NIHR SafetyNet EDI Maturity Model

Summary

Each of the the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Patient Safety Research Collaborations (PSRCs) has developed its own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, with a shared goal of addressing safety inequities through research. The success of these strategies is deeply rooted in the culture within each team. Teams that demonstrate strong leadership, build skills and capacity, create safe spaces for open dialogue, and actively engage with communities are more likely to conduct research that positively impacts safety inequities. These teams are often more advanced in their EDI journey and considered more mature in terms of their EDI commitment. However, all teams are on a continuous growth trajectory, which varies depending on where they are in implementing their EDI strategy.

To support this growth, the NIHR have developed an EDI Maturity Model that PSRCs can use to assess their progress. The model outlines five levels of maturity, ranging from ‘starting out’ to ‘leading.’ This initiative, led by Yorkshire & Humber PSRC with contributions from EDI leads across the centres, encourages all PSRCs to measure their EDI maturity at least twice during their lifecycle. This assessment will help teams reflect on their strategy and its effectiveness in delivering impactful research.

Content

This model was generated by research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and led by SafetyNet, representing the Patient Safety Research Collaborations of Yorkshire and the Humber, Manchester, North West London, West Midlands, Newcastle and Central London.