Single Equality Scheme 2011 - 2014 This document is available in larger print and other formats and languages on request. 1 Single Equality Scheme Contents Page numbers Foreword 4 1. Introduction 5 Strategic Vision 6 2. Demographics 7 3. Governance 10 Key Responsibilities 11 Communications 11 4. Workforce Strategy and Profile 12 Workforce Profile 12 More Than a Workplace 13 Employee Wellbeing 13 5. Learning and Development 14 Equality Impact Assessment and Equality Analysis 17 6. Patient Engagement, Involvement, Consultation and Experience 18 7. Procurement 20 8. Legal Context 23 The Equality Act and Duties 23 Human Rights Act 1998 24 2 9. Single Equality Scheme Context 25 Meeting needs through adjustments 26 Co-operation and collaboration 27 Positive action – meeting individual needs 29 Engaging and Consulting 31 Publicising and Reporting 31 10. Single Equality Scheme Action Plan 2011-12 31 Appendices Appendix 1 – Committee Structure 32 Appendix 2 – Workforce Profile Analysis 33 This document is available in a range of alternative formats including various languages, large print, audio cassette and Braille. Please Contact: The Customer Care Team: [email protected] Telephone: 0151 600 1517 We welcome feedback about its content, format and ways we could improve it: In writing to: Head of Organisational Development & Learning Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Thomas Drive Liverpool L14 3PE 3 Single Equality Scheme Foreword This Single Equality Scheme has been written as evidence of our commitment to ensure that Equality, diversity and human rights (EDHR) considerations are at the centre of our Trust and the way that it operates. This document is a development from our earlier scheme and is intended to outline our strategies and actions for the foreseeable future. Our equality objective action plan will be the baseline from which further plans will be developed in order to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. The contents and action plan have been developed by drawing on current information and with reference to comments received in regard to our earlier scheme. Its preparation has provided us with an opportunity to scrutinise current practice, assess progress in relation to EDHR and identify any gaps in provision and practice. The Trust achieved Foundation Trust status in December 2009 and actively engages with members. Our mission is to provide excellent, safe, compassionate care for every patient every day. We have developed a Patient Experience Strategy which describes a compelling vision for patient experience which also includes relatives and carers. Involvement and consultation are extremely important to us and we invite comments and suggestions with regard to this Single Equality Scheme. This is the first stage in an ongoing process and we look forward to receiving your feedback. Neil Large Rajesh Jain Chair Chief Executive 4 1. Introduction The Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital (LHCH) has developed this Single Equality Scheme (SES) to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that equality, diversity and human rights (EDHR) are an integral and important part of the way that we operate as an organisation. The SES is a continuation of an ongoing process which provides a framework within which we can assess the current state of play with regard to the ways that the organisation operates. It will also help us further enhance current practice in our approach to EDHR. Central to this commitment, and also to our intention of ensuring that EDHR considerations become a core part of our business, is the process of linking EDHR into all systems and procedures at strategic and operational levels. We will publish the required data relating to EDHR and will ensure that our SES and Action Plans address all aspects of equality. As part of our journey towards Foundation Trust status we recruited 9,548 members. The membership is drawn from as diverse a group of people as was possible but we continue to work closely with our Council of Governors to encourage participation from under-represented groups. The Membership Strategy will be refreshed during 2011 and will include a review of the membership database to ensure that information is requested and monitored for all equality groups. The SES encompasses all stakeholders including the Board of Directors, Council of Governors, members, employees, service users, sub-contractors and partners. A diverse population requires a diverse workforce and we will not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of the protected characteristics1 of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, caring responsibilities or any other relevant characteristic or need. We are well prepared to implement the equality duty that is included in the Equality Act 2010. This brings together the public sector duties of race, disability and gender and focuses on advancing equal opportunities and combating discrimination and victimisation based on the protected characteristics that are listed above. We have incorporated our vision, values and behaviours into the SES, along with the underpinning strategic objectives, because we believe that focusing on these throughout the SES is the most likely approach to help us succeed in our aim. We are aware of our obligations to comply with the Care Quality Commission registration requirements. Integral to this is to recognise that our services need to encourage respect for people’s human rights and promote actions to reduce inequalities of people’s health and experiences of healthcare. 1 Equality Act 2010 5 The NHS Constitution2 signalled the beginning of a new relationship between staff and service users. It sets out what everyone can expect of the NHS - staff and service users – and what is expected of them. The seven principles stress that care should be available to all, the importance of high standards and professionalism and that service delivery should address the needs of patients, their families and carers. The importance of working in partnerships, with local communities and the wider population, the efficient and fair use of resources and the need for accountability are also included. All these principles support and complement the equality and diversity agenda and have been taken into consideration when developing the SES and Action Plan. This SES is seen as providing the baseline from which objective based action plans for the future will be developed. These will be based on evidence of need, influenced by ongoing feedback from all stakeholders and targeted to meet the needs of our population, including equality target groups. Care will be taken to ensure that our legal duties are met and a watching brief will be kept on the requirements set out within the implementation timetable of the Equality Act 2010. Strategic Vision The Trust’s mission is to deliver excellent, compassionate and safe care to every patient every day. To support this the Trust has developed a vision for patient experience which will be implemented by April 2013. The vision is conveyed by way of a patient story which can be summarised in the six steps shown below: 2 NHS Constitution – Department of Health – AHP Bulletin Issue 69 6 Delivering the vision can only be achieved by staff who demonstrate the right values and behaviours at all times. These behaviours have been consulted on and agreed with staff and are listed below: Our values and behaviours have been developed to ensure that all staff understand what is expected of them in dealing with patients, relatives and carers, colleagues and other stakeholders. The behaviours further demonstrate the Trust’s commitment to treat everybody equally and to recognise the benefits and value that a diverse workforce can bring to the population we serve. 2. Demographics The LHCH is based in Liverpool, is a specialist tertiary centre, and delivers its services to 2.8 million across the North West, Merseyside, parts of Cheshire and Lancashire. In addition, individuals from the Isle of Man and North Wales access the service. The demographics of Merseyside are obviously relevant when compared with the workforce profile, and this issue will be explored further in Section 4 the “Workforce Strategy and Development” part of this document. With reference to service users, the following graphs demonstrate some differences between the health status of individuals relating to geographic area. 7 North West3 and North Wales Health Profile4 The Health Profile of England offers opportunities to present current health data by region and the summaries below highlight a selection of the key indicators that are relevant to the Trust. It is notable that health outcomes are relatively poor in the North West. Life expectancy rates are lower, and mortality rates from heart disease and cancer are higher than any other region for both men and women5. Key for the following tables: ● Significantly worse than the English average ▲Significantly better than the English average ■ No significant difference from the English average Merseyside Health Summary 2010 St Adults Liverpool Knowsley Halton Sefton Wirral Helens Smokers ● ■ ● ■ ▲ ▲ Binge Drinking ● ■ ■ ● ■ ■ Obese Adults ■ ■ ● ● ■ ▲ Life Expectancy Male ● ● ● ● ● ● (Eng. Avg. = 77.9) (74.3 yrs) (75.8 yrs) (75.5 yrs) (74.8 yrs) (77.0 yrs) (75.9 yrs) Life Expectancy Female ● ● ● ● ● ● (Eng. Avg. = 82.0) (78.8 yrs) (80.3 yrs) (79.2 yrs) (78.8 yrs) (81.5 yrs) (81.0 yrs) Early Deaths Heart ● ● ● ●