Digital Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award

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Digital Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award
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How to apply

  1. Register an account.
  2. Start your entry (save it in-progress).
  3. Submit your entry to be in the running.

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As the NHS embraces a digital-first approach to healthcare delivery, tackling digital exclusion is a critical step to ensuring everyone in society can live full and healthy lives regardless of their background. We also know that those NHS organisations which embrace the diversity of their workforce are more likely to achieve higher levels of staff satisfaction, a positive working culture, improved patient outcomes and organisational efficiency.

This award recognises initiatives which either: promote workplace diversity, equality and inclusion within digital teams to ensure those leading digital projects are representative of the communities they serve; OR identify and tackle digital inequalities experienced by patients and staff to improve outcomes.

Judges are looking for initiatives which can show tangible results in progress in areas such as: identification and reduction of digitally excluded patients and communities, particularly those historically missed by mainstream campaigns and communications; upskilling of staff members to ensure the full benefit of digital tools is realised; strategic and practical approaches towards the recruitment of diverse digital teams, including groups under-represented in digital and technology roles; or clear and evidenced career progression opportunities.

Eligibility

  • All NHS organisations (including providers, partnerships, and systems), General Practice and primary care organisations.
  • Evidence must relate to a project, ongoing or completed within the 2 years up until the award entry deadline.

Ambition

The challenge and context within which your project, person or organisation is set alongside your goals and targets whether quantitative or qualitative, and how this aligns with national priorities.

  • Outline the digital equality, diversity and/or inclusion area of concern.
  • Describe the initiative, and what you set out to achieve, including what made your approach new or distinct.
  • Define the intended measures of success and include detail on the benchmarks used, and how the work aligns with national priorities on inclusion and digital access.

Collaboration

The stakeholders' involvement in co-designing and delivering the project. How have patients, staff at all levels, communities and other parties worked together to realise the outcomes?

  • Evidence how relevant staff members, patients, carers and communities were fully engaged in the co-design, planning and implementation of the initiative.
  • Judges are looking for evidence that consultation and engagement processes were both meaningful and sustained.
  • Describe any partnerships with staff networks, community groups or external organisations that were essential to delivery.

Impact

The measurable benefits delivered to patients, staff, your organisation or the wider system. Provide data and evidence showing improvements to outcomes, quality, access, equity or efficiency.

  • Judges are looking for quantitative evidence of either identifying and tackling digital inequalities, or improvements in equality of opportunity for recruitment and staff career progression, with clear before-and-after comparisons.
  • Describe how the initiative was implemented to achieve those results, and evidence any sustained improvement over time using supporting material - this can include qualitative measures and testimonials but must also be quantitative.
  • Show how your work has contributed to improvement in either patient satisfaction and outcomes, or staff culture, and clearly evidence how the initiative has benefited individuals in their experience as either a patient or staff member.

Scale

How your work has been shared, adopted or replicated beyond your immediate team or organisation. This includes dissemination through publications, presentations, toolkits, partnerships or inspiring similar initiatives elsewhere.

  • Share how the initiative has been rolled out across the organisation.
  • Provide evidence to support how you have worked to share achievements and outcomes with others across the wider NHS, including through publications, presentations or toolkits.
  • Discuss the scope for further replication or scaling up of this project in other settings.

Sustainability

The potential for the project/work to continue and create lasting impact. Evidence of how it can be sustained or built upon.

  • Discuss how this initiative has provided a boost to the wider diversity, equality and inclusion strategy within your organisation/system, and how it will achieve long-term sustainability.
  • Explain how the work is being embedded into business as usual, and what resource is in place to sustain it.
  • Describe your plans for building on the initiative over time.

Digital Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award

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To find out more

Partnership opportunities:  Sponsorship Sales Team
Awards entry enquiries: Delegate Sales Team
Judging and event management: Awards Support