The standards we walk past are the standards we set
The Active Bystander Leadership Programme closes with a single line. It appears last, almost quietly, after ninety minutes of reflection, discussion and practice. It reads: ‘The standards we walk past are the standards we set.’ Six words. But they carry the full weight of what this programme is asking, of every leader who attends. The programme is one of the named outputs of No Space for Racism, the Greater Manchester (GM) Integrated Care Partnership’s anti-racism programme, launched in March 2026. It sits alongside a broader set of connected commitments across the GM system, including, the NHS Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard, the Sexual Safety Charter, and the Equality Act 2010, the legal foundation underpinning all of it. Active bystander training has been delivered in parts of Greater Manchester for some time. What this iteration seeks to do is create a more consistent, connected approach, one that reflects where we are now as a system and the expectation that inclusion is a leadership behaviour, not a HR function. There are many compelling demands on leaders, and when asked, many leaders are confident in promoting good values and behaviours and role modelling good values and behaviours, but the Achilles heel is often challenging poor values and behaviours. A values question as much as anything else WRES data has told a consistent story for ten years now: Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff across the NHS continue to experience higher rates of harassment, bullying and discrimination, than their white colleagues. That picture has not shifted significantly, despite concerted effort, and it sits uncomfortably alongside our stated values.
At its heart, this is about people and whether we can say with confidence, every member of our workforce feels safe, valued and that they genuinely belong. A workforce where people feel they belong, is not just a fairer place to work, it is one where people bring their whole, authentic selves, deliver better care, and contribute to a culture that patients and communities can trust. The frameworks and national standards are there to support that ambition. But the programme starts from a simpler premise: that leaders who care about the people they lead will want to act when something is wrong. What the programme asks of leaders
the situation correctly, concern about relationships, not knowing what to say, fear of unintended consequences and making it worse. These are recognised, entirely human responses. The programme acknowledges them and offers practical language, real scenarios and the chance to rehearse responses before they are needed. The hesitation gap is often a confidence gap, which in turn is a skills and knowledge gap. Part of something bigger No Space for Racism is a system commitment. The Active Bystander Leadership Programme is one of the ways that commitment becomes visible, in practice not in strategy documents, but in how leaders show up in the moments that matter. Alongside the work on sexual safety, violence prevention and staff experience, it forms part of a picture of what kind of system Greater Manchester wants to be. The standards we walk past are the standards we set. This programme is an invitation to be more intentional about which standards those are. Find out more about the No Space for Racism campaign:
The programme is built around a straightforward framework: Notice,
Interpret, Assume Responsibility, Act. Four stages. Research consistently shows that harm is compounded when any one of them fails, when something goes unseen, unrecognised, minimised, normalised or seen and left to someone else. The message to leaders is that waiting is not a neutral position. Leaders are equipped with five intervention methods, the 5Ds: Direct, Distract, Delegate, Delay, Document. Each has its place. But for senior leaders in particular, the programme places emphasis on Direct and Distract. When the most senior person in the room sees something and says nothing, they do not simply fail to act they communicate that the behaviour is acceptable and tacitly acceptable and endorsed. A direct challenge, even a brief one, changes the temperature of a room. A well-timed distraction protects the person affected and interrupts the moment without escalation. Both are within reach of every leader. The session is also honest about what gets in the way. The barriers are named: uncertainty about whether you have read
gmintegratedcare.org.uk/no-space-for- racism-in-health-and-care-anywhere/
Majid Hussain, Director of Equality and Inclusion, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Abid Dar, Regional Head of Inclusion and Engagement (Retention and Experience), NHS England North West
nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk | Leader
Leader | nw.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk
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