EDI+B
Open Forum - 10 April 2025
On 10 April at 11am the HCSA EDI+B Network will be hosting an essential open forum with new Chair Karen Amber to explain the vision, purpose and aims of the group and allow others to share their stories or concerns around equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Speakers will include:
Keith Rowley
Hamish Makanji
Harvy Sanghera
The forum will open with an introduction from HCSA Chief Officer Keith Rowley on why the organisation feels the network is crucial to how it operates and supports its members.
To attend this open to all forum register at the link here.
Group Aim
To support EDI & B in procurement and supply chain to deepen the understanding of differences and support each other by promoting individuality and embracing everyone to remove the barriers to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging across the NHS and have zero tolerance approach to any acts of discrimination or unfair treatment.
Vision
Our vision is that HCSA is recognised as a great organisation to work with, where all members feel valued, included, and able to work to the best of their ability, without any real or perceived barriers in their way.
The aim of this group is to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to enhance the sense of belonging for HSCA members. For these purposes we will refer to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010.
Ensuring staff work in an environment where they feel they belong, enabling them to safely raise concerns and ask questions is essential for staff morale and in turn, leads to improved patient care and outcomes.
This can only be done by treating people equitably and without discrimination.
HCSA will create an inclusive, diverse, and accessible environment where it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure our members are treated with fairness, dignity and respect and have a true sense of belonging.
An inclusive culture improves retention and supports growth and ensures nobody is left behind.
Role of the group
This group will support the deepening of understanding of differences to develop an organisational culture that is respectful and inclusive diverse and creates a true sense of belonging for all of its stakeholders. This group will celebrate difference, increase awareness of differences, empower people to bring their full self, and remove barriers that prevent or inhibit.
Key areas:
- Link to Health Inequality
- Understanding the different aspects of EDI
- Celebrate and develop an organisational culture that values difference.
- Deepens understanding of Intersectionality.
- Compliant with The Equality Act
- Modern Slavery prevalence throughout our supply chain and how we can tackle it.
- Link to economic inequalities.
- Link to health and wellbeing.
Key goals:
- Challenge and work to drive change which positively impacts the EDI & B issues faced within Healthcare Procurement and Supply Chain.
- A platform to channel key messages to local, regional, and national organisations relevant to the group’s aims and objectives.
- Identify new opportunities to support transformational change.
- A forum to exchange information, experiences and lessons learned. A platform to discuss key issues and opportunities.
- Offer learning and development e.g., how to enable equality, diversity inclusion, & belonging within NHS Procurement and Supply Chain.
- The EDI & B Team – For all members of the group to be an advocate of equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
- To deepen understanding of EDI &B in NHS Procurement and Supply Chain.
- Strive to embed that EDI & B becomes business as usual in NHS Procurement and the Supply Chain.
Launch podcast
To join the group email admin@nhsprocurement.org.uk with subject heading Join EDI&B.