Equality and Diversity

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights

The Trust Board and Council of Governors of UHDB are fully committed to promoting equality, diversity and human rights, and achieving the elimination of unlawful discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.

This will be achieved by ensuring that the Trust values equality, diversity and human rights and that it runs through all aspects of service provision and employment. The publication of our Annual Workforce Equality Report and supporting information reflects a committed approach and represents a positive process that equality will consistently underpin all aspects of leadership and service planning at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.

To make our vision a reality, we are determined to promote equality of access and identify and eliminate any inequalities in everything we do. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensure that our own staff are treated fairly, with dignity and respect and given equal opportunity to develop to their full potential. To achieve our equalities aim we underpin all our work with our values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence.

The NHS has a range of legal duties relating to equality and human rights. These are based on legislation relating to public sector organisations and are designed to ensure that services and employment practices treat staff and users of services fairly and do not discriminate against people because of their diversity.

The Trust will not tolerate discrimination under any circumstances and particularly because of a protected characteristic; these are race, age, sex, disability, religion or belief (or no belief), pregnancy or maternity, civil partnership or marriage, gender re-assignment and sexual orientation.

The Trust will not tolerate bullying and harassment under any circumstances and particularly on the grounds of a protected characteristic. A separate Dignity at Work Policy is in place.

The promotion of equality, inclusion and human rights is at the heart of being an NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is committed to embedding equality and diversity values into everyday practices, policies and procedures.

Equality Delivery System (EDS)

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) is a framework adopted by NHS organisations to improve the services they provide to address health inequalities for their local communities and provide better working environments, free of discrimination, for those who work in the NHS, while meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. The EDS was developed by the NHS, for the NHS, taking inspiration from existing work and good practice.

The EDS comprises of 11 outcomes spread across 3 domains:

Domain 1: Commissioned or Provided Services
Domain 2: Workforce Health & Wellbeing
Domain 3: Inclusive Leadership

The purpose of the EDS is to help local NHS systems and organisations, in discussion with local partners and local populations, review and improve their performance for people with characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. By using the EDS 2022, NHS organisations can also be helped to deliver on the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Equality and inclusion in our employment

The Trust is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee is discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, on the ground of the following protected characteristics;

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage or civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation

In addition we do not discriminate based on social background, working patterns or trade union membership.

We are committed to promoting and championing a culture of diversity, fairness and equality for all our employees and potential employees. We will do this by valuing and celebrating individual difference and acknowledging potential contribution to the continued development of the organisation, which will in turn improve the services we provide.

As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we are signed-up to:
mindful employer logo

Mindful Employer charter – ‘Employers Positive about Mental Health’.
Disability Confident scheme - committed to offering an interview to applicants who declare they have a disability, if they meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Armed Forces Covenant – understanding that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in their communities, economy and society. Access the Armed Forces page >.

Personal, Fair and Diverse Champions

One way we promote our equality values and encourage staff to get involved is by becoming a Personal, Fair and Diverse Champion (PFD).

Workforce Disability Equality Standards (WDES)

For the first time in 2019 providers of NHS services are required to submit their data against the ten WDES Metrics to NHS England. The WDES compares the experience of staff with disabilities or long term conditions with the experience of the wider workforce. It aims to ensure that this staff group have equal access to career opportunities and receive fair treatment in the workplace. The Trust’s WDES data have been reviewed by the Trust Board and has been approved for publishing on the Trust website.

The Trust must ensure to publish a report annually, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, on the Trust website. Please see copies of the document below;

Workforce Race Equality Standards (WRES)

Since its introduction in 2015, the WRES has required NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to self-assess, annually, on nine indicators of workforce race equality. A national WRES team has been established to provide direction and tailored support to NHS Trusts.

The main purpose of the WRES is to help local, and national, NHS organisations to review their data against the nine WRES indicators, to produce action plans to close the gaps in work experience between White and Black & Ethnic Minority (BME) staff.

The Trust’s WRES data have been reviewed by the Trust Board and has been approved for publishing on the Trust website. The Trust must ensure to publish a report annually in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Please see copies of the documents below;

Gender Pay Gap (GPG)

The Trust is required to report annually on its gender pay gap calculations in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017. These regulations underpin the Public Sector Equality Duty and require the Trust to publish their gender pay gap based on the employees in the organisation as of the 31 March each year.

The Trust is required to be published the GPG Report by the 1st April of the following year. Please see copies of the report below;

Modern slavery

The Modern Slavery Act will give law enforcement the tools to fight modern slavery, ensure perpetrators can receive suitably severe punishments for these appalling crimes and enhance support and protection for victims. The Trust complies with the act.