Lead contact: Paula Davies Acting Learning & Development Manager

Transcription

1 EDS outcome 3.1 Recruitment and selection processes are fair, inclusive and transparent so that the workforce becomes as diverse as it can be within all occupations and grades Lead contact: Paula Davies Acting Learning & Development Manager The Organisation has of policies and procedures to support the recruitment and selection of its workforce which is inclusive of a framework to assist managers to recruit staff to services. This policy will help to ensure managers adopt a fair and consistent approach using valid assessment methods to ensure selection techniques identify the best candidate without discriminating against any candidate, either directly or indirectly from protected groups. Whilst data capture is achieved for staff records on application via the NHS jobs application process data for all protected groups in not routinely reported and is only reported by exception at present if required and thus not subject to analysis as a routine. Currently, no formal reports are presented to Boards/senior management setting out the workforce composition and highlighting plans to address gaps in workforce composition across all protected groups but this is done for some. The organisation recruits volunteers to assist across some services and the information is captured and held on its workforce composition across some protected groups. As volunteers do not have an electronic payroll records this information is held by the volunteer and placement manager. The organisation holds Investors in people accreditation at bronze level and is positive about disabled people. Both volunteer recruitment and work experience placements and processes at the organisation are governed by policies (volunteer and work experience policies) The organisation plans to expand the access to ESR to managers which will enable each business unit to illuminate its workforce composition across all protected groups. There are plans in place to review the impact assessment of the recruitment and retention policy as part of the policy review process across all protected characteristics. The organisation has an impact assessment toolkit for this purpose. Reasons Outcome: The organisation has access to information regarding some groups with protected characteristics and this needs to be further developed to demonstrate good practice Engagement: The organisation works closely with the Trust partnership forum to ensure that employee issues are addressed in the development of any HR policies and procedures and is working to align a staff side member to HR business partners for a more fully consultative review of these policies. Mainstream processes: The organisation has a recruitment and selection policy, which is implemented, monitored and reviewed. The organisation needs a strategy as to how to improve workforce diversity across the protected groups at recruitment.

2 Progression Plans: Plans are in place to develop how the organisation access workforce composition information pertinent to the business through extended managers use of the electronic staff record Disadvantaged groups: Key disadvantaged groups are not taken into account in the above processes across all protected characteristics only some.

3 EDS outcome 3.2 Levels of pay and related terms and conditions are fairly determined for all posts, with staff doing equal work and work rated as of equal value being entitled to equal pay. Lead contact: Paula Davies Acting Learning & Development Manager The organisation utilises the NHS job evaluation system for determining grades of all posts. New posts are considered in accordance with the national job profiles or are evaluated individually jointly by the HR and staff side Agenda for Change (AFC) Leads using the national job evaluation guidance. This ensures that consistency is applied in the grading process. There is no data available to ascertain the consistency of pay across all protected groups only some and this is produced as an exception and not incrementally in profile across the whole organisation. However, that said, the organisation does implement the NHS Terms and Conditions of pay across all staff on these terms. The organisation recognises that it does not routinely collect and analyse data on pay for all protected groups. Reasons Outcome: The organisation has limited range of evidence to demonstrate that equal rates of pay are applied across protected groups and this needs to be further developed Engagement: The organisation engages with staff side organisations and staff in areas of pay and conditions Mainstream processes: The collection and analysis of data across all protected groups is not woven into the organisations mainstream processes and this needs further development Progression Plans: Plans are not in place to progress to the next grade at this point as data collection and reporting across all protected groups are not advanced Disadvantaged groups: Key disadvantaged groups will need to be taken into consideration in the above process

