North East and North Cumbria: Shuri Network Digital Fellowship 2023/24
The award-winning Shuri Network and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) are collaborating to support women from minority ethnic backgrounds who are interested in data and health technology by offering coaching sessions, educational events, peer support and shadowing opportunities to support you to succeed and thrive as digital leaders and innovators.
Following the announcement on International Women’s Day in March, working with the Shuri Network, the ICB is pleased to announce we are funding four new Shuri fellowships for women working in the North East and North Cumbria.
The programme aligns to the second of our priorities outlined in the Integrated Care Partnership strategy around fairer outcomes – in this case for staff working in the system.
The Digital Strategy for the region also outlines how as a region we are looking to improve and strengthen the digital capability of our workforce.
The Shuri Network launched in July 2019 to support women from ethnic minority backgrounds in the NHS and care with an interest in digital health to develop the connections, skills and confidence to progress into senior leadership positions and help NHS leadership teams more closely represent the diversity of their workforce. The network champions diversity, innovation and safety across the health and care workforce, engaging with national bodies and senior leaders to ensure this is built into policy and systems. It is the only network specifically for women of colour in digital health and care with a membership of over 2500 across the UK.
The Fellowship combines coaching, virtual shadowing, the opportunity to work on a digital project with ICS colleagues and educational events to support BAME women who are currently working within the NHS in data and digital health or who would like to progress their careers in digital health. We welcome applications from informatics, data and clinical staff who use technology regularly as an enabler within their role. The Fellowship aims to enable you to overcome career-related challenges, build confidence, gain digital experience and knowledge, insight into technology-related roles and support your career progression.
Coaching offer
The Shuri Network will provide ethnic minority women with six 1:1 online coaching sessions commencing in September 2023. Each coaching session will run for 60 minutes and as a successful participant of the Fellowship we would expect a short reflection to take place after every session which is emailed through to shuri@nhs.net. At the end of all 6 coaching sessions an evaluation will take place. We will require your involvement with this. Commitment is essential and the network will be monitoring and tracking progress.
Shadowing offer
We have over 80 fantastic hosts offering an opportunity for you to meet them and gain fresh insights into their work, career pathways and organisations (including NHSE, tech start-ups, global companies and NHS trusts).
The Fellowship also offers learning events and peer support. You are expected to participate actively in the programme and events.
Eligibility criteria
- Currently working in the NHS within the North East and North Cumbria ICS area
- Band 8 and below
- Registered member of the Shuri Network - which is free and takes just a couple of minutes to complete
- Identify as ethnic minority
- Identify as female
- Interested in expanding their digital knowledge in support of career progression
- Currently working within digital health or use technology regularly within your role
The spaces are jointly sponsored by the ICB and the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria.