ahead.
  

Niall O’Reilly, Director at IPS Grow 

6th February 2026