Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has released two new episodes of its See the Story podcast, hosted by former patient and now Trust staff member Nikki Gratton.
The latest episodes explore how the culture within mental health services can affect people receiving care, and what anti-racist practice means for NHS staff and patients.
Nikki first appeared in the second episode of the series, where she reflected on her own experiences of mental health services and how approaches to care have changed.
She now hosts the podcast, helping staff and people with lived experience share conversations about what can make a difference to the way people experience health and care.
Episode three, Creating a Culture of Care, looks at how everyday interactions, environments and staff behaviours can influence whether people feel safe, respected and supported while receiving inpatient care.
The Trust has been at the forefront of the national Culture of Care programme over the past two years, helping to embed trauma-informed, autism-informed and anti-racist practice in inpatient services. This work is now being extended across all inpatient wards through the Trust’s new Safe and Caring Cultures approach.
Episode four, Understanding Anti-Racist Practice, features Ridhi Dave-Neil, Chair of the Trust’s Anti-Racist Network, and John Duncan, Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner.
The discussion explores how race and discrimination can affect experiences both in the workplace and when accessing healthcare, and why organisations need to actively identify and address inequalities.
Nikki said: “I was quite nervous about taking part in the first episodes and sharing some of my own experiences, but the recording itself was such a positive experience and the response afterwards was really encouraging. Colleagues and listeners got in touch to say how much they had taken from it, and I’ve even had staff recognise me from the podcast.
“So when I was asked to take on the hosting role, I was really pleased to be involved. I’ve found the conversations incredibly valuable and it has been a real privilege to hear people speak so openly about their experiences and the things that can make a difference.
“At the heart of it all is remembering that every person has a story and being curious about that. When we take the time to understand that story, we can build better relationships, provide better support and help people feel truly seen and heard. I hope people listening to the series find something in these conversations that helps them reflect on their own practice or think about things in a different way.”
The See the Story series aims to encourage people to look beyond someone’s immediate circumstances and understand the experiences that may have shaped their lives.
The podcasts are available on YouTube and Spotify.
YouTube: Episode 3 – Creating a Culture of Care and Episode 4 – Understanding Anti-Racist Practice
Spotify: Episode 3 – Creating a Culture of Care and Episode 4 – Understanding Anti-Racist Practice