West Midlands needs assessment · Key finding
Confidence and Practice
In our survey of thirty-three professionals, 85% felt confident integrating intersectional approaches and 80% reported being proficient in anti-racist practice.
“I wouldn't be able to define intersectionality… people feel they should know everything about equality and racism, so they just try to blag through it.”
Practitioner P12, West Midlands needs assessment
The finding
The interviews showed a clear gap between that reported confidence and the practical skills and deeper understanding needed to support racialised survivors effectively.
Intersectionality was often understood descriptively and confused with intersecting identities, and deeper understanding usually came from self-directed learning outside organisational training.
The executive summary considers overconfidence, social desirability bias and concern about funding as possible explanations for the difference between the survey and the interviews.
Next steps
Our Intersectional IDSVA programme builds the practical skills behind anti-racist and intersectional advocacy across every unit.
More findings
Source: Dias, Stretch and Abdulakadir (2025), Sexual Assault and Abuse Needs Assessment for Racialised Communities in the West Midlands, We Are Frieda CIC.