Healthwatch Greenwich BAME Advisory Group

In November we held our first Black Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Advisory group meeting in which we discussed the draft Terms of Reference and agreed upon which of the service provider commitments (established following our BAME Listening Event in July) that the advisory group would prioritise in supporting and monitoring.

NHS Lewisham and Greenwich Trust:

• Setting up a working group with partners to tackle health inequalities
• Review recruitment processes and training offered to recruiting managers (including training on unconscious bias), and consider focused coaching, mentoring and career support available to staff who need support to help progress their careers
• Launch a reverse mentoring programme giving BAME, disabled and LGBTQ+ staff a chance to mentor a senior leader in the Trust

NHS Oxleas Trust

• Commence cultural sensitivity workshops in November to ensure that all staff have cultural competence awareness training
• An equality plan in place by November by all Service Directorates, based on areas identified through the Equality Impact Assessment and EDS2^[1], and including culturally appropriate services

Royal Borough of Greenwich

• Develop an Equality and Equity Charter which sets out pledges to promote the values of equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome views to help shape the Charter and collectively agree on a set of commitments that can be adopted in all organisations and groups – anticipated to inform a broader action plan due October 2020

In addition, the group agreed to prioritise the following commitments outlined in RBG Equality and Equity Charter:

1. Challenging discrimination, harassment, bullying, hate crime, and victimisation
2. Eliminating barriers, encouraging a growth mindset, raising aspirations and creating opportunities for growth beyond limit
3. Listening to and understanding the diverse needs of all people.

A listening event follow-up, to provide those on the receiving end of the actions made by service providers and commissioners (both staff and service users) the opportunity to hear what progress has been made and share their experience and comments.