Equality, diversity and inclusion
Equality Delivery System 2024
Equality Delivery System 2024 (previously referred to as EDS3) is an improvement tool that can assist with improving equality and equity for both patients and staff within the NHS, through action plans based on the collection and assessment of evidence. All NHS organisations are expected to use the EDS to help them improve their equality performance for patients, communities and staff, as well as helping them to meet the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
The EDS 2022 improvement tool requires CLCH to work within our ICS/ICB structures, in partnership or individually, to cumulatively score our equality provision within three domains: 1) Health Inequalities, 2) Workforce Health and Wellbeing and 3) Inclusive Leadership.
- Domain 1 is designed to feed into the NHS long-term plan and wider ICS.
- Domains 2 and 3 have been designed to be delivered within individual organisations.
It is a public health equalities approach; EDS views staff as patients which requires CLCH to ensure the health needs of colleagues and service users are met and that no inequality occurs as a result of protected characteristics. To do this, CLCH engaged a review panel of service users, patients, the public, staff, staff networks, Faith groups, peers from other NHS providers, and trade unions to score the work we are doing in equalities.
Our strategy for promoting equality and tacking inequality reflects changes in the national, regional and local health policy context, along with a renewed focus on health and workplace inequalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the heart of our strategy, we aim to enable values-based cultural change in which equality, diversity and inclusion become part of everything we do and is embedded at every level of our organisation. Our ongoing work will be underpinned by the principles of effective leadership, partnership, collaboration and enablement.
The full strategy and an accompanying summary infographic can be viewed at the links below.
As a public authority, we show due regard to our general duty under the Equality Act 2010 by completing an equality analysis for all key strategies and policies that are being developed or revised.
We engage with a range of formal and informal networks and forums on all key developments which impact on our workforce and service users. These include our Joint Staff Consultative Committee, staff-side representatives and our three equality staff networks.
Currently CLCH facilitates the Rainbow Network for LGBT+ staff, the Disability and Wellness Network (DAWN) and the Race Equality Network. These networks meet regularly and organise events and discussion forums throughout the year across the Trust to promote the voices of their members.
CLCH has a lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans (LGBT) staff network, called the Rainbow Network, for all LGBT staff and straight allies.
Our Rainbow Network provides a safe and confidential space in which issues of relevance to LGBT people can be discussed openly and within a confidential environment.
They represent the views of LGBT staff and advocate for LGBT patients/ service users within CLCH.
Most importantly, the members work with CLCH to eliminate discrimination and inequality particularly on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity for our patients.
To improve access and experience for LGBT patients the network supports the public health messages in LGBT communities and improves service delivery and engagement.
The network now has a core membership of over 30 members. The key achievements include:
- Inputted into the revised special leave policy to make sure we are supporting same sex couples through the IVF process.
- Promoted the Stonewall Leadership programme across CLCH which is for lesbian, gay and bisexual senior managers.
- Representing CLCH at the London Gay Pride Marches
- Built links with other LGBT NHS Staff Networks including University College London Hospital and Central North West London Mental Health Trust.
Stonewall health surveys
We raise awareness amongst our health professionals of the health inequalities and health outcomes facing lesbian and bi-sexual women as well as gay and bi-sexual men.
Using the Stonewall research (available below via the links below) we explain why ensuring equality for lesbian, gay and bi-sexual patients is so important.
We are part of the Diversity Champions Programme, run by Stonewall, the UK's leading gay rights organisation.
This is to continue our positive equality work for all employees and patients by becoming Diversity Champions.
The Stonewall Diversity Champions are actively working to create working environments that are free from fear, free from discrimination and where staff can be valued as individuals.
The National Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) is an annual benchmarking tool introduced by NHS England to assess the progress made towards achieving race equality within NHS organisations. All NHS Trusts are mandated to publish their WRES Action Plans on their public-facing trust website, as well as submit a copy of their plan to the WRES team by October 31, 2024.
This year we have developed a consolidated Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan that encompasses our focus and actions from across all of the Trust’s statutory EDI-related reports.
The Trust has made some positive progress this year and CLCH now has a workforce with 58% of staff from Black, Asian or other ethnically diverse backgrounds. We have also seen an improvement of staff ethnicity reporting that is not captured on ESR which has reduced from 6.5% to 3%.
However, we know that we still have areas where we need to improve and alongside our Race Equality Staff Network chairs, we have identified the following three areas of focus: inclusion of ethnically diverse staff, career progression and the formal capability procedure.
The NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) helps foster a better understanding of the issues faced by disabled staff and the inequalities they experience compared to non-disabled colleagues. The national WDES is an annual benchmarking tool introduced by NHS England to assess the progress made towards achieving equality for disabled staff within NHS organisations. NHS Trusts are mandated to publish their WDES Action Plans on their public-facing trust website by October 31, 2024.
