Loss and Grief: A Path to Enhanced Workforce Productivity with Eva Nabunya

This lived experience and informational session is given by Eva Nabunya who works in Data and Analytics at NHS England.

Eva recounts – completely head on with grief when I went through multiple miscarriages and as a woman with a yearning for motherhood, the weight of the losses left me feeling adrift, where I questioned my self-worth. My journey led me to finding a solution to my emptiness where I attended a grief programme Edu- Therapy from which I have earned certification.

Grief is a universal human experience, which ends up permeating our professional spheres, often unspoken yet it quietly gnawing away at the workforce productivity. But here’s the truth: grief extends far beyond mourning the loss of a loved one. It’s a complex web of emotions that can stem from various sources, such as job changes, company restructuring, breakups, migration, loss of income, and even the collective grief caused by a global crisis like a pandemic.

Within our workplace, these unspoken emotions act like silent saboteurs, eroding both productivity and the overall well-being of employees. When employees carry the weight of unprocessed grief, it hampers their ability to perform at their best.

The remedy lies in demystifying grief. It starts with embracing those difficult conversations that have been deferred for too long. In doing so, we create a compassionate and supportive environment where employees can share their experiences without fear of judgment.

This transformation isn’t just about empathy; it’s about the bottom line. A compassionate workplace is a productive one. Employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to be engaged, resilient, and motivated.

In this session I will be sharing some tips on coping with grief, the myths around grief and loss and what not to say to a griever. I will leave you with this quote.

“All healing is first a healing of the heart.” — Carl Townsend

Grief, when addressed openly and compassionately, can become a catalyst for healing and enhancing workforce productivity.

Who can attend this event

This event is open to anyone within the NHS with an interest in the topic.

Please Note:

If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.

We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.

In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.

Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.

You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

 

In Conversation with… Andrew Carpenter

Andrew Carpenter is autistic and the Autism Lead for NHSE in the London Region.  He’s previously worked in local authorities, where he chaired a disability staff network and completed work on including neuro-divergence and increasing understanding. 

In his talk, Andrew will cover how we should talk about autism, bust some common myths, look at sensory needs and what that means for getting the environment right, and also think about potential accommodations in the workplace.  There will be a chance to ask questions throughout and hopefully some discussion time at the end.

Who can attend this event

This event is open to anyone within the NHS with an interest in the topic.

Please Note:

If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.

We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.

In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.

Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.

You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

Protected: Visible Leaders Network – Developing your Personal Brand Workshop

Available for our Visible Leaders Network members only.   This is an opportunity to attend:

Developing Your Personal Brand – Workshop

Personal branding is the process of creating an identity for yourself as an individual. This involves having awareness of self and the impact you have on people around you.

We will introduce the 5 C’s of creating your personal brand: clarity, content, connection, creativity, and community; alongside exploring:

  • Mindset, how I see the world?
  • Selecting our Style – Adult to Adult
  • What do I want people to say about me?
  • What am I like when I am at my best? Or not at my best?
  • See the value of feedback.
  • How does this look when I am virtual or in person? What’s the difference?

Andpartership – Rebecca Clarke ACIPD Senior Consultant.  Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience working in the retail sector, and has held senior leadership roles in management, consulting and business partnering across large international teams. Rebecca focuses on implementing inclusive, dynamic and hybrid solutions to keep up to date in our ever-changing world. Her passion is enabling others to be at their best, in any situation, by empowering individuals, teams and organisations to have ownership and be better than they thought they could be. She has experience in L&D, HR, Talent Development, Coaching, Engagement, OD, Change Management, Learning Design, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Has a passion for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

 

Please Note:

If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.

We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.

In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.

Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.

You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

Please also note that there will be a short evaluation form for you to complete at the end of the session – it is so important to us to get your feedback on each intervention we produce.  We want to ensure we continue to meet the needs and demands of the NHS.

Protected: Visible Leaders Network – Developing your Personal Brand Workshop

Available for our Visible Leaders Network members only.   This is an opportunity to attend:

Developing Your Personal Brand – Workshop

Personal branding is the process of creating an identity for yourself as an individual. This involves having awareness of self and the impact you have on people around you.

