NHS Devon aims at all times to be an organisation where staff fully understand equality and diversity issues and feel empowered to challenge prejudice and make reasonable adjustments in their own work areas. Equality and diversity training for all staff is mandatory and managers are tasked to promote the culture and behaviour changes necessary to ensure equality and diversity is contained within the mainstream business of the Trust. Our staff have the right to work in an environment which is free from unlawful discrimination and members of the public have the right to expect the care and treatment they receive from us is provided in a similar environment.
NHS Devon as a public body has a general duty to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity. This duty applies to NHS Devon staff, service users, patients, carers and members of the general public that NHS Devon staff comes into contact with.
NHS Devon is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity in relation to the protected characteristics as set out by the Equality Act 2010:
AND - Human Rights
NHS Devon recognises that these strands of diversity are founded in legislation and that you may experience discrimination on a wider variety of issues. NHS Devon is committed to looking beyond these strands of diversity to appropriately value all of our staff, including those who work part time, are on fixed term contracts or work flexibly. NHS Devon also recognises the need to fully respect the needs of our service users, patients and their carers.
NHS Devon sets itself the challenge to remove barriers in society wherever possible to ensure equality of access to the services we provide and employment opportunities within the organisation.
“Equality & Diversity are not interchangeable. There can be no equality of opportunity if the diversity of staff and the local community is not recognised and valued” (Department of Health HR Directorate 2003).
Statement of compliance with the duties of the Equality Act 2010 NHS Devon is committed to the achieving the duties of the Equality Act 2010 for both our staff and those who use our services or who may potentially use our services including carers of such individuals and visitors to our premises. The general duties are to:
To achieve this for our staff we are committed to providing mandatory awareness training and information through induction for all our staff. We have worked in the past with trade union representatives and through staff seminars and anonymous questionnaires to ascertain staff opinions.
To achieve this for our customers NHS Devon is committed to listening and learning to all members of the community we service and making special efforts to reach those who are seldom heard.
Equality Delivery System The Equality Delivery System is designed to support NHS commissioners and providers to deliver better outcomes for patients and communities and better working environments for staff, which are personal, fair and diverse. The Equality Delivery System is all about making positive differences to healthy living and working lives.
Click the link for full details of the Equality Delivery System.
Single Equality Scheme 2010-2013 This Single Equality Scheme 2010-2013 for NHS Devon refreshes and brings together the existing Disability, Race and Gender Equality Schemes and extends them to consider the additional protected characteristics of age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity and breast feeding, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership. It also considers the proposed socio-economic duty contained in the draft Single Equality Bill. The Single Equality Scheme covers our plans to promote equality for patients, carers and staff over the three year period from 2010 to 2013.
Click the link for full details of the Single Equality Scheme 2010 to 2013.
Equality Impact Assessments An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic way of seeing how any policies may affect groups of people differently based on the protected characteristics of diversity. EIAs are similar to risk assessments. In the same way a risk assessment would be taken forward, an EIA allows the assessor to identify potential problems and resolve or minimise them where possible.
All policies, procedures, new or major changes to services and strategies, should be impact assessed and an EIA should be completed. A document should not pass through the ratification process without completing an EIA. The EIA is usually published within or next to the document.
Workforce Diversity Monitoring:
Diversity Monitoring: Click the link to downlaod our leaflet "Why do we monitor diversity?"
This leaflet is also available in the following languages - click on the links to download each one:
Useful links:
Enquiries for further information to: Sue Moreton Patient Safety and Quality Manager NHS Devon County Hall Topsham Road Exeter EX2 4QL Telephone: 01392 267 873
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Page last updated: Tuesday 03 April 2012, 10:29
