Mary Seacole AwardsAnnual Report October 2016-2017

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Chair’s Foreword Another year has passed – where did the time go? I am so pleased to be writing this report as an update to you all at the end of my first year as the current Chair of the Mary Seacole steering committee 2017.

I don’t think any of us could have anticipated what this award year had in store for us – somehow we met all the challenges and did well to ensure that the awardees had a good experience in their time with us.

My role as Chair of the Mary Seacole Awards is to ensure that the strategic work is done with and by the committee as well as being an ambassador for the awards at all times. The importance of us promoting the awards and encouraging other nurses midwives and health visitors to apply falls on the committee and the alumni of past scholars. I believe we do this well.

The work of the steering committee has continued, we have successfully administered the awards money so kindly given by Health Education England. I, and my colleagues on the committee, have continued to give their support to the awardees, to enable them to complete their projects successfully but also to offer them bespoke opportunities for personal development along the way.

So what to the future? Still many more challenges ahead and at our snnual awards ceremony we will be celebrating but also challenging you all to continue to support us. Ultimately, who are the important people? They are the BAME children, families and populations that these award projects focus on. The chance to impact positively on their health and wellbeing is what makes this work so important to us – I hope it is important to you too.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity of thanking the significant people who have supported me this year. You are the ones who are involved in the work of the awards, who keep things running smoothly but do so competently and often quietly in the background. Amy Cole, Siobhan Smyth, Irene Fynch, Susan Bookbinder and each and every steering committee member – thank you for supporting me and these important awards.

Obi Amadi

Unite in Health

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The impact of the Mary Seacole AwardsThe Mary Seacole Awards were first set up in 2004 by the Department for Health and were named after Mary Seacole in recognition of the work she undertook during the Crimean War. By January 2017, a total of 35 development and 27 leadership awards had been completed.

The awards have a dual purpose. They directly provide funding for specific health care projects and activities that will benefit and improve the health outcomes of people from black and minority ethnic communities. The work undertaken for an award is expected to contribute to raising the national profile of equality and diversity and redressing health inequalities.

In addition, awardees benefit from a development programme which will develop their leadership and presentation skills and provide an important step forward for their future careers. The awards alumni continue to provide evidence that the awards inspire the workforce and enhance career opportunities, particularly for professionals from black and minority ethnic communities, at a time when they are under-represented in leadership and management positions.

Over the past award year, Mary Seacole scholars have delivered on three successful projects and demonstrated their lasting impact on BME communities as well as celebrating significant personal development. The continuing impact of each award is best described by the following reflections from the individual awardees.

“The Mary Seacole Awards consistently and continually demonstrate the wide-ranging areas where nurses are leading change and making an impact with person-centred compassionate care. Their outstanding work to improve leadership skills and health outcomes sets a powerful example, benefiting both the profession and the communities they serve.”

Jane Cummings Chief Nursing Officer for England

“I am delighted that HEE has taken a leadership role in continuing to support these very important awards. It is clear that these awards have a positive impact on health outcomes for BME communities. They also provide nurses, midwives and health visitors the opportunity to develop their research and innovative practices, which in turn helps them to grow in confidence and ability. This is both beneficial for them and most importantly the patients that they care for.”

Professor Lisa Bayliss-Pratt Director of Nursing, Health Education England

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Dr Ada HuiAssistant Professor in Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of NottinghamIt has been a real honour to be a recipient of the Mary Seacole Leadership Award. The past year has been a humbling and privileged experience – to be connected with Mary Seacole’s legacy; to be working with a disenfranchised population whose voices are seldom heard, and to be working with scholars and talented experts in their fields.

Funding from this award has been used to explore ‘The Lived Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Patients within a High Security Hospital’. This population is considered dangerous - because of their forensic backgrounds, as well as vulnerable - as a result of their mental health problems. As such, challenges were presented in gaining ethical approval, in being granted access to participants, as well as in navigating the layers of security presented by this environment.

