The Bakare Barley EDI Handbook
5 Years,
5 Practices
To mark five years of Bakare Barley Ltd, we’ve released a new handbook. Five practices from five years of frontline EDI work with self-assessments, real case studies, and reflections from the guests of The Inclusion Exchange podcast.
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Note from Ayo
Five years ago, I started Bakare Barley Ltd with one clear conviction: that working environments could be better, fairer, and more human. Not as a corporate aspiration. As a lived reality for the people who spend most of their waking hours in them.
In the years since, I have worked with organisations across higher education, health, social care, the voluntary sector, and beyond. This handbook is a distillation of what I have learned across those five years. It is not a theoretical framework, and it is not a list of good intentions. It is a practical guide, built from real work with real organisations.
My hope is that by the time you reach the end, you have at least one thing you are going to do differently on Monday morning. That is where change begins.
— Ayo Barley
Founder & Managing Director, Bakare Barley Ltd
Five Practices
The handbook is structured around five practices that sit at the heart of meaningful, lasting EDI progress. Each practice has its own chapter — with a personal reflection, a working framework, a real case study, self-assessment tools, and a “try this with your team” exercise you can take into a meeting next week.
Starting Points
Where organisations get stuck, and how to move.
Inclusive Leadership
Five competencies to develop, at every tier.
Anti-Racism in Practice
Beyond statements to structural change.
Difficult Conversations
Language & confidence for the moment.
Sustaining Change
Building what outlasts leadership shifts.
From the introduction
Five years is not a long time. But it is long enough to see patterns. Long enough to know what works, what does not, and what looks like progress but fails to embed.
— Ayo Barley, from 5 Years, 5 Practices
What you'll get
- A ~45-page practical handbook, delivered as PDF
- Five in-depth chapters covering the practices above
- Ten self-assessment tools your team can use straight away
- Real case studies from Bakare Barley’s client work
- Insights from The Inclusion Exchange podcast guests
- A section on intersectionality across all five practices
- A glossary of key EDI terms in plain language
- A reflection and commitments page for your own use
Who this Handbook is for
The handbook is written for anyone with responsibility — formal or informal — for making their organisation more inclusive.
Senior Leaders & Executive
who set the tone and hold accountability for EDI progress
HR & People
Directors
shaping strategy, policy, and organisational practice
Edi Leads & Inclusion Officers
looking for practical frameworks to strengthen the work they are doing
Line Managers & Team Leaders
who shape the day-to-day experience of inclusion for their people
Board Members & Trustees
with governance responsibility for equality and diversity outcomes
Get your copy of the Handbook
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What Happens Next
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Read, Reflect, Use
Take it into a meeting. Share it with a colleague.
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Frequently Asked Questions
As soon as you submit the form, the handbook will be sent to your inbox. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes.
No. The handbook is free. We're releasing it as a way to mark five years of Bakare Barley and to share what we have learned.
A professionally designed PDF, approximately 40 pages. You can read it on any device or print it out.
Yes, please do. The handbook is designed to be used, discussed, and passed around. We only ask that colleagues sign up themselves if they want to receive it directly.
Absolutely. You can book a free consultation at any time through our contact page