Ceri Harris on Advocating for Equality and Inclusion in Healthcare

SafeSpace is proudly sponsored by Pastest: a fantastic resource with a huge library of high-quality practice questions and mock exams for a wide range of healthcare professions. So, if you're serious about acing your exams, head over to Pastest.com.  In this episode, Mariam Pereira engages in a deep conversation with Ceri Harris, an award-winning CEO and leader in the NHS, about resilience and well-being in the healthcare workplace. Ceri shares her personal journey, highlighting her lifelong passion for justice and equality, shaped by her experiences with her disabled mother and her best friend Curtis, who is both mixed race and gay.  KEY TAKEAWAYS A strong emphasis is placed on the importance of advocating for justice and equality, particularly in healthcare settings. Personal experiences with friends and family facing discrimination have shaped a lifelong commitment to supporting marginalised voices. The introduction of Menopause Cafes in healthcare organisations highlights the need for open discussions about menopause, which affects a significant portion of the workforce. Creating safe spaces for these conversations can help combat stigma and support staff well-being. Effective leadership is characterised by humility, authenticity, and the ability to listen. Good leaders empower their teams, recognise individual strengths, and lead by example, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. Working in healthcare can lead to emotional challenges, including imposter syndrome and the struggle to understand why some individuals lack empathy. The importance of self-care and recognising personal limits is crucial for maintaining well-being in a demanding environment. There are significant systemic barriers within the NHS, including a lack of diversity in senior roles and inadequate support for staff well-being. Addressing these issues is essential for improving healthcare delivery and ensuring that all patients receive equitable care. BEST MOMENTS "My mum was disabled, had polio, and so I've always been brought up with kind of the barriers that she faced throughout life." "If we think about the NHS, 80% of our workforce would be impacted at some point by menopause." "You know, we talk about wokeness, for example, and snowflakes. Well, I'm proud to be woke and to be a snowflake because it means that I care." "You can't just pick and choose the easy option. And equality is equality for everyone." "When I think of my team, I'm really lucky where I am, to know that I've been part of their journey, that they'll look back and go, you're not going to believe the manager I had." HOST BIO Mariam is a GP trainee in Wales passionate about improving our healthcare colleagues' wellbeing. She has experience on the Schwartz Round Steering group and as a facilitator for her health board, and she created and led the Balint Group Programme for Foundation Doctors in her hospital. These are regular spaces for healthcare professionals to speak about real issues that affect their well-being amongst colleagues to improve mutual support and camaraderie in the workplace. She also holds qualifications in Life Coaching and healthcare leadership and management. Whatever your reason for joining us on this podcast, we are glad you have taken the time.  Dr Melany McKenna is a Clinical Psychologist, Cognitive Analytic Therapy practitioner, and Executive Coach. With a specialist interest in staff wellbeing, and supporting NHS professionals, Dr McKenna offers psychologically informed reflections, prompting us to consider staff wellbeing from a systemic perspective. If you are having stressful days at work, leaving you feeling demotivated, and depleted, I'm hoping I can help here. PODCAST DESCRIPTION SafeSpace is a new grounding and respite podcast aimed at Healthcare Professionals focused on staff wellbeing in the healthcare work environment, a grossly overlooked issue and yet, the cornerstone of the healthcare system which is why it is crumbling. There are 3 components to the podcast:   - Candid interviews with healthcare leaders, and a wide variety of passionate healthcare professionals about their own experiences and struggles with their well-being as they have progressed through their careers   - Reflective discussions with a clinical psychologist, my co-host, regarding key topics that have arisen such as coping with bullying, depression, burnout, grief, menopause, etc   - Guided meditations specific to the healthcare worker getting ready for the day ahead, pausing during, winding down, and accepting following the working day.   This podcast is not a panacea or substitute for a formal management plan, but a motivating, and catharsis tool to help during a stressful day.