We will introduce the 5 C’s of creating your personal brand: clarity, content, connection, creativity, and community; alongside exploring;

  • Mindset, how I see the world?
  • Selecting our Style – Adult to Adult
  • What do I want people to say about me?
  • What am I like when I am at my best? Or not at my best?
  • See the value of feedback.
  • How does this look when I am virtual or in person? What’s the difference?

Andpartership – Rebecca Clarke ACIPD Senior Consultant.  Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience working in the retail sector, and has held senior leadership roles in management, consulting and business partnering across large international teams. Rebecca focuses on implementing inclusive, dynamic and hybrid solutions to keep up to date in our ever-changing world. Her passion is enabling others to be at their best, in any situation, by empowering individuals, teams and organisations to have ownership and be better than they thought they could be. She has experience in L&D, HR, Talent Development, Coaching, Engagement, OD, Change Management, Learning Design, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Has a passion for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

 

Please Note:

If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.

We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.

In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.

Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.

You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

Please also note that there will be a short evaluation form for you to complete at the end of the session – it is so important to us to get your feedback on each intervention we produce.  We want to ensure we continue to meet the needs and demands of the NHS.

Menopause Coffee and Chat

We are pleased to announce that we are now holding a Menopause coffee and chat session from 12.30 until 13.30 for any staff wishing to come along and just have a chat with other NHS colleagues also going through the menopause. 

Facilitated by Wendy Walker, Positive Action Inclusion Co-ordinator, this will be a drop in session, offering a safe space and an opportunity to share experiences and support each other. 

If you have any topics of conversation you would like to see discussed at the group and would like us to put this forward for you please do let us know and we would be happy to do so.

If you would like more information about this group or would like to attend please register an interest below and we will be happy to come back to you.

Who should attend?

Staff working within the NHS in the Midlands.  We are more than happy to begin another group for other under-presented groups going through the menopause should the need arise – please do let us know if you feel this would be helpful.

Is there a cost to participates ?

No, there is no cost associated with this event.

Please Note:-

  • If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.
  • We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.
  • In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.
  • Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.
  • You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

Race Equality and The Race Code

 

Race Equity and the Race Code -Midlands Regional Race Equality & Inclusion Good Practice Meeting.

As from July 2022 each Integrated Care Board has a responsibility to deliver the 10 people functions for its integrated care system. It is crucial that supporting inclusion and belonging for all is a  key focus and issues of inequality and inequity are addressed for people working in the system in order to create a culture of respect and sense of belonging – the Race Code is a tool to enable this work to take shape and help meet the Midlands Workforce Race Equality and Inclusion strategy vision.

We would like to invite you to attend the next Midlands Regional Race Equality & Inclusion Good practice meeting on Thursday 10th November, 2pm – 3.30pm where we will hear about the importance of achieving the race equality code kitemark along with how this support the implementation of the regional WREI strategy.

We are currently working with a number of ICBs across the Midlands and we will able to give feedback from the Black Country and West Birmingham System Partners Race Code conference, where we are looking at collective working around the joint Equality Action Plan and sharing the learning from the Individual Trusts work on the RACE Equality Code.

I’m delighted that the Black Country system has pledged its ambition to become an anti-racist system and the RACE Equality code provides a vehicle for us to achieve this. The Black Country is proud of our diverse workforce and we are committed to promoting inclusion and equality to create a better workplace for all. We know there is more to do as collective system to improve the experience of our Black, Asian and Minority ethnic staff and we continue to work towards delivering our priorities to achieve anti-racism and inclusivity for all. As an ICS we made a declaration within our People Strategy to focus on becoming an anti-racist organisation. Working together with our collective partners we are a further step forward in helping us realise our plans. We are passionate about placing equality and diversity at the heart of our work in order to better reflect the needs of our communities in the Black Country. The RACE Equality code provides framework for us to identify our gaps and priorities and enables us to develop our system plan and to help achieve the strategic objectives of the Midlands Workforce Race Equality and Inclusion Strategy.   

Ashi Williams, Chief People Officer, Black Country Healthcare NHS FT and ICS EDI Workforce Lead.

