Published on: 24th May 2016
Executive directors from a local mental health trust have been recognised nationally for their commitment to equality and diversity.
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (LPFT) senior directors were highly commended as the Inclusive Team of the Year by NHS Employers, in a ceremony that took place on Wednesday 18 May 2016. This recognition marks how important equality and diversity is to Lincolnshire’s mental health trust.
Over the last 12 months each of the directors has chosen to champion an area of specific interest which included disability, ethnic minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and mental ill health. They all regularly promote equality and diversity initiatives through social media and their support was crucial to making the multi-agency LGBT conference a success during LGBT History Month in February.
Paul Deemer, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at NHS Employers, congratulated LPFT on their achievement:
LPFT’s executive directors made a real contribution to promoting inclusive behaviour within the NHS, which made a great difference for staff and service users. They have gone the extra mile to engage and encourage staff to be open, inclusive and allow everyone to be themselves.
Paul Devlin, LPFT Chair, commended the team by saying:
This award is well-deserved. Personally, I am proud that our leaders continue to prioritise the equality agenda at times of many changes within healthcare. It is precisely at such times that public sector needs to be particularly mindful and keep delivering the best outcomes for our service users, by embracing equality and diversity.
Karen Berry, Director of Finance and Informatics and Executive Lead for LGBT and Allies Staff Network, received the award on behalf of the team. She said:
I am really proud that our executive team has been recognised for our commitment to equality at the top of the organisation. It is important that we inspire staff to be inclusive in their daily practice and help them by supporting initiatives and events where we can all learn from each other and share good practice developed locally.
