Single Equality Scheme Report on the Consultation and Responses

Single Equality Scheme – report on the consultation and responses

(March – May 2010).

1. Introduction

The Trust recognises the importance of consultation with the public and its staff in the development and implementation of its responsibilities for Equality and Diversity. Involvement and consultation help give minority groups/protected characteristics an opportunity to provide input about the provision of care. The Trust took direct and positive action to engage and involve as many local groups as possible during the consultation period; an extensive database now exists and the relationship with local group co-ordinators/facilitators and the trust is now strengthened. It is now intended to use the established contacts on a regular basis for evidence gathering, consultation and involvement (to be determined by the individuals themselves).

The Trust already has a variety of specialist nurses groups and foundation trust members meetings which take place at regular intervals under the auspices of the Director of Nursing for patient engagement and public involvement. The Trust in addition also drew on its local staff knowledge to set up a series of staff focus groups to consider this scheme.

The Trust for completeness has decided to merge into this document the results of the interim Race and Disability Equality Scheme 2009-10 consultation feedback. The suggestions raised have been marked with an * in the relevant summary (see Appendix 2 &3).

2. Method of Consultation and Involvement

a)Public Groups

i) Those representing protected characteristics

In the case of the Single Equality Scheme (SES) the Trust made contact with over 80 local groups.

See Appendix 1 –Key Partners and Groups contacted about the Single Equality Scheme

All groups listed were traced for a communications contact address or email address and were phoned if a phone number was available. The groups were asked (as part of an upbeat phone call)to take part in the Single Equality Scheme (SES) Consultation (March to May 2010) and the Emergency Department Consultation. The groups and representatives were offered the following three options:

1. To be sent a copy of the SES, with a response sheet and asked to let FrimleyParkHospital know if they have any further priorities they feel the hospital should be addressing

and /or

1. To be visited by a senior trust manager who would listen to any issues they may have with services delivery/customer care

and/or

1. To have a senior manager attend a pre-existing meeting of the group to listen to any issues they feel they would like to discuss.

All Groups agreeing to help with the consultations received packs and a covering letter indicating the weblink to the full draft SES on the Trust’s website. The SESresponse sheet sent to all groups was short, but listed out all protected characteristicsin turn and asked respondents to consider how the Trust could improve its services to each group. The respondent was also asked to rank the improvements as either ‘high, medium or low’ in importance.

The results of theinvitation to be part of the consultation were varied and a full collation of the results received by group has been made and will be made available if requested.

ii) Additional Activity with Other’s Meetings (Disability)

The following summarises the involvement with local disability groups occurred during the consultation period: two specialist event days for the disabled, the trust attended a coalition meeting, the trust attended a series of events for those with Alzheimer’s and a meeting was arranged with a local mental health group just after the finish of the consultation period:

• SurreyCoalition of Disabled People (meeting at HighCrossChurch – mixed disability group) 5th May 2010 – a senior manager attended to involve the 10participants in the design of the new Emergency Department and to ask for views to go forward for the Single Equality Scheme. Surrey Coalition had also agreed to mail out to their 350 members the Trusts Single Equality Scheme and Emergency Department questionnaire (at the Trust expense).Members of this group then came forward to assist with the plans for the new department and have agreed to be on-going contacts.
• Big Talk (consultation day for NHS trusts and those with learning disability) 13th May 2010– a representative from the Occupational Therapy Department attended this meeting with around 80 individuals attending. Thefeedback comments about the hospital and suggested recommendations were noted and added to the consultation responses.
• Rushmoor Access Open Day (stallholders who run services for those with disability had open stands in the local shopping centre) 13th May 2010 –two managers from the trust attended. One manager - the E&D lead for Services talked to and listened to the views of all stallholders and those visiting the stands. Contacts were also made with groups to assist with the new Emergency Department design stage. Over 100 local people were spoken to at this event and their comments added to the responses.
• Local Alzheimer’s Groups – an Occupational Therapist with special interest in developing dementia services attended three local groups during the consultation period. In total around 80 carers and patients were actively invited to respond and discuss needs and the comments recorded.
• Meeting with Parkside (Local Charity for those with mental health conditions) 17thJune –scoping meeting held with the group’s CEO to share current resources, consideration being given to having specialist trained learning disability ‘visitors’ to calm and reassure these patients whilst in hospital.

