Dawn Hardie, current delegate on the Senior Leader Apprenticeship Elizabeth Garret Anderson Programme, has won an RCN North West Award for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
The awards form part of the RCN North West’s annual event to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of nursing staff from BAME backgrounds who work in health and social care across the region.
We spoke to Dawn about her contributions and why she wanted to get involved in the initiative.
When did you first started getting involved in Equality and Diversity and what made you want to get involved?
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I joined the Building a Multicultural Environment Network (BAME). I got involved in the network because I wanted to help support change, continue to promote inclusion, and support the Trust with the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion agenda. I also wanted to connect with people from a similar ethnic minority background and culture as me, as well as a more diverse set of people.
What projects / initiatives did you or have you taken on?
I have strong values around people being treated fairly, inclusion and people understanding about diversity. Since joining and becoming co-chair of the network, I have supported with the development of the Trust’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion agenda.
I have been involved in several projects and areas, including the following:
- Working with the Special Advisory Group which is supported by senior managers to create the first Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion statement in the Trust. The statement is used around the Trust, included in job applications, job adverts, and promoted on the Trust’s website.
- Working with the Catering Department to help make changes to the current menu, which will see an increase in choice of Halal dishes for our Muslim staff.
- Providing staff with pastoral support in times of difficulty and signposted them to other forms of support.
- Assisting with the recruitment of the international nurses for the Trust and supporting a cohort of nurses as part of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) program of assessments.
- Working closely with the Equality Diversity and Inclusion team to support them with the introduction of the RCN Cultural Ambassador programme in the Trust.
- Leading and chairing the BAME network meetings which are held bimonthly with the members of the group where we try and provide a safe space for staff to share their concerns, information, and support each other.
Find out more about our Senior Leader Apprenticeship Elizabeth Garrett Anderson programme >>
