At Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust we are committed to ensuring equality and diversity is central to the way we deliver healthcare services and how we support our staff.
We seek to improve the quality of people’s lives, in their homes and community by providing the best in integrated health and social care. We want to do that by offering care that is compassionate and personal to individuals. This means recognising and responding to their different needs and circumstances to provide care consistently to everyone. We will work together with the public and our patients to overcome barriers to delivering good care. As an employer we will give equal opportunities to our staff and value the diversity of our workforce.
As an NHS Trust we also have legal duties with which we must comply. These relate to individuals who receive care from us or work for us. Very simply this means that people cannot be treated less favourably because of, for example, their race, age, gender, disability, religion or sexual orientation.
We will use a process used across the NHS called the Equality Delivery System 2 to help us fulfil our duties. The work will be led by our Equality and Diversity steering group and overseen by the Board of Directors who lead the Trust.
We encourage everyone to support our commitment to equality and diversity and work with us to implement the Equality Delivery System 2.
Advocacy is important to NCH&C and we have appointed and trained a number of advocates and champions to help guide and support patients, members of the public and our staff. If you have a query, please contact PALS on 01603 697300 or email pals@nchc.nhs.uk
Equality & Diversity Steering Group
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to ensuring that it delivers a fair and equitable service to all patients and provides fair and equitable employment to all employees.
An Equality and Diversity Steering Group meets every two months to oversee service delivery, workforce data and to steer the organisation to address any emerging issues.
The steering group is chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive and membership includes a Non Executive Director, PALS, Health Watch, expert service users, staff ambassadors as well as interested staff. The steering group reports to the Trust’s Quality Risk Assurance Committee (QRAC) and in turn the Board.
The role of the steering group is to oversee all the E&D activities, making sure they are embedded into our daily business by influencing the thinking and behaviour of the organisation and its members and is responsible for ensuring compliance with all statutory duties, monitoring and legislative requirements, and celebrating change.
If you would like to be involved, please contact Alex.Watson@nchc.nhs.uk or mercy.kaggwa@nchc.nhs.uk for an informal chat.
The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion
We encourage every member of staff to register (with work email address) to carry out own personal learning.
NCH&C is fully committed to learning and understanding the intersectionality of our workforce and patient community and in doing so believe wholeheartedly that we should challenge ourselves to improve, benchmark against other like for like organisations within our region and beyond. Because of this we have chosen to be supported by the expertise of an independent organisation and proud to be able to provide our teams with access to all the information that they require to support the trust in developing our culture of trust-wide allyship, compassion, civility and respect.
Register - Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei.org.uk)
We are proud to announce that Norfolk Community Health and Care has achieved an ENEI Gold TiDE Award 2024.
NCH&C has won the Gold TIDE (Talent, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality) Benchmarking Award. A member of the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (enei) since 2022, NCH&C has worked with enei to maintain its Disability Confident Leader status and improve its inclusion policies. In 2023, the trust earned a Silver TIDE Award and Highly Commended recognition for its “Take A Moment with NCH&C” podcast.
Following that achievement, the trust focused on improving key areas, resulting in the 2024 Gold Award, scoring 95% across eight categories, including Workforce, Leadership, Recruitment, and Communication. Procurement saw the most improvement, achieving 90% due to enhanced processes introduced this financial year. Head of Procurement Steven Worley emphasised the importance of refining equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) considerations within supply chains.
The TIDE benchmarking process highlights the role of inclusion in organisational processes and values. NCH&C staff can access enei’s resources for free. This award reflects the trust’s ongoing commitment to enhancing staff experience and patient care, especially during National Inclusion Week 2024, reinforcing the belief that inclusion positively impacts community health.
Equality Delivery System (EDS)
The Equality Delivery System (EDS) is a system that helps NHS organisations improve the services they provide 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. Click the link for NCH&C’s EDS 2022 report - NCHC Equality Delivery System
Equality and Diversity objectives
A paper was approved by the Board of Directors on 31 July 2019 which outlined the trust’s objectives for equality, diversity and inclusion for the next three years. Following the conclusion of this period, the trust has engaged a variety of stakeholders to consult on the trust’s next objective.
As a result of this, a single objective is proposed for the next three years to October 2025:
People at all levels conduct and plan their business to demonstrate due regard to eliminate unlawful discrimination; promote equal opportunity; and foster good relations within their organisation and beyond.
In order to achieve this, the trust needs to focus on three key outcomes:
- Eliminating unlawful discrimination
- Promoting equal opportunity, and
- Fostering good relations.
A summary of this, detailing the actions associated to each framework, is available to download.
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Previous Objectives
A paper was approved by the Board of Directors on 27th January 2016 which outlined the Trusts objectives for equality and diversity for the next three years. Following the conclusion of this period, the Trust has engaged a variety of stakeholders including using the Your Voice Our Future platform to consult on the Trust’s next objectives.
