The Ally of the Year Award recognises those who have gone out of their way to support and advocate for marginalised groups who have been discriminated against within healthcare – while not being a member of this group.

As an ally, they have demonstrated a willingness to act with and for others in pursuit of ending discrimination and creating equality, taking action to make an institutional change.

As well as examining the initiatives the candidates have pioneered to inspire diverse talent to succeed in healthcare. Judges will also assess their leadership, evidence of growth and their work’s impact on and integration with the business.   

Criteria:

• Nominations must provide evidence that the candidate has had high corporate visibility in actively promoting a workplace culture of BAME inclusion through purposeful, positive and mindful efforts that have shown measurable benefit to people from the BAME community. (250 words max.)

• Candidates should have achieved identifiable and sustained change in everyday expectations in the workplace, cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can excel. (250 words max.)

• Has ensured that the improvements they have made are sustainable across the organisation. (250 words   max.)

This leader creates a culture where staff feel safe to be themselves and where everyone feels inspired to achieve their best. They “raise the bar” to ensure that the whole service responds to the needs of BAME patients and communities. They are prepared to innovate, challenging the system where necessary while rewarding and encouraging good practice as it develops.

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader actively supporting BAME employees. (250 words max.)
• Has implemented an improvement initiative that has significantly enhanced either the career progression of BAME staff or care for BAME patients/service users. (250 words max.)
• Has ensured that the improvements they have made are sustainable across the organisation. (250 words   max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change affecting BAME communities or BAME   staff. (250 words max.)

This nominee or nominated team has developed research with the potential to improve health outcomes of BAME patients and/or communities. Their primary focus has been to address the specific needs of BAME communities with recommendations on how the needs of these groups can be addressed.

Criteria:

• Has implemented a research project that has significantly enhanced the care or access to care for BAME patients/service users. (250 words max.)
• Has ensured that any recommendations arising from the research project are sustained or disseminated across the organisation. (250 words max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change affecting BAME communities. (250      words max.)

This person has a job role that is predominantly to lead on race equality issues. The person strives to ensure that the views of BAME groups are heard, often asking the difficult questions to change the system. This person is a great influencer and inspires and motivates everyone around them to improve services for BAME staff and communities.

Criteria:

The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader in actively supporting BAME employees. (250 words max.)

• Has enabled a change in the way the service operates that responds to a longstanding concern of BAME staff, patients/service users or carers. (250 words max.)
• Has created a structural change that ensures either BAME staff or BAME patients/service users or carers have a more influential voice in the organisation. (250 words max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change. (250 words max.)

This category is intended for those working in Allied Health Professional roles who take a leading role in initiating and implementing an initiative in their clinical role that either:

(a) Puts the patient at the centre of their practice;

(b) Improves the development opportunities available to Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff

(c) Improves access or quality of service for for Black, Asian and minority ethnic patients.

Criteria:

• The nominee has introduced a new service or improved an existing service to focus on a health or care issue experienced by BAME patients/service users or carers. (250 words max.)
• Has created a structural change that ensures either BAME staff or BAME patients/service users or carers have an opportunity to influence service development. (250 words max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change affecting BAME communities or BAME staff. (250 words max.)

This category is intended for those working in medical clinical roles considered role models by their team or organisation in ensuring high-quality and compassionate clinical practice and ensuring a proactive approach to reducing inequities in service provision.

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has introduced a practice change that is now part of the normal routine of the organisation (250 words max.)
• The nominee has produced significant improvements in BAME staff development or BAME patient clinical outcomes (250 words   )

This special award will be presented to the individual whom the judges believe has made a long-term outstanding contribution to social care. Nominations are welcomed from across the care sector. Nominations are welcomed from across the care sector.

Criteria:

• Has successfully advocated for organisational action that has improved access, communication or support for BAME people, staff, patients or communities. (250 words max.)
• Has ensured that the improvement is sustained across the service/organisation. (250 words max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a barrier to change affecting BAME patients. (250 words max.)

This person or team has designed an innovative health prevention initiative or tool which is:

(a) Improving health outcomes for BAME employees, patients or communities;

(b) Increasing knowledge and awareness of health issues; or

(c) Improving access to prevention and screening services.

Criteria:

• Has implemented an innovative health prevention initiative or tool which is improving health outcomes for BAME people and communities, increasing awareness of health issues or improving access to services. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has clearly shown a positive impact of the initiative or tool on health outcomes for BAME patients. (250 words max.)
• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change affecting BAME communities. (250 words max.)

This award is intended to identify and support doctors who are at the start of their careers and have shown a commitment to showing leadership in acting to improve the development opportunities for Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff or improving access or quality of service for Black Asia and minority ethnic patients. The nomination should be supported by evidence that the nominee has introduced a sustained change in clinical practice.

