Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Our EDI Policy
Follow our EDI Journey
Our Ambition - why diversity and inclusion?
Evidence shows that organisations focused on building more diverse and inclusive cultures attract and retain a wider diversity of talent. At Prostate Cancer UK, we play a key role in helping all men navigate prostate cancer. 1 in 8 men get prostate cancer, Black men are at double the risk, with 1 in 4.
Societal divides are becoming more visible, and our organisation needs to be well placed to respond to this. Diverse teams that are included in our work, are key to shaping and re-shaping what we do so we can maximise our impact.
Our ambition is to build teams that reflect the communities we work with to reduce health inequalities, and to grow sustainable partnerships that drive change, ensuring no man is left behind.
Our Positive Change Agenda Framework
We’ve outlined a framework that guides our focus and holds us to account to make positive changes. Our change agenda is not only about representation, most importantly it’s about inclusion. Our framework has five core commitments:
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We will represent the men we support through our people and volunteers. With higher consideration for Black men due to their heightened risk of prostate cancer.
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We want all marginalised colleagues and volunteers to be seen, heard and belong. Their expert voices are at the centre of our thinking through active networks and involvement groups. We celebrate differences through connection and understanding.
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We will proactively challenge discrimination, health inequalities and demonstrate positive ally ship. We will recognise and challenge systemic racism.
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We understand the importance of equality and inclusion across everything we do. We learn about different communities (with emphasis on the Black communities), identities, and cultures. Understanding the challenges faced, their history, and how we can support their cancer journeys.
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We believe positive change starts at the top with great leaders, who are representative and have the knowledge and confidence to role model inclusive behaviours and drive our race equity work.
We started our journey by changing the voices that influence our work, working closely with our committed supporters.
Our Black Men’s Health Advisory Group
Founded in 2023, our Black Men’s Health Advisory Group meets every 2 months and brings together Black men with lived experience of prostate cancer, Black community groups, Black clinicians and researchers. It is delivered as a hybrid meeting with some people preferring to attend in person but enabling a stronger national spread by ensuring good virtual access.
The role of the Advisory Group
To provide ongoing insights, support and guidance on the progress of the Black health equity work taking place across Prostate Cancer UK. Members bring their knowledge of Black communities, their lived experience or clinical knowledge of prostate cancer to provide support and insight into the racial health equity work of the charity.
This help us strive to reduce the structural barriers that Black men face to earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer and build trust with Black communities so that Black men are less likely to die from prostate cancer.
The ongoing engagement has given us clarity as to what is needed to make the biggest impact for Black men.
- High level advocacy that can engage with senior stakeholders across politics and health to shift guidelines and secure investment in early detection services.
- Community engagement that recognises the importance of building trust with the myriad of small/medium Black community organisations and Black community leaders across the UK who can effectively engage with Black men on health issues.
- Tangible assets that speak to Black men and can be used by community advocates to raise awareness of risk and signpost to trusted, accurate health information.
Our People Networks
Colleague-led EDI People Networks create safe and authentic spaces for us to connect and have our voices and experiences heard. Our networks are a valuable source of knowledge and guidance, helping Prostate Cancer UK live our values of being In The Know, Making It Count, and In Your Corner, ensuring we move forward purposefully and thoughtfully on our journey to being the best place to work.
We launched our People Networks in Spring 2023. Sponsored by the Leadership team, we’re putting time, resources and strategic focus into these groups.
At the moment we have three People Networks:
- Mind and Body Network - Supporting and celebrating people with mental and physical health problems, disability, and neurodiversity.
- Pride Network - Supporting and celebrating people from the LGBTQ+ communities.
- The Culture Club - Supporting and celebrating colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs.
It made me proud to work for an organisation that has these powerful, honest conversations.
Our positive change agenda is more than a set of commitments, it’s underpinned by targeted actions that move us forward. We’ve highlighted some of the key activities we have delivered over the last 2 years.
We created our People Networks to give colleagues a strong sense of belonging, learn about each other’s backgrounds, and to inform our commitment to inclusion.
To provide ongoing insights, support and guidance on the progress of the Black health equity work taking place across Prostate Cancer UK members.
Began to invest time and resources into driving our equality, diversity and inclusion work.
We updated our code of conduct in line with our refreshed brand and values. We also created and updated key polices to ensure that our People Managers had the support and guidance they need to enable their teams to bring their best selves to work.
We redesigned our EDI data collection process to improve the structure and options available for colleagues, so they can better see themselves represented.
We worked with Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) England to train our own MHFAs, to support and signpost colleagues experiencing poor mental health to the support available to them. MHFAiders also play a vital role in reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health in the workplace.
We partnered with The 10,000 Interns Foundation which champions underrepresented talent and promotes equity of opportunity. This aligns with our ambition to increase the diversity of our recruitment, by breaking down the barriers faced by marginalised and under-represented groups.
To ensure a central focus on health equity across our health improvement and support work.
The purpose of the role is to spearhead a programme of work that will transform our charity and our commitment to becoming a leading advocate for changing the outcomes and experiences of Black men with prostate cancer.
As part of learning more and demonstrating our commitment to Black communities, we increased our presence at Notting Hill Carnival and partnered with Elite Sounds and Events.
Everyone at Prostate Cancer UK will learn how to confidently and purposefully identify and act as allies. We're committed to being an inclusive, proactive organisation, as we strive to be allies to Black communities, who are most at risk of prostate cancer. We’re also committed to being allies to each other, not only protected groups.
We've created a three-year strategy that outlines our EDI commitments, priority areas, and action framework. The strategy includes the insights and data that drive our broad EDI agenda, ensuring no colleague is left behind.
