As the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust we have transformed the organisation’s approach to inclusion, demonstrating how a small, highly committed team can deliver significant and measurable change at scale.
Serving the largest community healthcare provider in the South of England, supporting services across 14 London boroughs and Hertfordshire, we have successfully moved EDI from a standalone function to a shared organisational responsibility. Through the introduction of the EDI Everyday Implementation Plan and the development of a comprehensive five-year EDI Action Plan, we have embedded inclusion into governance, workforce development, data quality, culture and leadership accountability across the Trust.
Our team holds responsibility for workforce inclusion across the entire Trust. We lead the organisation’s efforts to create an inclusive, equitable and supportive workplace for all colleagues and are responsible for embedding inclusion into organisational culture, workforce practices, leadership development and service delivery.
We continue to deliver against our five-year EDI Action Plan, driving meaningful change through a combination of workforce development, staff engagement, culture improvement and inclusive governance. We also support local inclusion priorities through targeted analysis of divisional staff survey results, listening sessions and data insights to help shape the development of this work.
A key focus of our work is learning and development. In 2025 we expanded the EDI training offer, delivering tailored sessions to teams across the organisation alongside core programmes including Equally Yours, Allyship and Anti-Racism training. This approach has enabled services to explore inclusion issues most relevant to their workforce while building understanding, confidence and practical skills. A growing network of trained EDI training facilitators who support the local delivery of this training offer, has also increased the reach and sustainability of this work.
We hold a central role in shaping organisational culture. This includes supporting the Trust’s Tackling Bullying & Harrassment, Culture Group and Cultural Ambassadors programme, promoting cultural intelligence, psychological safety and inclusive leadership. Alongside this, our Head of EDI introduced Divisional EDI Forums across all of our clinical and corporate services to provide opportunities for colleagues to share learning, discuss challenges and drive local improvements in relation to inclusion. The divisional EDI forums have also supported significant increases in staff engagement with EDI initiatives and discussions related to inclusion.
Employee voice is a cornerstone of our approach. We support and govern seven staff networks: the Race Equality Network, Disability and Wellness Network, Rainbow Network, Women’s Network, Faith and Belief Network, Parents and Carers Network, and Men’s Network. These networks provide peer support, influence organisational decision making and create opportunities for collaboration on awareness campaigns, learning events and inclusion initiatives.
The team also leads work on workforce equity, including inclusive recruitment, pay gap analysis and Equality Impact Assessments, where the Head of EDI chairs the EIA Oversight Group, helping ensure that policies, processes and decisions are fair and inclusive. In addition, the team launched an EDI Book Club, delivering opportunities for colleagues to engage with diverse perspectives and lived experiences through facilitated discussion and reflection.
Alongside this work, the team has helped the Trust achieve significant external recognition, including Disability Confident Level 2 status, continued membership of the Business Disability Forum and Menopause Friendly Accreditation, demonstrating a sustained commitment to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.
Through collaboration, innovation and a strong focus on belonging, the CLCH EDI Team continues to drive positive cultural change, strengthen staff experience and ensure inclusion remains at the heart of the Trust’s work.
