Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week 2022 (2023)

Now in it's tenth 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 support the campaign and host activities to promote and celebrate the great work taking place around equality, diversity and inclusion.

The week coincides with other national campaigns such as mental health awareness week and national staff networks day, we have therefore linked to these in some of our daily themes.

Every day we will update this page with links to blogs, guidance, videos, case studies and good practice.

Monday 9 May	Mental health and wellbeing Access tools and resources to help you make positive improvements to mental wellbeing in the workplace. Take a look at this mental wellbeing in the workplace infographicwhich shares statistics and key facts on employee mental wellbeing in the workplace. Developed in conjunction with our health and wellbeing leads, this web page provides information to help you support people experiencing stress. NHS Confederation's Mental Health Network is hosting a webinar on 10 May -Borderline personality disorder and other co-morbidities. It will share what service providers should consider when caring for people with a diagnosis of ‘borderline personality disorder’ and co-morbidities?
Tuesday 10May	Disability in the workplace Join ourwebinar 11.30am-1pmSupporting deaf colleagues in the workplaceand learn about the challenges facing staff who are deaf and those with earing loss and tinnitus. Find out how you can support them in the workplace, book your free place. Access our infographic to understand what disability is and learn how organisations and managers can support disability in the workplace. Find out what theNHS is doing to support its disabled workforce in the workplaceand access a suite of information and resources. Employers have a legal responsibility to make workplace adjustments for disabled staff or those with long-term health conditions. Access guidance aroundmaking reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Health passports allow individuals to record details about their disability, health condition or learning disability. Use our health passport template. Listen to the experiences of NHS staff who were shielding andlearn about the adjustments they received -such as flexible working, and how this improved their wellbeing.
Wednesday 11May	Staff networks On National Day for Staff Networks listen to our podcast belowtohear Habib Naqvi, Yvonne Ormston, Richard Stubbs and Layla McCay talk about the benefits and value of staff networks, andwhy they are needed now,possibly more than ever, to supportthe health and wellbeing of our diverse workforce. Read this blog by Steven Weeks, Steven shares insights aroundusing the NHS Staff Survey alongside EDI staff networksto improve equality in organisations. Take a look at theImproving staff equality networks through partnership working good practice guideproduced by the NHS Staff Council'sEquality, Diversity and Inclusion Group. Read this blog,My staff network journey by Michelle Healy at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust where she discusses the importance of staff networks and the support they provide. Watch our staff network webinar recordings: How staff networks can support the health and wellbeing of staff Embedding and empowering LGBTQ+ staff webinars
Thursday 12 May	Inclusive recruitment To supportemployers to meet some of the actions of the NHS People Plan, take a look at the following resources. Accesskey findings from the report Attracting Supporting and Retaining a Diverse NHS Workforce, with actions for employers. Find out how you can support people with learning disabilities into the workplace through supported internships. Learn about theLearning Disability Employment Programme, Project Search andDFN Project Choice. Watch this webinar recording to hear how Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustis supporting apprenticeships for those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD). Read this report for HR leaders/managers, it details inclusive recruitment case studies and tips on job creation, person specs/job descriptions, adverts, interviews, onboarding, talent management.
Friday 13 May	Intersectionality In this blog Understanding intersectionality and engaging with diverse staff and communities, Dr Shamaila Anwar talks about intersectionality and creating psychological safety. To support EQW2022the Electronic Staff record (ESR) teampublished an article detailing how ESR supports equality recording/monitoring across the NHS. The article also includes a reference to an upcoming development which they hope will help to further improve declaration rates for key personal information and equality data items. Read this blog from Darren Jalink, commercial director at Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei). Darrenshares his thoughts on the once in 30-year meeting of Ramadan, Pesach, and Easter in the calendar and examines how this sense of unity can relate to the workplace.

National Day for Staff Networks

National Day for Staff Networks takes place on Wednesday 11 May. In its sixth year the purpose of the day is to shine a light and recognise the multiple benefits that staff networks offer employees, and in many cases their organisation. The day presents an opportunity for networks to celebrate their contribution, inspire with their stories and offer insight into the lived experiences of often underrepresented colleagues.

Listen to our podcast recorded in celebration of the day with Habib Naqvi MBE, Director, NHS Race and Heath Observatory and the leaders of the NHS Confederation's three EDI Leadership networks; Yvonne Ormston, CEO Gateshead Health NHS Trust and deputy chair of the Health and Care Women Leaders Network, Richard Stubbs, CEO, Yorks and Humber Academic Health Science Network and co-chair of the BME Leadership Network and Layla McCay, Director of Policy, NHS Confederation and co-chair of the Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network.

