An opportunity for external mentoring for black, Asian and minority ethnic staff at Bands 8a and above
Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust is proud to launch the pilot mentoring scheme targeted at black, Asian and minority ethnic staff at Bands 8a and above.
This scheme forms part of the Trust’s work on implementing the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard and the Trust’s People Strategy objective of ensuring that our workforce reflects the communities and patients we serve across all sections of the Trust.
About the REACH Programme
The REACH Programme has been created in partnership with Saxton Bampfylde, Global Executive Search Consultants, to help support black, Asian and minority ethnic colleagues to maximise their career potential.
Together, we aim to provide mentoring partners exclusively for those in Bands 8a and above who are from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background. Each mentor is an executive level leader in their own right from outside the NHS, who either come from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background, or who has been involved in shifting the dial on improving development opportunities, career progression and the wider workplace environment for those who may previously have been at a disadvantage.
How it works
The REACH Programme is a formal mentoring scheme. The programme is designed to help support black, Asian or ethnic minority colleagues to move to the next banding or more stretching roles within the NHS.
It aims to help:
● increase skills, knowledge and confidence
● develop confidence to overcome barriers
● compete on an equal footing for progression within the NHS
The mentoring programme will be a formal relationship between mentors and mentees. All mentors are from outside of the NHS and are people who really care about nurturing NHS colleagues from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background. The intention of the programme is to give applicants a safe forum to talk with someone who understands their situation; for mentees to share their concerns/frustrations around career progression from a black, Asian or ethnic minority perspective. Mentors will help provide guidance and support and reflections on their own journeys as the mentees try to move to the next level in their career.
We anticipate the mentorship relationship to last for 12 months with flexibility to extend this further should both parties consider this to be beneficial. We ask mentors to meet with mentees a minimum of four times in that 12 month period. The duration of these meetings will be agreed between the mentor and mentee. Contact outside of this will vary, as individuals may wish to connect on an ad hoc basis for advice or guidance on particular issues.
How to apply
The scheme is aimed at black, Asian or ethnic minority staff in Bands 8a and above, who are looking to develop their careers.
We are specifically targeting staff at Band 8a and above for this development opportunity. However, we are prepared to consider exceptional applications from staff at a lower grade if they are able to demonstrate sufficient evidence of personal development in their application.
Please also note; places will be prioritised for applicants who have not already been successful in gaining a place on one of our other development programmes (e.g. BAME Fellowship).
Applicants should seek the support of their line manager before submitting an application.
Further information on the REACH programme, including guidance to help you decide if REACH is the right development programme for you, is available here. You will be asked to fill in a ‘mentoring biography’ to tell us more about you and why you think you might benefit from the programme. The selection criteria will help us to understand your motivation for applying, your career aspirations, identified development needs, what you hope to achieve from completing the programme and how you have committed to your own development and progress over recent years. If selected, we will also use your responses to inform the matching of participants with the most appropriate mentor, wherever possible.
**Please note that applications for the first cohort are now closed**
If you have any questions about this process then please contact Ruth Haigh, Staff Experience Manager on Ext: 4048 or e-mail ruth.haigh@bthft.nhs.uk or Kez Hayat, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on Ext: 2428 or email: kez.hayat@bthft.nhs.uk