Group Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Jane Cantrell, RCNF Board

Jane has over 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, working for most of her career in Scotland. After completing her training at Manchester University, where she also gained qualifications in district nursing and health visiting, Jane practised as a district nurse before moving into nurse education, where she has held posts in nursing colleges, universities, and NHS Education for Scotland.

She has led on national work related to community nursing, healthcare support workers, public health and undergraduate nursing and midwifery. In the past Jane has been a member of work based equality, diversity and inclusion committees particularly related to educational accessibility. She has been a trustee for the RCN Foundation for the past 2 years. 

Jackie Davies, RCN Trade Union Committee

As a registered nurse, Jackie has a clinical professional background in mental health nursing and forensic psychiatry. An experienced Trade Unionist, Jackie has an interest in healthcare law, clinical negligence and employment law. Jackie graduated in law with an LLB (Hons) in 2006. In 2014 Jackie also obtained a Masters Degree in Healthcare Law and Ethics from Swansea University. Jackie is a board member with the Royal College of Nursing Wales Board, she has been a branch official within the RCN Glamorgan branch for several years holding various positions such as Chair, Treasurer, secretary and more recently Communications officer.

Jackie is currently an independent member of the Board of Swansea Bay University Health Board, a public appointment she has held since 2017. She is Chair of the Swansea Bay Armed Forces Forum and Chair of the Swansea Bay Organ Donation Committee.

Lauren Healan, RCN UK Students Committee

Lauren is a student nurse in adult nursing (BSc) at the University of South Wales and currently a member of the RCN UK Students Committee. She has been a RCN Student Ambassador since 2022. 

During her time as an ambassador and committee member, Lauren has attended various events and conferences ensuring the student voice is always heard but one thing she has noticed is that the diversity of the current and future workforce is not spoken about enough. In such a modern society, there is no place for discrimination of any form and Lauren plans to use her time on the EDI Committee ensuring that the diversity of student nurses is included in the conversation. Lauren strives to make a more equitable and inclusive workplace for everyone, advocating for marginalised populations and championing the EDI strategy beyond the rhetoric to foster tangible outcomes.

Lucy Kallen, External Adviser

Lucy is a diversity, equity and inclusion leader, with over 10 years’ experience driving DEI strategies across the legal industry, fintech and now the third sector. Currently working at a UN supported NGO, the “Principles for Responsible Investment” aims to build an economically efficient, sustainable global financial system which can benefit wider society as a whole.

Originally from Manchester, Lucy stays connected to her roots through her love of football and regular trips to the North to visit family. She is also active in her local community in London, volunteering with social mobility charities supporting young people getting into the workplace and through her role as a governor for Walthamstow School for Girls.

Roger Kline OBE, External Adviser

Roger Kline OBE FRSA is Research Fellow at Middlesex University Business School 

Roger authored several reports on race equality in the NHS including “The Snowy White Peaks of the NHS” (2014) and Fair to Refer (GMC 2019) with Dr Doyin Atewologun on disproportionality in GMC referrals. He designed the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and was joint national director of the WRES team 2015-17. 

Roger was co-author of Being Fair (2019) on disciplinary action in the context of patient safety and human factors and co-author with Prof Duncan Lewis of The Price of Fear (2018) – the authoritative estimate of the financial cost of bullying in the NHS. 

Roger was author of No More Tick Boxes (September 2021) a review of the research evidence on fair recruitment and career progression. 

Roger was co-author of Difference Matters (National Guardian Office 2021) on raising concerns and BME staff and co-author of the recent report Too Hot to Handle (2024) on lessons for the NHS from recent Tribunal cases on race discrimination

Roger was voted as one of the top 30 Most Influential UK HR thinkers by HR Magazine in 2021 and again in 2022.

Alison Paterson, RCN Professional Nursing Committee

Alison is the Lead Cancer Nurse at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. Qualified for over 20 years she started her nursing career on a Bone marrow transplant ward moving onto intensive care and completing her Masters in Advancing Critical Care Nursing at Kings College London. More recently she has held CNS roles in Haemato-Oncology and Acute Oncology including a Lecturer-Practitioner role qualifying as an Independent Prescriber and practicing at an advanced level.  
 
