Equality Guides and Campaigns
Cultural Competency
Cultural competence is the ability to understand, communicate, and effectively interact with people from diverse backgrounds.
It means being aware of and respecting different cultures, beliefs and practices in relation to health care and is part of the Anti racist Action Plan.
Specialist training for cultural competency may be available within NHS organisations.
Contact your local equality team for further information.
Ramadan information for staff
Ramadan – adapted from NHS Employers
Traditionally Ramadan is a time for communal prayer, spiritual reflection, meals with extended family and friends to break daily fasts, concluding with the community celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr.
It is during this month that Muslims fast each day for the entire lunar month.
Many NHS staff who are Muslim will participate in a daily period of fasting, starting at dawn and finishing at sunset over the month. This means abstaining from food, drink (including water) and smoking. While the fast is an important part of Ramadan, it is also a time of self-reflection, self-evaluation, increasing worship and charitable deeds. The start date and finish date are dependent on the sighting of the new moon.
Not all Muslims will observe the fast in Ramadan, either out of choice or because they are religiously exempt. Fasting is both a communal and individual experience and one that many Muslim staff and communities will look forward to. Managers and NHS organisations are well placed to support their fasting colleagues during Ramadan to improve their wellbeing, productivity and sense of belonging.
How to support staff who may be fasting?
Ramadan fasting brings significant changes to routines with no hydration or oral medication permitted during fasting hours. For these reason and others, staff with long-term health conditions undertaking certain roles or shift patterns may need to review their health prior to commencing fasting. This will allow them to make informed choices, minimise complications and maximise the benefit of their fast, as well as operational effectiveness at work.
Those who are acutely ill are exempt from fasting, as are individuals who have medical conditions that cannot be safely managed during Ramadan. Staff may wish to speak to their doctors, occupational health, or religious authorities for more information about this.
Acclimatisation is a significant factor for helping staff observe Ramadan. Medical teams may suggest periods of trial fasting to help understand what can safely be achieved. Staff should be encouraged to have these conversations well in advance of Ramadan so any reasonable adjustments can be catered for in good time. See The Muslim Council of Britain Ramadan Health Guide for more information about health during Ramadan.
Accommodating religious belief and practices during Ramadan is about being responsive to employees’ needs. It is about offering flexibility around existing holiday entitlement, working patterns, or break periods and it does not necessarily mean additional time off.
The end of Ramadan is marked by observing the festival of Eid Al-Fitr and with a special prayer on the morning of that day followed by social gatherings. The date of this is dependent on the sighting of the moon, so colleagues may be uncertain of when to request leave. If leave is not possible, staff may ask for flexibility to attend morning prayers.
Observing staff may also wish to organise activities like charity fundraising in Ramadan, as acts of goodness are believed to have additional spiritual rewards during the month. The last ten days of Ramadan also hold special value and leave requests may be more common in this period, particularly the last few days of Ramadan.
Staff should have access to nearby facilities to perform their ritual washing (ablutions) and five daily prayers, as these are increased in observance during Ramadan.
Social Model of Disability
The Social Model of Disability is a way of viewing the world that was developed by disabled people in the early 1970s, adopted by Welsh Government in 2002.
The Social Model of Disability identifies systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion by society that mean society is the main contributory factor in disabling people.
The Social Model shifts the focus away from individuals’ impairments or conditions and instead looks at discriminatory barriers, whether physical, organisational or attitudinal, created and maintained by society. This rights-based approach helps develop positive attitudes in society.
In order for NHS organisations to fully embrace the social model of disability, barriers can categorised into the following:
- Environmental: buildings, transport and other public places and services being developed without thought for the requirements of disabled people
- Organisational: showing lack of flexibility and empathy in the way policies, practices and procedures are developed
- Communication: poorly-worded letters and e-mails in fonts that make them difficult to read, inaccessible websites, and lack of communication support
- Attitudinal: people and communities being quick to draw stereotypical conclusions that limit the potential of disabled people and the tendency of some people (knowingly or unknowingly) to be discriminatory or prejudicial. Attitude underlies all other causes and symptoms of discrimination and prejudice
Top tips for promoting Social Model of Disability:
- Gain support at senior level within your organisation
- Maintain and foster good engagement with stakeholders to identify environmental, attitudinal and organisational barriers.
- Ensure good access to services – via Equality Impact Assessments and Service User feedback
- Ensure people have as much voice, choice and control as they want in their own unique circumstances
- Raise awareness and understanding of the Social Model with all staff through training, campaigns and promotions
- Widely promote an understanding that Social Model terminology. Include in policies and documents.
Staff Equality Networks
Staff Networks can provide a safe social space for colleagues to provide peer support, discuss and escalate issues affecting members to executive level. Network meetings can be attended by experts to present information about areas of interest.
Networks can help develop projects and produce helpful newsletters to raise awareness of equality issues related to the networks.
To find out more about available networks within your organisation contact your equality team.
It Makes Sense Campaign
Each year the NHS in Wales runs a campaign to raise awareness of the different communication and information needs of the 600,000 people in Wales living with some form of sensory loss (deaf or hard of hearing and/or sight loss). The Campaign is called ‘It Makes Sense’.
Campaign’s Key Messages for all NHS Wales Staff:
- FIND OUT from the Sensory Loss e-learning module the most effective ways to communicate with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing, are blind or have sight loss or have other communication needs.
- ASK patients how they would like to communicate with you.
- OFFER to give the information in the format they need, including British Sign Language, large print, electronic or Braille.
We’d like to encourage all NHS Wales staff to support the Campaign.
The e-learning module called ‘NHS Wales – Sensory Loss’ can be viewed via ESR accounts.
Further information:
Zero Racism Wales
Zero Racism Wales calls on all organisations and individuals committed to promoting racial harmony and equity to sign up to our zero-tolerance policy to racism in Wales and implement the commitments outlined by the policy within the workplace and their day to day lives.
For further information:
Annual NHS Equality Week
NHS Wales Equality Week is usually held in May each year.
It is a week of activities and webinars coordinated by members of the NHS Wales Equality Group.
To find out more, contact your local Equality Team.
Helpful resources
- Equality and Human Rights Commission EHRC
- British Institute of Human Rights BIHR
- Bevan Foundation
- Audit Wales
- KingsFund
- Welsh Health Equity Solutions Platform (WHESP)
- Wales: Nation of Sanctuary
- Llais: Llais is the national, independent body set up by the Welsh Government to give the people of Wales a stronger voice in their health and social care services.