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Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week 2024

#EQW2024 took place on 13-17 May and is a national campaign for health and care organisations. Find out what happened during the week.

28 May 2024

Graphic which reads: Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week 2024, 13-17 May #EQW2024

Now in its twelfth year, the week is a platform for health and care organisations to highlight their work to create a fairer and more inclusive NHS for patients and staff.

During the week health and care organisations from across the country supported the campaign and hosted activities to promote and celebrate the great work taking place around equality, diversity and inclusion.

Each day we focused on a different theme and shared good practice. This year, we celebrated and promoted the work of the NHS Confederation's three diverse leadership networks: Health and Care Women Leaders Network, Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network and the BME Leadership Network. We also launched applications for the new cohort of the Diversity in Health and Care Partners Programme, starting in September 2024.

During the week we published a variety of resources which supported our #EQW2024 themes, including guidance, videos, case studies, blogs and infographics.

- Listen to our new hidden disabilities uncovered podcast to hear Paul Deemer (NHS Employers) talking to Pauline Hogarth (North East Ambulance Service) and Sandi Wassmer (enei).
- Watch our video and webinar recording to learn about understanding and supporting staff with a hidden disability.
- Find out about the different types of disability and supporting disabled staff in the workplace
- Support the mental health of disabled staff by finding out how you can help them.
- Implement the NHS health passport in your organisation.
- Find out how Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust created a rapid-access mental health service to support its staff.
- Learn how to make effective workplace adjustments to support staff in their roles and share our understanding workplace adjustments infographic with managers.
- Read and share the NHS Staff Council Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group (EDIG) guide to building disability inclusive workplaces.
- Find out how you can support staff with learning disabilities into the workplace through supported internships.
- Apply for our 2024/25 Diversity in Health and Care Partners Programme starting in September 2024. The programme runs annually and is a comprehensive organisational development programme which helps organisations advance EDI in the workplace.
- EDI leads from across the country attended our face-to-face conference Fostering excellence in tackling inequality to discuss tackling inequalities both within the workforce and service delivery.
- Read the NHS Confederation briefing An investment not a drain: healthcare leaders’ views on EDI in the NHS to understand the importance of EDI within the NHS.
- 14 May was Digital Inclusion Day. Find out about the Accessible Information Standard and how to implement it.
- Join the BME Leadership Network which strengthens the voice of NHS black and minority ethnic (BME) leaders and supports NHS organisations to meet the needs of all communities. The network welcomes both BME leaders and allies.
- Read the NHS Confederation's anti-racism report Excellence through equality: anti-racism as a quality improvement tool. It includes examples of good practice case studies from BME Leadership Network members, to help advance equality within the workforce and for service users.
- Sign up for the BME Leadership Network’s anti-racism bulletin.
- Join the BME Leadership Network of Network Leaders. Open to chairs and leads of BME/BAME networks, providing an opportunity to meet virtually and share challenges, experiences and good practice.
- Read the BME Leadership Network's Shattered Hopes report which reflects on the lived experiences of BME senior leaders working in the NHS. More than half of senior health leaders from BME backgrounds have said they are considering leaving the NHS because of their experience of racism at work.
- Read Combatting racial discrimination against nurses, midwives and nursing associates. This resource is designed to support nurses, midwives and nursing associates, providing advice on the action that can be taken if you witness or experience racism. It also supports those in leadership roles to be inclusive leaders.
- Learn about the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and how NHS organisations can address race equality issues. Access the latest report
- Read the NHS Confederation's Commit, understand, act: anti-racism strategy and find out how it supports its members to be anti-racist organisations and systems.
- Join the Health and Care Women Leaders Network, a free network for women in the NHS and broader health and social care sector. The network is a diverse community of talented professional women who connect through events, networking and shared learning.
- The Health and Care Network of Women’s Network is for chairs or leads of women’s networks from NHS and health and care organisations. With over 60 organisations already signed up, find out more about the network and sign up today to connect and discuss challenges and learning with like-minded colleagues.
- Read the Action for equality in Wales and Northern Ireland: The Time is Now report. It aims to establish benchmark diversity data across health and care services in Wales and Northern Ireland. The report calls for diversity data on NHS boards to be accessible, transparent, and publicly available.
- For the most recent updates, valuable insights, and upcoming events, follow the network on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. Stay connected on social media platforms to access a wealth of resources and stay informed about the latest developments from the network.
- Visit the Health and Care Women Leaders Network webpage for a variety of helpful blogs, resources and case studies. Enhance gender equity in your organisation with valuable tools and insights.
- Learn about NHS Project S, a campaign to improve working conditions in the NHS, focusing on discrimination and workplace safety, and particularly the safety of women working in healthcare.
- Visit the Surviving in Scrubs webpage to find out more about their campaign to end sexism, harassment and sexual assault within healthcare.
- Learn why the BMA’s End Sexism in Medicine pledge is so vital to improving the experiences of women working in healthcare and sign-up for it now.
- Join the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network, open to LGBTQ+ leaders, aspiring leaders and allies to help influence change across the system.
- Sign up for the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network bulletin to stay up to date with network news and activities.
- Join our Network of LGBTQ+ Networks open to chairs and leads of LGBTQ+ staff networks working across health and care.
- Read Dr Layla McCay's blog on the LGBTQ+ staff experience gap to understand how the experience gap between LGBTQ+ staff and their colleagues is getting worse, particularly for transgender staff and the importance of enabling LGBTQ+ NHS staff to feel safe and thrive as well as their peers.
- Access our exploring LGBTQ+ staff experience in the NHS infographic to explore the growing LGBTQ+ staff experience gap and actions you can take to support LGBTQ+ NHS colleagues.
- Sign our inclusive leadership pledge and join over 1,200 leaders and aspiring leaders who have pledged their commitment to role-modelling inclusive leadership.
- Embed the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Inclusion Framework in your organisation to ensure your working culture and services are LGBTQ+ inclusive.
- Read Leading for All: Supporting Trans and Non-binary Healthcare Staff which provides healthcare leaders with the information and tools to effectively support trans and non-binary staff, and create an inclusive culture for all.
- Read our LGBT+ History Month blog from Alex D’Sa to find out what The King’s Fund has been doing to support inclusion and to become a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.
- Access tools, resources, and best practice to help you create a culture and environment that supports LGBTQ+ staff.
- Join North East Ambulance Service Proud network's virtual event with Drew Dalton, CEO of ReportOut for International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia: 'No one left behind: equality freedom and justice for all'.

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week 2024

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