4 EDS outcome 3.3 Through support, training, personal development and performance appraisal, staff are confident and competent to do their work, so that services are commissioned or provided appropriately Lead contact: Paula Davies Acting Learning & Development Manager The organisation can demonstrate through workforce metrics that a measure of 90% staff are afforded personal development reviews across some protected groups as this data is captured via the electronic staff record and can be extracted as exception reports for some of the protected groups. Business Units are required to produced monthly action plans to support achievement of this goal. Training is provided to reviewers to enable them to conduct a fair and transparent appraisal across all protected groups utilising the KSF Core Dimensions with particular regard to KSF core dimension 6 equality and diversity and the application of the knowledge, skills and behaviours to their role. The organisation has a performance measure that 90% of staff receive personal development reviews and have their learning needs identified on the resultant plan from this review. These plans are audited but not across the protected groups as one of the audit outcomes which needs to be developed. The organisation provides awareness training as mandatory to all staff employed in relation to the protected groups and reports on compliance of this awareness training monthly to Board. The organisation records training activities via a learning application process onto the learning management system, however, the current system does not allow capture or recording of applications from protected groups and this requires development. It is the organisations policy that staff receive a local induction commensurate with their personal needs and this is monitored corporately but not across all protected groups although the data is captured and can be produced as an exception if required. The vocational training service offered at the organisation is audited against the OFSTED compliance framework of which learning of staff across most of the protected groups is graded. The current grade is satisfactory. The organisation offers e learning programmes via the NHS e learning portal which ensure that staff receive information on how meet the needs of all communities and some protected groups which is assessment and scenario based. The organisation has union learning representatives who actively promote learning for staff. There are robust links with TUC Union learn and provision has been accessed to support the learning needs of staff although there is no internal robust capture process about requests or provision for protected groups which requires development. The organisation hosts an annual learning at work day event which is available to all staff groups and communities which is supported by education providers and staff side learning representatives who will provide advice and guidance for staff. There has been training provided for staff to promote communication with children and families in areas such as MAKATON sign which was commissioned as a result of staff training needs with some protected groups. The organisation has developed some systems whereby key disadvantaged individuals are identified and supported with learning and personal development E.g. Development of a work based assessment process for those staff with dyslexia, aspiring leadership development for BME staff, although this is not the case for all protected groups and requires development within the organisations learning needs analysis to ensure that this is explicit. The organisation has a number of policies which will assist staff if they believe that provision and uptake of personal development opportunities is unfair. This includes grievance procedures, equality and human rights policy, and respect at work policy. Each business unit has a dedicated HR Manager and HR

5 advisor available for staff should they feel they require to escalate concerns. There is also holistic support available for staff confidentially through psychological services should they wish to self-refer. Further work is needed to capture and measure incidents were formal reports of unfair provision are recorded. The organisation is currently upgrading the learning management system to include additional functionality for reporting across groups as well as general compliance across PDR s and equality awareness training. There are plans to revise the learning application process to incorporate the data capture of protected groups for monitoring purposes. Reasons Outcome: Whilst the organisation is using the most up to date data and information about the processes, it is not routinely captured across all protected groups only some and can be accessed as an exception if required. Engagement: The organisation engages with staff via face to face and electronic media as well as personal briefs from the CEO. Training opportunities are advertised via the weekly trust newsletter and via the trusts intranet. The methods of access to training are being increased to accommodate some protected groups. Mainstream processes: The organisation aims to mainstream processes for most protected groups but needs to integrate the NHS constitution and pledges into its mechanisms more explicitly. Progression Plans: Plans are in place to ensure that development aims around most protected groups are met such as more robust data capture of learning activity Disadvantaged groups: Key disadvantaged groups are taken into account in the above processes.

6 Outcome 3.4 Staff are free from abuse, harassment, bullying, violence from both patients and their relatives and colleagues, with redress being open to all Lead contact: Joe Murray LSMS The Safety of staff from abuse, violence, bullying and harassment from both patients and their relatives is a priority to the Trust, and is dealt with through the Trust Policies and Procedures, with training provided by the Trust. The Trust takes these matters very seriously and ensures all policies related to these issues are adhered to by staff and visitors The Following Policies and Procedures are used; Preventing & management of Violence and lone workers, Security Policy 8, CCTV Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Respect at work Policy, and Management of Stress at work, Whistleblowing Policy. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2010, Harassment Act 1997, section 5 criminal justice act. A current review of the Equality Analysis ( previously EIA) process is in development to provide evidence for any trends affecting groups with protected characteristics Incidents of violence and aggression are reported via the Trust Risk Management process and control measures identified to manage these. Systems are being reviewed for the monitor employee relations activity linked to protected groups. The Trust has a Privacy and Dignity Policy and audit mechanism in place with advice available for staff who report cases of bullying and harassment. A comprehensive Occupational Health Service and counselling services are available to all staff and can be accessed via self-referral, as well as a Bullying and Harassment Help Line. To promote awareness in this area Equality and Diversity training is mandatory for all staff, with consistent rates of above 80% of staff completing this training Reasons Outcome: The organisation monitors incidents of violence and aggression to staff which identify some but not all protected characteristics Engagement: The Trust engages with patients and families from protected groups about behavioural issues affecting staff Mainstream processes: The Trust will risk assess all patients in relation to Violence & Aggression covering family members if there is a concern Progression Plans: The Trust has a Reporting system which will record and monitor patient/family activity throughout the Trust and during admission, and this will enable the Trust to identify an incident, and who is involved, this is monitored by the Trust LSMS and risk management team. Disadvantaged groups: These groups of patients need to be identified by the Trust, or care providers, so as to allow the Trust to put in

7 place an action plan if there is a known history of Abuse or V&A towards NHS Staff

