Anti-racism e-learning module (WHC/2024/044)
Learn greater cultural awareness from an introduction to anti-racist behaviours.
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Details
Status:
Action.
Category:
Compliance.
Title:
Mandatory e-learning module: anti-racism.
Date of expiry / review:
Non-applicable.
Action by:
- Chief executives.
- NHS Wales health boards.
- Trusts and special health authorities.
Required by:
December 2025.
Sender:
Judith Paget, Chief Executive NHS Wales and Director General Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government.
Welsh Government contacts:
Sara Whittam, Health and Social Services, NHS Workforce and Operations sara.whittam@gov.wales
Enclosures:
Letter from Judith Paget, Chief Executive NHS Wales and Director General Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government.
Mandatory e-learning module: anti-racism
October 2024
Dear Colleague,
The Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP) outlines our vision for becoming an anti-racist nation by 2030. This includes ensuring that:
- service delivery, “Public sector providers are culturally aware and competent in delivering services to Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, recognizing the differences among ethnic minority groups.”
- workplace equality, “All staff in public sector and funded bodies receive mandatory training on anti-racism.”
An action in the health chapter of ArWAP commits to “Consistent, fit for purpose educational intervention offered to all staff, students and volunteers. Visible mandated education providing confidence to workforce that organisation is serious about anti-racist principles”. NHS Wales organisations have engaged in various interventions to embed an anti-racist approach including reverse mentoring, active bystander training and cultural competence training. However, a need was identified in social partnership to provide support to organisations by developing an e-learning module to provide a consistent foundation for awareness and skills development in anti-racism.
The course is accessible via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system and Learning@Wales platforms and should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. This module will support individuals and teams in understanding anti-racism and taking action to support the organisation in meeting its anti-racism goals.
Completion of this training will be mandatory for all NHS staff, including those who do not directly interact with patients or service users. The training must be retaken every three years and should be included in the induction process for new employees who have not already completed it. Completion rates will be tracked by NHS Shared Services Partnership and reported annually as part of the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) under Indicator 7: ‘Percentage of staff by ethnicity completing anti-racist training and objectives set during appraisal’.
Given the current pressures and the need to focus on delivery, baseline data reporting will commence in line with the WRES Reporting cycle 2025, with the deadline for initial completion set for December 2025.
Yours sincerely,
Judith Paget CBE.