Patient Carer Race Equality Framework

Appointing a dedicated lead, embedding accountability structures and integrating PCREF into trust policies.

• Executive Lead: Diane Hull, Chief Nursing Officer
• PCREF Programme Lead: Ashley Bertie Associate Director of Participation

Providing staff with cultural competence and anti-racism training to enhance service delivery.

NHS England worked alongside PCREF pilot trusts, early adopter sites, communities, NHS staff, voluntary sector organisations and other key stakeholders over the past three years, working to identify what a 'culturally competent' trust is.

Views were wide-ranging and varied depending on the community make-up, local context and existing practices and approaches within each trust.

These six key competencies were identified:

1. Cultural awareness
2. Staff knowledge and awareness
3. Partnership working
4. Workforce
5. Co-learning
6. Co-production

We have conducted our own self-assessment against these competencies and will form the basis for our approach to implementation.

Recognising and understanding the needs of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the communities a trust serves. This encompasses awareness of and sensitivity to socioeconomic issues faced by local populations, to ensure services are more inclusive.

Recognising and understanding the racialised experiences of the communities a trust serves and overcoming biases and prejudices by acting upon them. 

This means that mental health services work more closely with racialised and ethnically and culturally diverse communities, leaders and other organisations beyond the NHS, such as religious groups, ethnic led VCSE organisations, social care and others to support wellness in the round. 

A culturally competent and diverse workforce that has a positive impact on patient and carers from racialised and ethnic minority communities; and creates a safe space where the workforce champions inclusive leadership, shares learning, intentionally embeds anti-racist approaches, and tracks progress. Patient, Carers and Families feedback mechanisms

Establishing real-time feedback systems to ensure continuous improvement based on lived experiences.  

We are working to ensure that racialised question will be added to existing feedback mechanisms and for it to be included in our Triangle of Care approach and assessment.  

Community engagement

Strengthening partnerships with racialised communities to co-produce solutions that meet their unique needs. We will constantly seek opportunities to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders, ensuring that we have a strong focus on co-production which is representative of the communities we serve.

Data-driven improvements

Collecting and analysing ethnicity-based data to monitor disparities and track progress.

We will improve data quality while analysing and respond to the data we have.

Ensuring ethnically and culturally diverse patients and carers are treated as equal partners in decision making on their care and treatment plans, and actively involved in the design, development and review of care pathways. When describing a service, project or piece of work as coproduced, this must mean power-sharing from design to delivery.

This is a two-way process that strengthens collaborative knowledge sharing beyond co-production principles and focuses on how trusts can raise awareness of early intervention support amongst racialised and ethnically and culturally diverse communities and learn more about community concerns and barriers in return.