A short introduction to the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and how we tackle race and health inequality for minority communities across the healthcare system:
Read " NHS Race Health Observatory Explainer an…"
The National NHS Race Equality Strategy will be published in October 2021.
This five-year strategy aims to establish a standard across operations to advance race equality, eliminate discrimination and foster good relations. We are now consulting, engaging and gathering views.
All NHS workers (regardless of race/profession and including bank & agency workers) have the opportunity to contribute to this work. To begin, we are asking for feedback using a very brief online form. https://forms.office.com/r/gF0BicjRHa
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team
Read " National NHS Race Equality Strategy Cons…"NHS England and NHS Improvement South West is working with Patient Voices to make some digital stories to help us better understand your experience of working for the NHS in the South West and why you enjoy living and working here. The power of individual stories in raising awareness and engagement with diverse groups and helping organisations and integrated care systems (ICSs) understand and improve staff experience is an integral part of our vision for our colleagues in the South West, where we don’t just accept diversity — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our colleagues, our patients and our community. We want to see a workplace where all our colleagues are pro-equity and our colleagues can bring their whole selves to work.
If you have a story to tell about challenges you have faced and, perhaps, overcome, as a member of staff, please consider sharing your experience so that others can learn important lessons. We are looking for 8 colleagues from diverse backgrounds who would be willing to tell their story in this powerful and unique way, so that we can learn from your experience and work across the region to improve it.
Working with the award-winning Patient Voices Programme, you will attend six, two-hour workshop sessions developing and refining a script, recording a voiceover, selecting images and editing your own short video. Once complete, your story will be available via the Patient Voices website www.patientvoices.org.uk/stories/htm
The workshops will take place during the autumn, with the first session during the week commencing 10 October, You will need to have a laptop with Zoom capability, including video and audio functions.
If you’d like to see examples of other digital stories created by NHS staff, please go to www.patientvoices.org.uk/dnaoc.htm; if you’d like to see how we anticipate using your stories, please look at the Facilitators’ packs created from similar stories which have been made in the past. Each pack contains a link to stories relevant for that theme.
If you are interested in making your own digital story, please send an expression of interest to england.swedi@nhs.net
If you’d like to find out more about the workshop, please contact Pip Hardy at pip@pilgrimprojects.co.uk or Tony Sumner at tony@pilgrimprojects.co.uk
Read " Are you a colleague from a diverse backg…"
Whether you use childcare or not, your voice counts. The answers you give in this short survey will help the early years and childcare team in Devon County Council to plan and make sure that there is enough childcare for you to work or train. We ran this survey in January and are asking you to complete it again as we know childcare needs change. This survey will run from 19 July to 13 August 2021.
You can access the survey here.
Please help us to reach as many parents as possible by sharing it on social media and by downloading and displaying this poster
Read " Calling all parents living or working i…"
Pagan is an umbrella term. Asatru, Heathen, Druid, Wiccan are the most common belief systems and lifestyles.
The below blog was written by Leonore Newson, a member of our Faiths and Beliefs (FaB) Staff Network, who works as a Staff Nurse at UHP:
A few years ago, when I returned to work in Derriford as a staff nurse, I could see that the spiritual needs of most of our patients were extremely well cared for by our wonderful Chaplaincy team. I wondered though about the needs of our Pagan patients, so approached the Chaplains and completed the pastoral visitors course here . This course gives great insight and prepares you well for the role of a hospital chaplaincy visitor. Since then , the Chaplains have held my contact details , so that if any Pagan patient would like someone of their own faith / belief , then I would go, regardless of time of day or night , if I was in Plymouth .
I have studied with and belong to The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and a celebrant for all rites of passage from baby naming to funerals. I have been contacted by the chaplains and directly when patients have wanted someone to be there with them whilst they are in hospital .
It's good to have an awareness of patients with spiritual beliefs outside the mainstream and know that the Trust has an all-inclusive policy and someone who can be there for these patients . Just contact the Chaplaincy department and they will forward the details to me if a visit is wanted.
I received this recently from a relative who is a former Derriford ITU nurse and this just sums up what I try to do .
Pastoral care is a hugely important component of holistic care when someone is in hospital. This is even more so when someone is critically ill fighting for their life. When my mum was recently in hospital in ITU her faith as a druid was incredibly important to her. The importance of Leonore coming to ITU to visit mum was huge and also I didn’t realise how comforting I would find this as a relative. I found I looked forward to her visits and found her words so kind.
When we think of pastoral support, we may think of the faiths that we are all aware about on a daily basis. Being a Druid / pagan, this may not be a faith that people may be very aware of and I would like to raise awareness of this important and beautiful faith and pastoral care that was provided to my mum and myself and sister right up until my mums final hours.
Thank you Leonore for the fantastic and vital service you provide to our loved ones and relatives in the hospital and beyond in our time of need.
Read " How many wards and departments know that…"
