Introducing EEAST’s Cultural Ambassador programme

As part of our ongoing culture work within EEAST, today is the official launch of our Cultural Ambassador programme.

The Cultural Ambassador programme is made of colleagues from Minority Ethnic backgrounds who have volunteered to be trained as Cultural Ambassadors.

The primary aim of the Cultural Ambassadors is to address the historic disproportionate impact of Minority Ethnic staff entering informal and formal processes. The Cultural Ambassador will be a neutral member of the process to support and advise as necessary.

In November 2020 the Cultural Ambassadors received specific training to enable them to sit as part of investigation teams or as members of the decision-making panels for grievances and disciplinary hearings, where a Minority Ethnic colleague is involved. Cultural Ambassadors will also be required to sit as lay members on all recruitment interview panels for roles of band 6 and above.

The aim of the Cultural Ambassador Programme is to:

• Ensure fairness in the manner in which Minority Ethnic colleagues are treated during the formal process of the investigation, grievance or disciplinary.
• Reduce the number of Minority Ethnic colleagues entering formal processes.
• Improve the experience of Minority Ethnic colleagues in formal and informal processes.
• Support the addressing of issues identified by the WRES and WDES reports.
• Reduce the severity of the sanctions awarded to Minority Ethnic colleagues during formal processes.
• Develop opportunities for Minority Ethnic colleagues and participate in informal and formal processes.

 

The benefits of the programme are:

• Build trust with our Minority Ethnic colleagues.
• Issues of a cultural nature will be identified and challenged during the formal process.
• Any acts of cultural bias will be identified and challenged during the formal process.
• Recruit and retain more Minority Ethnic colleagues.
• Enhance the reputation of the Trust.

 

The Trust currently have 17 active Cultural Ambassadors, who you can find out more about in the video below.

For more information, please see Cultural Ambassador FAQs and the new Cultural Ambassador page on East 24. If you have any other questions please email Cultural.Ambassadors@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Published 17th January 2022