As a result of this consultation, five objectives are proposed for the next three years to March 2022. These will be annually reviewed and will be the framework for equality and diversity in the Trust.
The trust’s objectives are:
- Ensure we provide a positive patient experience for all patients regardless of their identity and protected characteristics
- Accessible information and communication with patients
- Ensuring we have metrics to support this objective
- Recording of multiple disabilities so that appropriate support is provided
Links to annual priorities “Improving Our Quality” and “Securing the Future”.
- Ensure that NCHC is a fair and inclusive employer of choice
- Equitable career progression for all staff groups and for staff of all protected characteristics
- Fostering talent which is fair and inclusive
- Monitoring staff experiences and responding appropriately
- Fair recruitment processes
Links to annual priorities “Enabling Our People” and “Securing the Future”.
- Improve the awareness and understanding of our staff of the different identities of staff and patients, and the protected characteristics
- To reduce the “honesty gap” in disclosing their protected characteristics appropriately
- To develop case studies to improve awareness and understanding of different protected characteristics amongst staff and patients
- To celebrate diversity events, such as Norwich Pride, Black History Month and UK Disability History Month.
Links to the annual priorities “Enabling Our People” and “Improving Our Quality”.
- Provide support to our services to actively engage in the equality and diversity workstream to recognise and meet our patient’s diverse needs
- Ensure equality and diversity is championed and embedded at a local level across the trust
- Seek assurance that services are delivered in a way that is consistent with the Public Sector Equality Duty
Links to the annual priorities “Improving Our Quality” and consistent with our approach to support further autonomy, delegation and local ownership.
- Ensure NCHC is working towards meeting the requirements of the anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments on public functions in the Equality Act
- Understand the requirements that are placed on the Trust and undertake a baseline assessment
- Develop plans to address areas for improvement, focusing on autism and learning disabilities initially
- Extend improvement programme with a planned approach to meet the duty for all disabled persons generally
Links to the annual priorities “Improving Our Quality” and “Enabling Our People”.
The trust has consolidated the equality and diversity activities at a Trust level and has an ambition to develop the support for localities and services at a more local level, therefore all the actions from the frameworks have been incorporated into one action plan.
A summary of this, detailing the actions associated to each framework, is available to download.
NCH&C Inclusion strategy 2023-25
The Public Sector Equality Duty
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination
- Advance equality of opportunity
- Foster good relationships
As an organisation we intend to demonstrate that we are achieving this by publishing progress against our objectives.
To improve the equality performance of this organisation, making it part of mainstream business for the Board and all staff to meet the requirements of the Equality Act and to involve patients and communities to achieve:
- Better health outcomes for all
- Improved patient access and experience
- Empowered, engaged and included staff
- Inclusive leadership at all levels
Scrutiny is provided by the steering group report which reports through the Boards Quality and Risk Assurance Committee.
Workforce Race Equality Standard
In April 2015, NHS England introduced the WRES to ensure employees from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and received fair treatment in the workplace.
This information is used by the trust to develop local actions and enable us to measure progress against the indicators of race equality. The trust is required to publish our data relating to these standards.
For more information: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/equality-standard/
Armed Forces
We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant
NCH&C is proud to support the Armed Forces community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant with Bronze Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme award.
NCH&C supports those from the Armed Forces community (Veterans, cadets, reservists, spouses, and family members) with pathways into employment in the NHS. Working with Step into Health, the CTP, and Forces Family Charity.
For more information, please email ArmedForcesAware@nchc.nhs.uk
Workforce Disability Equality Standard
In April 2019, NHS England introduced the WDES, a set of ten specific measures (metrics) that will enable NHS Organisations to compare the experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff.
This information is used by the trust to develop local actions and enable us to measure progress against the indicators of disability equality. The trust is required to publish our data relating to these standards.
For more information: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/wdes/
Disability Confident
We are a Disability Confident Leader
What is Disability Confidence?
A Government led initiative which supports employers to recruit and retain disabled talent. Employers can sign up to this if they are committed to or already completing certain actions.
It also helps customers and other businesses identify employers committed to equality in the workplace.
There are three levels to this scheme to identify between employers at different stages in the process.
Disability Confidence at NCH&C
NCH&C/we has been a part of the Disability Confident scheme for several years as a Disability Confident Employer. In 2020, we/NCH&C became the first NHS organisation in Norfolk to achieve Disability Confident Leader status.
Examples of Disability Confidence:
• Launched a new Disability Policy
• Disability Ambassador joined our Staff Ambassador group
• Introduction of Staff Ambassador Network Forum on Microsoft Teams
• Training and initiatives to support mental health, e.g. Mental Health First Aiders
The trust does not see disability as a barrier and wants to support staff with disabilities to feel valued and able to reach their full potential. For this reason, the trust continues to meet and build on its commitments as a Disability Confident Leader.
