Personal reflections from the review panel members





			Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Voices

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Main review panel

Rob Webster, Lead CEO for our Partnership, was joined by Professor Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing - and the chair of our review, and by review panellists from health and care organisations and other partners across west Yorkshire and Harrogate.

West Yorks & Harrogate · Can You Hear Me - special episode - review panel reflections

Voluntary and Community Sector group

Group chair Alison Lowe, CEO for Touchstone in Leeds, was joined by VCS leaders from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate; Corrina Lawrence from Feel Good Factor, Humayun Islam from BEAP Community Partnership, Heather Nelson from Black Health Initiative, Kaneez Khan from Near Neighbours and Sayed Ahmed from the Pakistan and Kashmir Welfare Association. For more reflections from the group, read or download the 'Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Voices' report.

West Yorks & Harrogate · Review report reflections - voluntary and community sector

Alison Lowe

Alison Lowe “I am not alone in wanting a different reality to the one we see today”

"My reflections of being part of the review are that I am not alone in wanting a different reality to the one we see today, and that I have seen for decades.

As a woman of colour, with a long term health condition and two gay kids, I have experienced hate, discrimination and injustice but I have also experienced love, joy and hope."

"This review is showing me that hope is not just a possibility. A different future is on the horizon; we just need to grab it."

Alison Lowe, CEO of Touchstone, Leeds

Download Allison Lowe's review panel reflections

Dr James Thomas

"This momentum cannot be lost and the learning and outcomes of the review must be both for now and for the future."

Dr James Thomas As a GP, I am often invited into peoples’ lives to help understand the challenges that they are experiencing. So often however, these are only the conscious challenges; rarely do I consider the unconscious challenges or the wider inequalities that so often result in a poorer outcome for that person’s life or health. Throughout the review panel I have listened and have been trying to comprehend what it must feel like to live within Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in a society that has allowed such inequalities within our communities to evolve and widen.

It has given me the chance to hear of experiences from individuals and organisations that have been close to, or affected by, these inequalities and this has helped me reflect on my patients', colleagues’ and organisation's experiences. The review panel has highlighted many aspects of work I have been part of over the last 12 months within the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership.
A year when I have been rightly challenged on White privilege and on my leadership by those that work within the partnership. It has been uncomfortable at times but it has highlighted why some peoples’ lives are harder than they should be.

I want to work in a culture that enables this change. Change in representative leadership in organisations and services to benefit the lives of those living in those communities and a culture that enables that change by challenging and calling out conscious and unconscious inequalities. By doing this we, as individuals and as anchor organisations in our region, can help develop this culture and push harder to produce a fairer and more compassionate society.

I will also continue to listen.

Dr James Thomas, Co-chair of West Yorkshire and Harrogate Clinical Forum and co-chair for the Partnership’s Population Health Management Programme

Download Dr James Thomas' review panel reflections

Fatima Khan-Shah

"It was extremely important to me to be able to channel my experiences into a powerful force for change."

Fatima Khan-Shah I have been impacted personally and professionally by injustice, inequality and most recently by Covid-19. It has caused my family, my colleagues and my friends, great sorrow and I have felt so helpless. It was extremely important to me to be able to channel my experiences into a powerful force for change; so that something good and positive could come from all this pain.

For a long time many of us have been calling for change; many of us had even lost hope.

I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to have been involved in this review as it gave me to opportunity to speak truth to power; act as a conduit to others and also share a platform to enable people to share their experiences. This was a unique privilege but also a real responsibility. I hope I have done it justice.

I hope that this process will be the start of a movement leading to meaningful change and I hope that the recommendation and subsequent action will improve the lives of my fellow residents and colleagues.

Fatima Khan-Shah, Programme Lead, Unpaid Carers Programme, West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership

Download Fatima Khan-Shah's review panel reflections

Heather McKnight

"I’ve never been racist but that’s not enough. To truly stand, and to truly be an ally, I need to be anti-racist."

Heather McKnight How many of us have not spoken up about things we’re passionate about in an attempt to not offend? How many of us have had to make ourselves more palatable in the fear of making those around us feel uncomfortable? How many of us have had to create a division between our home life and our professional life in order to be taken seriously?

For me, as a white middleclass woman, I’ve never had to worry about the implications of bringing ‘my true self’ to work.

But in the past, I haven’t spoken up about the things I’m passionate about in fear of saying the wrong thing. I haven’t shown my support and publically backed the ‘trouble maker’ despite knowing they’re right for fear of making people feel uncomfortable.

It was Martin Luther King who said: “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and Gandhi that said: “be the change you want to see in the world”.

I’ve never been racist, but 2020 has taught me that it’s not enough. To truly stand, and to truly be an ally, I need to be anti-racist.
For me, this review and working closely with the Partnerships BAME Network has allowed me to educate myself about the inequalities many of my friends and colleagues face.

