Workforce equality standard findings 2022

This report outlines the findings of the Trust annual Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) self- assessment audit 2022. The report includes an update on performance against improvement plans agreed in 2021 and plans for ongoing improvement in 2022/2023.

The report has gone through the relevant Trust governance processes including the Trust Executive Group (TEG) and the People Equality and Inclusion Committee (sub-group of the Trust Board).

Background

The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and the Workforce Disability Equality Standard aim to provide measurable indicators of equality performance within NHS organisations from which they can develop and improve the working experiences of staff.

The Trust has been reporting against the WRES (since 2017) and the WDES since (2019) we continue to strive to deliver equality of experience for all our staff post pandemic.

This report outlines the findings of the Trust annual Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) self- assessment audit 2022. The report includes an update on performance against actions agreed in 2021. Data in indicator 1 (for both the WRES and WDES) are derived from the Trust ESR (snapshot date 31 March 2022) whilst data for indicator 5-8 is from staff responses to the annual survey that took place in October - December 2021.

As we work with partners to meet the health and care needs of our patients within the North West London integrated care systems (ICS) it is our intention to maximise opportunities for joint working and use of resources in delivering the inclusion agenda. This year’s report is particularly important as improvement plans will inform an integrated and collaborative approach. The term Black and minority ethnic (BME) is used in this report to maintain consistency with terms used in the national NHS WRES templates.

Key highlights 2022

Outlined below are key highlights of the WRES and WDES 2022 findings with a more detailed summary of findings at appendix A. Where possible the Trust’s performance has been compared with the previous year and national benchmarks from 2020 and 2021.

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) highlights

When compared with the previous reporting period:

Staff from BME backgrounds grew by 4% from 65% to 69%

• 16.7% of Trust Board members (voting) were from BME backgrounds, an increase from 7.1%

• The relative likelihood of BME staff entering formal disciplinary process reduced from 3.73 to 1.77. This represents an improvement reflecting the impact of the ER triage process introduced three years ago.

• The number of staff categorised (overall) as ‘ethnicity unknown’ or ‘not declared’ reduced 5.5% to 4.9%.

• There were 3.2%- and 4.2%-point reductions in the number of staff from White and BME backgrounds experiencing bullying from patients. This is above the national benchmark for both groups.

• 1%-point reduction of BME staff experiencing bullying from peers - 23% (2021) is slightly below the benchmark of 23.1%. Conversely, 14.9% of White staff have experienced bullying from managers compared with 13.45 BME. This a reduction of 3%-point reduction for each of the ethnic groups when compared to 2020.

• The percentage of BME staff who reported experiencing discrimination in any form from peers and managers remained consistent at 15.7% in 2021 and 15.8% in 2020.

• When compared with the years, there was a slight increase in staff believing the organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression 55.4% (2021) compared with 55.3% in 2020.

• When comparing years, there has been slight increases in BME staff at AfC bands 8A-8B with the biggest increases at AfC bands 8C and 9 (albeit slight given the overall numbers at these grades). Given that BME staff represent over 69% of the overall workforce there is still more work to do to deliver a more representative workforce in the most senior roles in the organisation.

Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) highlights

In 2021:

• 66.8% of disabled staff said that the Trust had made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work when compared with 66% in 2020. This represents a year-on-year increase since 2018 (7.1%) but lags the benchmark average by 4.1%.

• There was a small reduction in the number of staff declaring a disability, 147 staff compared to 169 (1.8% compared to 2% in the previous year). The largest proportionate fall in declarations occurred in the Medical and Dental occupational groups.

• There was a 0.5 percentage point decrease in Disabled staff experiencing BHA from colleagues, comparatively 4.2% higher than non-disabled staff in this reporting period, however this represents a fall from the previous year. Both figures are higher than the national benchmark average in 2021.

• The most significant difference in experience concerns the levels of Disabled staff experiencing bullying harassment and abuse from managers which had reduced from 27% to 23.8% compared when compared with the previous year. Although this is above the benchmark average at 14.1% (2021) and 17% (2020) respectively this is still a welcomed reduction.

• 45% of Disabled staff said the organisation acted fairly on career progression when compared to 49.5% non-Disabled staff. This represents a year-on-year increase in this indicator.

• 36% of Disabled staff compared to 28.2% non-disabled said that they have felt pressure from their manager to come to work despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties.

• Disabled staff are less engaged when compared to previous years (2019- 2020) and with non-Disabled colleagues in 2020.

Progress on improvement plans

Following the findings of the last WRES and WDES audit, an improvement plan was devised. An update on actions is outlined below.

Recruitment

Visibility of inclusive recruitment

This intervention was aimed at creating more diverse involvement and visibility of our recruitment practices and processes. Since July 2020, all Trust recruitment panels are required to include a visible ethnic minority panellist. Their role is to provide oversight on inclusive practices (on all protected characteristics) during interview.

This is intended to create a more positive perception of Trust recruitment processes and build confidence in Trust recruitment outcomes particularly among our BME workforce. Although this process is yet to be evaluated, last staff survey indicated a 0.5%-point increase in staff who believed the organisation acts ‘fairly’ on career progression.

Manager’s justification for non-selection of BME candidates at interview Since August 2020, recruiting managers have been required to notify the Chief Executive on the outcome of interviews where a BME candidate took part but was not appointed. This is to enable the Trust better understand recruitment decisions and possible reasons why fewer BME staff are appointed to roles. An interim assessment of this practice indicates that this is due to a complexity of reasons including the need to provide coaching and mentoring prior to interview and candidates being better prepared.

Staff Engagement

Listening events that affect staff from ethnic minority backgrounds

The Trust continues of hold monthly listening events on topical issues and actions taken forward as appropriate. This interaction has enabled the Trust leadership team to be more visible and conversant to the live issues that staff experience. These meetings have now been broadened to a wider audience to capture all colleagues and White allies.

Strengthening staff networks

The Trust continues to support staff networks and has recommissioned further work on how it can better resource them, increase membership and strengthen their governance processes and functioning:

BME Network

The Trust management including the CEO continue to meet regularly with the executive members of the BME network, providing support and championing BME issues within the organisation.

Disability Inclusion Network

With strong support and leadership from the deputy chief executive, the profile of this group has grown. It has an active working group led by staff and a work plan linked to health and wellbeing activities.

LGBTQI+ network

This group was relaunched in June 2022. The Trust has supported this network through funding new rainbow lanyards and supporting members of the network to represent the Trust at 2022 Pride events.

Women’s Network

The Network was established in April 2022 and is championed by the Chief People Officer/Chief Executive. The group is currently refining its governance processes, terms of reference and developing its work plans for 2022-22.

HCS and admin and clerical group bands 2 to 4

This new group has been an important conduit for engaging with staff at bands 2-4. Established in April 2022 it has selected executives to help rung the group. The group continues to invite to its meetings senior leaders and guest to share

achievements and celebrate successes. It has been able to secure funding from HEE for development and is currently undertaking a training needs exercise which will inform roll out of training later in the year.

Building a culture of inclusion

During 2022, the Trust rolled out a number of interventions to embed equality and diversity in the organisation. These include:

Relaunch the HEART values

The Heart values were relaunched in July 2022. The key change was a refocusing of the “E” from Equality to Equity. This reflects the outcomes of staff consultation and a recharge around behaviours and relationships post covid. In addition, the launch also included a new set of Shared Commitments and Behaviours to support staff in behaving in a way consistent with the values.

Positive action initiatives

Disability confident scheme

The Trust will be renewing commitments under the scheme with a view to continuing to recruit Disabled staff in the organisation and enhance their working lives.

Development of ethnic minority staff

Over the last two years the Trust has established a number of positive action developments specifically targeted at staff from Black and minority Ethnic groups. We believe these programmes have been instrumental in slowly changing the picture

of leadership in the organisation. Since launch of the three cohorts of BME leadership programme and Progress 2-7 programme, on average, 21 % of those taking part have progressed to more senior roles. The Progress 8 programmes was launched at the beginning of 2022 and has 5 learners in a substantive band 7 role working in a secondment into an 8A role with accompanying development programme.

The Trust will be renewing its membership of the Disability Confident Scheme which requires a review of its processes for recruiting and supporting Disable employees. This process will enable us to provide critical challenge of our existing processes and strengthen them.

