Our EDI Story So Far
Diverse and inclusive AHPs serving the needs of our diverse communities
AHPs Deliver, our national AHP strategy (published in 2019) made a commitment to anti-racism.
As an AHP Faculty and AHP community across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, we are committed to reduce inequalities across the workforce and drive change to increase the diversity of our registered and non-registered AHP workforce to best serve our communities.
Our Challenge:
The AHP Faculty led the first AHP International Recruitment Collaborative within our system. Working with our Internationally Educated (IE) AHPs and their line managers. IE Radiographers were leaving at double the rate of domestically educated staff (data) and IE OTs and their line mangers had trouble in terms of communication, induction, supervision and transition in general.
Some of our professions lacked diversity (6.8% Dietitians, 5% Speech & Language Therapists and 2.4% Paramedics being from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background).
People from a BAME background is not proportionately reflected in AHP leadership roles.
Our response:
Incorporate the EDI voice in Strategic decision making: Leon Ghulam has been a member of our System AHP Council and later System AHP Board as AHP race equality lead since 2018.
System partners are encouraged to ensure representation from BAME staff at all system events and development opportunities.
The AHP Faculty invested in allyship training, cultural awareness, communication and supervision training.
Ensuring our internationally educated (IE) and recruited AHPs are given the support needed to transition to the UK and thrive in their roles:
We held a system wide welcome event for IE AHPs, established a CoP for IE AHPs and one for AHPs leading on International Recruitment, completed a survey of IE AHPs, facilitated sharing and collaborative development of resources and processes to support IE AHPs, held a co-production event with IE OTs to develop a transition programme and developed a co-produced transition programme for IE OTs and their supervisors.
Increase our understanding of the lack of diversity in our least diverse AHP:
As an AHP Faculty we have used fellowships not only to drive improvement projects but also to develop talent & capabilities of individuals and across our system. We therefore chose to fund 3 Race Equality and 2 Internationally Educated AHP fellowships, each working with the ICB 20 – 25 days between October 2023 and June 2024:
• Explore the careers activity reach and profile of SLT in under-represented group. Create a community of influencers to raise the profile of SLT as a career among diverse ethnic communities.
• Explore barriers for the people from a BAME background to access paramedic training. Engage AHPs to collaborate to develop a padlet as an anti-racism and allyship resource toolkit.
• Identified and build on good practice in Dietetic services through use of Inclusive Recruitment toolkit and representative imagery. Create inclusive attraction and recruitment standards for dietetics/AHPs and share resources through a padlet.
• Investigate the factors resulting in a high leaver rate for IE Diagnostic Radiographers and limited participation in career progression activity. Develop recommendations to support applications and interviews, a development prospectus and mentoring to increase participation in activity that support career progression.
• Investigate IE OT and their supervisors experience of transition, induction, and supervision. Develop an Internationally Educated OT Transition Charter
“My fellowship with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) has had a profound impact on both my personal and professional development. It opened my eyes to the wider, often unseen network that underpins the NHS. This has highlighted how different teams and organisations collaborate, share ideas, and pool resources to drive innovation and deliver better care. Being immersed in this environment, allowed me to see first-hand how interconnected systems support growth, improvement, and sustainability across services. The ICB's involvement in both my fellowship and broader development initiatives gave me access to invaluable learning, mentorship, and strategic insight. These experiences have not only shaped my understanding of system leadership but also equipped me with the skills and confidence to progress in my career, ultimately leading to my current role as a recognised manager within the NHS”
- Gerald Lee, Lead Superintendent Paediatric Radiographer
Increase representation of staff from a BAME background at pay band 8 whilst improving career progression at lower bands:
Complete mapping exercise of current EDI workstreams at system and provider level to identify challenges and opportunities and build on success.
Offer a fellowship with the ICB to build on the work of previous IE and RE Nursing and AHP fellows and national tools to create some guidance/standards for inclusive recruitment for local providers to sign-up to.
Recruit 10 Nursing, Midwifery and AHP from current and previous 'turning the tide’ programme and wider to a 12 month's sponsorship offer from a senior manager/clinician (CNO/ Deputy CNO/ CAHP/ CPO/ Deputy CPO) to support their career progression.
Develop online career development sessions for aspiring Nurses, AHPs and Midwives led by people from a BAME background in senior positions.
Resources: