Equality and Diversity at CHFT

We're proud that our networks are really well supported, and here are some of the things we've been doing or have achieved:

• We've attended Halifax and Hebden Bridge Pride 
• 450 of our colleagues have signed the LGBTQ pledge visibly showing our support to LGBTQ colleagues, patients and the community as a whole
• We have a number of inclusion representatives who take part in recruitment & selection panels
• We have developed BAME reverse mentoring scheme and hosted wheelchair accessibility assessments.
• We got colleagues from right across CHFT involved in our Candy Dance Challenge, celebrating diversity. Take a look here.

We’ll support the unique and diverse needs of our patients and our communities and we’ll make sure our suppliers and partners actively support us on this journey.

We’re against all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination and encourage fairness and respect from one another and the public.

CHFT has signed up to the NHS anti bullying alliance.

Stonewall: Sexual Orientation a Guide for the NHS

Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WRES) Action Plan

We have an interactive brochure for our 2023-2024 plans. It uses page turning software, so we have also added plain text below. 

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What is WDES?

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) is a set of ten specific measures (metrics) which enables the organisation to compare the workplace and career experiences of disabled and non-disabled colleagues. CHFT use the metrics data to develop and publish an action plan. Year on year comparison enables CHFT to demonstrate progress against the indicators of disability equality.

The WDES enables the organisation to focus on the experiences of our disabled colleagues and supports positive change for all by creating more inclusive environments.

We will also focus on enabling people to work comfortably with disability, through education, communications and engagement.

The 2023/24 action plan takes into consideration:

• The NHS workforce long term plan
• The NHS EDI Improvement plan
• NHS guidance on developing effective WRES/WDES action plans

The plans are underpinned by the data which is collected from the staff survey and workforce metrics. Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

The action plan has been co created with input from the equality networks. We have identified actions that will improve the workplace experience for our disabled workforce. Progress will be monitored and overseen by the CHFT Inclusion Group

Trust Composition

Aim: CHFT aims to continue making progress and the objective is to create an environment where our workforce feel comfortable to declare they have a disability and that we engage and attract disabled candidates in our community.

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the demographic data Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

• 6.7% of the non-clinical, and 4.7% of the clinical workforce have declared a disability.
• Overall 5.2% of colleagues within the Trust have a disability, an increase of 0.7% from 2022.

Action

• Continue to engage colleagues to self declare their disability status.
• Monitor year on year improvement in disability representation across each pay band and share data via appropriate channels
• Continue the widening participation approach including the work with Project Search, tracking year on year employability success

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Shortlisting

Aim: CHFT aims to continue making progress and the objective is maintain our current position whereby applicants have an equal opportunity to be appointed from shortlisting.

• Disabled applicants have a slightly higher chance of appointment from shortlisting. In 2023 the likelihood of successful appointment for a non-disabled applicant has improved from 0.86 times as likely to 0.91 times, moving toward an equal position.

Action

• Shortlisting deep dive analysis undertaken every quarter and data shared at Monthly Managers Meeting (MMM) to assess if there is an imbalance and take appropriate action to address the imbalance
• Data from the above deep dive will guide what action is required to ensure fair and inclusive recruitment processes are embedded.
• Identify areas of good practice/poor practice and develop workshops to learn from one another
• Support unsuccessful candidates via digital guides, interview skills workshops, mentor, shadowing opportunities and track future performance of these candidates

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Career Progression

Aim: To work with the CHFT disability network and support colleagues to help them achieve their aspirations. CHFT to understand the obstacles to disabled colleague career advancement and implement actions to remove these obstacles.

• 52.7% of disabled colleagues feel the Trust acts fairly towards career progression compared to 62% of non- disabled staff. This is a 9.3% gap, and an improving position from the 9.7% gap in 22.

Action

• Empower to be widely promoted, ensuring applicants are representative and track internal mobility of graduates.
• Mentoring / Coaching / Shadowing widely available ensuring colleagues participating are representative and track internal mobility of colleague involved.
• Interview Skills/Application Form workshops delivered regularly including digital version and track internal mobility of colleague participating

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Valued

Aim: Although the position has improved, the gap between disabled/non disabled colleagues has widened. The aim is to provide an equitable great place to work. We will engage disabled colleagues to understand what they would like to see to support them to feel valued beyond the overall Trust offer.

• 32.9% of disabled staff feel the Trust values their work, while 44.4% of non-disabled staff feel the same. This is an improvement in both groups, however the gap has worsened from 10% to 11.5% in 2023.

Action

• Appreciation events/monthly awards – tracking that colleagues from under represented groups are participating
• Annual Staff Awards – tracking nominations to ensure we receive a healthy representation for disabled colleagues
• Management education regarding recognition through management fundamentals
• Bespoke ‘feeling valued’ campaign for night workers and colleagues in community
• Enhanced focus on ‘hot spot areas’ ie bottom scorers and track performance in the staff survey

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Pressured to work

Aim: The current data highlights there are signs of improvement. The aim is to maintain this improvement by working with disabled colleagues, education of line managers and a focus on wellbeing within the Trust.

• During 2023 both disabled and non-disabled colleagues reported an improvement in this metric with a decrease in feeling pressured to come to work even while unwell, dropping from 35.9% to 31.5% for disable colleagues, and 25.1% to 21.5% for non-disabled.

Action

• Management education regarding colleague wellbeing via management fundamentals and New to manager programme, tracking take up of the learning
• Reasonable adjustments module in management fundamentals
• One Culture of Care charters for each team, refreshed annually
• EDI Education Suite to be widely communicated and utilisation tracked

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Engaged

Aim: The current data highlights there are signs of improvement. The aim is to maintain this improvement by working with disabled colleagues, education of line managers and a focus on engagement with under represented groups within the Trust

• Results of the latest staff survey show disabled colleagues have an engagement score of 6.5, an improvement of 0.2 from 2022. Non-disabled colleagues report a score of 6.9, no change from the previous year and an improving gap of 0.4.

Action

• Engage with disability network and understand what they would like to see in the organisation to improve engagement of disabled colleagues, develop an action plan and monitor progress bi monthly
• Ensure healthy representation of disabled colleagues on hot houses, CHuFT shortlisting, development programmes, wellbeing ambassadors, FTSU ambassadors etc and track participation
• Promote the utilisation of the disability network for feedback when making changes to services or departments (EQIA assessments)

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Bullying and Harassment (Public)

Aim: The current data reports improvements in this area for disabled colleagues. The aim is to introduce a campaign for the public to understand the impact of their behaviour on others and consequences for the person should they be found that they have been behaving in an inappropriate manner.

• 32.6% of disabled colleagues experienced abusive behaviour at work from patients/public compared to 26.5% of non-disabled colleagues. This is an improvement compared to the previous year for disabled colleagues, but a slightly worsening position for non-disabled colleagues.

Action

• Embed the tools and resources from the violence and aggression policy and monitor data monthly
• Widely communicate how CHFT will tackle inappropriate behaviour
• Implement the consequences for the public, track the implementation of these and monitor behaviour

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Bullying and Harassment (Staff)

Aim: The current data reports improvements in this area for disabled colleagues. The aim is to introduce a campaign for colleagues to understand the impact of their behaviour on others and consequences for the person should they be found that they have been behaving in an inappropriate manner.

• 25.2% of disabled colleagues compared to 15.3% white colleagues experienced abusive behaviour at work from other staff. Closing the gap from 10.8% to 10.1%, a slightly improving position for disabled colleagues.

Action

• Widely communicate how CHFT will tackle abusive behaviour.
• Utilise learnings from violence and aggression task and finish group and use these tools/resources internally to enhance colleagues awareness.
• Monitor data monthly.
• Colleague/management education included in management fundamentals.
• Communicate widely the consequences of discriminatory behaviour.
• Communications campaign to be widely shared.

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Board Composition

Aim: The current board composition is not reflective of the workforce or community demographics. The aim is to implement a board representation action plan and move to a more representative position.

• 20% of Trust Executive Board members have declared a disability. Disabled colleagues comprise 15.4% of the Voting Board. Both are sufficiently represented when compared to the Trust composition.

Action

• Focus on encouraging diverse high calibre candidates for Board level roles.
• Consider candidates for Board appointments from a wide pool.
• Ensure Board appointment ‘long lists’ include diverse candidates.
• Report against these objectives and other initiatives to promote diversity annually.
• Report annually on the outcome of the Board evaluation including the diversity of the composition of the Board
• Year on year board representation improvement

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the detailed action plan. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Equality Networks

We aim to develop an environment where people understand and respect each other’s differences, a place where you can be what you want to be, a place where colleagues work hand-in-hand with one another to deliver one culture of care.

Our vision is that our teams will reflect our diverse communities and we want our colleagues to feel part of what we deliver, because people who feel valued can be themselves and bring their best self to work. Take a look at our five year Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan (2019-24) here.

Here at CHFT our colleague voice is really important and that is why we have developed seven equality networks:

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual ,Transgender, Query(LGBTQ)
• Race Equality Network (REN)
• Colleague Disability Action Group (CDAG)
• Armed Forces
• Carers
• International Colleagues
• Women's Voices

These equality networks give our colleagues the opportunity to share what they love about working here and highlight areas where we need to improve. Speaking up and inviting feedback from them is a theme running through our five-year Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan.

Information and resources available for colleagues:

• Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit
• More information on our Equality Networks

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the of the toolkit and additional information on our equality networks. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

WDES Action Plan Summary (23/24)

Please email the Engagement Team for a copy of the of the WDES action plan summary. Engagementteam@cht.nhs.uk

Please visit our publications page to see our Gender Pay Gap information.