Independent Staff Insight Group

This group brings together staff, staff networks and senior leaders to explore Board- level decisions from a range of perspectives and diverse lenses. The group launched its first major piece of work; a deep dive on the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) this work has identified inequalities within and among groups in divisions. Its findings will form the basis of further work at a local divisional level. The group delivers its vision through four sub-groups to focus on specific areas affecting the Trust. The sub-groups are:

Anti-Racism: to develop the Trusts first comprehensive anti-racism plan and programme of work

Branding and communications: the group continues to build its brand and actively engage its purpose to the wider organisation.

Strongly linked with workstreams from the Disability Inclusion Network

Medical Workforce Race Equality Scheme (MWRES) Deep Dive: to analyse the MWRES, identify gaps and formulate strategies to bridge gaps in experience and opportunity.

EDI strategy

Improvements outlined in this report confirms the work that has been undertaken over the last year through the WRES and WDES to support delivery of the Trust Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and strengthen a culture of inclusion and to improve the working lives of staff.

Model employer goals

In 2021, the organisation made a commitment to increase BME representation in senior roles across the organisation by 10%. In keeping with other organisations in the North West London Integrated Care System, it is reviewing this target with a view to increasing them. This is in order to accelerate the pace of its ambitions for a more representative workforce in senior roles and to meet the requirements of the WRES Model Employer Goals.

Conclusion

This year’s WRES and WDES findings reflects the complexity of our journey to full inclusion in the organisation. The improvements in BME progression though not at the pace desired or expected needs to be acknowledged. It is expected that with the targets agreed by the MEG the Trust will achieve its ambitions of a more representative workforce.

Separately, more work is required to address Disability disclosures and at a local level and managers need to be equipped to support staff with a Disability. However, the work being undertaken to reduce the number of staff experiencing harassment from the public, managers and colleagues needs to be noted.

Much of the work that is required to make changes to the working lives of minority groups in the Trust will emanate from the improvement plans supporting the WRES

and WDES and will be undertaken through joint working with divisions and our system partners. This will enable the Trust deliver sector priorities, maximise opportunities for better use of resources whilst also addressing local issues.

Progression data 2021 to 2022

Table 1: Total clinical and non-clinical staff in Agenda for Change: change from 2021 to 2022

Download our Workforce Race Equality Standard progression data 2021 to 2022 [csv] 907bytes

Workforce Equality Standard summaries

Workforce Race Equality Standard summary

Indicator 2: Relative likelihood of staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts:

• 2021: 0.74

• 2022: 1.24

Indicator 3: Relative likelihood of staff entering the formal disciplinary process, as measured by entry into a formal disciplinary investigation:

• 2021: 1.77

• 2022: 3.73

Indicator 4: Relative likelihood of staff accessing non-mandatory training and CPD:

• 2021: 0.68

• 2022: 0.84

Indicator 5: Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives, or the public in last 12 months

• 2021: 31.7%

• 2022: 34.9%

Indicator 6: Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from staff in last 12 months:

• 2021: 23%

• 2022: 24%

Indicator 7: Percentage believing that Trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion:

• 2021: 55.4%

• 2022: 55.3%

Indicator 8: In the last 12 months have you personally experienced discrimination at work from any of the following? b) Manager/team leader or other colleagues

• 2021: 9.6%

• 2022: 8.8%

Workforce Disability Equality Standard summary

Indicator 2: Relative likelihood of non-disabled staff compared to disabled staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts:

• 2021: 1.07

• 2022: 0.79

Indicator 3: Relative likelihood of disabled staff entering formal capacity process:

• 2021: 1.73

• 2022: 4.02

Indicator 4: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients or service users, their relatives, or other members of the public:

• 2021: 36.9%

• 2022: 38%

Indicator 4: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from managers:

• 2021: 23.8%

• 2022: 27%

Indicator 4: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from other colleagues:

• 2021: 30.8%

• 2022: 31%

Indicator 5: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff believing that the Trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion:

• 2021: 45%

• 2022: 59%

Indicator 6: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff saying that they have felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties:

• 2021: 36%

• 2022: 36.2%

Indicator 7: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff saying that they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work:

• 2021: 34.7%

• 2022: 39.2%

Indicator 8: Percentage of Disabled staff saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work:

• 2021: 66.8%

• 2022: 66%