8 EDS outcome 3.5 Flexible working options are made available to all staff, consistent with the needs of the service, and the way people lead their lives. Lead contact: Paula Davies Acting Learning & Development Manager All employees have access to an array of flexible working options and there are policies which are reviewed and monitored to ensure the availability and implementation of flexible working is fair against the needs of the service and across some protected groups but not all. A commitment to the principles of flexible working is integral in the Trust s Recruitment and Selection Procedure and this is included in all job advertisements. Prospective candidates should therefore be able to discuss preferred working patterns with managers at any time during the selection process and will not be disadvantaged as a result of this. Employees attend corporate induction and have a local induction where flexible working policies are discussed. The currently policies relating to flexible working are: flexible working policy, sickness absence policy, career break policy, job sharing policy, sabbatical leave policy and special leave policy. These policies are open to all employees. However, no monitoring is undertaken of the uptake of flexible working by protected groups although data produced from the annual staff survey is analysed in terms of how may respondents have taken advantage of this. Therefore we cannot demonstrate that these policies are operating fairly across the organisation although the organisation is committed to an environment that promotes equality and embraces diversity both within our workforce and in service delivery and recognises that all policy should be implemented with due regard to this commitment. Reasons Outcome: The Trust can show there is some evidence to demonstrate that flexible working options are available to all staff, with consideration to some protected characteristics Engagement: The organisation is working in partnership with staff side to review employment policies to ensure a fair and equitable application across protected groups Mainstream processes: The policies and guidance on flexible working are mainstreamed via the HR policy structure and ratified by a subcommittee of the trust board (workforce and organisational development committee) Progression Plans: The policy review process will pay due regard to the inclusion of all protected groups when reviewed policies are subject to impact assessment. Disadvantaged groups: Key disadvantaged groups are not taken into account in the above processes across all protected groups only some.

9 EDS outcome 3.6 The workforce is supported to remain healthy, with a focus on addressing major health and lifestyle issues that affect individual staff and the wider population Lead contact: Jackie Waring LEAD FOR Health Work and Wellbeing The organisation has a published Public Health Strategy, Health, Work and Wellbeing (HWW) Strategy and Single Equality Scheme. It also has a range of supportive policies including Range of supportive policies including Stress Management Policy, Dignity at Work (B&H), and Supporting Staff in Traumatic/Stressful Incidents, Complaints or Claims. Systems are being reviewed for the monitor employee relations activity linked to protected groups. The NHS Annual Staff Survey provides robust information that informs the Trust s HWW Action Plan. A range off health promotion activity is open to all and responds to preferences identified by staff themselves. Activity is available that is tailored to accommodate needs of protected groups, such as ladies only fitness classes and one-to one personal tuition with our staff fitness instructor which can assist staff with specific disabilities. The Trust has an Annual Health Promotion Calendar, that include a wide range of activities, information and signposting incorporating issues that may be of specific interest to some protected groups such as sexual health awareness and sickle cell awareness. A comprehensive Occupational Health Service and counselling services are available to all staff and can be accessed via self-referral, as well as a Bullying and Harassment Help Line. The NHS Annual Staff survey provides information on views of all staff on their work experience. Data is available by protected group and an action plan is developed in response to feedback from staff. Personal information for equal opportunities monitoring purposes is collected and available with in the Electronic Staff record system. Systems are being reviewed for the collection of equality data on employee relations activity and in line with the Trust s Dignity at Work (Bullying and Harassment) policy. Robust data is collected on staff accessing counselling services The Trust ensures opportunity for staff side/trade union representation on a range of committees including: Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy Implementation Group, Health and Safety Committee, Workforce and Organisational Development Committee and Occupational Health Contract Review group. Engagement is actively encouraged from all staff to inform implementation of healthy lifestyle initiatives through our Annual Staff Survey and other bespoke lifestyle surveys. Information gathered from these processes informs a range of plans including the HWW Strategy Action Plan and Annual Survey Action Plan The Trust aims to improve the health and lifestyle of its entire workforce through mainstream processes as described above. Additionally elements of the Trust Learning Prospectus and Equality Impact Assessment Processes contribute to ensuring equitable outcomes for all staff, including protected groups A range of plans are being developed to support all staff during this significant period of change and transition within the NHS. This will consider implications for protected groups.

10 Reasons Outcome: The organisation does collect evidence to inform provision of healthy lifestyle initiatives aligned to feedback from staff and can provide examples to support this. However it is recognised that there is room for improvement both in regard to collection of data, and ongoing monitoring Engagement: The organisation engages with staff through a range of processes including one to one arrangements, staff surveys, and various committees and through dialogue that evolves as part of discussions generated within programmes such as the Management and Leadership Development Programme and Healthy Lifestyle Brief Intervention Training. Mainstream processes: The organisation aims to mainstream processes for most protected groups but needs to integrate the NHS constitution and the pledges to support staff health and wellbeing pledges into its mechanisms more explicitly. Progression Plans: The Health, Work and Wellbeing Strategy is a 5 Year, 3 stage programme of work with detailed action plans developed or to be developed along the timeline. Disadvantaged groups: There is a level of understanding of key disadvantaged groups and the requirement to accommodate specific needs where this is apparent and appropriate. However awareness and action in this regard needs to be increased across the organisation.