Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 11:49
Being able to celebrate what makes each of us different, makes us stronger as friends, colleagues, and a community. October is Black History Month. At EEAST we’re taking the opportunity to recognise the achievements and valuable contribution of our black colleagues, and in particular our black female colleagues, as the theme of the month is ‘Saluting our Sisters.’
During the month a number of our female colleagues will be sharing their experiences with us, and there are a host of events and workshops taking place. We’ve included a full list of Black History month activities on Need to Know and there is also a dedicated BHM Teams background that you can download and display during October.
Earlier this week, I published a blog on why I believe we need to be talking more about race. From initial discussions around the subject of EDI back in the early 2000s, the NHS has made some progress in reporting equality and inclusivity, but there is still much to do. We are a long way, both nationally, and here at EEAST from being truly diverse.
Part of what holds us back, is the reluctance to have what many of us see as difficult conversations around the subject of race and racism. But in a world where we are a population of many different cultures, values and ethnicities, we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about our differences. In addition, there are still several staff who have not declared their ethnicity, so please update ESR to ensure that we have a true reflection of our diversity across the Trust.
It can be difficult to know how to start a conversation around race, but simply listening to our colleagues, asking about their experiences, and acknowledging the inequalities that are still present in the NHS and in wider society, is an ideal place to start. Our new Let’s Talk campaign is being launched to help kick start and encourage these conversations and provide a forum where we can ask questions and learn from others without judgement.
The campaign will run for a year initially, and each month will focus on a different topic everything from autism and menopause to allyship and transphobia. We’re launching this week with a discussion on race. The sessions are now available for you to book on OLM via ESR and you can find a complete schedule of the Let’s Talk campaign events on Need to Know.
Breaking down barriers to speaking up
Creating opportunities for us all to feel able to speak up and use your voice is something we are keen to do more of and is one of the reasons our Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) team provides such a valuable service. Our FTSU guardians are there to listen in a safe, independent, confidential way when you see or hear something that concerns you in the workplace.
October is FTSU month, and the team are embracing the theme of ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ and going out on the road to meet as many colleagues as possible. Their roadshow will take them right across the region, and you can find a schedule of where they’ll be, and when, on Need to Know. They will also be running a consultation across Need to Know and the virtual crew rooms on Facebook, asking you to tell them what you feel the main barrier is for people being reluctant to speak up. I’m also told that anyone who gets involved will be entered into a prize draw – but more details will be shared on that next week.
As well as our three FTSU guardians, the team is also supported by a network of local FTSU ambassadors who act as local points of contact, offering advice and signposting to support, as well as directing colleagues to the guardians if needed. The team are always looking to recruit more ambassadors and will be able to talk more about the role on their station visits. We must keep talking and encouraging others to do so as well and as a Trust, we are working extremely hard on providing a safer environment and more support once you raise your concerns.
So please do go and say hallo to the FTSU team if they’re visiting your station and remind colleagues that the service is available for them.
Get ready to book your flu jab
It’s that time of year when our vaccinators are preparing to deliver flu jabs to colleagues across the Trust.
This year, the flu campaign will launch on 23 October, and run until 15 December. Alongside the flu jab, the Covid-19 vaccine will also be offered to all colleagues. Both vaccines can be administered at the same time and there will be clinics available Trust wide.
The flu team are currently finalising all the arrangements and will be sharing more information about the campaign on Need to Know in the coming days.
Time for a coffee
This week, you should all have received an email from Picker sending you a unique link to complete this year’s National Staff Survey. In return for completing the survey, you’ll be sent a £5 voucher for Costa which I’m sure many of us will look forward to. Thank you to our EEAST Charity who have funded this for us.
The survey takes less than 15 minutes and is completely anonymous, but the information it provides is so important as it gives us a localised view of your experience at EEAST, what you’d like to change and what you feel is working well for you. We’ve shared a series of frequently asked questions on Need to Know, which should address any concerns you may have. The survey is open until the end of the month, so please do take some time to share your thoughts and enjoy your coffee.
Thank You Thursday
This week our thank you is for a crew from Kempston ambulance station.
‘A sincere and heartfelt thanks to all at the scene and behind the scenes, for giving me excellent care at the incident site. Words are too small to express my gratitude.’
I’d like to end by thanking the 951 colleagues who took the time to complete our recent Workplace Behaviours Survey. We really value your responses as they help to guide the way we are shaping and changing our culture as an organisation, making EEAST somewhere we all feel free to be ourselves.
Thank you.
Dr Hein Scheffer
Director of Strategy, Culture and Education
Published 5 October 2023