While this has been a bigger conversation about what as a Partnership we can do to make transformational change, for me, it’s been about allowing my friends and colleagues to have their voices heard, and understanding my role in this; how and where I can do the most good.

Heather McKnight, Project Administrator for Unpaid Carers and Personalised Care

Download Heather McKnight's review panel reflections

Heather Nelson

"My passion has always been equality, even from a young age when I would witness injustices."

Heather Nelson My passion has always been equality, even from a young age when I would witness injustices. When I read civil rights books and would not see this reflected in my education. So it comes to no surprise that I am the Chief Executive of a charity, Black Health Initiative (BHI) that unapologetically champions equality and equity of access to services and within service provisions. And that I also am a magistrate presiding over criminal cases in the West Yorkshire region.

At an age when I consider time to be precious, I am very discerning on the meetings I attend be it virtual or physical. I believe to do anything to your best ability, time has to be invested, therefore it is precious as there are only 24 hours in a day.

The championing of equality can be very waring. In fact to quote someone who I totally admire Yvonne Coghill CBE FRN RCN JP who explains this as the ‘weathering effect’ can be detrimental to those who are often isolated and a ‘lone voice’ when discussing the topic of equality.

This is why I surround myself with like-minded individuals and those who also believe in ensuring inclusion and diversity is centre to all policies and procedures. To make those policies and procedures living documents that will support the operation of daily practices of being equal and fair to all.

To my younger self I would give the following advice: “Be true to yourself and all you do and when you know what this is, find individuals who will support your development and progress.”

With all the above said my most precious and valuable role is being a mother. The least recognised but the most rewarding.

Heather Nelson, born in Leeds and educated in Leeds to Caribbean parents

Download Heather Nelson's review panel reflections

Hilary Thompson

"I will play my part, however small."

Covid-19 has brought health inequalities to the front of mind for many of us.

The stark contrasts, the imbalance, the meaning of quality of life?

Chance, luck and opportunity, words – what can I do to adjust the scales?

No easy answer, not one size to fit all. I will play my part, however small, reminding myself that many small actions create the ripple of change to tip the balance.

Hilary Thompson, West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership Lead for Harnessing the Power of Communities and Chair of the Third Sector Leaders for Kirklees

Download Hilary Thompson's review panel reflections

Ian Holmes

"My hope is that 2020 will act as a catalyst to meaningful change on an unprecedented scale."

Ian Holmes I have learned a huge amount over the past 12 months from BAME colleagues cross West Yorkshire and Harrogate. I better understand the systematic barriers that exist for some communities across all parts of society, and the privilege that I have because of my background.

Most importantly, I’ve learned that by not speaking out and standing with colleagues I am complicit in these injustices.

2020 has been a remarkable year for mostly the wrong reasons.

It has brought into sharp focus the impact of global events on different population groups, and the underlying racism that still exists across society. My hope is that it will act as a catalyst to meaningful change on an unprecedented scale.

It has been humbling and inspiring to be part of this review, and I have learned so much from taking part in the sessions. While it is just one step, it further emphasises or commitment to tackling the inequalities and injustices that exist across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

Ian Holmes, Director for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership

Download Ian Holmes' review panel reflections

Karen Coleman

"I’m heartened that the leadership take their responsibility to tackle health inequalities very seriously."

I’m working hard every day to put myself in the shoes of BAME colleagues and friends to enable me to do the very best for all communities across West Yorkshire and Harrogate past and present.

Never has this been more important to me as a grandparent of mixed race children as we look to create a brighter, fairer future for all.

I’m very proud to work for the Partnership and heartened that the leadership take their responsibility to tackle health inequalities very seriously and this has been further endorsed by this important review.

Karen Coleman, West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, Communication and Engagement Lead

Download Karen Coleman's review panel reflections

Kez Hayat

"It’s time for action and positive change!"

Kez Hayat We know about the range of disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME and other vulnerable communities and the significant challenges this has presented over the last few months. I have personally seen the impact of Covid-19 and the devastation this has caused within some communities.

Being from a South Asian, Muslim background places me in a unique position to have understanding on some of the challenges but more importantly assisting and supporting my organisations in how we respond to some of the challenges we have faced during the pandemic has been crucial.

I have welcomed the initiation of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership review looking into the impact for BAME communities and staff.

This will be an important element of the review which has brought some of these issues into even sharper focus. It will be really important to act on the review findings with pace to ensure the right areas of focus will be developed and enhanced if we are serious about raising the profile of race equality and reducing the significant inequalities within our communities and places of work.

It’s time for action and positive change!

I am also a member of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Regional BAME staff network and pleased that we as a network have the opportunity to influence the wider work around equality, diversity and inclusion, with focus on advancing race equality across the system, by drawing upon the lived experiences of members of the network, as they bring in expertise and intrinsic knowledge.

Kez Hayat, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust

Download Kez Hayat's review panel reflections