Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership is working collaboratively across our system to ensure all colleagues feel safe, welcome and supported.

We want every person to be able to bring their whole self to work and thrive through equity, justice and opportunity.

The Partnership does this through the Inclusion Assembly – our system working group focused on workforce inclusion.

Over the last year, members of the HNY Inclusion Assembly have been identifying key priorities for our workforce inclusion work across our partnership.

Allyship and advocacy was highlighted as a priority, specifically around incorporating all protected characteristics to respect the additional barriers that arise when different parts of our identities intersect. This is known as intersectionality and the Assembly approaches our system inclusion work from this position.

Watch this video to find out more about intersectionality*

The Assembly is working with Diversity Company to co-design and co-deliver a system-level approach to allyship that will be shared across all health and care organisations in the form of staff training sessions. We are working in partnership with minoritised colleagues to redefine allyship for our system and we’re looking for volunteers to take part – read on to find out more…

What is allyship?

Allyship requires work, an ongoing commitment to self-education, self-awareness and an understanding of your own biases and privilege.

Allyship is about ongoing action, not about a single statement.

There are currently lots of different ways that we understand allyship across our partnership. However, we recognise that there is strength in numbers – bringing together the knowledge and lived experience of minoritised colleagues across our system to co-design one approach for Humber and North Yorkshire will strengthen our commitment to inclusion across our health and care system and equip colleagues with the knowledge and skills needed to be an active ally.

*Please note – this video includes language we do not use as per the HNY Inclusive Language Guidance. We use the term ‘non-disabled’ and not ‘able-bodied’ unless a person specifically asks us to use the latter. We always take our lead from each individual person, respecting their choice around language to describe their own identity.

All system-level inclusion activity is co-designed with minoritised colleagues from across health and care and is informed by lived experience.

This project is open to both minoritised colleagues and active allies, however, spaces will be clearly defined for each group.

Although the HNY Inclusion Assembly includes co-chairs, faciliators and leaders from staff networks in organisations across our partnership, you do not need to be a member of a staff network or of the Assembly to take part.

The project is open to any minoritised colleague, but we’re particularly interested in hearing from:

• colleagues who are ethnically minoritised or have a culturally diverse background
• disabled colleagues or those living with a long-term health condition (physical and / or mental health)
• neurodivergent colleagues
• colleagues who are part of the LGBT+ community

Active allies are also welcome to take part in later stages of the co-design and development.

VOLUNTEER NOW

The project has two phases:

1. Co-design of approach and training materials
2. ‘Train the trainer’

Both stages of the process will be done virtually using MS Teams.

You will need to be able to contribute to three two-hour virtual workshops and one two-hour delivery session in order to take part in the co-design – virtual options to share your thoughts will be included.

We will work with all colleagues taking part to ensure the sessions are fully accessible.

Here are the dates:

• Workshop 1 – minoritised colleagues only – Tuesday 24 September 2024, 10am-12noon
• Workshop 2 – minoritised colleagues only – Wednesday 9 October 2024, 11am-1pm
• Workshop 3 – minoritised colleagues and allies – Thursday 7 November 2024, 2-4pm
• Training delivery session (held in the November Inclusion Assembly meeting) – Thursday 21 November 2024, 10am-12noon

If you are volunteering as a trainer as well as supporting the co-design, additional sessions will be arranged around availability.

VOLUNTEER NOW

You can volunteer by completing this eform. If you’d find a different way of sharing your details more accessible, please contact the best place to work team by emailing HNY.Wellbeing@nhs.net and we’ll support you.

Taking part is on an ‘opt-in’ basis – this means that no-one will be auto-enrolled with the exception of EDI leads. This includes Assembly members who will need to complete the volunteer form to take part.

Please ensure you have your line manager’s support and that you can attend or contribute to all sessions listed above before you volunteer.

The closing date for getting involved is Friday 13 September 2024.

You can find out more by downloading our quick project overview or by emailing the best place to work team at HNY.Wellbeing@nhs.net.