Sunflower Hidden Disabilities Initiative
We are a member of the Sunflower Hiden Disabilities initiative.
A Discreet way to make the invisible visible.
Not all disabilities are obvious. Some are hidden, such as learning difficulties, mental health or difficulties with mobility, speech, eyesight and hearing. Wearing the Sunflower discreetly indicates to people around the wearer including staff, colleagues and health professionals that they need additional support, help or a little more time.
Since the Sunflower was established in the UK in 2016, it has been adopted globally by organisations to support both their colleagues and customers.
Gender Pay Gap
In accordance with the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017, employers with 250 or more employees are required to publish Gender Pay Gap calculations no later than 30 March each year, commencing in 2017/18. The gender pay gap is not the same as equal pay, it’s the difference between the average pay of all men compared to the average pay of all women. In an organisation which adheres to structured pay grades and equal pay the Gender Pay Gap will highlight variances between genders if there's a proportional difference in the distribution of the workforce across the grades. For example, if an organisation has a higher proportion of males in higher banded roles the Gender Pay Gap analysis will identify this.
The legislation requires an employer to publish six calculations:
Since our first report in March 2018, the Trust has reviewed Talent Management processes, reviewed inclusion of “unconscious bias” training in recruitment training and challenging career stereotypes through the Talent for Care team to encourage more males into Band 2 to 5 roles and associated career pathways.
The analysis this year shows that within NCH&C there are more females (headcount) in the organisation employed in every banding group than males. However, males have a higher average hourly rate due to a larger proportion in higher banded roles in comparison to the overall gender group, these roles fall specifically in admin & clerical mainly within Corporate services. In addition, Qualified Nursing is the area where the lack of males is having an adverse effect on the GPG as the proportion of females in this group is higher than that of males.
- Average gender pay gap as a mean average
- Average gender pay gap as a median average
- Average bonus gender pay gap as a mean average
- Average bonus gender pay gap as a median average
- Proportion of males receiving a bonus payment and proportion of females receiving a bonus payment
- Proportion of males and females when divided into four groups ordered from lowest to highest pay.
The data for this report is extracted from ESR (The Electronic Staff Record) as snapshot on the 31st March of the previous year. Our first report, published in March 2018, was based on an extract of data taken on 31st March 2017. The Trust’s second Gender Pay Gap report, published in March 2019, was based on an extract of data taken on 31st March 2018 and so on. This is the Trust’s fourth Gender Pay Gap, based on an extract of data taken as at 31st March 2020.
The information must be published on both the employer’s website and on a designated government website. An employer should then use that information to help understand any underlying causes for their gender pay gap and take suitable steps to minimise it.
NCH&C Gender Pay Gap Report 2022
Ethnicity Pay Gap
Using the same framework as for Gender Pay Gap reporting the trust in 2021 extended this to analyse the ethnicity pay gap. The findings of the trust’s ethnicity pay gap illustrate:
- The ethnicity pay gap is 4.18% which means that white staff have a higher average hourly rate
- A higher proportion of minority ethnic staff are in HCA and clinical support positions
- A lower proportion of minority ethnic staff are in Band 5 – 8a qualified roles such as nursing
- A higher proportion of minority ethnic staff in non-Agenda for Change roles, predominately due to medical and dental workforce
It is anticipated that the ethnicity pay gap could be greater, given the disproportional impact of the higher proportion of minority ethnic staff in non-Agenda for Change pay, which are more likely to have higher average pay.
Supporting Carers
Carers Friendly Tick Award
The trust recently put in an application for a Carer Friendly Tick Award: Employers. We are delighted to announce that our application was assessed by a panel of carers and considered successful. Assessors were impressed that we have appointed a Board Lead for Carers, and by the detail and effort we have put into our carers’ statement, to ensure carers know how to access support internally. The panel said “this policy clearly shows the value and respect in which Carers on the staff are held.” A huge thank you to EDI advisor Mercy Kaggwa for all the effort she put into the application, it’s a fantastic achievement for the trust to be recognised with this award.
Caring Together
More than three in five of us will become unpaid carers in our lifetime. This means we will look after a family member, partner or friend who is disabled, has a long-term illness or is frail due to age.
Local charity Caring Together has produced a short film about what it means to be an unpaid carer. It’s only eight minutes long and may help you, a colleague or a friend.
You can watch the film here or at www.caringtogether.org/are-you-an-unpaid-carer/
There’s lots more information at caringtogether.org
EDI Assurance Report
In 2022 the trust developed its three-year equality objective for all of our community – including our people and our patients. The approach was based on national strategy direction in The People Plan, regional and local strategies, findings from statutory framework submissions as well as information about staff and patient experience at the trust. It placed importance on identifying and quantifying impact measures; towards which all of the activity should contribute.
This report details how NCH&C are continuing to keep on track with the objectives set for 2022-2025 (already published).