Health Equity Action Plan 2026 to 2027

Objective

Embed anti-racist values and practice across the entire LMWS system.

Goals

1. To uphold and promote principles of anti-racism by:
   • Challenging racism and racist incidents in LMWS.
   • Listening to and addressing experiences of racism and discrimination in the workplace and outside the workplace.
   • Prioritising training around anti-racism and cultural competency.
   • Critically assessing our knowledgebase and biases.
   • Promoting racial equality service-wide.
   • Reviewing anti-racist work to determine whether the desired impact is being achieved.
2. Create system-wide alignment on anti-racism efforts, ensuring consistency for staff and service users.

   Goal: Ensure managers engage in discussions on anti-racism and make it a priority within individual teams.

   Outcome: Anti-racism efforts included in team meeting agendas, increased attendance at key forums such as IDEEAS and HEAP Steering Group. Audits of team meeting agendas and minutes to confirm this remains a priority.

3. Ensure Cultural Competence training is offered to all LMWS staff.

   Goal: Work with LCH to offer ‘Cultural Conversations’ training where in-house Cultural Competence training is not available.

   Outcome: All staff have completed training on cultural competence. Compliance rates measured via training logs.

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4. Enable and create safe spaces for staff to discuss anti-racist practice and lived experience of racism.

Goal: Pilot Race Equality Matters’ ‘Tea Breaks’ by October 2025.

Outcome: Quarterly ‘Tea Break’ events facilitated for staff and management to feel confident in creating safe spaces for staff and in facilitating conversations about race and racial equity.

5. Establish a leadership mentoring scheme for BME staff within LMWS to increase representation on all bands.

   Goal: Launch mentorship programme in December 2025 to support with learning and development, and to increase opportunities for mid-management and senior management level positions.

   Outcome: Leadership and development opportunities offered to BME staff through mentorship or other engagement. 10 BME members of staff matched to mentors by March 2025. Feedback on staff progression gathered following programme to review efficacy.

Objective

Ensure equitable access to services for all communities.

Goals

1. Ensure outreach and engagement work is a service-wide responsibility.

   Goal: Implement outreach rota and materials toolkit by November 2025, with staff from each partner organisation participating in at least three events per year.

   Outcome: Equitable distribution of outreach work implemented through rota and attendance monitoring at events. Attendees at outreach events have access to a variety of roles and backgrounds across Talking Therapies and PCMH.

2. Expand culturally adapted therapy offerings to meet the cultural needs of our diverse population, with a specific focus on our target under-represented groups.

   Goal: Offer at least 2 adapted therapies within the NHS Talking Therapies service offer by
   July 2026.

   Outcome: Courses well-attended with feedback gathered from target groups.

3. Ensure decision-making is informed by data.

Goal: Produce and present service user access reports biannually.

Outcome: Reports shared to SDG and Partnership Board with adjustments based on findings.

4. Continue to monitor GP registrations data (17+) to ensure we are working actively to include those less likely to refer into LMWS.

   Key demographics identified: Pakistani, Black African, Black Caribbean, Eastern European, Chinese communities, men, over 65s.

5. Increase staff confidence and ability to work with interpreters to improve accessibility of the LMWS service.

   Goal: Ensure staff have the necessary hardware to facilitate calls using interpreters. By June 2026, ensure all relevant LMWS staff receive training and guidance on effectively working with interpreters, with ongoing support to embed best practices and improve accessible service delivery.

   Outcome: Interpretation champion identified and promoted service wide. Post-training feedback showing an increase in staff confidence in working with interpreters. Service user feedback evidencing improved satisfaction with communication and access from non-native English speakers. Training sessions delivered to at least 90% of clinical staff by March 2026.

6. Improve accessibility and effectiveness of LMWS for asylum seekers and refugees.

   Goal: By October 2026, identify and implement a Refugee and Asylum Seeker Champion in collaboration with Solace.

   Outcome: At least one therapist identified as Champion with active enrolment and ongoing participation in Solace’s 12-month programme, with quarterly progress check-ins and completion confirmation documented by Solace. Champion contributes to internal training or service improvement initiatives related to refugee and asylum seeker support.

7. Continue commitment to upskilling and training for LMWS staff, with a particular focus on protected characteristics.

   Goal: Source training on disabilities and long-term conditions by August 2026.

   Outcome: Staff trained in working with SUs with disabilities and/or long-term conditions. Staff confident in this work. Post-training survey shared with staff.

Objective

Diversify the workforce, ensure equitable career progression, and protect staff wellbeing.
Data rationale: As of May 2025, only 19.8% of our workforce come from BME backgrounds, that number drops to 17% when looking at Band 7 and above roles. 14% of the workforce has disclosed a disability or long-term condition. Men make up 23% of our workforce.

Goals

Promote staff networks to ensure there are safe spaces for staff members to seek peer support.

1. Promote staff networks to ensure there are safe spaces for staff members to seek peer support

   Goal: Launch Neurodivergent Network by March 2026 and increase awareness of BME and LGBTQ+ networks.

   Outcome: Increased engagement and feedback gathered from staff.

2. By January 2026, review and refresh all LMWS champion groups to ensure clarity of purpose, active leadership, and full membership, while increasing staff awareness and engagement with their work.

   Goal: Updated champions list distributed internally by September 2025, establish clearer leadership of champion groups and fill champion roles currently unfilled. Liaise with managers to ensure protected time to engage in meaningful work in their chosen areas.

   Outcome: Champions leading on at least two service development or learning activities per group annually, tracked and reviewed through annual reports with quarterly updates.

3. Continue to produce reports based on workforce data (annual report with quarterly updates).

   Goal: Publish annual workforce data report from all partners from September 2025 with quarterly updates in relevant forums.

   Outcome: Data received, collated, and analysed through reporting. Reports shared to leadership.

Goals

1. Build relationships with other public and third sector organisations to improve awareness, collaboration, and efficiency, particularly those working directly with under-represented communities.

   Goal: Establish and actively engage in collaborative relationships with specialist organisations that support under-represented communities, such as Afrikindness and Scope, to improve service accessibility and cultural responsiveness.

   Outcome: Collaborative partnerships established with at least 2 health equity-focused events held annually and resources reviewed and created with a cultural inclusion in focus. Increased engagement from under-represented groups evaluated through data and feedback.

2. Strengthen relationships with other Health Equity professionals such as Inclusion team in LYPFT and health equity lead in LCH to share learning and resources.

   Goal: By September 2025, establish a structured and ongoing collaboration with Health Equity professionals across LYPFT, LCH, and related organisations to share best practices, coordinate efforts, and align equity-focused initiatives.

   Outcome: Monthly meetings held with health equity leads, resources regarding mandatory training shared with LMWS staff, action plans aligned between partners, learning sessions established to share learning between teams.

Objective

Embed co-production in decision-making, design and delivery of services.

Goals

1. Increase involvement of the Co-production Network in projects and decision-making across the service.

   Goal: Establish consistent and structured involvement of the Co-production Network in key decision-making processes by November 2025, ensuring co-production is embedded as standard practice.

   Outcome: Co-production Network representatives will be regularly attending ODG and SDG, feedback and engagement levels used to evaluate and improve co-production practices annually.

2. Increase Co-production membership with a focus on making the network as representative as possible.

   Goal: Grow Co-production Network membership to 50% active members by April 2026, with targeted outreach to underrepresented groups (primarily Black British and Men) to ensure broader demographic and experiential diversity within the network.

   Outcome: Membership and impact report created to show increased representation and involvement in the Co-production