Race Equality Network

The Trust vision is to maximise the impact and the involvement of all Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues, ensuring all feel valued and thrive within an inclusive and compassionate workplace.

The Network will work with the organisation to tackle any issues regarding:

Inequalities, discrimination and social justice;
Disproportionate representation of ethnic minority colleagues across all grades
Health inequalities in terms of care, outcomes, health and wellbeing outcomes, experience, monitoring and the impact of Covid-19 on ethnic minority staff and communities,
The need to make this “everybody’s business.”

How the Humber Race Equality Network will support its members;

Offering a space where concerns can be raised, escalated and addressed as appropriate, with the intent of improving staff work/life experience, in turn, helping to improve the wellbeing of the wider community, by ensuring more holistic and inclusive decision making.
Empowering its members to hold the organisation to account, in line with its stated vision, aims and intentions, in accordance with the ‘Being Humber’ behavioural framework.

Network meetings – once per month

Network meetings will be split, scheduled to last for 90 mins and be made up of two parts, providing space for everyone e.g. Line managers and active allies in part two of the meeting.

The first 30 mins for staff who identify themselves as coming from an ethnic minority only.

This part of the meeting offers a safe space, support and work up areas to discuss, with a strict rule of confidentiality.

The second 50 minutes is opened up for all staff and active allies to join.

This part of the meeting has more focus on actions, addressing points raised and positive outcomes.

Who can be a member?

The Race Equality Network is for all staff that define themselves as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

It is important, as part of our commitment, all line managers should support and encourage minority ethnic staff to attend.

What is an ally, and who can be an ally?

Anyone has the potential to be an ally if you wish to contribute in anyway or just simply offer your support.

It is important issues around inequality are made to be ‘everybody’s business’, to understand the impact of discrimination, raise awareness discrimination of any kind has no place in society nor our Trust and to get involved with positive outcomes that ensure all our colleagues feel valued and thrive within an inclusive and compassionate workplace.

Being an ally doesn’t necessarily mean you fully understand the issues, but it does mean you;

Take on issues of equality as your own.
Amplify voices of others before your own.
Acknowledge that the conversation is not about your own experiences but is about others in that group.
Stand up for others
Own your own mistakes
Take ownership of informing and educating yourself on the issues

How do I get involved as a member or ally?

If you identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic and want to get involved and give voice and visibility, or you wish to be an ally. Get in touch:

Grace Gava, g.gava@nhs.net

Faye Jessop, faye.jessop@nhs.net

You can also contact our Workforce & Equality Diversity and Inclusion Partner, John Duncan at john.duncan6@nhs.net

Resources

Black History Month (humber.nhs.uk)

The Allies Group

The Anti-Racist Allies Group is open to all members of staff in the Trust who share a similar motivation to tackle racism and to support the work of the Race Equality Network

Our meetings are open to everyone and occurs the last Thursday of every month, please joint using this MST link Click here to join the meeting

Why do we have an Allies Group?

The Anti-Racist Allies Group is a group of people across the Trust who believe that racism has no place in our organisation or our world. We started the group in 2021 after becoming more aware of how prevalent racism is in our society (and workplace) and deciding that we wanted to take action.

We have three main aims/functions of our group meetings:

To educate ourselves more about racism and what is means to be an effective ally.
To reflect on experiences of racism we have witnessed and what we have done about this.
To work collaboratively with the Race Equality Network and support them in their work.

If you would like to become an ally, contribute in any way or offer your support or voice to the Race Equality Network, this group is for you.

Please attend one of the informal MS Teams meetings or contact us for more information.