The Synergi National Pledge Alliance was launched at its inaugural virtual Symposium on Thursday 25th November 2021 to mobilise mental health leaders to collaborate, show leadership and be accountable to eradicate ‘unacceptable’ ethnic inequalities in mental health systems.
Spearheaded by the Synergi Collaborative Centre and senior leaders who signed the UK’s first National Pledge to reduce ethnic inequalities in mental health systems, the Alliance has been established to respond proactively to the lack of progress, over six decades, on tackling ethnic inequalities for people diagnosed with a severe mental illness.
Inspired by Pledge commitment 4, for signatories to ‘provide national leadership on this critical issue’, the Alliance has garnered the support of 28 senior leaders in NHS and public sector mental health care in Birmingham, London, Greater Manchester and Leeds.
Also backed by the Chair of the NHS Race and Health Observatory Marie Gabriel CBE, the Alliance aims are listed below.
The enduring statistics indicate the urgency for change. Compared with White people, Black people are:
The Alliance’s formation is an acknowledgement that in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the Black Lives Matter worldwide protests and the ethnic inequalities exacerbated by Covid-19, that ‘this is a moment of accountability’ and a much-needed leadership challenge to be met.
Join us to be part of what is a growing movement of collaborative leadership. Help us shift not only the narrative, but the experience and outcomes that have, for decades, caused ethnic minority people harm, to one that is inclusive, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, authentic and generates sustainable models of change.
‘Synergi is committed to transforming the narrative and experience for ethnic minority people with lived experience of severe mental distress. We know the statistics. They remain etched in our memory banks because they are persistent, unchanging and unacceptable. We are talking about real people and real lives, not just data. We have to move beyond just documenting ethnic inequalities and be accountable for visible and long-lasting change.
Joy Francis, Co-Director, Synergi Collaborative Centre, Pledge Lead and Synergi National Pledge Alliance Co-Founder
To join the Alliance, you need to be a senior leader in mental health, be it a mental health trust, local authority or as a commissioner.
You will also need to sign up to the Synergi National Pledge to reduce ethnic inequalities in mental health systems.
You can express your interest in becoming a signatory and Pledge Maker here.
In addition to signing the Pledge and meeting the commitments, and honouring the aims of the Synergi National Pledge Alliance, the Alliance will host national Pledge Maker ‘Learning Exchange’ action meetings at least twice a year to coincide with the submission of the Pledge Makers’ biannual progress reports, which is a Pledge commitment requirement.
Also, every November, in collaboration with Synergi, the Alliance will host an annual Symposium for Pledge Makers and Pledge Supporters to share the learning, challenges, progress and actions to be taken. The Symposium will be for Pledge Makers, Pledge Supporters, Creative Spaces partners, mental health leaders, lived experience advocates, activists, experts by experience, carers, academics and other interested parties.
The accountability and relationship building is with the Alliance members, with some facilitation by Synergi.
The goal is for the Alliance to be an independent and self-actualised movement.
To find out more, email the Pledge Lead and Synergi Co-Director Joy Francis: [email protected].
