Staff Networks

The Carers' Network is a safe space for members to come together to provide support to one another. We discuss experiences, learn from and with each other and help the organisation to improve the experience of staff and patients who have caring responsibilities.

A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.

The Disabilities Network’s mission is to create an inclusive, supportive environment for staff with disabilities and long-term conditions. We understand that living with a disability or long-term condition can often lead to feeling isolated, which is why we have made it our vision to ensure that no one ever feels alone in their journey through work and life.

Our network is built on the core principles of empathy, understanding, and empowerment, offering a safe space for people of all abilities to connect, share experiences, and access vital resources. Rooted in the core values of our trust—kindness, respect, empowerment, collaboration, keeping it simple and being proudly diverse— the Disabilities Network embraces the diversity of the disability community. This means recognising that each person's experience is unique. We want to build a community of people with lived experience and allies to celebrate achievements and break the stigma that can be associated with disabilities and long-term conditions.

The network aims to create a supportive working environment and policy framework for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) colleagues. The network also helps staff to understand the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals within the community.

The network promotes a culture in which all staff are included and respected irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It helps to develop the Trust’s policies on diversity and inclusion in relation to staff and service users. This is done through organising events and training on clinical and social issues of importance to the LGBTQ+ community.

We also work in collaboration with other public sector agencies’ staff and local LGBTQ+ groups. We have signed up to the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme.

The Mental Health Network aims to enhance the quality of mental health services across the Trust by promoting collaboration, sharing best practices, and supporting staff wellbeing. 

The network aims to empower staff to seek help, share experiences, and develop resilience, enhancing the wellbeing of our workforce and the quality of care we provide to patients. Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, the network strives to ensure that mental health is recognised as a fundamental aspect of overall health, enabling every member of staff to thrive personally and professionally.

The network aims include to promote inclusivity through bringing people together by celebrating various faiths and beliefs, to facilitate faith offering Quiet Rooms across our major sites so people can practice their faith at work and to provide guidance to the Trust whilst supporting our staff on faith matters.

The Peer Practitioners' Network is an invaluable resource for mutual peer support and personal and professional networking.

The network is independent from, and complementary to, the peer-to-peer supervision that is already provided and creates a safe space where valued members and allies can work together in solidarity, empowering one another, so that no Peer Practitioner feels excluded.

The network is on a mission to encourage personal growth and empower Peer Practitioners to thrive in their roles, champion change and be subject matter experts across the new Trust.