Colleagues from across the Tower Hamlets Together (THT) partnership, including Care Group, were brought together on Thursday 12 June by the THT anti-racism steering group. The event was part of the commitment by the partnership to become an anti-racist healthcare system.
The event took place at Toynbee Hall, a historic Tower Hamlets venue with a long tradition of promoting social change. Attendees shared their own experiences and workshopped ideas after presentations from representatives of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and Coffee Afrik.
Dame Marie Gabriel, Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, led discussions on medical racism pointing to the examples of racial injustice in the maternity services revealed in the 2022 report from Birthrights titled ‘Systemic racism not broken bodies’. Dame Marie Gabriel highlighted the need to celebrate and recognise successes in anti-racism and making leaders accountable for their anti-racist commitments.
Khaleel Mohammed, Youth Lead at Coffee Afrik, spoke about the lack of cultural understanding from health and social care services. He shared the experiences of young people and their families in the borough, the challenges they’re facing and the importance of improving access to services.
Zainab Arian, Chief Executive Officer also attended the event saying: “The anti-racism co-production workshop was so insightful. We have an opportunity to engage and change our services to be anti-racist and truly inclusive by working with our communities. Let’s challenge ourselves.”
Care Group also supported the event with Mental Health First Aid -trained colleagues, also known as a MHFAider® to address the emotional and mental strain that this work can cause. Farrah Idris, MHFAider®, reflecting on her experience, said: “Listening to participants’ experiences, I learned there is still important work to do. I am proud that the Care Group and wider partners also share this value. Values shared are communities strengthened.”
Care Group has itself committed for all staff to undergo mandatory anti-racism training by the end of 2026. We want to ensure all our colleagues can provide culturally competent care service across the boroughs we work in.
