The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has this week signed an anti-racism charter as part of its pledge to become an anti-racist organisation.
The charter, published and promoted by the union Unison, commits signatories to a list of actions aimed at tackling racism in the workplace.
“Signing Unison’s anti-racism charter marks an important milestone for the NMC”
Paul Rees
It was signed during the first meeting of the NMC’s new culture transformation steering group, which was established to lead work on the regulator’s new culture transformation plan.
Unveiled last month by the NMC’s interim chief executive and registrar, Paul Rees, the three-year plan has pledged to change the culture at the regulator to one that is positive, empowering and inclusive for all its staff.
It follows a damning review published last year that found a “hotbed of bullying, racism and toxic behaviour” within the regulator that was putting the public at risk and endangering nurses and midwives.
The new culture transformation plan is based on six pillars, one of which is around embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at the heart of the NMC.
In an interview with Nursing Times earlier this month, Mr Rees said it was important that an organisation did not just say it was anti-racist, but that it enacted measures “that put forward an anti-racist agenda”.
By signing Unison’s anti-racism charter marked, the NMC said it had reaffirmed its commitment to EDI.
The charter includes three areas of focus: what leaders will do, what the organisation will do and what its equality auditing process will review.
There are 19 commitments set out in the charter, including recognising the need and benefit in championing a racially diverse workforce, and challenging racism internally and externally wherever it arises in the organisation.
Meanwhile, the charter also sets out that signatories should have a clear and visible anti-racism programme of initiatives and must monitor and publish their ethnicity pay gaps.
It further says that organisations should review their recruitment and promotional processes to identify and address race disparities in equality of opportunity.
“The anti-racism charter is a powerful way to work together and ensure racism has no place in the health sector”
Josie Irwin
Speaking today, Mr Rees said: “Signing Unison’s anti-racism charter marks an important milestone for the NMC, as we seek to embed equality, diversity and inclusion within every aspect of our work.”
In recent months, Mr Rees has held a series of listening events with NMC staff, where they could share their experiences of working at the regulator, as well as ideas for transforming its internal culture.
He said he was “shocked and disappointed to hear that some people still face racism, discrimination and bullying at the NMC”.
“This is unacceptable and we are acting to ensure these behaviours are no longer tolerated,” Mr Rees added.
“Committing to this charter is key to supporting the aims of our culture transformation plan, and ensuring an inclusive organisation, where success is celebrated, poor performance is challenged, and people can be themselves at work, regardless of their background or characteristics.”
Meanwhile, Josie Irwin, Unison head of equality, said: “This is a significant step by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
“Unison will continue to work with signatory organisations to ensure the commitments are fully implemented.
“The anti-racism charter is a powerful way to work together and ensure racism has no place in the health sector.”
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