Health Equity Research Advocates Network
Who is championing research and equity in your organization?
The importance of research and equity in the provision of health and social care continues to grow across all sectors, necessitating collaborative support to effectively deliver services and reduce health inequalities. A new initiative organised by the ARC NWC MIDAS Group will help provide the support you need to use research to benefit the work you and your organisation do in delivering services that people need.
The Health Equity Research Advocates (HERAs) Network initiative will:
• Introduce Health Equity Research Advocates, a valuable resource for all, to your organisation
• Enhance the role of existing advocates to include advocacy of equity sensitive research
• Develop a Health Equity Research Advocates Network that offers structure and support to individual advocates, and acts as a resource across sectors, sharing knowledge and supporting collaboration
A key objective of the HERAs is that its approach can be tailored to each organisation’s and sector’s needs and resources available, while advocates from different settings come together in a community of practice to exchange experiences and learn from each other.
To gain a better understanding of what is expected of the HERAs and what they can expect from the Network here is the current HERAs Job Description
Organisations who are currently members of the HERAs Network:
o Lancashire County Council
o Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
o Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
The Network is still in its infancy as it is steadily co-developed and shaped by its members. We are now inviting up to five organisations across the North West Coast region to join us and become early adopters and further co-produce the HERAs Network.
If you missed our open lunch session on Monday 31 March, you can now catch up with the recording to find out more about the network’s development and hear from current advocates about their experience: https://youtu.be/8bauMlAMGYI
Nominations for organisations to join the HERAs Network are now open. Please note we are asking managers of potential advocates to use following form to nominate their organisation (or team within that for larger entities): https://forms.office.com/e/AdLHXA7i78
If you still have questions and would like to enquire further you can reach out anytime to Katerina (k.panagaki@lancaster.ac.uk) or ask to be put in contact with one of the current HERAs.
#ImplementEquity