The founder of the Race Code:

Karl George MBE is a thought leader and internationally established consultant in governance. Karl is a visiting professor and has a honorary doctorate, is an established author and conference speaker. He is a Partner and head of Governance at the leading professional services firm RSM. Creator of The tgf Governance Code, The RACE Equality Code and the Effective Board Member Programmes. He works with boards and senior executives in the private, public and voluntary sectors and has over twenty five years’ combined experience in accountancy, business and strategic development. Karl a qualified accountant and Fellow of the global international body for governance practitioners ICSA: The Chartered Governance Institute. He has developed a unique governance framework and quality mark that was endorsed by the late Sir Adrian Cadbury. Karl’s latest book Governance provides an international perspective on modern governance and amongst his other books, The Effective Board Member talks about whatever every board member should know.

The RACE Equality Code provides us with the opportunity to use a robust and comprehensive framework of measures and a methodology for transparent implementation of actions to which an organisation can demonstrate accountability.

Real change only happens when you are able to influence leadership – the board and executive management – and hold organisations to account.

 

Who should attend the session:

  • ICB CEO’s and Board members
  • ICS SRO’s
  • ICS System workforce Leads
  • ED&I Leads and ICS EDI Specialist

For any further enquiries please contact the Midlands ED&I Team at  [email protected]

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Menopause and the Workplace

Presented by Jacqui McBurnie, Chair of the NHS England Menopause Network and Executive member of the Cross Govt Menopause Network, this event will focus on Menopause and the workplace.  We will remind ourselves of the definition of menopause and its impact on the workforce and cover some myth-busting. We will look at policy and explore what developments the Government is considering and why.

Jacqui is the founder and Chair of the NHSE Menopause Network. The network has almost 400 members across NHSE and reaches into the broader Civil Service platform.  

Jacqui leads on development of policy, training, advice and champions menopause support in the workplace to maximise wellbeing for all people. Jacqui advocates greater awareness of the impact of menopausal symptoms for anyone affected; both women and trans colleagues as well as partners of anyone.  

Jacqui a registered nurse and has extensive experience in working at a senior level across a number of roles including commissioning, operational management, clinical governance and safeguarding children.  

 Who should attend?

Anyone with an interest in menopause within the NHS in the Midlands.

Is there a cost to participates ?

There are no costs associated with this event.

Please Note:-

  • If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.
  • We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.
  • In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.
  • Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.
  • You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

Introductory Session on Neurodiversity by Jasmine Murphy

Join Jasmine Murphy (Consultant in Dental Public Health and EDI Champion) on 11th May 2023 for an introductory session on Neurodiversity. It is an important aspect of the EDI agenda for the NHS; not only in ensuring that we are more inclusive about the needs of our neurodivergent colleagues but also that of the population that we serve in the work that we do, particularly with our statutory mandate on reducing health inequalities.

It has been estimated that neurominorities make up approximately 20% of the population. Unfortunately, there is still a significant societal stigma and misconceptions about learning and thinking differences that also create barriers for neurominorities in gaining equal access to NHS employment and also NHS services affecting life chances and opportunities as well as health outcomes.

Neurominorities are often made to feel like failures in the workplace and in society. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Together, we can change the narrative. Instead of focusing only on the drawbacks of being neurodivergent, it’s time to also acknowledge and recognise the many strengths and talents that come from thinking and perceiving the world differently. By celebrating the strengths of neurominorities, we can begin the seismic shift of changing the way they are perceived and treated, including how neurominorities feel about themselves.

Join us to learn more about neurodiversity, what we can do to support neurodiverse people to develop a more positive perception of their own unique neurodiverse traits and skills in the workplace and for them to thrive in society. Come and hear from neurominority colleagues who will also be attending the session to share their lived experiences.

Who should attend?

Anyone within the NHS.  Equality, diversity and inclusion is about people and is important to all of us.  By raising awareness, it promotes greater understanding and empathy and defines us and our values.

Please Note:-

If you need any special requirements with regards to accessibility, either during, or after the event, then please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to assist.

We will send an email with details of joining instructions for the day to all participants, prior to the date.

In order to participate you may need a webcam and a headset.

Your computer will need to have the sound function on so you can hear and speak at the webinar.

You will need to be connected to the internet for the duration of the webinar.

This webinar may be recorded.

Please also note that there will be a short evaluation form for you to complete at the end of the session – it is so important to us to get your feedback on each intervention we produce.  We want to ensure we continue to meet the needs and demands of the NHS.

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‘Parity of esteem’ is defined as ‘valuing mental health equally with physical health‘, which would result in those with mental […]