One Adoption West Yorkshire Achieves Cultural Cohesion Quality Mark Bronze Award

One Adoption West Yorkshire is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Cultural Cohesion Quality Mark (CCQM) Bronze Award, recognising the agency's ongoing commitment to becoming a more culturally cohesive, responsive and inclusive organisation.

The CCQM is a nationally recognised framework designed to help organisations strengthen cultural understanding, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where diversity and inclusion are embedded in everyday practice. Far from a tick‑box exercise, the accreditation requires meaningful organisational reflection, open dialogue, and a willingness to embrace change.

In their feedback, the awarding body highlighted the strength of the team's journey so far, noting that their approach “demonstrates creativity, innovation, and a commitment to raising awareness and changing hearts and minds.” They commended the organisation for creating open and safe opportunities for staff and stakeholders to discuss cultural issues and share perspectives, as evidenced through staff voice activities, CCQM discussions and reflective sessions.

A number of key developments and initiatives contributed to the award, including:

• A Service Improvement Plan (SIP), which clearly outlines goals and priorities linked to cultural responsiveness
• Targeted recruitment strategies to better support LGBTQ+ and Black adopters
• The TRECS support group (transracial, transethnic, transcultural) for families navigating identity and cultural connection
• Dedicated staff spaces, such as our CCQM Teams channel, enabling reflective discussion and shared learning
• Adapted meeting formats, shifting from large gatherings to smaller, more comfortable discussion spaces
• Ongoing professional development, including quarterly CPD sessions that have had demonstrable positive impact
• Consistent focus on cultural competence at bi‑annual conferences and staff learning events

Notably, 93% of staff reported that developing their own cultural competence is beneficial, illustrating the positive shift in awareness, confidence and engagement across the organisation.

The awarding body also praised the way One Adoption West Yorkshire incorporates the voices and experiences of young people into service development, ensuring that decision‑making is informed by lived experience and reflective of the diverse communities served.

Achieving the Bronze Award marks an important milestone in the agency's cultural cohesion work, but it is also the beginning of the next stage of development. OAWY remains committed to fostering inclusive practice, creating space for courageous conversations, and ensuring that the service provided is culturally responsive for every child, young person and family.