In spite of these challenges, the project has been undoubtedly rewarding. Throughout the past year, connections through the award have enabled me to attend events hosted by the British Institute of Human Rights, to discuss my findings and ideas with Professor Dame Sue Bailey to present my work alongside Mary Seacole scholars at the RCN International Research Conference, and to build upon my networks. My aim from the outset has been to bring humanity in to the field of forensic psychiatry – listening to, and being able to share, the lived experiences of patients, represents just the beginnings of this.

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Deborah IsaacSenior Lecturer, Pre-registration Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Education and Health, University of GreenwichI was very humbled, personally and professionally to receive the Mary Seacole Leadership Award which was timely with the unveiling of her statue at St. Thomas’s Hospital. Such an honour makes me prouder of my nursing background, enabling me to engage in a project aimed at improving health outcomes for BME communities. Studies that argued for a ‘business case’ support the link between treatment of staff and patient experience. It is therefore incumbent upon NHS staff to be representative of their population.

My project highlights the visibility yet invisibility of BME nurses in the NHS. Major concerns continue that despite significant presence in this workforce, the career progression of BME nurses does not represent their occupation at senior grades. This project explored the career aspirations of mental health nurses who acquired their training, qualification, and experience in England. Judging from accounts of participants during the focus groups, lack of transparency in job advertisement, interview preparation, politics, and racial discrimination remains barriers to fair employment of BME nurses and contributing factors to their professional stagnation. The outcome of the study recommends implementing more rigorous Equality of Opportunities polices as equitable employment practices cannot be outside of the scope of the NHS.

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Philomène Uwamaliya Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Allied Health, Liverpool John Moores University The Mary Seacole Award has enhanced my leadership and research skills, and enabled me to undertake a project that would have a huge impact on the rights, health and wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees.

The project aimed to provide accessible and up-to-date information on the rights and well-being of asylum seekers and refugees for health professionals and students through an online resource hub - Advancing the rights and well-being of asylum seekers and refugees.

Asylum seekers and refugees mostly come from developing countries where there is abuse of human rights, war and conflict, and consequently, the majority of them suffer from physical and mental health problems. However, professionals often lack understanding of their role and knowledge related to the needs of asylum seekers and refugees. This project addresses this gap through Action research. The empirical data was collected through focus group and semi-structured interviews from professionals who were refugees or have extensive experiences in working with asylum seekers and refugees.

The findings reveal the prevalence of physical and mental health challenges among asylum seekers and refugees and the lack of information to enable professionals to provide care for them. By making the relevant information on policy and health readily accessible, professionals can enhance their knowledge to offer the necessary support to asylum seekers and refugees. The rich resources provided will also benefit other users like professionals working in various sectors such as education, housing, employment etc. In addition, the online resource hub provides relevant links to appropriate institutions that can enable practitioners to provide holistic support to asylum seekers and refugees.

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Mary Seacole Steering Group 2017

Obi Amadi, Chair CPHVA and Unite in Health representative

Lead Professional Officer, Unite in Health and CPHVA

Gail Adams, Vice Chair UNISON representative Head of Nursing, UNISON

Helen Bedford Independent member Lecturer in Midwifery, University of York

Liz Fenton HEE representative Nurse Adviser, Health Education England

Janet Fyle RCM representative Professional Policy Adviser, Royal College of Midwives

Stacy Johnson Past Awardee Member Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham

Mohamed Jogi NHS Employers representative

National Programme Manager, NHS Employers

Dr Calvin Moorley Past Awardee Member Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham

Tom Sandford RCN representative Director for RCN England Royal College of Nursing

Lihua Wu Independent member Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work , The University of Manchester

Christine McKenzie Mentor Executive Nurse Network Lead, Royal College of Nursing, Bournemouth University

Amy Cole/ Siobhan Smyth Awards Officers Governance Advisers, Royal College of

Nursing

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Published by the Royal College of Nursing, 20 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0RN. October 2017. RCN publication code 006 455.