Equality objectives 2016 – 2020

Revised targets for 2018/19 and 2019/20 and our latest specific equality duties report

We set six equality objectives which cover the period April 2016 to March 2020. Each of these equality objectives is supported and strengthened by three or more associated targets. We have updated our equality targets and these are set out below. We would encourage readers to read our full report: NHS England response to the specific equality duties of the Equality Act 2010: February 2017 – March 2018

Equality objective 1: To improve the capability of NHS England’s commissioners, policy staff and others to understand and address the legal obligations under the public sector Equality Duty and duties to reduce health inequalities introduced by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

  • Ongoing target 1: To deliver an open in-house capability programme to NHS England staff through a mixture of 1 and 2 day sessions (2018/19).
  • Revised target 2: To deliver a programme on PSED compliance to STPs, CCGs and other new care models as part of a wider offer from NHS England.
  • Revised target 3: To deliver a programme of WebExes in 2018/19 and 2019/20.
  • Revised target 4: To respond to the priorities identified by NHS England’s Board in relation to addressing health inequalities and equalities (2018/19 and 2019/20).

Equality objective 2: To improve disabled staff representation, treatment and experience in the NHS and their employment opportunities within the NHS.

  • Revised target 1: To finalise the development of the WDES and roll out the new standard (2018/19).
  • Revised target 2: To work with the NHS ESR Team and the Insight Team to improve the disability declaration rate on ESR, to resolve issues around the definitions of disability used in the NHS Staff Survey and explore the issues of associated with definitions of protected characteristics (2018/19 & 2019/20).
  • Revised target 3: To consult on and subject to the consultation assess which NHS providers, in addition to NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, should be mandated to comply with the WDES in future years.
  • Revised target 4: To monitor the implementation of the Standard and evaluate what meaningful targets can be set. To identify any additional opportunities for embedding the Standard (2018/19 and 2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 5: To facilitate and drive effective ongoing leadership at national, regional and local levels to maintain the programme’s implementation and impact (2018/19 and 2019/20).

Equality objective 3: To improve the experience of LGBT patients and improve LGBT staff representation.

  • Revised target 1: To support and facilitate appropriate monitoring of the implementation and take up of the SOM Standard within NHS England and across the NHS (2018/19 & 2019/20).
  • Revised target 2: To review how best to implement the LGBT action plan working in partnership with NHS Employers and other partners.
  • Revised target 3: To develop and deliver an effective engagement programme and secure feedback on the roll-out and take up of the SOM Standard within NHS England and across the NHS (2018/19).
  • Revised target 4: To support and facilitate appropriate monitoring of the implementation and take up of the SOM Standard within NHS England and across the NHS (2018/19 & 2019/20).

Equality objective 4: To reduce language barriers experienced by individuals and specific groups of people who engage with the NHS with specific reference to identifying how to address issues in relation to health inequalities and patient safety.

  • Revised target 1: The Community Languages Information Standard Project will be aligned with NHS England Guidance Note: Commissioning Interpreting and Translation Services in Primary Care Guidance (2018/19).
  • Revised target 3: To explore health literacy among asylum seekers and the deaf communities, collaboratively working with the Primary care commissioning team (2018/19)
  • Revised target 4: To identify, collate and share good practice examples and models on interpreting and translation services. (2018/19)

Equality objective 5: To improve the mapping, quality and extent of equality information in order to better facilitate compliance with the public sector Equality Duty in relation to patients, service-users and service delivery.

  • Revised target 1: To produce an interim report on options for the development of improved arrangements for monitoring by reference to protected characteristics across the NHS identifying issues that will be informed by the ONS 2021 Census White Paper (2018/19).
  • Revised target 2: To produce a report on what equality information is gathered by reference to protected characteristics and identify key gaps in information gathering processes that may be valuable in identifying differences in access to healthcare or health outcomes for different protected characteristics (2018/19 quarter 1 or 2).
  • Revised target 3: To produce a report on what steps can be taken to improve the use of equality data already gathered prior to the implementation of any new information standard(s) for gathering equality information (2018/19 quarter 2/3).
  • Revised target 4: To update the interim report in light of the ONS White Paper and, the subsequent legislation in relation

Equality objective 6: To improve the recruitment, retention, progression, development and experience of the people employed by NHS England to enable the organisation to become an inclusive employer of choice.

  • Ongoing target 1: To identify opportunities to promote and encourage employees to voluntarily disclose their diversity data to ensure NHS England’s actions as an employer are evidence led and improvement focussed. To annually publish the NHS England workforce profile and outcomes for the 9 protected characteristics, where data is available, to inform improvement plans (2018/19-2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 2: To implement and report progress against the NHS England response, as an employer, to the WRES and WDES (2018/19-2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 3: To actively engage with, promote, support and encourage the work of the NHS England staff networks (BME, LGBT+, Disability and Wellbeing (DAWN) and Women’s Development Network) and recognised trade unions to ensure the lived experience of NHS England staff, represented by these networks and partners, directly contributes to improvement actions and organisational policy development (2018/19 and 2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 4: To ensure that the experience of NHS England staff, as measured via the NHS England staff survey and other relevant staff feedback mechanisms, is reviewed for variations based upon protected characteristics and for improvement actions to be taken (2018/19 and 2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 5: To review the equality impact of key organisational policies for differential impact in areas such as: recruitment and selection, learning and development, supporting attendance at work, respect at work (anti-bullying and harassment); talent management; appraisal (performance development review) disciplinary, grievance and job evaluation (2018/19 & 2019/20).
  • Ongoing target 6: To seek external review, challenge and accreditation of NHS England’s actions as an employer by actively participating with relevant equalities standards and benchmarks (e.g. the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, the Disability Confident Standard, the Workplace Wellbeing Charter, etc.) (2018/19 and 2019/20).