Anti-racism statement

Being anti‑racist goes beyond not accepting racism, it means taking active, deliberate action to identify, challenge and remove racism in our policies, practices, behaviours and culture.

For our organisation, being anti‑racist means:

• Acknowledging the history and ongoing impact of racism and discrimination in society and within organisations
• Recognising that racism can be overt or covert, and that it is sometimes hidden within systems, processes and behaviours
• Examining our own roles, responsibilities and biases, and being open to learning and change
• Taking action when we identify unfairness, inequality or harm
• Using evidence and data to understand where inequalities exist and targeting action where it is most needed

We are committed to fostering a workplace culture where colleagues feel safe to speak up, report concerns, and have honest conversations about racism.

We will:

• Use Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) data to drive meaningful improvements in recruitment, progression and experience for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds
• Analyse health inequalities data to understand and reduce disparities in access, experience and outcomes across our services
• Use reciprocal mentoring to deepen understanding of lived experiences and challenge systemic barriers
• Amplify the voices of our Staff Networks
• Provide culturally sensitive, personalised care that reflects people’s needs, beliefs and backgrounds
• Take a firm approach to tackling racism, addressing poor behaviour and supporting staff to act as active bystanders

As we launch our Anti‑Racism Statement, we want to move from commitment to meaningful action swiftly. We are holding a number of engagement events, focusing on listening, co‑production, improvement, testing changes that will work in practice and building shared ownership across the organisation.

How we will engage

1. Protected listening and lived experience

Safe, facilitated spaces for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds to share lived experiences, call out barriers and shape actions and improvements. Insights will be themed and anonymous and will directly inform our approach to tackling racism and improving anti-racism.

2. Open dialogue and co‑production workshops

Time‑limited engagement sessions open to all staff to co‑design practical solutions to challenges faced. This will support improvements in incident response, support after racist incidents, reporting confidence, active bystander behaviours and the use of data.

3. Leadership and manager engagement

Targeted engagement with executives and managers to build confidence and consistency in how leaders show up on anti‑racism, including expectations for behaviour, challenge, and accountability.

4. Community and partnership engagement

High‑level engagement with community and VCSE partners, aligned to patient and population equity work, to support learning, trust‑building and onward co‑production with minority groups.

 

You said, we did

We know that listening is only meaningful if it leads to action and feeding back on what has been changed as a result. A dedicated “You said, we did” page captures how feedback from staff, patients and communities has informed real change across the Trust and will be added to on an ongoing basis.

If you would like to learn more, get involved or need support, please email dpn-tr.equality@nhs.net

Together, we will keep talking about racism

We will not shy away from difficult conversations. We will be brave in our actions, ambitious in our approach, and committed to learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

Together, we will work to undo harm, prevent future injustice, and celebrate the strength that comes from our diverse workforce and communities.