Equality and Diversity

The National and Trust Approach

David CodnerEquality and Diversity

Manager

The National Agenda

• There are a number of key drivers moving the National Equality and Diversity Agenda. These are: Legislation Department of Health Policy

□Standards for Better Health□Performance management of equality and

diversity

The National AgendaLegislation

• Legislation dealing with discrimination and equality has increased in importance and quantity in recent years.

• New duties have been placed upon public authorities to promote equality in the areas of: Race (2000) Disability (2005) Gender (2006)

The National AgendaLegislation

• The law currently makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of: Age (from October 2006) Disability Race (including colour, race, nationality or

ethnic orientation origins) Religion or belief Sex (gender, marital status, and gender re-

assignment) Sexual orientation (orientation towards the

same, opposite and both sexes)

The National AgendaLegislation

• The Law prohibits discrimination in the areas Employment Service delivery in the areas of:

□Race□Sex□Disability□Religion or belief□Sexual orientation (from October 2006)

Public Authorities are required to promote equality (already covered)

The National AgendaLegislation

• The law also sets out as a framework for promoting equality in the areas of: Equal pay Civil partnerships (legal recognition of

relationships for same sex couples) Gender, recognition (establishes the right

to legally adopt the agenda they have re-assigned to)

The National AgendaThe Department of Health’s Role

• Equality and Diversity is a key component of the modernisation of the NHS

• Standards for better health address equality issues diversity in a number of the care standards

• Standards C7(e) is where most of the issues are addressed

• Strategic Health Authorities responsible for the monitoring NHS bodies performance in relation to equality and diversity

The Trust’s Approach

• Why is Equality and Diversity important to the Trust? The diversity is the population served by the

Trust□Nearly 40% of Central Manchester population is from

a black or ethnic minority background (2001 census)□12% of people in Manchester are identified as having

a faith compared to 5.5% in the UK overall□The average in Manchester is 35 compared to 38.6

within the UK overall□There are more men in Manchester (49%) compared

to the Northwest (48%)□Manchester has a large and visible lesbian, gay and

bi-sexual population which is much larger than the national average

The Trust’s Approach

• Why is Equality and Diversity important to the Trust? Making the best use of resources

□The trust has limited resources, and therefore it is important to make the best use of these

□By understanding the diversity of the population served the Trust can better target at resources and provide more effective services which better meets the needs of the population served

The modernisation of the NHS and Public Services (previously covered)

The Trust’s ApproachAction for Equality

• Action for Equality (AfE) establishes a framework for Trust’s Equality and Diversity work It is a working (draft) document It sets out the Trusts:

□Aims□Beliefs□Approach and action to be taken

in relation to Equality and Diversity

The Trust’s ApproachAction for Equality

• Action for Equality establishes five strategic aims in relation to Equality and Diversity Service provision Employment Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity Working with partners Achieving excellence

The Trust’s ApproachAction for Equality

• Action for Equality sets out six priority areas for Equality and Diversity work Age Disability Race and ethnicity Religion and belief Sex and gender Sexuality

• Each area has a number of equality target groups attached to it

The Trust’s ApproachAction for Equality

• Action for Equality establishes an annual equality and diversity action planning process Clinical divisions are required to produce

an Annual Equality and Diversity Action Plan

Action plans are monitored. Divisions produce:□A mid year review □Year end report□Undertake two informal quarterly reviews

The Trust’s ApproachAction for Equality

• The Equality and Diversity Action Planning process for 2006/07 Has five workstreams

□Equality Schemes□Accessible Communications □Patient Profiling□Wayfinding and Physical Access□Managing Equality and Diversity

The Accessible Communications and Patient Profiling wokstreams are supported by corporate working parties

The Trust’s ApproachThe Trust’s Policy Framework

• The Trust has adopted a number of policies designed to promote equality and manage diversity Statutory Equality Schemes Human Resources

□Organisational development and training□Managing employment□Managing equality□Health and welfare□Recruitment

Service equality

The Trust’s ApproachThe Trust’s Policy Framework

The Trust Equality Schemes• The Trust is required by law to have three

equality schemes setting out its arrangements for promoting equality in the areas of: Race Disability Gender

• The Trust adopted its second Race Equality Scheme in May 2005

• Working on developing the Disability Equality Scheme (to be by Dec2006)

• Work will begin shortly on the Gender Equality Scheme (to be in place by April 2007)

The Trust’s ApproachResources

• To support the promotion of Equality and Diversity there are a number of staff employed within the Trust

• Service Equality Team (SET) Main focus is service provision, strategy and

policy Within the SET-

□Equality and Diversity Manager (Head of Equality and Diversity)

□Two Equality and Advisor Human Resources Directorate

□Equality and Diversity Manager (to employed later this year)

The Trust’s ApproachResources

• The Trust has an Equality and Diversity section on its website and intranet Key information about the Trust’s

approach to Equality and Diversity and tools to implement□Action for Equality□Race Equality Scheme

Links to other website are included• It is hoped to produce a quarterly

Equality and Diversity newsletter