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Baroness Louise Casey’s review of the Met police describes Britain’s largest force as institutionally racist, sexist and misogynist and needing a complete overhaul. In response to the report, the Met police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised, accepting that there is prejudice in the force even as he rejects the use of the term institutional.

Words matter but perhaps what is more important is why so little has seemingly changed since the Macpherson report in 1999 which investigated Stephen Lawrence’s death. The police are an emergency service, essential to law and order in our civic life and to be a police officer is to bear the public trust. But once that trust is broken, how do you rebuild a culture where respect for your colleagues as well as the public lie at the very centre of your professional life?

We know that effective and courageous leadership is key but equally important is the attitude of individuals who use the stress and power of their jobs as an excuse to demean others. We can argue over the exact definition of racism, homophobia and sexism but to those who experience it, it’s not banter or casual, its nasty and bullying and can make people who may already be struggling in the work place, feel even more that they don’t belong.

Of course, corrosive behaviour is found in all kinds of organisations including religious groups where those invested with authority, can also hide behind acts of piety. As Muslims begin the fasting month of Ramadan this week, the words ` in the name of God’ will be uttered increasingly in prayer and worship but I feel that we often say these words unthinkingly. We move on too quickly rather than appreciate that the power of these words should humble us, make us stop and consider that what we say or do in the name of God reflects the virtues of modesty and hospitality towards each other; that a life of faith isn’t about judging others, but supporting the community around us.

Our institutions whether formal or informal, are essential to how our society is organised. And in the last few years, resources have been diverted to focus on equality and diversity in the hope that this kind of training will create more empathy in the workplace. But we can’t really train people for kindness, personal character, and integrity. These have to be cultivated from within. Because in the end, cultural change whether in policing or in any other organisation, isn’t simply a matter of bringing in new rules and laws. It relies on each of acknowledging that we have a moral duty to look within ourselves and be a source of hope rather than fear for others.

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