The COVID-19 pandemic exposed existing inequalities within society, with disproportionate outcomes relating to socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, age, geographic location, and ability. SOM established its Diversity and Inclusion Task Force last year in response to this, with the aim of supporting occupational health (OH) professionals, employees and businesses navigate the post pandemic landscape and support health at work for all.

In this fourth episode of our new Podcast series, Dr Sheetal Chavda, chair of the Task Force, and vice chair Emma Persand are joined by Dr Sade Adenekan, Task Force member, Mental Health Champion and UK specialist in Occupational Medicine and Public Health, and Dr Abeyna Bubbers-Jones, Consultant Occupational Health Physician and Founder of Medic Footprints, to discuss diversity and inclusion as an occupational health issue.

The episode is introduced by Anna Harrington, Task Force member with over 20 years’ experience in occupational health (OH), who argues that Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) must be an OH intention, whether that’s applied to the profession itself, the development, promotion and delivery of OH services, or influencing business culture. We are also joined by Katie Neeves, photographer, filmmaker and Trans Ambassador, who shares her story of coming out as transgender after living for 48 years as a man.

Hosted by Steve Randall.

SOM has produced a factsheet on Supporting your approach to workplace diversity and inclusion - download it here: https://www.som.org.uk/Supporting_your_approach_to_workplace_diversity_and_inclusion.pdf

About the speakers:

Dr Sade Adenekan is an accredited UK specialist in Occupational Medicine and Public Health. She is currently working in a global oil and gas company overseeing clinical teams across three manufacturing sites and corporate headquarters. Sade previously worked in the NHS for over 20 years in Public Health and Health Services Management before retraining in occupational medicine. Passionate about EDI, she is a member of SOM’s Task Force. She is also a Mental Health Champion at work and co-chairs her organisation’s Women’s Employee Resource Group.

Dr Abeyna Bubbers-Jones is a Consultant Occupational Health Physician, Entrepreneur and Founder of Medic Footprints - a global community marketplace connecting doctors with diverse career opportunities. As an alumnus of the prestigious NHS Leadership Academy Ready Now Programme for BAME leaders and as a black female doctor with her own life experiences, she champions best practice in EDI within organisations.

Dr Sheetal Chavda is Associate Medical Director at Health Management Limited and Chief Medical Officer for London Fire Brigade. She is a member of the SOM board and chair of SOM’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.

Anna Harrington has over 20 years’ experience in OH. She takes a wide perspective of workplace health to incorporate sociological angles, hence her interest in EDI. Anna specialises in management referrals, involving herself in the independent HR community - believing that we must work together to improve workplace culture, provoke employee thriving and organisation success. As part of this broader interest, Anna has explored positive psychology and prosocial and core organisation design principles. She founded her business in 2019 and is enjoying working with small business and independent HR consultancies.

Emma Persand is vice chair of SOM’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She is a qualified nurse, workplace health and wellbeing professional and founder of Lemur Health Ltd with a women’s health strand, Working with the Menopause. She delivers women’s health education and management training as part of the overall wellbeing agenda to support and retain women employees. Emma completed the Menopause, Specialist Skills Certificate, and the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Certificate for Menopause Symptoms through the British Menopause Society to improve working conditions relating to sexual and reproductive health. Her company continues to promote equity for all in the workplace and works with organisations in their commitment to support diversity through inclusion of reproductive and sexual health management.