Empowering BME Healthcare Professionals: A New Mentoring Model for Career Growth
A pioneering study has developed a tailored mentoring model designed to support Black and Minoritised Ethnic (BME) healthcare professionals, with an engaging animation to bring these insights to life.
A recent study by our Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building theme has unveiled a tailored mentoring model to support the career progression of Black and Minoritised Ethnic (BME) healthcare professionals in the UK. Led by Vimal Sriram, Anita Atwal, and Elizabeth A. McKay, this research used the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) to engage a diverse group of professionals in identifying key factors that contribute to effective mentorship for BME healthcare workers.
"Black and minoritised (BME) allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) are underrepresented in all 14 professions at 12.2%, which is below the NHS workforce average of 19.9%." - Sriram V, Atwal A, McKay EA. Exploring aspects of mentoring for black and minoritised healthcare professionals in the UK: a nominal group technique study. BMJ Open 2024
The study highlighted several crucial findings that emphasise the role of mentorship in advancing careers and fostering wellbeing and resilience in the face of systemic barriers. One central theme was the importance of psychosocial support—mentors who can build trust, offer candid discussions on race and racism, and create a safe space for professional growth. These elements are essential for building meaningful and lasting mentor-mentee relationships.
A key insight was the necessity of mentoring circles, where BME professionals can engage in peer support networks alongside traditional one-to-one mentoring. These circles allow for collective learning, shared experiences, and encouragement, providing an added layer of support that has proven valuable for mentees navigating their careers.
A New Mentoring Model for Career Progression
Based on the discussions from the NGT workshop, the research team developed a new model designed to enhance the effectiveness of mentoring relationships for BME healthcare professionals. The model, represented as a Venn diagram, places the mentee at the centre and identifies four key questions that define their needs:
What I need? – Essential support for basic functionality.
What can help me? – Helpful support that eases challenges but isn’t mandatory.
What can support me? – Ongoing guidance and assistance to improve outcomes.
What I require? – Formal conditions necessary for career progression.
These questions are answered through three domains of support: Sponsorship, Allyship, and Peer Support. Mentors play a critical role in offering career direction and guidance, while allies use their influence to advocate for equitable opportunities. Peer support, often facilitated through mentoring circles, provides a network of collective support to foster resilience and growth.
This figure presents a model for mentoring, with the mentee at the centre. The mentee is surrounded by key intersecting support systems: allyship, mentoring circles, surface characteristics and Sponsorship. The figure highlights what is needed, can help, support and be required in a BME mentoring relationship. BME, black and minoritised ethnic.
This figure emphasises the importance of allyship in mentoring, highlighting qualities valued in BME mentoring and what allies are advocated to do.
The study also emphasised the role of authentic allyship in mentorship. Mentors are encouraged to demonstrate honesty, humility, and a deep understanding of bias, particularly the racial and systemic challenges that BME healthcare professionals face. This approach helps create a supportive mentoring environment and actively works to break down the barriers of bias and inequality within the healthcare sector.
Animation to Bring Findings to Life
An engaging animation is being developed to help communicate the study’s findings more widely. While not part of the original research, this animation will be a visual tool to illustrate the mentoring model, making it easier for healthcare organisations, policymakers, and educators to implement its key principles. The aim is to provide healthcare organisations, policymakers, and educators with a practical and compelling tool to implement more inclusive and effective mentoring programmes.
The study provides a comprehensive framework for advancing equity in healthcare career progression. By offering mentors and mentees the tools to foster meaningful, inclusive relationships, this research contributes to breaking down barriers in the healthcare sector. As the sector strives for greater diversity, these findings serve as an invaluable resource for driving meaningful change and ensuring that all healthcare professionals—regardless of background—are given the support they need to succeed.
Associated Research Theme
This news story is related to our Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building theme.