Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust

PROGRESS REPORT ON EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

2009/10

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust serves a diverse community and recognises the importance of the NHS value enshrined in the NHS constitution of ‘ Everybody Counts’ both as a provider of health care services and as an employer.Our aim is to ensure that all patients and staff have equal access to our services regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, age or sexual orientation.

There is much work ongoing in this area across the Trust however it was pleasing that the work undertaken for patients with a learning disability in particular, was recognised in a good practice guide in the NHS for patients with a learning disability published by the Department of Health in 2009.

It was also pleasing to note that in the 2009 annual NHS staff survey, 92%of staff reported that they felt there were equal opportunitiesfor career progression /promotion in the Trust which was above average for acute Trusts in the NHS.

1. Governance of Equality and Human Rights

During 2009/10 an Equality and Human Rights Steering group was established, chaired by the Trust secretary, which reports to the Health Care Governance Committee in order to ensure that equality issues are discussed at a strategic level. The steering group includes both a non executive member of the Trust board,a Foundation Trust governor and the Chair of the staff side. Through the trust governance arrangements an equality and human rights lead has been nominated for every care group.

The Trust Executive Group require an equality impact assessments to be undertaken for every new policy before it can be approved.

In addition the HR committee (a committee of the Trust Board) receive regular equality and diversity workforce monitoring reports

2.Independent Equality Review

In June 2009,the Trust commissioned a firm of management consultants, Kingswood,to undertake an independent review of equality and diversity practice across the Trust, in order to strengthen practice to enable us to become ‘world class’ in this very important area. The review undertaken over a 90 day period examined 4key areas

-Strategy and Governance

-Service user, community and partner consultation

-Operational service delivery

-People Management and development

The review found much good practice in equality and diversity in the Trust both in employment and in service provision. Most importantly it found no evidence of institutional discrimination. However it did identify a number of areas for further development to reach best practice standards and an action plan has been drawn up in response to these which has been approved by the Trust Board and will be implemented during 20010/11.

3.Further improvements in equality and diversity practice

There is much work already ongoing in the Trust to support equality and diversity in practice e.g. for patients with a learning disability, ongoing equality impact assessments, programme of improved access to buildings across the Trust, work of the NSF group for older people, provision of telephone interpreting service which gives access to a much larger number of languages etc.However there have been a number of new initiatives across the Trust this year to improve equality in service provision which have included:-

Participationin a joint research programme funded by NHS Sheffield – Better Outpatient Services for Older People which has led to improvements for elderly out patients

Development of a new Patient Involvement strategy and revised consulting arrangements to ensure a wider range of service users are consulted

New emergency pull cord system introduced in the most frequently used public toilets

Development of a Dementia website and training package for staff

Targeted health promotion programmes in the communitye.g.raising awareness amongst Young men in the community re Sexually Transmitted Diseases, working with refugees with TB.

Introduction of menus in alternate languages

Number of improvements in patient information, including staff being trained in ‘Easy Read’ (see separate report)

Working with the local RNIB to improve information/ for patients with a visual impairment.

Providing a swine flu vaccination clinic for patients with HIV who were at greater risk

Quicker release of bodies for burial for faiths which require this and pioneering less invasive post mortem techniques

Increased the number of published equality impact assessments and revised the Trust equality impact assessment proforma to include an ongoing action plan

Improvements in single sex accommodation in order to maintain dignity

Purchase of specialist equipment for obese patients that enables them to be treated with respect and dignity.

Revision of the disability equality scheme action plan.

As an employer the Trust has:-

Retained the ’two ticks’ Positive about disability award

Joined the ‘Mindful employer’ mental health initiative

Agreed targets with Yorkshire Forward to increase the number of staff employed with who have Learning disability/ Mental Health needs and run awareness sessions for managers about employing these staff.

Provided training for staff in ‘Deprivation of Liberty’ in addition to the general e-learning awareness packages.

Joined the ‘Stonewall’ diversity champions programme to promote equality for LGBT staff.

Made improvements to workforce equality monitoring, including the introduction of religion/belief and sexual orientation equality monitoring for all job applicants.

Included transgender awareness in protected teaching time for Gynaecology staff.

Next steps

Much of the above work will be ongoing during 2010/11, and in addition to implementing theKingswood action plan the priority will be to ensure that the Trust is ready to meet the requirements of the new 2010 Equality Act, which will include the development of a single equality scheme.

Rhian Bishop

Organisational Development Manager (equality)

June 2010.