Join the Better Way Network on Thursday 2nd July 10-11.30am to hear about three best-practice race equity programmes taking place in the UK and to learn about A Better Way's Race Equity Co-Learning Lab and how you can lead in shifting the dial on race equity.
1. The Race Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) programme at Greater Manchester NHS Trust - https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/reach
REACH is a staff-led initiative developed within Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to address and reduce racial abuse experienced by staff, particularly from patients in inpatient settings. REACH aims to:
Improve staff wellbeing and morale
Create psychologically safe environments
Promote inclusive and anti-racist cultures
Encourage open dialogue and shared learning
Support staff affected by racial abuse through peer networks and restorative spaces
2. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Race Equality Hub -
https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/race-equality-hub
Taking an ambitious and innovative approach to tackle race inequality within the Liverpool City Region (LCR), the Race Equality Hub operates as a “one stop shop” striving for the economic advancement of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, focusing on business, employment, and leadership/skills development across LCR within the context of racial justice. The Hub emphasizes co-production with communities, ensuring programs are shaped by the voices of BAME residents. Initiatives include anti-racism training, reciprocal mentoring for senior leaders, and safe spaces for community members to share experiences.
3. Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS) - https://arosonline.org/
Hosted by the University of Strathclyde in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), AROS is funded by the Scottish Government to support community led efforts to tackle systemic racism in the public sector in Scotland. The University and CRER led its initial mobilisation phase, recruitedd a senior management team and an independent Advisory Board. AROS is designed to challenge structural and systemic racism in Scotland’s public institutions and will be hosted by the University of Strathclyde for an initial two-year period. This work will be led and co-produced by communities adversely affected by racism, with a vision that public institutions work equally well for everyone, no matter their race or ethnicity.
4. A Better Way Race Equity Co-Learning Lab: shifting the dial on race equity - https://www.betterway.network/co-learning-lab-race-equity
The next Better Way Co-Learning Lab will focus on supporting leaders from a mix of backgrounds with a strong commitment to shifting the dial on race equity. It is aimed at those who have already made some strides in this area and are looking for a focused and concentrated look at how they continue their work on inclusion. The Co-learning Lab is an energising and interactive space for people committed to practical action to promote race equity, whether in their own organisation, or their community, or in wider society. It involves a series of in-person and on-line meetings over a six-months period, starting in Autumn 2026.
The Co-Learning Lab will be facilitated by Arvinda Gohil, Better Way convenor, who has built up a national reputation for her work in this field over many years, with support from Steve Wyler, Better Way co-founder.
After hearing about each programme, the event will be highly interactive with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion with the speakers concluding with a section on A Better Way's Co-Learning Lab.
Speaker profiles
Loveness Ncube, Quality Matron – Urgent Care, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH)
Loveness Ncube is widely recognised for her compassionate leadership, commitment to clinical excellence, and strong advocacy for safe, person centred mental health care. With extensive experience across adult inpatient services, she specialises in quality improvement, patient safety, staff development, and reducing restrictive practice in complex clinical environments.
Loveness has played a pivotal role in implementing the REACH programme and has been a driving force behind equality, diversity, inclusion, staff wellbeing, and anti racism initiatives across GMMH. Her leadership has been recognised through multiple awards, including a CAHN Special Commendation Award for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the GMMH Highly Commended Inclusive Leader of the Year. Loveness has presented the REACH programme as a speaker at the CAHN Rising Together Conference, sharing insights on cultural transformation, staff experience, and inclusive mental health practice. She remains deeply committed to continuous improvement and to creating safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces where both patients and staff can thrive
Tracy Slaughter, Quality and safety lead for CAMHS community services at Greater Manchester Mental health NHS trust.
Tracy is a Registered Mental Health Nurse with over 22 years of clinical, operational and strategic experience within the NHS. She has led large scale improvement programmes across infection prevention, equality and service transformation, with a strong focus on developing inclusive pathways, advancing culturally informed care and improving equity of outcomes.
Tracy has co‑chaired the Race Equality Staff Network and designed leadership programmes to support the progression of racially minoritised staff. She continues to contribute to the network and the implementation of Patient and carer race equality framework (PCREF) within GMMH. As part of the REACH programme, Tracy has played a key role in establishing the Community of Practice, strengthening shared learning, peer support and collaborative problem‑solving across services. She provides hands‑on improvement coaching to multidisciplinary teams, helping them design and test changes, use data effectively and embed sustainable, person‑centred practice.
Alison Schofield, Quality Improvement Lead at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Alison provides strategic leadership for the Trust’s Quality Improvement (QI) approach and oversees the delivery of its organisation‑wide QI programme.
With more than 25 years of experience across acute and mental health services in the NHS, Alison brings extensive expertise in improvement leadership, change methodology, and culture transformation. She has held several senior roles in the improvement field, including QI Network Lead, QI Specialist and Project Manager. Alison is an AQuA Associate and accredited Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner. She prides herself as a strong advocate for co‑production, working alongside patients, carers and staff to drive meaningful and sustainable change.
Her leadership has supported major improvement programmes across Greater Manchester, including anti‑racism improvement work, safety initiatives and wider transformation efforts that have strengthened quality, equity and experience of care across the system.
Alison Navarro, Programme Director, Liverpool City Region Race Equality Hub. Alison is an experienced community activist and passionate campaigner for racial. Born in Liverpool, Alison is an expert in leading and facilitating change in partnership with local people, the community and voluntary sector and public agencies. Her experience includes working in regeneration in Liverpool in the 1990s, as Partnership Manager for a North-West based local authority and operating as a freelancer for many years, working with and supporting community development, equalities practice and partnership working. Alison led Community Action Sutton as CEO and worked with the Ubele Initiative, a Racial Justice organisation in London.
Over the years, Alison has contributed to the voluntary sector in Liverpool, and was involved with the Women’s Health Information & Support Centre, the John Moores Foundation and Sefton Women and Children’s Aid. She was also the Chair of Steve Biko Housing Association for 10 years and has recently rejoined their board.
Benaifer Bhandari, Co-CEO, Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland
Benaifer is a leader in racial justice spaces with a focus on trauma informed practice to bring about meaningful change and sustainable inclusion. She is the former CEO of Hopscotch Women’s Centre in London, which provides support services to minoritised women and their families. She has more than 25 years leadership and advocacy for racial and gender equity experience across the UK charity sector and beyond, including serving as Chair of Voluntary Action Camden and Global Generation until early 2026.
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