Cultural ambassadors: supporting inclusive career progression
Overview
University Hospital Tees has strengthened inclusion, employee engagement and career progression through its Cultural Ambassador programme, enhanced support for internationally educated nurses, career development initiatives and culturally intelligent workforce practices. Grounded in lived experience and supported by strong executive leadership, this work has helped create an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to achieve their potential.
Key benefits
- Fairer, culturally informed workforce processes that help colleagues feel heard and supported.
- Improved access to career development, mentoring, appraisals and CPD opportunities.
- Structured support enabling internationally educated nurses to adapt, build confidence and progress.
- Stronger staff outcomes, with improved Workforce Race Equality Standard and NHS Staff Survey scores.
What the organisation faced
University Hospital Tees recognised that colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds did not always experience equitable access to career development, continuing professional development or fair workforce processes. Internationally educated nurses also needed more structured support to adapt to NHS systems, workplace culture and professional expectations.
The organisation sought to strengthen the consistency and transparency of appraisals, career conversations, recruitment and formal people processes, while improving cultural intelligence across its workforce. It also needed to ensure that lived experience informed decision-making and that leaders actively supported an inclusive culture where colleagues felt heard, valued and able to progress.
What the organisation did
The trust established Cultural Ambassadors to provide cultural insight and support fair, proportionate and culturally informed workforce processes. The role helps ensure colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds feel heard, understood and treated fairly when navigating formal people processes. The programme has also strengthened cultural intelligence, inclusion and understanding across the organisation.
Career conversations, mentoring, appraisal improvements and transparent CPD processes were introduced to support career development and progression. Access to development opportunities was strengthened through Educational Panel oversight and clearer development pathways.
Enhanced support was also provided for internationally educated nurses through structured induction, supervision, pastoral support, educational partnerships and tailored development opportunities designed to support transition into NHS practice.
Approximately 90 internationally educated nurses completed the enhanced support pathway during 2022/23. Recruitment processes were strengthened through a wider focus on inclusion, cultural intelligence and fair workforce practices.
Cultural Ambassadors play an important role in supporting fair and culturally informed workforce processes. They form part of a broader organisational approach that combines leadership commitment, career development, equitable access to CPD and support for internationally educated nurses
The programme aligns closely with Department of Health and Social Care recommendations to improve career progression for colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Why this work matters
Stacey Hunter, Chief Executive, University Hospital Tees
"We want every colleague to feel they belong, are valued for who they are and have the opportunity to develop and progress. Creating an inclusive culture is not separate from delivering excellent care. It is fundamental to achieving it.
The Cultural Ambassador programme shows the difference we can make when we take time to listen, learn from lived experience and create opportunities for people to succeed. By valuing the experiences and perspectives our colleagues bring, we are creating a stronger organisation that better reflects the communities we serve."
Rachael Metcalf, Chief People Officer, University Hospital Tees
"Cultural intelligence is becoming a core expectation in how we deliver fair, compassionate and proportionate people practices. Our Cultural Ambassadors provide invaluable insight that strengthens decision-making and helps us better understand the experiences of our colleagues. This supports our ambition to create a culture where people feel seen, supported and able to thrive."
Ruksana Salim, Head of Nursing Professional Standards, Clinical Advisor North East and North Yorkshire Clinical Senate and Cultural Ambassador
“My lived experience navigating challenges and barriers shapes my values as a nurse, leader and how I communicate and support colleagues through compassion and understanding. I use those experiences to create inclusive environments, listen carefully to different perspectives and ensure workforce decisions recognise individuals’ circumstances, remove barriers and enable everyone to contribute, develop and thrive at work.”
Overcoming obstacles
Despite facing a number of obstacles to inclusive career progression, the organisation took targeted action to address these by:
- Creating safe spaces where colleagues felt confident sharing lived experiences and contributing to workforce improvement.
- Embedding culturally informed workforce practices consistently across the organisation while balancing operational priorities.
- Supporting internationally educated nurses to successfully transition into NHS practice, culture and career development pathways.
Results and impact
NHS Staff Survey findings demonstrated positive outcomes in relation to career development, learning opportunities and appraisal experiences. Asian colleagues reported higher levels of career development opportunities than the trust average (58.5 per cent compared with 48.1 per cent), while 74.3 per cent reported opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills.
Workforce Race Equality Standard outcomes provided further evidence of impact. The trust's latest Indicator 4 score of 0.78 demonstrated positive access to CPD opportunities for colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds, while Indicator 3 of 0.67 reflected fair and proportionate workforce processes.
Since 2022, the organisation has also seen a year-on-year increase in the number of colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds employed across the trust.
Career progression in practice: Ash’s journey
“Arriving from India through the trust’s international recruitment programme meant adapting to a new healthcare system and workplace culture. The international nurse programme, mentoring, career conversations and leadership development built my confidence and clarified my career pathway.
Despite setbacks, the support and opportunities I received helped me realise my ambition. I stayed focused and secured a Band 6 role in Infection Prevention and Control, supported by an environment where talent is recognised and nurtured.”
Key takeaways
- Secure visible executive sponsorship.
- Invest in meaningful career conversations and talent development.
- Create transparent and equitable CPD opportunities.
- Support internationally educated nurses beyond induction.
- Use workforce and staff experience data to identify opportunities and measure progress.
- Recognise the value of lived experience in shaping inclusive leadership
Contact details
For further information email Ruksana Salim, Head of Nursing Professional Standards Clinical Advisor, North East and North Yorkshire Clinical Senate and Cultural Ambassador, University Hospital North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
