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. We have listed support resources for our colleagues:
Looking After You Too: Coaching for NHS staff from ethnic minority backgrounds
Looking After You Too (LAYT) coaching is a one to one wellbeing support offer for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds working in the NHS (clinical and non-clinical).
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.
Black Minds Matter UK
The aim of Black Minds Matter is to ensure that black people in the UK can access mental health support. The organisation does this by helping black people and families across the nation to find professional mental health services, in addition to raising money to help cover the cost of such services.
Mind for Young Black Men
The Young Black Men programme through which works specifically with young black men aged between 11 and 30 years old.
BAATN - The Black, African and Asian Therapy Network
Home of the largest community of Counsellors and Psychotherapists of Black, African, Asian and Caribbean heritage in the UK.
- 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.