The Trust has made positive progress in several areas including improvements of reported experience of harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in last 12 months which now sits at 23.8% compared to 26.2% in 2023. We have also seen a continued increase in staff reporting rates of disability from 4.9% (2023) to 6.2%.
However, there are areas where we need to continue to improve and through working with the Disability and Wellness staff network chairs, we identified three priority areas: recruitment, retention, and disability inclusion. The actions developed will form part of our consolidated Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan.
The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) annual report includes information on the Trust’s patients and employees, analysed by protected characteristics, and shows how the Trust has sought to minimise disadvantage, meet the needs of protected groups and encourage their participation in decision-making, both in service delivery and employment.
The Gender Pay Gap report, which publishes an annual dataset retrospectively, needs to show how large the mean and median pay gap is between their male and female employees and what actions are being taken to reduce it. The Gender Pay Gap is analysed using 6 different measures: Mean Gender Pay Gap, Median Gender Pay Gap, Mean Bonus Pay Gap, Median Bonus Pay Gap, Bonus Proportions, Quartile Pay Band.
You can view our latest reports below. Previous reports can be viewed on our publications page.
There are a number of important local support agencies for LGBT people:
- Stonewall exists to let all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, know they're not alone. They partner with organisations that help us create real change for the better.
- London Friend provides support services for LGBT people including counselling, social and support groups, drug and alcohol support service and telephone advice.
- The Albert Kennedy Trust supports LGBT young homeless people. Telephone: 020 7831 6562.
- Galop gives advice and support to LGBT people who have experienced bi phobia, homophobia, trans phobia, sexual violence or domestic abuse. Helpline: 020 7704 2040.
- Opening Doors London supports older LGBT people to provide social opportunities. Telephone: 020 7239 0446.
There is also a very useful LGBT safety guide available online that aims to give people the confidence and tools to protect themselves when using the internet.
We are delighted announced that we have been awarded with a Veteran Aware accreditation.
The Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA) is a funded NHS programme established to ensure that all NHS healthcare providers achieve Veteran Aware accreditation by the end of 2023. Veteran Aware hospitals and trusts are exemplars of the best care for veterans in the NHS.
The VCHA aim to share good practice amongst NHS hospitals and trusts that have volunteered to drive improvements in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK Armed Forces and their families.
Veteran Aware Accreditation will ensure we as a Trust provide equity for veterans and their families in line with the commitments set out in the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC). The Covenant will soon be enshrined into the Armed Forces Bill 2021 and will be a legislative requirement for NHS healthcare providers.
The VCHA provides a mechanism for a group of healthcare providers to:
- Identify and showcase the best standards of care for UK Armed Forces veterans
- Drive implementation of proven practice in the treatment and care of veterans across the UK.
- All VCHA members will be committed to the twin underlying principles of the Covenant which covers the whole UK Armed Forces community, including those serving in the Armed Forces (regular and reserve), those who have served, and service families.
The Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the areas where they live in the provision of public and commercial services.
For further information, please contact Dominic Mundy: dominic.mundy@nhs.net and Sasha Powell: sashapowell@nhs.net
Support available:
1. Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
Op COURAGE is a NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.
Op COURAGE can help you and your family with a range of support and treatment, including:
- Helping you transition from military to civilian life by providing mental health care with Defence Medical Services
- Helping you recognise and treat early signs of mental health problems, as well as more advanced mental health conditions and psychological trauma
- Providing support and treatment for substance misuse and addictions
- Helping you to access other NHS mental health services if you need them, such as finding an NHS talking therapies service and eating disorder services
- Liaising with charities and local organisations to support your wider health and wellbeing needs, such as help with housing, relationships, finances and employment
- Supporting armed forces families affected by mental health problems, including helping them to access local services.
Who will I speak to?
Op COURAGE is an NHS service supported by trained professionals who are from, or have experience of working with, the Armed Forces community.
This service can help if you’re finding life difficult after leaving the military. Working together with Armed Forces charities, Op COURAGE will help you get the right type of specialist care, support and treatment for your specific needs.
2. Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS)
London has two funded Defence Medical Welfare Service officers who provide support in securing funding for home improvements, hospital transport, wheelchairs, low wellbeing, financial support, employment, housing, benefits and social isolation.
How to contact the officers:
Veteran, serving, reservists: Contact Matt Evans on: mevans@dmws.org.uk 07789 978894 (Based out of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust).
Family of serving, veteran, reservists: Contact Vikki Elliott: Velliott@dmws.org.uk, 07585 124427 (Based out of Camden and Islington NHS Trust).