Alison has been a member of Blood Cancer UK Nurses group since 2018 and a member of their Healthcare Professional Advisory Group since 2020 contributing to the APPG on Blood Cancer. She is also the Lead for the East Of England Cancer Alliance Lead Cancer Nurses Group.

Mehvish Shaffi-Ajibola, External Adviser

Mehvish is a distinguished and nationally recognised strategic Human Relatedness (HR) & Organisational Development (OD) leader with a wealth of experience across diverse sectors. She has worked in the NHS, local government, financial sector as an Islamic Finance Consultant, and the voluntary sector, bringing a unique and holistic perspective to her roles.

In 2021, Mehvish earned national recognition at the Health and Social Care Awards as an award-winning leader for her outstanding contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) within the healthcare sector. Her impact continued to be celebrated, and in 2023, she was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Muslims in Europe. Mehvish has been instrumental in helping organisations navigate change and foster inclusive cultures through social mindfulness and restorative practices.

As the founder of Socially Inspired Ltd, Mehvish leads a HR & OD consultancy that partners with socially conscious clients dedicated to creating fairer and more equitable societies and workplaces. Her work is deeply influenced by her personal experiences and a profound commitment to humanity. Mehvish actively uses her experiences with racism to drive positive change and improve the workplace environment.

In addition to her professional achievements, Mehvish is a dedicated mother to two daughters and has a supportive husband. She balances her demanding career with her family life, embodying strength and compassion in both her personal and professional endeavours.

Mehvish has contributed several insightful blogs for NHS Providers, law firms, BRAP, Mind, and has been featured in Personnel Today. She is an advanced Legal Executive, a Mental Health First Aider, a Workforce Race Equality Standards (WRES) Expert, and a Cultural Intelligence practitioner. Additionally, she is an experienced and accredited Coach and Mediator, continuously advocating for mental health awareness and cultural competence in the workplace.

Sandra-Jane Stock, RCN UK Nursing Support Workers Committee

Sandra-Jane (SJ) is a Band 2 Health Care Assistant at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, working mainly with children.
SJ started working in the NHS in 1982, qualifying as a RGN in 1986 and a RSCN in 1988. SJ has worked in hospital, schools and the community with children and their families in many different roles, including Band 7 Children’s respiratory & allergy nurse specialist with a non-medical prescribing qualification in West London. Owing to disability, SJ took ill health retirement and left the NMC register at the end of 2021. Finding retirement not to her liking, SJ joined NNUH as a Health Care Assistant.

Life-long learning has always been an important part of SJ’s life, undertaking post-registration qualifications in teaching and assessing, paediatric asthma, allergy in practice, Diploma in Professional Studies in Nursing followed by a top-up degree at the RCN – BSc (Hons) in Child Health Nursing. Apart from annual updates in respiratory, allergy and prescribing, SJ’s most recent formal qualification was Non-Medical Prescribing registered with the NMC in 2012. Now, however, SJ is undertaking a MA in Childhood & Youth studies with the OU. SJ had an article published in RCNi Journal, Nursing Children & Young People in 2019.

SJ has been a member of the RCN since 1982, as a student member, Registered Nurse member, retired member (very briefly) and as a NSW member. SJ became the elected member of the Nursing Support Workers (NSW) Committee representing the Eastern Region in 2023. Having been a Registered Nurse, SJ felt that she was well placed to support NSWs due to her breadth of knowledge and experience of competencies and acknowledgement of increased role expectations – NSW’s taking on more of the clinical skills that used to be in the Registered Nurse domain and highlighting when NSWs being asked to take on roles / tasks beyond their job description and taking action on behalf of other NSWs. Recently SJ has become the NSW Committee representative on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, having had practical experience of how difficult it is to argue for necessary adjustments.