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and actively supports patients. (250 words max.)
• Has introduced a practice change. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has produced significant improvements in BAME staff development or patient clinical outcomes. (250 words  max.)

The person is considered a role model in their team or organisation in ensuring high-quality and compassionate nursing practice and ensuring a proactive approach to reducing inequities in service provision for BAME patients or BAME staff development.

 Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has introduced a practice change that is now part of the normal routine of the organisation (250 words max.)
• The nominee has significantly improved BAME staff development or BAME patient clinical outcomes. (250 words   max.)

The person is considered a role model by their team or organisation in ensuring high quality and compassionate midwifery practice and ensuring a proactive approach to reducing inequities in service provision for BAME patients or staff development. 

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has introduced a practice change that is now part of the normal routine of the organisation (250 words max.)
• The nominee has produced significant improvements in BAME staff development or BAME patient clinical outcomes (250 words.)

This person has introduced a significant change to practice that improves access for patients or carers from BAME communities or improves clinical outcomes for BAME patients. 

 Criteria:

• The nominee has successfully challenged an existing practice that prevented access or was not clinically beneficial (250 words max.)
• The nominee is a role model for constructively challenging inequities in practice. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has succefully improved  development opportunities for BAME staff. (250 words max.)

The person has produced a practice for BAME patients or carers or a development initiative for BAME staff that has gained national recognition as an example of good practice.

 Criteria:

• The nominee successfully  created and maimstreamed a new practice in their organisation that improved clinical outcome or improved development opportunities  (250 words max.)
• The nominee is a role model for constructively challenging inequities in practice. (250 words max.)
• The nominee has secured financial investment in the service to support their new practice . (250 words max.)

The organisation has launched an initiative that improves clinical outcomes for BAME patients or shows evidence of successfully supporting the career development of BAME staff.

Criteria:

• The initiative has received national level recognition. (250 words max.)
• The intiative has been included in the organiation’s strategic objectives . (250 words max.)
• The organsiation has identified a significant budget to support the initiative. (250 words max.)
• The organsiation  requires partner agencies to comply with the initiative (250 words max.)

A service intuitive that has significantly improved access by members of the BAME community with mental health issues or clinical outcomes for BAME patients currently using the service.

Criteria:

• The nominee has successfully challenged an existing practice that prevented access or was not clinically beneficial (250 words max.). (250 words max.)
• The initiative has been commended by a local BAME community group or respresentative body. (250 words max.)
• The lead for the initiative is a role model for constructively challenging inequities in practice. (250 words max.)

Technological innovation, either by the creation of new apparatus, digital device or software development or the innovative application of existing technology that improves access to services or clinical outcomes for BAME patients.  

Criteria:

• The initiative has been commended by a local BAME community group or representative body. (250 words max.)
• The lead for the initiative is a role model for constructively challenging inequities in practice (250 words max.)
• The initiative is sustainable and underpinned by the financial investment by the organisation (250 words max.)

The service or organisation has been a key player in securing a community development beneficial to the local BAME population through working directly with other agencies.

Criteria:

• The service or organisation has developed new constructive working relationships with community partners. (250 words max.)

• The initiative has been commended by a local BAME community group or representative body. (250 words max.)

• The initiative has overcome historical obstacles to integrated working. (250 words max.)

This award recognises individuals who have a sustained record (over at least 10 years) of showing leadership and creating positive change in the field of health and social care provision and staff development.

Criteria:

• Has improved development opportunities available to Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff (250 words max.)

• Has improved access and clinical outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic patients. (250 words max.)

• Has shown a sustainable commitment over a series of roles. (250 words max.)
• Has initiated and led more than one change initiative. (250 words max.)

Please provide supporting evidence. 

This person has an educating role that involves teaching and/or mentoring, coaching and developing staff. They have been robust in ensuring that course design includes consideration of health access and health inequity issues for BAME patients and rigorous policies and support structures are in place to support students and staff with any issues of discrimination and harassment. The nominee should have a significant role in encouraging enrolment by BAME students and facilitating learning opportunities and career development policies to support BAME staff at junior organisational levels. The person is acknowledged within the organisation an influencer and inspirational leader.

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader actively supporting students and employees. (250 words max.)

• The nominee has created a structural change that ensures either BAME students or BAME staff have a more influential voice in the organisation’s training and development policy. (250 words max.)

• Has constructively managed to remove a significant barrier to change. (250 words max.)

   

This person has not only achieved excellent academic grades but achieved progress in ensuring improved recognition of BAME issues in the coursework through either successfully lobbying for change in the content of their study course or for improvements to the support available for BAME students.

Criteria:

• The nominee is a role model and inspirational leader to other students (250 words max.) 

• Has enabled a change in their course of study that improves awareness for course participants of health and care challenges faced by BAME patients or helped facilitate the introduction of additional support for BAME students (250 words max.)