In the summer of 2020, the Health Innovation Network South London (an NHS organisation in south London supporting change and innovation across the health and care sector) committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation.
Originally catalysed by discussions within the organisation about race following the murder of George Floyd, the aims of their anti-racism programme were to:
- Create a psychologically safe environment, increasing staff confidence in having conversations about race and racial inequality;
- Increase staff confidence in knowing how to speak up and address concerns related to racial inequality and discrimination.
Between 2020 and 2023, the programme worked with staff to co-design, plan and facilitate a range of staff engagement activities, as well as developing practical tools and guides to help with the implementation of anti-racism. Some of the key activities during the programme included:
- Establishing team anti-racism champions;
- Listening events and focus groups for staff to understand current challenges;
- Organisation-wide and team workshops to inform organisational policy;
- Training sessions for staff;
- Hosting of a south London roundtable on anti-racism.
Many of the tools originally developed during the programme are collected in their Anti-Racism Toolkit and Anti-Racism microsite.
In summer 2023, the Health Innovation Network South London commissioned an independent evaluation of the programme. This evaluation found that:
- The programme led to a lasting change in how staff thought about discrimination and racism;
- There appeared to be a positive impact in terms of racially equitable recruitment and an increase in staff from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic groups;
- The programme had led to greater confidence discussing race and racism in staff;
The evaluation also explored the impact and experience of the programme on Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic staff at the organisation, noting that the feelings triggered by the work were complex and not universally positive.
Want to find out more about this work? Contact the Health Innovation Network South London.