‘Growing our inclusive culture: Empowering everyone to promote Respect, Kindness and Equity.’
Thank you for attending the third annual NHSGGC Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Conference, which was held on Thursday 14 August 2025, at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Teaching and Learning Centre.
The workforce conference began with powerful opening remarks from Professor Jann Gardner, NHSGGC Chief Executive, followed by Dr Lesley Thomson KC, NHSGGC Board Chair. Delegates also received a comprehensive overview of the NHSGGC Workforce Equality Group Action Plan 2025-2026 from Liam Spence, Head of Staff Experience.
You can find here, the Workforce EDI Conference 2025 Resource Pack.
The 2025 EDI conference theme was “Growing our inclusive culture: Empowering everyone to promote Respect, Kindness and Equity”. The day included an inspirational keynote presentation from Dr Barbara Banda, you can view Barbara’s presentation here, presentation.
Workforce Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Conference 2025 – Breakout Session Presentations
To view each of the presentations, please click on the relevant heading below.
Through her consultancy, Neish Training, Gillian works across the UK with individuals and organisations in all sectors to help them fulfil their potential. The focus of her work is power, whether challenging the power inequities of racism, sexism and the other ‘isms’ or developing personal power through personal development programmes. Gillian designed and facilitates NHSGGC’s Leadership Programme for staff from Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
Tackling Gender Inequality
Led by Close the Gap, this session by Collett O’Connor explored how gender norms and stereotyping about women’s capabilities and interests can result in a segregation in the types of work that men and women do and how these can often underpin violence against women. The term ‘violence against women’ refers to violent and abusive behaviour that is carried out against women, primarily by men, as a result of their gender. This abusive behaviour can be physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or economic and stems from women’s deep-rooted inequality.
Tackling Hate Crime
Police Scotland’s Lyndsay Brown led this session about hate crime, behaviours which are both criminal and rooted in prejudice. The legal definition of hate crime is “any crime which is understood by the victim or any other person as being motivated (wholly or partly) by malice or ill will towards a social group.”
The person experiencing hate does not always need to be in one of these groups. We looked at why the act or offence was committed and the perceptions of those involved.
Enabling our Disabled Workforce
This breakout was presented by Steven Reid and focuses on the importance of “reasonable adjustments” for staff with disabilities or long-term health conditions, as required by the Equality Act 2010. Steven’s talk provided strong examples of adjustments, such as changes to the workplace or working arrangements. It also specifically addresses neurodiversity, noting that it’s a natural variation and not a disorder. The presentation encourages managers to have early and sensitive discussions with staff to ensure they have the support they need to thrive at work.
The New NHSGGC Equality Scheme (2025-2029)
Dr Noreen Shields introduced the new NHSGGC Equality Scheme for 2025-2029, which outlines the Board’s commitment to creating a more fair and inclusive workplace. The scheme incorporates engagement and feedback from staff, patients and community groups. It sets out new equality outcomes and lays out the responsibilities of managers and staff in promoting equality and tackling discrimination. It also explains the process used to identify and deliver areas of improvement and the role we all share to help create a fairer NHSGGC.
Speaking Up and Active Bystander
This session took delegates through some of the key principles of Speaking Up and being an Active Bystander, empowering staff across NHSGGC to challenge poor behaviours. Drawing on lessons from our Sexual Harassment: Cut It Out programme, Anthony Craig, Senior EDI Advisor, showed delegates when we challenge poor behaviours, we can shift the boundaries of what is considered acceptable within our workplace culture.
Civility Saves Lives (CSL) breakout session was delivered by Julie Pearson and covered how we treat each other at work. The aim of the CSL campaign in NHSGGC is to encourage positive workplace relationships and environments where the culture is improved by promoting the value of kind, caring and respectful interactions. The campaign also aims to raise awareness and understanding of the impact that rude, unprofessional and unproductive behaviour has and how calling it out with a compassionate approach can help to address incivility.