National Day for Staff Networks podcast

NHS Employers · #EQW2022: The Power of Staff Networks

Evenbreak are running a webinar on attracting disabled candidates it takesplace on Tuesday 10May2-3pm.At a time when every employer is chasing the best talent, what can you do to make sure talented disabled candidates apply for your roles? This webinar looks at the factors that might put off disabled candidates and those that will give them the confidence to apply by seeing you as an inclusive employer of choice. Hear tips and tricks on how you can attract the very best talent. Book here.
A Conversation with Maz Edwards - The Challenge of Transitioning while still employedNHS England and NHS Improvement's South West EDI groupare hosting this eventon 12 May 2-3pm. The session will focuson the experiences of Maz Edwards and the challenges she faced going through the transition while trying to maintain full-time employment. Book your place
Employee Engagement Summit - Engage Employee Taking place on 12 May, Paul Deemer head of diversity and inclusion at NHS Employers is speaking about diversity and inclusion in a fireside chat at 11.30am-12noon. Find out more information and book your place
The Inclusion Ambassadors at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH)are runningrunning two 'Stand by me'sessions for all staff on Friday 13 May. These sessions will include how to recognise micro-aggressions and how to speak up and challenge discrimination.
In addition they arevisiting the wards with their support trolley withresources for staff around support and wellbeing. Wellbeing facilitators will be offering wellbeing conversations and they will be sharing their ‘Helpful phrases’ handout to support staff to challenge discrimination.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust ishosting inclusive recruitment masterclasses aimed at recruiting managers with hints, tips and guidance for recruiting the best staff member for the role. It will include guidance on shortlisting criteria andunderstanding unconscious bias.
The trust is also hosting masterclasses that will examinethe relationship between mental health and LGBTQ+ identities, challenging conventional coping and community support strategies by applying an intersectional lens.
They also have a dedicated day for staff networks on Wednesday 11 May providing an opportunity for their staff members to visit dedicated on site pop up stands to meet with members of theirthree networks which are:
- (SIREN) - Staff Inclusion Race Empowerment Network-created to ensure that the organisation addresses the needs of our BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) staff members, by helping them challenge inequality and ethnic discrimination. SIREN Staff Network aims to create a sense of belonging by providing a safe forum to network, socialise, share, question, challenge and receive support and advice in relation to race equality.
- (DAWN) - Disability and Wellbeing Network-created to work with and bring together staff with disabilities in a safe, confidential and informal environment to share knowledge and experiences whilst working with the organisation to raise awareness of disability inclusion, assist in the removal of obstacles and difficulties, and provide effect and meaningful change.
- (LGBTQ+) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Network-created to build a supportive community and act as a voice for all staff in their organisation who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The network aims to create a safe, inclusive and diverse working environment that encourages respect and equality, whilst helping then recognise and promote sexual orientation identify and gender identity in our workplace.
The Inclusion Centre at Barts Health NHS Trust is holding a series of webinars:
- Understanding the ethnicity pay gap on Thursday 12 May
- Black Inclusion Week -Being a good ally of ethnic minorities onFriday 13 May
- Carers making caring visible, valued and supported on Monday 6 June
- Celebrating Philippines Independence Day with Joy Ongcachuy OBEon Friday 10 June
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trustislaunching their Be.Inclusive campaign during the week. The campaign is a call to action to all their 28,000 colleagues – all roles, bands, areas of work and protected characteristicsto be 'inclusionists' and get involved in the trust’s inclusion journey so that every single member of staff feels that they belong, and the diversity of their patients’ needs is met.
Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust arehosting a series of staff events:
Monday 9May – Mental Health Awareness Week, their stand will have more information on their new in-house Psychology led Service for staff, with a focus on PTSD support.
Tuesday 10May – Disability in the workplace, information about their new attendance and wellbeing policy and toolkit will be available to staff. Reasonable Adjustments and how to refer to Access to Work ifstaffrequire additional equipment or adjustments to carry out their roles.
Wednesday 11May – Staff Networks Day. Hosting astand that will share information for staff from protected characteristics and how to become a member.
Thursday 12May – Inclusive Recruitment, they will share their strategic ambitions in relation to inclusion and being more representative of the local community, current position and what recruitment initiatives they have in place.
Friday 13May – Intersectionality. Hosting a stand to raise awareness of what it is.

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Follow@NHSE_Diversityon Twitter anduse hashtag #EQW2022.

Please let us know how you are supporting #EQW2022 this year and we will add your activities below, emaildiversityandinclusion@nhsemployers.org.

#EQW2023

#EQW2023 will be taking place from 9 to 13 May 2023.