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Equality and inclusion

In line with the Equality Act 2010, there is a duty for all public bodies to consider how their activities as employers affect people who share different ‘protected characteristics’ and publish this data annually.

The protected characteristics covered by the Equality Duty are: 

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage and civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race, including ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality
  • Religion or belief
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

There is also a responsibility for public bodies to consider how the decisions they make affect people who share different protected characteristics.

We are committed to providing and commissioning services that are accessible, appropriate and of a high quality for the communities that we serve. The CCG strives to implement equality and diversity as an integral part of the organisation, with the aim of ensuring that all staff and service users will be treated with respect and dignity and will be expected to treat each other with dignity and respect.

We are dedicated to delivering cultural competent services for all our service users. The CCG is committed to Equality and Human Rights, as these are part of our main values. We aim to be an inclusive organisation where everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfill their potential and have an equal opportunity to access healthcare services.

We aim to reflect the diversity that exists in society, including people of different abilities / disabilities, age, religion, culture, race, sexual orientation and gender within our workforce. 

 

Workforce Race Equality Standard  (WRES)

The main purpose of the WRES is to help local and national NHS organisations to review their workforce data against WRES indicators and produce an action plan to improve workplace experiences of Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) staff. The WRES also places an obligation on NHS organisations to improve BME representation at Board level. The WRES provides a real impetus for NHS organisations to improve workforce race equality for the benefit of staff and patients.

The WRES is a tool designed for both providers of NHS services (including NHS and independent providers of NHS services) and NHS Commissioners. It can also be applied to national healthcare bodies; many of whom are also implementing and using the WRES.

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have two roles in relation to the WRES – as commissioners of NHS services and as employers. In both roles, their work is shaped by key statutory requirements and policy drivers including those arising from:

  • The NHS Constitution
  • The Equality Act (2010) and the Public Sector Equality Duty
  • The NHS Standard Contract and Assessment Framework
  • The CCG Improvement and Assessment Framework

The following report describes Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCGs performance for the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) in 2019/2020 and sets out the action plan to address the gaps in data.  The report is a combination of WRES action plan and the wider BAME actions emanating from a number of papers and studies including the ‘Beyond the data’ report and the NHS peoples plan.  The action plan will be shared with all relevant departments in the CCG so that the actions can be completed in a timely fashion.  An end of year annual equality report will capture the progress made in 2021.”

WRES and BAME Action Plan 2020/21


Equality Strategy and Equality Objectives

“This strategy sets out our commitment to taking equality and inclusion into account in everything we do. We recognise the importance of embedding equality principles and practices within the organisations business activities that will support us as a dynamic Clinical Commissioning Group which commissions the right services for our local population. We are dedicated to developing an organisational culture that promotes inclusion and embraces diversity, ensuring that the focus on equality and inclusion is maintained across the CCG.

Equality Objectives for 2020 – 2024

The equality objectives have been embedded within the Equality Strategy . The implementation of these objectives will ensure that the organisation is equitable in commissioning services, placing fairness at the centre of its core business, both as an employer and as a commissioner. There will be an annual report on progress of the equality objectives.

Equality and Inclusion strategy

Equality Delivery System

Herefordshire and Worcestershire CCG has adopted the Equality Delivery System (EDS2) as its performance toolkit to support the CCG in demonstrating its compliance with the three aims of the Public Sector General Equality Duty. The main purpose of the EDS is to help local NHS organisations, in discussion with local partners including local people, to review and improve their performance for people with characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010.  By using EDS, NHS organisations can also be helped to deliver on the Public-Sector Equality Duty.

In 2019/20 HWCCG (before the merger), along with Provider Colleagues in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area, agreed with NHSE&I to be the pilot for the Equality Delivery System 3. Due to the delay in the publication of the EDS3 goals and outcomes, which are still be to be published, and the onset of the pandemic, previous years EDS grading will be carried forward and a plan of action drawn up in 2021/22 on how best to move forward, in respect of implementing the EDS3. 

About the EDS - Easy Read

 

 

This organisation ceased to exist on 30 June 2022, please visit our new website for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board - Integrated Care Board :: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System (icb.nhs.uk)