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What we do

ISAB meets bi-monthly to provide independent scrutiny and oversight of Avon and Somerset Police’s Race Matters programme. We ensure Black voices and lived experience inform scrutiny and challenge, helping to assess whether progress is leading to meaningful change.

Aims and objectives

The Independent Scrutiny and Advisory Board (ISAB) aims to:

  • Provide independent oversight, advice, and scrutiny of the Race Matters workstream, including its impact on service delivery and Black communities.
  • Hold Avon and Somerset Police leadership to account for implementing actions, achieving outcomes, and making progress.
  • Ensure Black communities’ voices, experiences and interests are represented, valued, and used to guide decision‑making.
  • Act as a critical friend, offering constructive challenge and highlighting concerns where needed.
  • Scrutinise reports and request data or information from the Race Matters Delivery Group.
  • Agree on robust mechanisms with leadership to monitor progress, measure impact, and evaluate outcomes.
  • Provide guidance and recommendations to delivery groups and project leads, ensuring alignment with the Police Race Action Plan.
  • Help set objectives, identifying potential benefits, risks, and expected outcomes.
  • Apply race‑equality expertise to ensure the work is legitimate, realistic, effective, and improves outcomes for Black communities.
  • Build links with other scrutiny boards, community forums, and networks to strengthen transparency, trust, accountability, and engagement.

Find out more about the organisations, agencies and other groups we collaborate with.