Published on: 17 February 2020
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust will host a conference later this month aimed at spreading the message among its own staff and partner organisations about the importance of inclusion.
The attendees will be able to find out more about the ongoing work to ensure that the Trust's services are accessible, fair and free from discrimination.
Trust staff attending the conference will also have the opportunity to promote the inclusion message by signing a pledge and wearing a Rainbow Badge - an initiative launched at the Trust in September last year. The badge is a visual symbol identifying the wearer as someone with whom people can feel comfortable talking. It shows that healthcare staff are there to offer open, non-judgmental and inclusive care for all, regardless of how people define themselves.
Inclusion, and equality and diversity, will be the themes for the discussions on the day. The conference, which will be held at Sunderland Royal Hospital on February 28th, will be opened by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust's Chief Executive Ken Bremner. Among the speakers will be Mohamed Jogi, NHS Employers' National Programme Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, and Lyn Cole, Trust Non-Executive Director and Board Equality Champion. A representative from Northumbria Police will talk about hate crime. The Trust's Executive Medical Director Dr Shaz Wahid, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development Kath Griffin and Consultant in Public Health Ryan Swiers will also be there.
Kath Griffin said: “Our Trust recognises that providing equality of opportunity, valuing diversity and promoting a culture of inclusion are vital to our success and we encourage all staff to celebrate diversity and acknowledge the positive impact a diverse workforce brings.
"We are working together with partner health and social care organisations from across the region to create a system-wide approach to embedding equality and inclusivity, whilst working to eliminate discrimination. Our conference is a step in this process and we are looking forward to an informative, fun and, above all, inclusive day.”
