Health Innovation Network Publishes Anti-Racism Evaluation
September 15, 2023In 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd and the stark health disparities highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Innovation Network embarked on a programme of organisational change to become an actively anti-racist organisation.
This aimed to create a psychologically safe environment that increases staff confidence in having conversations about race and racial inequality, and in knowing how to speak up and address concerns of racial inequality and discrimination.
To evaluate the success of this activity an independent evaluation was commissioned. The evaluation aimed to establish the overall impact of the project, identify where it saw the most impact, judge the extent to which HIN staff members feel confident in talking about race and racism, and understand whether the organisation is positively impacting on the experience of staff within the organisation and race-related health inequalities.
The evaluation used a qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews. The feedback received suggested a positive response to the anti-racism programme, agreement that it had created open spaces for dialogue and a strong desire to continue the work in future.
However, continued challenges were identified. This included discomfort and emotional exhaustion caused by some of the discussions, concerns that the leadership team is still predominantly white and continued experience of microaggressions within the organisation.
In total, 21 interviews with 18 members of HIN staff were conducted between March and May 2023. Ten of the interviewees were white and eight were members of the global majority, and they reflected all hierarchical levels of the HIN, male and female staff and a variety of age groups, years of service at the HIN, teams and roles.