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Equal Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022–2025

 

Our Commitment 

Although we have held to and enacted the values of equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion for many years, this strategy document sets out the Hurley Group’s ambitions and plan of action to promote and advance all three throughout our organisation. 

  • We believe in equality, diversity and inclusivity and stand against discrimination in all its forms. 
  • We will ensure that diversity and inclusion are integral to our culture and values and to strive to make them visible in everything we do. 
  • We will involve you, our workforce, patients, and local communities, in these conversations and invite you to share your ideas and experiences.

Our approach to diversity and inclusion will go beyond legal  compliance – it will be central to our core business and an intrinsic part of helping us to improve our workplace culture, the patient experience and to highlight the additional needs of those with a protected characteristic. Each year, we will assess the progress we have made on delivering our objectives which will be  reported through the Hurley Group Executive Board.

We look forward to the work ahead and are excited by the challenges we have to face. We remain confident we will face those challenges head-on and in so doing, will help to establish a progressive workplace that reflects the diversity of our society.

Dr Ben Shankland, on behalf of the Partners July 2022

Introduction

This Diversity and Inclusion Strategy sets out the principles and actions by which we intend to achieve our mandate of “Embracing Diversity – Promoting Inclusivity.” It also ensures we meet the legal and contractual obligations of the Equality Act 2010 and any primary care requirements that are introduced in the Workforce Race Equality Standards

The three-year strategy outlines our six strategic equality objectives and sets out core areas of work and the actions we will take to fulfil our ambitions. It will have relevance for everyone who works in our sites, our patients and those living in the local community regardless of race or ethnicity, sex, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation,  age, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, socio-economic background, and any other distinction. Initially the primary focus will be on ‘getting this right for staff’ because if we do this ‘ we will get it right for patients’ with the remit broadening over the next three years.

The strategy is underpinned by three core values:

  • We will attract, select, and retain a diverse range of talented people to work in the Hurley Group and will value the contribution made by everyone.
  • We will embrace the diversity of all our staff, patients, and everyone associated with the Hurley Group to create a harmonious environment where people  are comfortable to be themselves and realise their full potential.
  • We will challenge inequality in all its forms and will promote dignity, respect and understanding within the Hurley Group and the wider community.

Objective 1

Education, empowerment, and support

Ensure all our staff are aware of their own and the Hurley Group’s responsibilities for advancing a culture of equality of opportunity and fostering good relations, achieved through targeted training and development activities.

We will:

  • Nurture a culture that encourages development of individuals in respect of diversity and inclusion. 
  • Provide diversity and inclusion training to all staff. 
  • Nurture Talent and upskill our staff.
  • Ensure that the training plan is responsive to repeated learning events and new standards
  • Promote staff participation in the Diversity & Inclusion Network.
  • Celebrate the diversity of the Hurley Group during events, conferences, and campaigns.
 

Objective 2

Effective community and staff communication, engagement, and involvement

Build community and staff trust and confidence  through effective communication, engagement, and involvement.

We will: 

  • Develop internal and external communications, both regular and reactive, that are accessible to staff and patients/ local communities. 
  • Ensure the reach and impact of any communications is optimised in order to improve the implementation of core aims and activities
  • Investigate the experiences/satisfaction of staff and patients through surveys  and focus groups.
  • Support site based teams to develop relationships and networks  with their communities. 
  • Deliver a range of open days /community events in the areas where we work. 
  • Publicise key festivals, equality related days and religious events by form of a cultural calendar.
 

Objective 3

Promoting inclusive behaviour

Ensure all our staff, contractors, visitors, and the wider community are aware of the effects of their behaviour on others and are equipped to challenge    and report inappropriate behaviour when they experience or witness it.

We will:

  • Develop and deliver an internal communication campaign on dignity and respect in the workplace for staff and patients.
  • Review and re-launch the Hurley Group’s Zero Tolerance (patients) and Bullying and Harassment (Staff) Policies. 
  • Develop a system where all cases of bullying and harassment are  monitored to identify trends and patterns across the Group 
  • Promote local resolution of issues and Introduce mediation as an early intervention in the process of resolving conflict 
  • Ensure that staff and patients voices are heard and involved in conversations /decisions to promote inclusivity. 
  • Make reasonable adjustments to ensure our sites are inclusive for staff and patients. 
 

Objective 4

Improving policy and practice

Continue to use Equality Impact Assessment methodology, statistical analysis, and involvement to  build greater understanding of the diversity of our staff and patient populations and use the findings to    improve our policies and practices.

We will: 

  • Implement and strengthen our approach to the NHS Equality Standards and build equality, diversity, and inclusion into all that we do. 
  • Review our policies and forms to ensure that equality impact assessments have been undertaken appropriately and any issues identified are proactively addressed 
  • Review and refresh our approach to equality impact assessments by providing clear guidance and refreshed pro-forma so that the process is better understood by those conducting the assessments.
  • Develop a transparent decision making matrix that includes diversity and inclusion criteria
  • Prioritise the need to reduce /avoid increasing inequalities when we are making decisions. 
  • Employ a data analyst to create an accessible and current information dashboard
 

Objective 5

Reflective and diverse workforce

Develop and enhance our approach to recruitment, selection, and promotion to positively attract, retain, and support the progression of diverse staff across the Hurley Group. 

We will:

  • Enhance the recruitment and selection training programme to inform managers, throughout the organisation, of their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 
  • Review and develop our people policies to ensure that there is appropriate fairness and differentiation so those with protected characteristics are not unfairly excluded.
  • Ensure our recruitment campaigns are accessible to all and not discouraging of certain groups. 
  • Develop new roles, opportunities for skill mix, providing supervision, ongoing development, and promotion, ensuring that throughout we: model diversity and inclusion, ensure that access is fair and the cohort is representative. 
  • Addressing gaps identified through a regular monitoring process
  • Promote staff wellbeing initiatives.
 

Objective 6

Enhancing and maintaining knowledge and awareness about our staff, patients, and communities.

Develop our monitoring processes to improve the knowledge base about the diversity of our organisation which will enable us to fulfil our equality objectives and legal responsibilities.

We will:

  • Review monitoring system and processes to reflect the 2011 census categories and guidance from NHS England and the Equality Act 2010
  • Roll out a staff equality census to improve staff disclosure data  for analysis and reporting for the equality standards. 
  • Continue to monitor our workforce and pay profiles over time  and ensure any employment data gaps are identified and addressed by appropriate strategies.
  • Strengthen our external complaints monitoring 
  • Build in equality monitoring at all relevant and appropriate opportunities 
  • Provide regular reports to relevant forums including the HR Committee, Partnership Board and Staff networks 
 

Staff Networks 

The Hurley Group is passionate about the establishment of staff networks and fully recognises the benefits to both our staff and the wider organisation. The aim is to provide an opportunity for staff who share one or more aspects of their identity such as their sexual orientation, race, or disability status, to communicate, network, to meet and support each other.

Staff networks also provide an opportunity for staff to engage with  the organisation about service and employment issues and to effectively influence the development and enhancement of diversity  and inclusion across the Group.

We currently have an established Black Lives Matter (BLM) Group  which has developed a wider remit than originally proposed. Subject to wider discussion with staff we suggest that the development of an overarching Diversity and Inclusion Network within which groups such as BLM may remain as individual entities or work together would be a positive way forward. 

Staff networks provide the opportunity to share ideas, input into decisions and feedback. They are not the ultimate decision making forum as this will remain part of the organisation’s integrated governance structure. 

 

Contacts

If you would like to find out more about this policy and/or participating in staff networks or the Black Lives Matter Group, please contact HR.

 

Useful Links

If you would prefer this document in another language or format, such as large print, braille, or audio file, please contact Tyah Pinnock.