October is Black History Month! It is a time for recognition and celebration of Black African and Carribbean heritage and culture.
The theme for the month is ‘Time for change: Action not words'. We are proud of the huge diversity of our colleagues across health and social care sectors. We have listed support resources for our colleagues:
Mental Health First Aid training
NHS England are working with MHFA England to offer a cohort of training sessions aimed at NHS staff from diverse backgrounds, focusing on our BAME, LGBT+ and disabled colleagues. The programme comprises of four half-day learning sessions, facilitated virtually and you will need to attend all four half-day sessions to gain your certificate. MHFA won’t teach you to be a therapist, but just like physical first aid, it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond.
Looking After You Too: coaching support for BAME staff working in the NHS
This is a one to one wellbeing coaching support offer for BAME colleagues in the NHS workforce. Talking to a trained coach can help you process the experiences you are facing, develop coping skills and importantly, develop practical strategies to manage the situation and maintain your health and wellbeing, so you can carry on with your work and your life.
All coaching sessions are free and confidential – details will never be shared with employers. All coaching sessions are available via phone or video call, seven days a week at a day and time that suits you. Find out more and book here
The Black Frontline Project
'The Black Frontline', is an oral history project on global Black healthcare workers – specifically nurses and doctors.
It is led by The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, and co-directed by COVID Black. It frames the pandemic through the lens, experiences and stories of Black doctors and nurses in three countries on three continents, the UK, Ghana, and the USA.
This is the first stage of a multi-year project where stories are being connected to make structural change within the healthcare sector. They are reaching out to Black doctors and nurses to share their stories, and participate in this project. More details about the project can be found here. To participate, and share your story please contact Abigail Bernard at: abigailbernard20gmail.com.
Support for Nurses recruited from Jamaica
In 1978, a small group of nurses founded The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) to provide support, advice and guidance to new nurses coming to the UK from Jamaica. Over the past 18 months, many nurses recruited from Jamaica to work in the NHS have had a stressful and challenging experience. NAJ provides emotional, social and professional support to these staff through webinars, telephone and face to face contact. Contact info@naj.org.uk for more information.
Strengths Coaching
Our Strengths Coaching programme aims to support BAME NHS colleagues across the health and social care system by building confidence and empowerment in individuals, and working to improve inclusivity, engagement and productivity within teams. Coaching builds a partnership between coach and coachee. The role as the coach is to help the coachee to achieve their personal best and to produce the results they want in their personal and professional lives.
- The NHS Confederations' BME Leadership Network is holding two face-to-face events on 12 October 2022 at the QEII Centre in London. These events are for members of the network. If you would like to join this free network please complete their sign-up form and register for the events via the links below:
- BME Leadership Network members' meeting - 5-6.30pm
An opportunity for BME Leadership Network members to come together and discuss plans to address the recommendations from the Shattered Hopes report, including details of their new mentoring programme. - 'Race, science and the NHS' with Dr Adam Rutherford - 6.30-9.30pm
Lord Victor Adebowale is hosting an evening with author and broadcaster Dr Adam Rutherford. Adam will draw on themes from his latest book 'Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics' to discuss the potential impact of new gene-editing techniques and how scientific racism and eugenics ideology, both past and present, have contributed to racism within the NHS and wider society.
- BME Leadership Network members' meeting - 5-6.30pm
- NHS England is hosting a Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) session about WRES data to action - 6 October, 12.30-2pm. The webinar will focus on the findings of the most recently published WRES data and specific actions we can all take to improve the outcomes and experiences of our staff.
- The NHS London Leadership Academy - The academy are hosting a series of events during the month, including sessions on the impact of Windrush and what the experiences of black leaders can teach us all about belonging.
- The Royal College of Nursing - The RCN is holding a series of free online and face-to-face events during October, including a session on justice and wellbeing.
- Barts Health NHS Trust is running a series of online events:
- Ethnic Minority Leadership Seminar - 4 October, 9-4pm
- Loose Women - a Black History Month event - 13 October, 11–12:30pm
- Demystifying executive search firms – 18 October, 11-12pm
- Demystifying psychology - 21 October, 12:15-1:5pm
- Let's talk about race - 25 October, 10-11:15am
- North East Ambulance Service - Where racism comes from and how to recognise and respond to it - This virtual event is taking place on 12 October, 12-1pm and is open to all Ambulance service employees nationally.
- NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is relaunching its Primary Care Ethnically Diverse Network on 6 October, 7pm at Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
- The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust is holding a Black History Month Conference on 15 October, 10-2.30pm in Bury.
- The HSJ are publishing their annual Top 50 most influential black, Asian and minority ethnic people in health during the month.
Get involved
During October keep an eye on our website and Twitter using hashtag #BlackHistoryMonth as we join in the celebrations, share stories and resources.