Outside of work, studying and RCN commitments, SJ has a long history of volunteering - previously as a School Governor, PCC Treasurer, Lead Chaperone & safeguarding officer for a youth theatre group and currently as an Age UK phone friend, Beaver Leader in training (Scouting) and Rainbow Leader in training (Guiding).

Paul Vaughan, RCN Council

Paul works with NHS England as the National Deputy Director, Community Nursing and Primary Care Nursing. 

Previously, Paul was the Director of Nursing, Transformation within the organisation and led the development and delivery of the GPN Ten Point Plan and the national initiative on the perception of nursing known as NextGen Nurse. He initiated and co-produced the national nursing sponsorship programme, an evidence-based framework that enables executive white leaders to promote the careers of aspiring Global Majority nurse leaders and midwives. While working as the RCN Regional Director, West Midlands Region, Paul devised the RCNs Cultural Ambassador Programme and a branch member engagement programme known as the RCN Local Learning Events. 

Paul completed a Masters in Management with the University of Liverpool and his dissertation focused on the factors that enable nursing staff to raise concerns in their workplace. 

Paul is the Northern Region’s elected member of the RCNs governing body and is the current Chair of RCN Council.

Sarah Walsh, RCNi Board

Sarah joined the RCNi board in September 2023 as a non-executive director. She has more than 20 years’ experience in risk leadership roles with expertise in risk management, strategy development, technology and operations, engineering and data, and information governance, including leadership roles at Telegraph Media Group, Guardian Media Group, Save the Children and Imperial College London.  
 
Sarah currently works as an advisory consultant and an independent non- executive member of audit and risk committees, including the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Science Museum Group, and St John’s Ambulance.
 
As a generalist risk specialist, her work spans diverse areas, including experience in digital transformation in media and education sectors. Before risk, Sarah worked as an aerodynamicist solving complex mathematical and engineering problems for global Aerospace companies, while completing a PhD in aerodynamics in applied computational fluid dynamics. She has a track record in helping organisations understand and manage risks and opportunities in support of achieving and optimising strategic and operational objectives.

Steve Watson, RCN Council

Steve is a registered nurse with over two decades of experience in both acute nursing and social care. Throughout his career, Steve has been deeply committed to ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and high-quality care in both the acute and independent sectors. This commitment has driven his professional journey and underpins his dedication to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within healthcare.

Steve's extensive career began as a front-line nurse, where he honed his clinical skills and developed a profound understanding of patient needs. This foundational experience was crucial as Steve advanced to roles such as Night Practitioner and Modern Matron, where he had the opportunity to lead teams and influence care delivery standards directly. These roles taught Steve the importance of fostering an inclusive environment where all staff and patients feel valued and respected, regardless of their background or circumstances.

As an Adult Health Inspector for the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), Steve gained invaluable insights into the systemic challenges and opportunities within social care. This role allowed him to advocate for improvements in service quality and to champion policies that promote equity and inclusivity. Steve's work with CSSIW underscored the necessity of an EDI-focused approach to ensure that all individuals receive the care they deserve, free from discrimination or bias.

More recently, Steve has transitioned to running his own consultancy business, where he continues to drive quality improvement initiatives across various social care settings. His consultancy work is rooted in the principles of EDI, aiming to create care environments that are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the diverse needs of the communities they serve.

In addition to his professional endeavours, Steve has been actively involved with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) throughout his career. Starting as a student steward, Steve has taken on roles such as primary care and independent sector advisor in Wales. His involvement with the RCN has provided him with a platform to advocate for EDI within the nursing profession, working to ensure that nurses from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to succeed and contribute to the healthcare sector.

On a personal note, Steve is married with two children and resides in the beautiful region of North Wales. His interests extend beyond nursing; Steve is a member of the British Motorsport Marshall's Club and the Care Connector Network. These affiliations reflect his belief in the importance of community and the value of diverse experiences and perspectives.

In conclusion, Steve's career has been characterized by a steadfast commitment to improving care quality and promoting EDI within healthcare. He believes that by fostering inclusive and equitable care environments, we can better serve our patients and create a more just and compassionate society.