Practitioners' concerns about dealing with multiculturalism are well known.
By contrast, things can go more drastically wrong in the sphere of health and safety, but most qualified or experienced practitioners have some confidence that they know what should be done to prevent accidents or infections. Race and culture, on the other hand, can be seen as an area of activity where someone might suddenly decide you are taking the wrong approach and criticise you. 'Playing it safe' is often the result.
The approach embodied in the national standards is based on the outcomes for children, but uncertainty often leads to something that is based on inputs - as long as there is a wok in the home corner, a welcome notice in several languages, pictures of black children on the walls and plans to celebrate Divali and the Chinese New Year, no one can complain too much, can they? This may keep the less vigilant Ofsted inspector off a setting's back, but how much is it going to do to help children grow up in an increasingly multicultural world?
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