Surrey midwife’s work on equity and inclusion bags her a coveted award

22 October, 2024

3 minutes read

A midwife from the University of Surrey has won a prestigious award from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) for a research project which has culminated in the development of a multi award-winning asynchronous interview platform.

Dr Alison Callwood, who has spent over 15 years researching and implementing radical change in selection processes to challenge unconscious bias in recruitment practices, won the RCM’s annual Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award.

Alison is driven by the moral imperative to ensure that the midwifery workforce represents the society it serves. Most recently she was invited to collaborate and co-author the RCM’s Neurodivergence Acceptance Toolkit as further evidence of how her approach to fair selection has been recognised.

Over the past year, she has also led a team to better understand the accessibility needs of neurodivergent applicants when being interviewed online. Through collaborative engagement, a co-design approach was used to evaluate the existing platform and suggested features now include choice around background colour, contrast, sub-titles, font choice, video settings and progress customisation.

At the awards ceremony in London on 18 October, the RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said:

“Alison has researched how equity can be built into candidate interviews and elicited 10 key principles for fairness which she has spoken about at midwifery conferences internationally. Her work has been extremely well received, as is evidenced by multiple invitations to present as a guest speaker at international conferences.

“Her commitment, drive and evidence-based approach has culminated in a radical change in both midwifery and across health professionals’ interview processes not only at Surrey University where she works but also internationally and within the NHS.”

The RCM award, sponsored by Diverse Cymru and The NHS Race and Health Observatory, looks for an individual or teams within maternity services who have provided an exemplary commitment or outstanding contributions to champion diversity and inclusion within maternity services for service users or staff.

Professor Habib Naqvi, CEO, NHS Race and Health Observatory, said:

“Alison Callwood’s work in transforming recruitment practices to promote equity, diversity and inclusion is groundbreaking. It makes significant contributions to ensure that our healthcare workforce truly reflects, at all levels, the diverse communities it serves. Her evidence-based approach to tackling unconscious bias and her advocacy for neurodivergent individuals not only has positive impacts for the midwifery profession but has far-reaching implications across the entire healthcare sector.

“This recognition, from the Royal College of Midwives, is well-deserved – Alison’s work exemplifies the commitment to fairness and innovation that the NHS Race and Health Observatory is proud to support.”

Abby Wilson, Certification Scheme Assessment Manager from Diverse Cymru, said:

“Diverse Cymru is proud to sponsor the 2024 RCM Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award and extends heartfelt congratulations to Dr Alison Callwood for her remarkable innovation, dedication and tireless efforts.

“Dr Callwood’s groundbreaking work in tackling recruitment challenges exemplifies why equity and social justice are essential drivers of meaningful change. Her contributions have the power to transform maternity services and reshape the broader healthcare landscape, setting new standards for inclusion and excellence.”

 

ENDS

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk

Notes to Editors

 

About the RCM

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team.  We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance, and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences, and online resources. For more information visit the RCM | A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving the whole midwifery team.

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