University of Bradford lecturer to keep Premier League clubs onside with equality
University of Bradford lecturer Ela Mistry-Jackson has been appointed as one of a handful of equality assessors for Premier League football clubs.
Ela, a social work lecturer, will be one of six national assessors responsible for taking Premier League clubs through the equality standards set by the Premier League.
She will be specifically responsible for working with Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle United, making recommendations for the clubs to implement, which will be presented to a panel, chaired by Garth Crooks.
The role has been newly created by the Premier League as part of their new mandatory rules for the season. Traditionally, issues around equality have been addressed by assigned staff within the club, but for the first time the Premier League has employed consultant assessors to undertake this vital work.
Ela will be visiting the clubs to undertake equality impact assessments, essentially an audit of their provision related to all aspects of equality and diversity. This will involve meetings and discussions with the equality and diversity leads, chief executives and others involved in the running of the club. Her role would then involve devising an action plan for the clubs to implement, followed by a return visit to monitor and evidence their progress.
She said: “I’m really excited by this new and exciting challenge. Having a lead in ensuring English football clubs are seen to be more inclusive and diverse will not only serve the clubs well on so many levels, from club owners, manager, staff employed by the club and players, but also enrich and widen the fan base, making it open and accessible to all. This is at the heart of all aspects of any worthy equality and diversity agenda. I’m really looking forward to going behind the scenes and having the opportunity to see things from the other side.”