Our Cultural Liaison Officers are based in Bradford, and work across the hospice to liaise with ethnic minority families, children and young people to build positive change within the organisation and provide the best Martin House experience for every individual.
They work with ethnic minority families to understand how to make their Martin House experience as special as possible. They implement this by working alongside other teams in the hospice to make meaningful changes to Martin House services.
How we support
- Act as a point of call for ethnic minority families, to voice their concerns about anything, or just for a chat!
- Run ‘Chai and Chat’; a group held in Bradford every month for mums of children with life-limiting conditions, to connect with each other.
- Lead Martin House’s annual Eid Festival.
- Work with anyone who impacts the families, children and young people, at Martin House; working with schools, universities, hospitals and community projects, to collaborate, raise awareness and provide the best care for those who need it.
How we support
- Accompany the Martin House Community Nurse Specialists (CNS) on home visits to meet as many families as we can who might want CLO support.
- Help lead the Bradford Light Up a Life remembrance event, alongside the Spiritual Care Practitioner.
- Lead education sessions for the staff to better understanding of cultural differences and practices within the hospice.
- Work within the organisation wide EDI team to ensure that what we have learnt about the ethnic minority community is being shared and actioned.
- Act as a point of call for staff who may have any questions or concerns regarding culture that we can support.
Our Cultural Liaison Officers
Nadiha Aktar
Nadiha joined Martin House in May 2022 as a cultural liaison officer, with a role to bridge cultural gaps, ensuring that all families receive sensitive, inclusive care tailored to their diverse backgrounds. Working alongside various teams across the hospice, she has helped implement relevant resources to allow Martin House to be a place of support and comfort for the families we help.
Nadiha studied early years and childhood studies at Manchester, graduating in 2016. This educational background has equipped her with a deep understanding of child development and the importance of cultural sensitivity in care settings. She takes a compassionate approach when supporting children and families at Martin House.
Sanaa Khan
Sanaa is a University of Leeds classics graduate with a master’s in teaching English to students of other languages (TESOL). Prior to joining Martin House as a cultural liaison officer in May 2022, she spent several years working with refugee and asylum seeker communities in Bradford; teaching English and working alongside local charities to support with their integration into the community.
At Martin House, Sanaa has worked to educate and increase understanding of the different faiths and cultures of the families we support. Along with our other CLO, she organised and hosted our first Eid-Fest, now an annual event, and joined our EDI working group to help Martin House become champions of inclusivity and diversity.
Kainaat Ali
With a background in healthcare as an operating department practitioner, Kainaat has worked across a range of medical specialties. She has a passion for championing person-centred and culturally sensitive care and driving meaningful change.
At Martin House, Kainaat plays a key role in ensuring that every family feels seen, heard, and supported. She works to educate our teams, raise awareness, and close the gaps in care so that every child and family, no matter their background, receives the compassion and respect they deserve. Kainaat is a strong advocate for those whose voices have been overlooked, and she is committed to building a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. She also speaks Urdu and multiple dialects of Punjabi, which has been immensely valuable in building trust and meaningful connections with families whose first language is not English. Her language skills, combined with her empathetic approach, allow her to act as a crucial bridge between our teams and the individuals we support, ensuring that their story and their voice remain at the heart of the care they receive.