BAME Ed Network: Schools and Covid-19: Guidance for BAME staff and their employers

At the start of May 2020, the NHS released their call to action to support BAME NHS people and communities during and beyond COVID-19. A draft NHS England document proposed trusts ensure every staff member has a risk assessment to keep them safe, and that guidance will be provided to support employers to create proactive approaches for BAME staff, covering physical and mental health. 

While it may not yet be clear why the danger of contracting COVID-19 and subsequent mortality rates are higher for BAME colleagues, it should be clear that a bespoke health and wellbeing offer for BAME staff should be developed and rolled out not just within the NHS, but also across the education system as we start to encourage more teachers and children back into face to face contact. Through acknowledging the very different outcomes for BAME people in particular with regards COVID-19, this could be a vital opportunity to not only put in place safeguards for colleagues now, but also affect lasting change in the imbalance of power, decision-making and representation for BAME colleagues within our education organisations as a whole for the long term. 

For further information and guidance visit this link here BAMEed