iii) General Public

In addition to the above the following approaches were also made to the general public:

• All those attending the monthly constituency meeting (>85 each month) were given an ‘Equality and Diversity feedback leaflet’ (freepost)
• The Foundation Trust Newsletter (10k public circulation) carried the ‘Equality and Diversity feedback leaflet’ and demographic survey in the May 10 edition (freepost).
• Patient Experience and Involvement Group (Feb 2010) – were surveyed using the ‘Equality and Diversity feedback leaflet’.
• Stakeholder Group (March 2010) weresurveyed using the ‘Equality and Diversity feedback leaflet’in March 2010.
• LINkS (the three local groups) – were asked their opinion at a joint meeting held in May 10.

b) Staff Groups

In addition to the groups outlined in Appendix 1, staff were consulted internally on the Single Equality Scheme. Particular groups consulted were the Equality and Diversity Steering Group, the Unit Staff Council, General Managers and Heads of Service and Trust Managers and staff. In addition, the newly established BME Staff Network was consulted. A number of staff focus groups were arranged to seek the views of particular equality groups – BME, men, women and disabled staff – but only disabled staff took up the opportunity. Views were also sought about how working lives of staff can be improved from the perspective of different equality groups through Equality and Diversity awareness training. Finally, views of staff were sought by global email and our Foundation Trust Newsletter.

The following gives examples of how consultation was actioned for staff:

• Global email to all staff with a short survey to complete and a leaflet summarising the SES, setting out the top ten priorities and ask for feedback
• Pre-consultation and consultation involvement. An ‘Equality and Diversity feedback leaflet’ was handed out to staff following their Equality and Diversity training sessions

3.Results

A summary of the main issues coming back from all the public and staff groups can be seen in:

• Appendix 2- Results from Single Equality Scheme Consultation – Summary of Suggested Improvements to Services
• Appendix 3- Results from Single Equality Scheme Consultation –Summary of Suggested Improvements for Staff

During the collation of the results it was welcomed that in some cases staff and the public were suggesting the same improvement was necessary (the public have been recorded in blue and the staff in greenin the appendices).The total number of comments were as follows:

• There have been over 100 collated issues raised about Services from the feedback received, these were received from the following sources:
• 171 from paper survey forms
• 1 from the telephone contact only
• 30 from meetings and access days
• There have been over 50 issues raised about factors relating to Staff from the feedback received,these were received from the following sources:
• 350 responses from the staff email survey
• 5 responses from the disabled focus group
• 25 responses from the Equality and Diversity Training

The collated suggested improvements for service and staff have all been initially considered by the lead Executive Directors and their General Managers. Where a definite agreed action has been identified this has been added to the Trust ‘Rolling Equality and Diversity Action Plan’ and is indicated in ‘red’. The other non-red actions in the appendices are already part of another programme of work or are still being considered by the managers.

4.Conclusion

The consultation produced a large number of areas for consideration as to how the services and staff areas could improve. The Trust is grateful to all those who have taken the time to fill out the short questionnaires and make their views known to the senior managers. The next stage will be for all comments to be fully considered and for the possible solutions to be examined. The Trust where possible will need to decide if it is able to commit management time and budget to making the suggested improvements.

5. Recommendation

It is recommended that the Trust now asks the Executive Directors and their General Managers and Heads for Service to consider the suggestions for actions which come under their area of control produced by the consultation. The outcome of this consideration (once costed and considered if practical) willfully completed versions of Appendix 2&3. These appendices will then need to be presented back to the Equality and Diversity Steering Group and the Corporate Governance Groupfor final additional actions to be added to the Single Equality Scheme action plan.

The public and the staff have a right to know the outcome of the discussions and the items the Trust will be taking forward. The Trust will commit to placing an article in its Foundation Trust Newsletter, issuing a press release and writing to all those public groups noted in Appendix 1. It is hoped in this way to encourage continued on-going involvement and the positive knowledge that the trust has listened and fully considered suggestions put forward.

Kathryn Stuart, Head of Planning and Corporate Services

Eleanor Shingleton Smith, Assistant HR Director

20th July 2010

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Results from Single Equality Scheme Consultation – Summary of Suggested Improvements to Services

Staff comments in green and Public comments in blueandProposed Additions for Rolling E&D Action Plan in red