Be the Change
Earlier in this year, I started my role as Programme Manager – National Ambulance Diversity Forum. I sit on the Work Race Equality Standard (WRES) Implementation team and report to the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The role covers the whole of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda with a BME focus.
It’s fair to say that the ambulance sector has been lagging behind the rest of the NHS for some time on diversity and has some of the lowest diversity scores in the NHS.
My role was to assess ways that we could turn the dial and progress the EDI agenda to inform the work plan of the National Ambulance Diversity Forum. Within the first 6 months I visited all the services to introduce myself and build relationships with the Chief Executives (CEOs), Chairs, HR Directors, EDI leads, unions and staff networks, to understand where each Trust was on its EDI journey. The theme that was common across the sector was the levels of rudeness and bullying between staff, lack of psychological safety, the level of bullying and harassment that staff received from patients and the difference in work experience as a result of identity e.g. BME, Disability, LGBT and gender.
The ambulance sector CEOs and Chairs voiced their commitment to progression of this agenda. I saw some evidence of good practice across the ambulance sector being undertaken to tackle inequality. Senior management recognises that the ambulance sector needs to do much more to transform its culture into one where everyone, regardless of background can bring their whole self to work, is respected and cared for, can flourish and achieve for true equality to be fully realised. I do believe the sector is “Stronger together” on this work by pulling its resources to tackle common themes, sharing replicable good practice that has made a difference and celebrating successes.
I have used the platform of this role to amplify the need for diversity and inclusion and keep the need for diversity high on the agenda. I’ve done this through various approaches: Twitter, presenting at AACE council, board away days, supporting our national networks and their conferences. The Ambulance National BME and LGBT networks are groups that the sector should be proud of and that do a phenomenal amount of work to advance equality across the ambulance workforce. They also highlight health inequalities and improvements for patients. Other organisations such as the College of Policing and the Fire Service have been interested to hear about the ambulance sector’s work on Diversity and Inclusion.
I’ve also undertaken projects such as board diversity, widening participation on paramedic science degrees, equality and diversity considerations for the ambulance uniform, and developed content for the NHS Employer ambulance workforce equality page where good practice can be shared.
In September 2019, I organised an ambulance sector diversity conference – Project D: Valuing Difference and Embracing Diversity – in conjunction with NHS Horizons and colleagues. The Project D event was a response to answering Pam Brown’s, (Head of Diversity and Inclusion at West Midlands Ambulance Service) challenge, made at a previous Ambulance Leadership Forum, for the ambulance sector to think differently about diversity.
Over 100 ambulance leaders, paramedics, staff from the English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Northern Irish Ambulance services came together to explore ways to co-create actions and next steps for embedding and valuing difference in ambulance services.
The purpose of the conference was to turn up the volume on Diversity and Inclusion nationally and to find out what the EDI priorities were from the grassroots ambulance staff and come up with tangible outcomes. Services were asked to put staff forward that haven’t engaged with before on this agenda.
The English services and devolved nations Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – 14 services in all – each had a presence at the event. We had three presenters who spoke about disability, race, gender and transgender identity. Their powerful stories helped attendees to tell their stories and lived experience. During the day campaign films and a charter was developed called “Our Promises”. National priorities based on the outcomes of the day are being developed and discussed, so that the Services can agree on a national approach and work to take forward.
It has been a busy year. It has been great getting to know the sector and the committed workforce that make a difference to patient’s lives every single day under some really tough conditions. 12 months has not been long enough to achieve all that I had wished but I do feel that the wheels are in motion and the Diversity and Inclusion agenda is more prominent in the sector’s thinking.
Change is a long process. It takes steadfast leadership. a change in mindset, commitment, intentional focus and a willingness to do things differently to make headway. I look forward to seeing the ambulance sector’s progress on Diversity and Inclusion. I remain hopeful for more change and feel privileged to have played a part. We must keep having those uncomfortable conversations and keep hearing those difficult truths and act upon them.
Each and everyone of us ultimately has a part to play to realise the required change and make the ambulance sector the very best it can be, an inclusive place for all.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama
