St Helens and Knowsley NHS
Hospitals Trust
Single Equality Scheme
This document is available in larger print and other formats and
languages on request.
APRIL 2007
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust Single
Equality Scheme
Contents
Page numbers
1. Foreword
4
2. Background
5
Community Links
Workforce Support and Development
3. Demographics of St Helens and Knowsley
8
St Helens
Knowsley
4. Partnership and Consultation
12
5. Governance Arrangements
13
Responsibilities
Marketing and Communications
6. Public Sector Duties
14
Race Equality Duty
Disability Equality Duty
Gender Equality Duty
7. Single Equality Scheme – Context
16
Overview
Equality and Diversity Group
Equality Impact Assessment
Publicising and Reporting
8. Single Equality Scheme - Action Plan
21
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
2
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Workforce Profile
30
Appendix 2 – List of Legislation
31
Appendix 3 – Equality and Diversity Group Terms of Reference
32
Appendix 4 – List of Consultation Groups
33
This document is available in a range of alternative formats including various
languages, large print, audio cassette and Braille. Please contact:
Kate Kerwin T: 0151 430 1232 E: kate.kerwin@sthk.nhs.uk
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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1. Foreword
We are publishing this Single Equality Scheme to demonstrate our commitment to
mainstreaming equality and diversity into the core business of St Helens and Knowsley Acute
Trust. Over the past years, in order to meet our legal duties, we developed and published a
Race Equality Scheme and Action Plan. At the last review it was identified that a change of
direction and emphasis was required, particularly within the current context of developments
and changes that are occurring within the hospitals.
This need, when taken in conjunction with the legal requirement to comply with the two
additional public sector duties on disability and gender, has provided us with an ideal
opportunity to develop an integrated and comprehensive Single Equality Scheme (SES). We
are committed to a strategy that achieves equality for all and which values the diversity of
everyone.
The action plan, outlined at the end of this document, has been developed with a range of
input from various groups and individuals. We see it as a living document that will change and
evolve over the next few years. Monitoring, evaluation and review are seen as essential
components of the action plan, and are threaded throughout the programme of work and
development.
We believe that our approach is in line with the establishment, in October this year, of the new
Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). The public sector duties are specifically
related to race, disability and gender, including transgender. We intend to integrate religion,
belief, sexual orientation, age, caring responsibilities, employment, HIV status and any other
areas of disadvantage that we identify, into our planning and delivery systems both internally
and externally.
Producing this document has been the first stage of an ongoing process. We invite ideas and
views, with regard to this scheme, from individuals and groups who are involved with St
Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust. We look forward to receiving your feedback.
Mavis Wareham
Chair
Ann Marr
Chief Executive
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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2. Background
Over the last few years St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust has been presented with many
challenging opportunities including the progression and development of our two hospital sites
and our application to become a Foundation Trust. Allied to this has been the need to develop
and embed a robust equality and diversity strategy into to all our activities. There are two
main drivers for this. One is to ensure that our services and organisational activities are as
transparent and inclusive as possible to all our service users, employees and stakeholders.
The second is our commitment to comply with both the duty and spirit of the law.
We believe that we cannot achieve quality without equality and, it is on this basis we have
identified the following equality aims:
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“To recruit, develop and retain a local staff community that is able to deliver high
quality services that are accessible, responsive and appropriate to meet the diverse
needs of the local community.
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To ensure that St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals is an Equal Opportunities employer,
our aim is to ensure no job applicant receives less favourable treatment either directly
or indirectly.
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To ensure the NHS uses its influence and resources as an employer to make a
difference to the life opportunities and the health of its local communities especially
those who are disadvantaged”1.
In 2005/06 we achieved 3 star status and focused our corporate objectives around the
document “Standards for Better Health”2. Many improvements were achieved for our service
users including improved safety, governance arrangements and access. “Standards for Better
Health” emphasises the importance of equality and diversity and lists the core requirements
that we have to take account of:
“The key aim of these standards is to underpin the delivery of high quality services which are
fair, personal and responsive to patients needs and wishes, which are provided equitably and
which deliver improvements in the health and well being of the population. This aim can only
be achieved if these benefits are delivered to all groups within our society. The standards
must therefore be interpreted and implemented in ways which:
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1
2
Challenge discrimination
Promote equality of access and quality of services
Support the provision of services appropriate to individual needs, preferences and
choices
Respect and protect human rights
Further the NHS’s reputation as a model employer
“Annual Report, Operating and Financial Review 2005/06” page 15
Standards for Better Health – Department of Health 2005
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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Enable NHS organisations to contribute to economic success and community
cohesion.” 3
With reference to the above points there are a number of examples of successful practice that
we can cite. Many of these were identified in our “Annual Report, Operating and Financial
Review 2005/06”. The examples in the next two sections illustrate some of the activities and
developments that the Trust has been engaged with.
Community Links
Much work and effort have gone in to improving our links into the community. The main
reason for this is to promote, protect and make our services accessible in order to improve
the health of the population served, and reduce the health inequalities between different
population groups. To this end, we aim to ensure that all our programmes and services are
designed and delivered in collaboration with all relevant organisations and communities.
Healthcare is provided with the aim of respecting the diverse needs and preferences of
patients, relatives and carers. The wide membership of the Foundation Trust is seen as a
natural extension of the existing arrangements. It will strengthen the links with the local
community and increase the sense of local ownership:
The ongoing feedback received will stand us in good stead as we continue to extend our
involvement and consultation processes. This approach will be an essential element in
developing the range of activities encompassed by our Single Equality Scheme (SES)
activities.
To date, we have worked collaboratively with St Helens Carers Forum and have introduced
“Invitation to Talk” sessions in various local venues. These have helped us focus on the best
ways to gain public feedback, particularly in relation to hospital experience and volunteer
recruitment. As part of the delivery of this programme of events we now ensure that venues
are accessible, information is available in alternative formats and any additional individual
needs are catered for.
Our new multi-storey car park has been opened and we operate a courtesy bus to a number
of drop-off points in the hospital complex. Feedback from this indicated that there was a need
for better publicity, information and signage. This is now being addressed. It is important to
note that a clause in the contract for all the current building work required that 50% of the
workforce was drawn from the local area.
The “Your Guide” to the hospital, which contains maps and directions regarding the layout of
the two hospital sites, was consulted on. Members of the Patient Council were requested to
comment with regard to layout and ease of use. Amendments were made in response to the
feedback received.
Our patient experience is continually being improved by responding to suggestions and
comments. We have a Community Lay Reader Group that assesses information bulletins
against a checklist that lists the essentials that are vital to the document content. The purpose
of the group is to ensure that the language utilised is clear, user-friendly and free from jargon.
3
Standards for Better Health – Department of Health 2005 Section 7 page 4
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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In particular we are further developing patient information literature to support informed
patient choice. This is available in alternative formats and languages.
Workforce Support and Development
We were one of the first organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside to gain IWL Practice Plus
and we also achieved our Agenda for Change targets. Learning and development is an
essential element in the way that the Trust supports individuals to develop skills and grow
competences. We are committed to developing our staff to acquire and enhance appropriate
skills in order to achieve high levels of performance in an environment where staff feel
supported and valued.
The Trust provides a variety of mandatory and non-mandatory courses for staff. A rolling
programme of equality and diversity training has been in place, and senior consultants have
also attended a number of sessions over the last year. In addition, we are committed to
ensuring that equality and diversity awareness becomes an established dimension of all
training and development.
The Knowledge and Skills Framework4 identifies Equality and Diversity as core dimension six.
It also links into the other five core dimensions. It appears as a cross cutting theme in the
general elements G1 – Learning and Development and G7 – Capacity and Capability.
Recently established programmes such as the Leadership and Management Development
Initiative (LAMDI) incorporate equality and diversity awareness and understanding. These
modules are now in the process of being evaluated and enhanced.5
The Trust has introduced child protection awareness training as part of the mandatory
programme for all staff caring for children. This course has equality and diversity as a core
principle.
A programme of Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) training is in place for managers. This is
delivered over three sessions and includes giving individual feedback on the impact
assessment process between the second and last session. The first cohort of managers has
completed the course and further groups will be trained over the coming months. A session
on impact assessment was also delivered to the HR Policy Group last February. This will
ensure that EIA becomes an integral part of the development of new policies and procedures
from the beginning of the process.
The well being of the workforce is of prime importance to the Trust. We enjoy a low turnover
of staff and offer a range of staff benefits including a subsidised crèche facility, a range of
family friendly work practices and, as indicated above, excellent training and development
opportunities. It is worth noting that feedback from our annual staff survey shows positive
experiences from staff, particularly regarding the availability of training and health and safety.
The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process – Department of
Health October 2004
5 See SES Action Plan for further detail.
4
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In 2005 / 06 we won a UK wide award for excellence in healthcare human resources
management. We have also signed up to the Human Resources Balanced Scorecard that is a
framework to help organisations align local workforce strategies with wider organisational
goals. We have a yearly stress awareness event in recognition of the importance of the health
and wellbeing of staff. The Trust is now smoke free and further support has been put in place
for staff wanting to give up smoking.
In line with our statutory duties we make reasonable adjustments for members of staff on the
grounds of disability. We also respond flexibly to requests for adjustments on the grounds of
religion, creed or culture. There is a clear procedure for managing these requests and line
managers are the first point of contact with regard to this.
The Trust employs in excess of 4,300 clinical and non-clinical staff and the workforce profile
(Appendix 1) is monitored by the HR Department. We have monitored the current composition
of our workforce and analysed the results. It is our intention to interrogate the results further to
identify key equality trends. This activity features as a key priority in our SES Action Plan.
Our Action Plan also identifies how data information will be stored and reported. For example
cross-collating results with other categorisation criteria will be undertaken with extreme care
and sensitivity, in order to protect the privacy of individuals.
In addition, our new Human Resource monitoring system the Electronic Staff Record (ESR)
will capture further information and be able to process the following equality data more
robustly:
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Recruitment
Leavers
Training access
Grievances and disciplinary actions.
3. Demographics of St Helens and Knowsley
St Helens and Knowsley Hospital Trust is rapidly expanding. We provide a wide range of
clinical services to a population of some 350,000 people within and around St Helens and
Knowsley. The Trust also provides specialist services, including the regional and specialist
centre for burns and plastics, to residents in Halton, Warrington, Liverpool, other parts of the
North West region, North Wales and the Isle of Man. We have a capacity of over a thousand
beds.
St Helens
St Helens is situated to the east of Merseyside. It is bounded on the North West by
Lancashire, on the East by Wigan, (Greater Manchester) to the southeast and south by
Warrington and Halton (Cheshire) and to the West by Knowsley. The town was established
on the industries of mining, glass-making, engineering and heavy chemical manufacture.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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The borough of St Helens has a resident population of around 178,985, of whom 140,246 are
aged 19 or over.6 It has the lowest representation of black and minority ethnic groups in
Merseyside with 1.2%, compared with 2.9% for the region. A recent report 7suggests that
26.4% of the population, aged between 16 and 60, have poor literacy skills, and 31.3% have
poor numeracy skills.
The levels of deprivation in St Helens are high and there are pockets of severe poverty and
unemployment. Heart disease, lung cancer and chronic lung disease are major health
problems in St Helens.
In the most recent index of Multiple Deprivation, St Helens ranks as the 36th most deprived
authority of 355 in England. The percentage of lone parent households with children aged
between 0-15 years of age is 7.9%. The proportion of school leavers achieving at least five
general certificates of secondary education at grade C or above was 6% lower than the
national average of 53.7%.
The health of St Helens residents is relatively poor. Men can expect to live 75.1 years and
women 79.5 years, which is less than the national average. There is a gap in life expectancy
of 4.9 years between the poorest and the most affluent areas of St Helens, the largest gap
nationally being 10.1 years and the smallest 2.7 years. Alcohol misuse is a significant
problem in the North West. It is estimated that 22.7% of adults in St Helens binge drink, which
is close to the regional, but more than the national average. Admissions to hospital for alcohol
related conditions are more than the regional and national average with a figure of 3198 for
the period 1998 – 2003.
The Health Profile for St Helens 20068
The local authority health profiles are designed to show the health of people in each local
authority area. The key points for St Helens are listed below:

The number of people registered with severe long term mental health problems and
actively accessing treatment, is one of the highest of all local authorities in England at
a figure of 1910.

There is a higher than average rate of older people aged 65 or over being helped to
live at home, with a figure of 4193. This is significantly better than the England average
and demonstrates a positive approach to the care of the Borough’s elderly residents.

Deaths from smoking are significantly worse than the England average at 1146
between 2002 and 2004.
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Drug misuse treatment undertaken between 2004 and 2005 was significantly worse
than the England average, with a figure of 894.
Registrar General’s Mid Year estimate 2006
St Helens LEA ALI Inspection Report 2006
8 Source (APHO and Department of Health 2006)
6
7
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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The high percentage of people with diabetes identified in 2005 was significantly worse
than the national average with a figure of 6,779.
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It is estimated that only 16.4% of people eat five or more portions of fruit and
vegetables per day, much lower than the regional and national average.
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Air quality in St Helens is poorer than average.
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11.2 % of the population reported their health as “not good” in the 2001 census. This is
higher than the regional and national average.
Knowsley
The five townships of Knowsley are Kirkby, Huyton, Prescot, Whiston and Halewood. These
have a combined resident population of 150,000. Employment in Knowsley is partly
dependant on the major manufacturing industries with companies such as Jaguar being
located in the area.
Each of these townships contains high deprivation which is some of the highest in the
country. As a result, there are severe health problems, the incidence of heart disease, lung
cancer and chronic lung disease, in particular, being much higher than the national average.
In the borough of Knowsley the unemployment rate for young people between the ages of 1824 is 45%. The most recent census figures revealed that approximately 40% of children live in
households where no adult was in employment.
Knowsley has a high percentage of adults with low literacy and numeracy skills, 22% and
20% respectively, compared with 15% and 12% nationally. The level of qualifications in
Knowsley is well below the national average. 30% of pupils leave school with only 5 general
certificates at grade C or above, compared with 51% nationally.
Based on the office of national statistics mid year estimate for 2006 (Nomis 2006)9 figures
show that Knowsley has a total population of 149,400 which accounts for 10.8% of the
population for Greater Merseyside. Knowsley’s population is relatively young, with nearly 22%
under 16. This compares to a national average of around 20%, with only 6.1% aged 75 or
over, compared with 7.6% nationally. Knowsley’s Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) community
at the last census was around 1.6% (2377 individuals). In addition there were a further 773
individuals who described themselves in the census as White-other.10
According to the revised index of Multiple Deprivation (2004) Knowsley is the 8 th most
deprived district in England and is in the most disadvantaged 10% of employment-deprived
districts.
The health of Knowsley residents is poor. A significant proportion of residents (8.7%) which
equates to 13,000 people, is unable to work because of sickness or permanent disability. In
9
Registrar General’s Mid Year Estimate 2006
Understanding the Knowsley Community. A Housing Study of Black & Minority Ethnic Households 2006
10
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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addition, 23.3% of school children have some form of identified special educational need 11,
and over 5,000 people provide unpaid care for more than 50 hours per week.
Deaths overall are 20% higher than the national average, with high rates of heart disease,
cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes. Men’s life expectancy is 3 years less than the
national average. As well as diseases relating to poor diet and smoking, diseases due to
excessive consumption of alcohol are an important factor in reducing men’s life expectancy in
Knowsley.
The Health Profile for Knowsley 200612
The key points for Knowsley are listed below:

The number of people registered with their GP as having severe long-term mental
health problems and actively accessing treatment is higher than the national average.
Although this figure is high at 1069 and indicates a significant public health burden, it is
identified as being significantly better than the England average in respect of treatment
being undertaken.

Alcohol misuse is a significant problem in the North West. It is estimated that 25% of
adults in Knowsley binge drink. This figure is higher than the regional and national
average. Similarly more people (2721) are admitted to hospital for alcohol related
conditions than the regional and national average.

The average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth in children aged five and
under is 3:1. This is third highest in the region.

It is estimated that 35.4% of the population aged 16-74 smoke. This is much higher
than the national average.

It is estimated that 11.5% of adults eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per
day, the lowest number in all local authorities in England.

Men can expect to live 73.6 years in Knowsley and women 78.2 years less than both
the regional and national average.

GCSE achievement is significantly worse than the England average at 40.3%. England
average (52.0%). It is interesting to note that where less than 30 children in a particular
ethnic group took GCSE exams the % pass rate is not shown. (Currently the Knowsley
BME Community accounts for 1.7% of the population).
4. Partnership and Consultation
The Trust is committed to working in partnership with our workforce, service users and a
range of stakeholder individuals and organisations. We value feedback in relation to all our
activities and will be pro-active in developing as wide a consultation process as possible with
11
12
Pupil level Annual School Census 2006
Source (APHO and Department of Health 2006)
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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regard to this SES. Compliments and complaints are taken note of and responded to
promptly. We are committed to making the routes for involvement and consultation as open,
accessible and transparent as possible.
We are working with a range of organisations which include:
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Cheshire and Merseyside Regional Health Authority Forum (CMRHAF)
St Helens District Women’s Aid
St Helens Multi-cultural Group
St Helens CVS
St Helens Community Empowerment Network
Knowsley Empowerment Network
Knowsley Disability Concern
St Helens Coalition of Disabled People
Carers UK
Older People’s Voice
Concept Knowsley Partnership Board
Knowsley Racial Harassment Forum
Merseyside Society for Deaf People (MSDP)
Crime and Reduction Disorder Partnership
St Helens and Knowsley Pride Project
We are committed to working closely with Knowsley Disability Concern (KDC), a local
provider, particularly with reference for the need for both involvement and consultation with
regard to the disability duty. In addition, a similar organisation, DASH, is based in St Helens.
DASH is able to give advice and guidance on all aspects of disability, including the use of
resources. Its services are targeted at disabled people, their families, carers and anyone
interested in disability matters. We will involve DASH in the development and consultation of
the SES.
Likewise, with regard to our application to become a Foundation Trust, we are committed to
involving as wide a range of people as possible.
“We will have new ways of communicating with our patients, staff and the people of St
Helens, Knowsley, Halton and South Liverpool – and because communication is a two way
process, we will also be listening carefully to what our members have to say. St Helens and
Knowsley Hospitals already has active patient involvement and a drive for staff involvement.
The wide membership of the Foundation Trust is seen as a natural extension of the existing
arrangements, therefore strengthening the links with the local community and increasing the
sense of local ownership.”13
5. Governance Arrangements
Responsibilities
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust – Public Consultation Document on Becoming an NHS Foundation Trust
February 2006 page 9
13
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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The “Governance Strategy” outlines the roles and responsibilities of each part of the Trust.
The Trust Governance Board, a sub-committee of the Trust Board is supported by three
governance councils:
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Clinical Performance (risk management issues)
Clinical Standards and Patient Focus (NICE, user involvement, audit)
Human Resources (education and training, HR)
The board champion for Equality and Diversity is the HR Director and equality and diversity
sits within the Human Resources Council. Currently, much of the work regarding equality and
diversity has been undertaken within the context of this council. A priority for this year will be
to ensure that equality and diversity awareness become an integral part of the business of the
two other councils.
For example, we are expected to ensure that our procurement and commissioning systems
are free from bias, and that our suppliers are aware of our commitment to equality and
diversity. Increasingly we will be expecting our providers of services to demonstrate that they
comply with equality law and promote good equality and diversity practice. Financial
Management sits in the Environmental Quality Council, along with health and safety, which is
another example of an area where there is an increasing need for equality and diversity
awareness in the way that stress and mental health issues are addressed within the
workplace.
Likewise the Clinical Standards and Patient Focus Council will be involved in our consultation
processes and activities. With regard to the disability duty we are obliged to both involve and
consult disabled people and we intend to take a pro-active approach to this requirement. Our
complaints system needs to be accessible, transparent and user friendly and also needs to be
monitored from an equality point of view. Complaints and Claims sit in the Clinical
Performance Council and will feature in the review of a whole range of policies, procedures
and practices conducted under our equality impact assessment work.
The Equality and Diversity Group will play an important role in our approach to Equality and
Diversity. It will act as a conduit for advice, guidance and feedback and will play an important
role in helping us to prioritise our equality and diversity work programme. More detail
regarding the remit of this group can be found in Section 7 and its operational Terms of
Reference in Appendix 2.
Marketing and Communication
The new Communications Strategy for 2007/08 is based on the same principles as the one
for the previous year. It states:
“This communication strategy and its objectives reflects the importance of making good
communications an integral part of the Trust culture. It provides a framework within which to
improve and deliver effective communications with all our stakeholders.”
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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Accessible and easily understood communication methods are key to the success of the
strategy. The “Principles of Communication” identifies “Appreciative and responsiveness to
diversity in the organisation” as a requirement. However, this dimension has not been
addressed in much detail in the past. This situation will be rectified in 07/08 and appears as
an action in the SES Action Plan.
Currently, key communication methods include meetings, team briefs, email, intranet, website
and notice boards. In addition, there is a staff newsletter, regular staff surveys and information
leaflets and posters are produced to publicise specific events and initiatives.
Review of current practice has established that the intranet could be better used to
communicate with staff. Alternative methods of communication also need to be scrutinised in
order to ensure that individuals that have no access to the intranet are kept fully informed of
developments. A coherent approach needs to be implemented that mainstreams good
equality and diversity practice as a matter of course.
The new Communications Action Plan will have a separate section for Equality and Diversity
which will ensure both compliance and best practice. This intention also appears as a priority
in the SES Action Plan.
6. Public Sector Duties
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust has to operate within the law at all times. There is an
increasing body of legislation applicable to the equality and diversity context and key acts are
listed in Appendix 2.
Race Equality Duty
The Race Relations Act 1976, as amended by the Race Relations Amendment Act (RRAA)
2000, imposes a general statutory duty, the race equality duty, on public authorities.
General Duty
The general duty requires public authorities to take into account the following when carrying
out their functions:
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Eliminate unlawful discrimination
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Promote equality of opportunity
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Promote good relations between people of different racial groups
Specific Duties
Specific duties are required to ensure that the general duty is implemented. This means that
there are additional requirements with regard to policy development and implementation,
employment and service delivery. Ethnic monitoring is also a requirement of this duty.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
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Disability Equality Duty
The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 has been amended by the Disability Act 2005. The
new duties, that were operational from 4 December 2006, are similar to those for race
equality. There is an additional requirement to involve disabled people in the design and
delivery of services.
General Duty
The general duty requires public authorities to:
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Eliminate unlawful discrimination against disabled people
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Eliminate disability-related harassment of disabled people
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Improve equality of opportunity for disabled people
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Promote positive attitudes towards disabled people
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Encourage participation by disabled people in public life
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Take account of disabled people’s disabilities, including when this means treating
disabled people more favourably than others.
Specific Duties
The specific duties are similar to the race equality duty and are formulated to ensure that the
general duty is implemented.
Gender Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2006 amends the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 and incorporates similar
requirements to the two Acts listed above.
General Duty
From 6 April 2007 there is a requirement on all public authorities to:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment

Promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
The general duty is complemented by specific duties in a similar way to race and disability
equality.
It is worth noting that there are some variations in the specific wording of the general duties.
For example, the Race Duty states that public authorities have to “set out their
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
15
arrangements”, the Disability Duty requires “a statement covering arrangements” and the
gender duty expects authorities “to have a scheme setting out actions taken or intending to be
taken”.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust is committed to developing a strategy and action
planning framework within which the different duties can be met.
7. Single Equality Scheme - Context
Overview
The development of a SES mirrors the approach adopted by the Department of Health and
has many advantages which include:
•
•
•
Achieving synergy with the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human
Rights
Developing an holistic approach to diversity within the Trust
Avoiding duplication of work that may occur if discrete schemes are developed.
We are fully committed to the single equality scheme model and recognise that issues of
specific concern exist in relation to each of the single equality dimensions.
Race
With regard to race, although Knowsley and St Helens have relatively low numbers of BME
individuals our patient profile presents a higher percentage of these populations. This is
accounted for by the fact that our patients are drawn from a wider area, as outlined in the
demographics in Section 3.
A recent survey14 which focused on three NHS Trusts, one police force and a government
department has found that 25% of ethnic minority workers have to put up with abuse at work,
compared with 13% of white employees. They were also more likely to be ignored, given
repeated reminders or persistently criticised by managers and colleagues.
There is evidence15 that some BME groups may be disadvantaged regarding access to health
care but the available evidence is not consistent. Reasons may include stereotyping or
insensitive treatment by healthcare professionals. In particular, lack of access applies to
individuals who do not speak English well.
British Occupational Health Research Foundation – “Destructive Interpersonal Conflict in the Workplace:
Effectiveness of Management Intervention” Sabir Giga and Helge Hoel, Manchester School of Management,
UMIST 2006.
15 Access to Health Care – University of Leicester (Department of Health & NHS Service Delivery (SDO)
Research & Development Programme October 2006
14
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
16
However, it can be proved that travellers and homeless people are often at a loss as to where
to go for help and advice. We are aware that gypsies and travellers are a group that have the
worst health status of any group in the country16.
Disability
People covered by the Disability Discrimination Act make up about one third of NHS users.
However, many of these still experience unequal access to health services17. Health strongly
influences opportunities to work, participate and live independently and we are committed to
achieving the best possible provision for our employees, service users and stakeholders.
The Trust has been accredited with the “two ticks” disability symbol. We support the five
commitments relating to recruitment, retaining employees who become disabled, consulting
disabled employees, developing greater awareness of disability and reviewing progress.
The disability equality duty covers all types of disability and individuals and communities have
the right to access information about services, treatments and choices. We will ensure that
the feedback gained from involvement and consultation will be carefully considered and
utilised to enhance and improve our services. We will also involve and consult with our
disabled staff with regard to our progress in making our workforce planning and provision as
accessible as possible.
The number of people under 65, in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, is 10.3% in
Knowsley compared with 4.5% in the whole of England and Wales. Further comparisons
between Attendance Allowance (over 65) – 19.7% in Knowsley compared with 15% and
Incapacity Benefit - 15.2% in Knowsley compared with 7.3% - further emphasise health
inequality. There are also high levels of heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and
diabetes.
In St Helens the number of people registered with severe long-term mental health problems
and actively accessing treatment is one of the highest of all local authorities in England. There
is a significantly higher than average rate of older people aged 65 or over helped to live at
home.
Mental health service users face particular barriers in relation to employment, and conditions
such as depression are still perceived as a stigma by many. This is particularly true with
regard to individuals from BME groups. For example, research data demonstrates that young
black males are six times more likely to be sectioned than their white counterparts18. Black
people with mental health problems are eight times more likely (and in the North West 25
times more likely) than the overall population to be in high security psychiatric hospitals19.
However, within the 5 Borough Partnership Trust, the most common ethnic category to be
detained under the Mental Health Act is “White British”. In addition, both St Helens and
Promoting Equality and Human Rights in the NHS – A Guide for Non-executive Directors of NHS Boards July
2005
17 Disability Rights Commission – Disability Equality Scheme 2006 - 2007
18 Promoting Equality and Human Rights in the NHS – A Guide for Non-executive Directors of NHS Boards.
19 Promoting a Culture of Equality and Human Rights – creating an alternative future – Disability Rights
Commission 2007 page 5
16
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
17
Knowsley boroughs have one of the highest numbers of people registered with severe longterm mental health problems and actively accessing treatment, in England20.
The Disability Rights Commission recently conducted an investigation into the way that
healthcare is accessed by disabled people. The investigation looked in depth at the
experience of people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems. In addition, the
investigation identified particularly problems with access and attitudes in relation to other
groups including people with physical, hearing or visual impairments, travellers, lesbian
women and people from Black and minority ethnic communities21.
The medical model of disability focuses on a person’s disability or condition. In contrast, the
social model believes that it is society that disables a person. This is done by operating in
ways that create barriers that result in the exclusion of significant sections of society. The
representative model has developed from the social model and focuses on the empowerment
and self-representation of disabled people.
The Trust is committed to an approach based on the social model of disability. We will make
every effort to overcome and remove barriers that prevent disabled people participating fully
in society. We will also support and promote initiatives that focus on the empowerment and
self-representation of disabled people.
Gender
The gender equality duty covers women, men and transsexuals. Women and men both
experience disadvantage although this impact on them in different ways:
“Women are frequently disadvantaged by policies and practices that do not recognise their
greater caring responsibilities, the different pattern of their working lives, their more limited
access to resources and their greater vulnerability to domestic violence and sexual assault.
Men are also disadvantaged by workplace cultures that do not support their family and
childcare responsibilities, by family services that assume they have little or no role in
parenting or by health services which do not recognise their different needs.”22
Women make greater use of the health service than men, but no clear evidence exists that
can prove whether a person’s gender determines whether or not they are disadvantaged over
access to health care. Healthcare that is sensitive to a person’s gender is a major concern for
understanding and improving health and health care delivery23.
Men can be expected to live 73.6 years in Knowsley and women 78.2 years. In St Helens the
figures are 75.1years for men and 79.5 years for women. Although the figures are better for
St Helens than Knowsley, both are lower than the national and regional averages.
Some of the NHS barriers experienced by transsexuals include rigid commissioning policies,
absence of choice and reluctance by GPs to deal with trans people. If these barriers are
overcome they are often followed by lengthy waiting lists and treatment programmes that can
Health profiles for St Helens and Knowsley – Department of Health 2006
Tackling Health Inequalities – creating an alternative future – Disability Rights Commission 2007 page 5
22 Gender Equality Duty: Draft Code of Practice England and Wales - 2007
23 Access to Health Care – University of Leicester (Department of Health & NHS Service Delivery (SDO)
Research & Development Programme October 2006
20
21
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
18
span a number of years.24 There has been some progress made during the last fifteen years
but recent research25 has found that 21% of cases GPs either did not want to help and 6%
actually refused to help.
There is still a significant gap between the earnings of men and women, and women who
work part-time often sacrifice status and earning power. The recent report “fairness and
Freedom” from the equalities review underlines this fact.26 We are committed to facilitating
part-time, flexible and job share work patterns for both women and men.
For the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 there were 2413 incidents of domestic abuse
reported to the police in Knowsley. This represents a 17.5 increase since 2001/0227.
According to the St Helens Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership strategy 2005 – 06
there has been a 6% reduction in cases of domestic violence in St Helens. The Merseyside
Abusive Partner Pilot Project (MAPP) run by St Helens District Women’s Aid works with the
perpetrators of domestic violence. The “On the Button” project, managed by the same
organisation, provides support to victims of domestic violence.
Research within the borough of St Helens28 indicates that drug abuse is a significant
contribution to incidents of domestic violence. During 04/05 50% of drug users were aged
between 25 and 34. Of these, 74% were male and 26% were female. Of these 94% declared
themselves as “White British”, with 5% not stating their ethnicity. Approximately 33% of users
stated their area of residence as the WA9 area of St Helens.
Domestic violence, looked after children and the health needs of women are key themes that
have been identified to drive forward the development of women specific treatment services.
Equality and Diversity Group
The role and responsibility of the internal Equality and Diversity Group was evaluated and
reviewed during the last financial year. In the light of the evaluation it was decided to re-form
the group and to update the Terms of Reference (Appendix 3).
Membership was decided by identifying core areas that needed to be represented. These will
be reviewed as the group becomes established and the SES Action Plan is rolled out. It is
expected that additional members will need to be co-opted either as long term participants in
the group or on a more short term basis when specific expertise and experience is required.
The group is now operational and has had the inaugural meeting during March 2007. The
membership list, roles of group members and the Terms of Reference were all reviewed.
In order to establish a common grounding in equality and diversity, and to establish a shared
understanding of its role and responsibilities, the group will undergo its own training and
development session. The programme will cover:
“Not so Much a Care Path….More a kind of Steeplechase” – Christine Burns MBE LGBT Health UK July 2006
Engendered Penalties: Transgender and transsexual people’s Experiences of Inequality and Discrimination –
Press for Change & Manchester Metropolitan University - The Equalities Review February 2007 page 16
26 Fairness and Freedom – Final Report of the Equalities Review” February 2007
27 Crime and Disorder Audit http://crime@theknowsleypartnership.org.uk
28 JMU research undertaken for the St Helens Partnership 2006
24
25
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
19




Public sector duties
Wider legislative context
General awareness raising
Employee and service delivery - rights and responsibilities.
Equality Impact Assessment
This is an essential part of meeting the statutory duties outlined in the last session. As
identified earlier, a programme of EIA training for managers has been delivered and the HR
Forum has also undergone an awareness-raising session.
The programme, “The a b c of impact assessment” has been designed to:

raise awareness and understanding of the three equality duties

support managers in learning to conduct an impact assessment and

outline requirements with regard to monitoring, reviewing and reporting.
The programme is delivered in three sessions:
1. Overview & Understanding; mapping; data collecting
2. Screening; assessing; consulting
3. Monitoring; reviewing; reporting
The training incorporated a practical session on undertaking an impact assessment.
Managers undertook the activity in relation to policies within their own departments, between
sessions B and C of the EIA training, and were then given feedback with regard to their
findings. This resulted in a number of action points in addition to giving a foundation on which
to build further developments and progress.
Currently we are in the process of conducting the initial screening process (ISP) in relation to
all our policies. In some cases this exercise will then be followed by a full equality impact
assessment (FAP). The necessity for the latter will be indicated by the results of the ISPs. A
rolling programme of EIA training is itemised in the action plan.
Publicising and Reporting
We will regularly publicise and report on our progress against our commitments in the SES.
This will be done through our corporate reports, marketing and communications and
partnership arrangements. We will continue to add to our list of individuals and organisations
that we currently consult with.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
20
The website will be one route by which we will make our SES and related information
available. All information will be available in alternative formats and translation into other
languages on request. Internal communication will be via the intranet, briefing sessions,
networks and groups.
Our website will have a distinct equality and diversity section. Information will include the SES
and Action Plan, additional information with regard to developments and programmes of work
within the Trust and reporting of progress against our Action Plan.
8. Single Equality Scheme - Action Plan
Section 8 outlines the background to our action plan. We are well aware that it is not a
complete overview of discrimination and inequality. Our Action Plan outlines the priorities that
we have identified. It also identifies the ways in which our commitment to achieving equality
for everyone who works for, and have an interest in the workings of, the Trust.
In formulating the action plan we have taken note of the recommendations made in two
reports that originated from a baseline assessment undertaken during 2005/6 29. The exercise
was carried out by Diversity Action, a consultancy specialising in equality and diversity. The
work focused on the extent to which the Acute Trust was meeting its statutory duties,
identified areas for improvements and made recommendations for action. We have drawn
from our original Race Equality Scheme and the Action Plan that was prepared in the summer
of 2006.
In addition to our public sector duties we are also committed to addressing inequality and
discrimination within the wider equality agenda. With regard to religion and belief we have
developed significant experience in meeting the needs of different faith groups and for
individuals of no faith. The Chaplains are a resource for the trust on all matters relating to faith
needs and spiritual issues. They have a responsibility for making provision for the spiritual
and religious needs of patients, visitors and staff of all faiths and no faith.
There are a number of resources available on the intranet “Spiritual Care Web Community”
and in the Spiritual Care Department. The principle resource is the “Faith Requirements
Resource pack” and a hard copy has been distributed to every ward in the Trust and
information about the pack was circulated to the matrons via email in January 2007.
Our Spiritual Director is the lead officer for the Sacred Space Design Group which was
convened to provide a forum for consultation for the two sacred spaces in the new build at St
Helens and Whiston sites. We have an annual Eid celebration and regularly invite staff of faith
groups, other than Christian or Muslim, to let us know if they would like to mark a religious
festival or have other unmet needs. We offer hospitality to everyone in our current scared
spaces and flexibility with our liturgies especially, for example, with remembrance services for
staff, babies and critical care patients.
With regard to age we have recently been working with Knowsley Age Concern on Patient
Environment Action Team (PEAT) developments. The purpose of this work is to request
volunteers to carry out visits within the hospital environment. These are focused on specific
Policy & Action Plans Review – initial findings December 2005 / Equality & Diversity Support in St Helens &
Knowsley Health Community – Individual Report St Helens & Knowsley Acute Trust February 2006
29
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
21
topics, the most recent one being signage. Follow up visits are planned later in the year. It is
hoped that this work will continue and that liaison meetings will take place on a quarterly
basis.
Our SES Action Plan has been structured around the framework listed below. We have
identified clear priorities, targets and outcomes and have indicated whether the actions are
time-bound within the first year or ongoing. As progress is monitored and evaluated against
first year priorities more detail will be added to our plan for the second and third years. As
detailed earlier, in addition to the four dimensions listed in the Action Plan, namely race,
disability, gender and age, other dimensions of equality such as religion, belief and sexual
orientation will be a key part of our strategy.
Our SES Action Plan is structured around the following sections:
1. Corporate Leadership and Governance
2. Learning and Development
3. Service Delivery
4. Involvement and Consultation – internal & external
5. Finance, Commissioning and Procurement
6. Communications and Marketing
7. Evaluation, Monitoring and Review
It can be found in a chart format in the following pages.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
22
Single Equality Scheme
Action Plan: 1. Corporate Leadership and Governance
Priority
Action
Who?
R/D/G/A
Time
Target
Progress
Review key groups to ensure that
they address E&D dimensions in their
remit
1. Terms of reference reviewed
and enhanced if necessary
E&D Group
All
April 07 –
Sept 07
Action Completed
Board to receive E&D awareness
raising and development
2. Board session arranged
Duties explained and explored
E& D Coordinator
All
April 07 +
updates
ongoing
Action Completed
Launch the Dignity and Respect at
Work initiative
3. Designated day to launch
Publicity disseminated through
various routes
H&B Helpline reviewed
HR
All
April 07
Action Completed
Corporate Action Plans to include
E&D
4. Ensure E&D is
mainstreamed
Board
E&D Group
All
April 07
ongoing
Ongoing
Foundation Trust protocols and
procedures checked for compliance
5. TORS of groups reviewed
Use of gender neutral language
adopted throughout
Board and
Relevant Groups
All
April 07 –
Aug 07
Action completed
Equality impact assess (EIA) all
policies procedures and provisions
(revised & new)
6. EIA training delivered as
rolling programme
E&D Co-ordinator
All
April 07
ongoing
Three cohorts delivered, training the
equalities trainer to be arranged and
rolling programme included in the training
calendar for 08/09
Ensure new E&D guidance is
disseminated to all staff, volunteers &
stakeholders
7. Utilise a variety of routes
(Also see SES AP 6)
E&D Co-ordinator
All
April 07
ongoing
The new Respect at Work Training is
delivered at Corporate Induction and a
lengthier session is included in mandatory
training.
Review all HR functions for E&D
compliance
8. Map all functions
Train HR staff
HR
All
April 07 –
July 07
Action Completed
Training delivered to specialist
groups e.g. Respect at Work
Champions
9. Identify need
Produce and deliver
programme
E&D Co-ordinator
All
April 07
Ongoing
Approve resources for ongoing E&D
work
10. Identify funding streams
(Also see SES AP 5)
Board
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
All
Action Completed
Dec 07
Action Completed
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
24
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
Action Plan: 2. Learning and Development
Action
Who?
R/D/G/A
Time
Target
Progress
Ensure that front line staff are kept
informed of equality and diversity
requirements
1. Develop and deliver a
training programme
Regular briefing sessions
E&D Coordinator
Managers
All
April 07
- March 08
Action Completed
Train managers in undertaking
equality impact assessments
2. Continue to deliver EIA
programme
E&D Coordinator
All
In place –
March 08 ongoing
Action Completed
Training programmes will meet
equality and diversity compliance
needs
3. Review established
programmes (e.g. LAMDI)
Develop a checklist for all
trainers
L&D Dept
All
April 07 –
March 08 –
ongoing
Action Completed
Ensure evaluation forms have
updated monitoring categories
4. Review current forms and
enhance
L&D Dept &
E&D Coordinator
All
April 07 ongoing
Action Completed
Put in place additional specialist E&D
programmes as required e.g. E&D
Group, HR, consultants
5. Review current provision
Address any specific needs
L&D & E&D
Group
All
April 07 ongoing
Action Completed
Procurement contracts will meet
equality and diversity requirements
6. Check and enhance as
required
L&D
(Also see SES
AP 5)
All
April 07
- ongoing
See Finance and Procurement
E&D Coordinator
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
25
Develop a “Train the Trainers” E&D
programme
7. Draft programme
Identify trainers
Deliver and assess
E&D Coordinator &
L&D
All
Sept 07
Feb 07
April 08
Establish in-house E&D training
delivery (see above)
8. Deliver / assess/ evaluate
Add to trainer pool / resource
Regularly update
E- training considered
L&D & E&D
Co-ordinator
All
May 08 ongoing
Ensure relevant E&D issues are fed
into corporate approach / strategy
9. Establish system to record
and monitor issues
Feed into corporate strategy
L&D & E&D
Group
All
April 07 ongoing
Monitoring through E&D Group, issues are then
reported through HR Council and Governance
boards
Formally review progress to inform
organisational developments
10. Draw on data collected from
above activities
L&D and E&D
Group
All
March 08 ongoing
See Above
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
Identifying trainers, due for completion April 08
See above
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
26
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
Action Plan: 3. Service Delivery
Action
Who?
R/D/G/A
Time
Target
Progress
Ensure that all information is available
in alternative formats
1. Ensure Communications
Strategy addresses this
Disseminate information to
service deliverers
Communications Team
(Also see AP 6)
D
April 07
ongoing
Action Completed
Identify if there is a need for an E&D
charter for service users
2. Review current provision
Enhance if required
Communications Team
E&D Group
All
April 07 –
Sept 07
The current position was reviewed and a
charter was not found to be necessary.
Review Complaints and Compliments
systems for ease of use and
accessibility issues
3. Involve Patient Council
Enhance if required
PALS Co-ordinator
All
April 07 –
Sept 07
Review involvement and consultation
arrangements
4. Ensure all are in accessible
venues
Check that timings allow
widest involvement possible
E&D Group Local
Disability Groups as
required
All
April 07 ongoing
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
Action Completed
27
Continue to assess accessibility and
ease of use of both hospital sites
5. Identify if disability audits
have taken place and review
progress against
recommendations
Identify if there is a need for
additional audits
Clear signage and maps to
be reviewed
E&D Group
Patient Environment
Monitoring Officer
PEAT
D
April 07
ongoing
Disability audit completed 2005 which
resulted in an action plan for adjustments
2005-2008 with a total spend of £94.170.
Actions are on track to be completed this
year.
Ensure all service deliverers are aware
of how to access information on
Spiritual and Faith issues
6. Publicise availability
through all obvious routes on
a regular basis
Ensure all new staff are
informed at induction (also
see SES AP 6)
Spiritual Director E&D
Group
All
April 07
ongoing
Action Completed
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
28
Action Plan: 4. Involvement & Consultation – internal & external
(Internal = i external = e)
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
Action
Who?
R/D/G/A
Time
Target
Progress
Mainstream E&D into all Learning &
Development & request feedback
from participants (i)
1. See SES AP section 2
L&D
All
April 07
ongoing
All training courses are in the process of being
evaluated for e&d compliance.
Consult with the workforce and
volunteers re the SES and SES
Action Plan (i)
2. Disseminate SES and
Action Plan with letter from
CEO
HR
All
April 07 –
June 07
Action Completed
Consult with service users and
stakeholders re the SES and SES
Action Plan (e)
3. Disseminate SES and
Action Plan + letter from CEO
Identify gaps
HR
All
April 07 –
June 07
Action Completed
Involve & consult with disability
stakeholders (e)
4. Draw up questionnaire
(available in alternative
formats) to send out with SES
and Action Plan
Consider focus group in
accessible venues
5. Identify any gaps in the
consultation routes
Identify any additional needs
e.g. staff groups
Consistent approach to
ensuring access to services
Make recommendations
HR
D
April 07 –
May 07
Action Completed
PALS Coordinator
E&D Group
All
July 07Nov 07
To date, the trust has worked
collaboratively with St Helens Carers
Forum and has introduced “Invitation to
Talk” sessions in various local venues.
These have helped the trust to focus on
the best ways to gain public feedback,
particularly in relation to hospital
Review involvement and consultation
feedback (i + e)
PALS Coordinator
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
29
experience and volunteer recruitment. As
part of the delivery of this programme of
events, the trust ensured that venues
were accessible, information continues to
be available in alternative formats, and
any additional individual needs are
catered for.
Recommendations assessed and
prioritised (i + e)
6. Recommendations put to
Board
Response received from
Board
Board
Champion
All
Dec 07
The Trust Board receive equality and diversity
reports on a quarterly basis.
Recommendations implemented (i +
e)
7. Time-bound plan drawn up
to put recommendations into
action and to inform more
detailed planning for 08 / 09
E&D Group +
others as
identified by
feedback
received
All
January
08
ongoing
Action Completed
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
30
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
Action Plan: 5. Finance, Commissioning & Procurement
Action
Who?
R/D/G/
A
Time
Target
Progress
Promote commitment to E&D to all
providers of services
1. Send out letter to draw
attention to legal requirement
Finance Department
All
April 07
This action has been taken up regionally by the
Cheshire and Merseyside Confederation and is
due to be progressed imminently.
Ensure all procurement and
commissioning documents include
E&D requirement
2. Scope areas that are
affected
Review requirements
Liaise with PCT partners
Finance Department
E&D Group
All
April 07 –
June 07
Action Completed
Produce user-friendly checklist of
requirements for dissemination
3. Produce draft
Share with partners
Agree final format
All
July 07 –
Sept 07
Action Completed
E&D Group
All contract / tender assessors are
competent to judge E&D compliance
4. Train assessors
E&D Group or other
All
Nov 07
All finance and procurement staff will receive
appropriate training
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
31
Secure resources to sustain SES
5. Identify funding streams
(Also see SES AP 1)
Board
All
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
Dec 07
Ongoing
Action Plan: 6. Communications and Marketing
Action
Who?
Publish and market SES to
stakeholders and partners
1. Through all usual channels
Identify new opportunities to
publicise commitment
Board
Employees
Communications
Team
Continue to utilise News “n” Views to
develop E&D awareness
2. Introduce regular E&D
column
E&D Group to advise and
submit data
Communications
Team
E&D Group
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
R/D/G/
A
All
Time
Target
April 07
ongoing
Progress
Action Completed
Action Completed
32
Enhance Communication Strategy with
E&D requirements
3. Insert separate section e.g.
communication with
staff/volunteers with no access
to intranet / accessibility
guidelines / use of gender
neutral language
E&D Group to advise &
approve
Communication &
Marketing Manager
E&D Group
All
April 07 –
June 07
Action Completed
Develop E&D section on external
website
4. Identify content
Submit off-line section to E&D
Group for approval
E&D Group
Web designer
All
April 07
ongoing
Action Completed
Develop E&D section on intranet
5. Identify content, consider
Link & cross reference to
Spiritual Care Web Community
As above
All
April 07
ongoing
Action Completed
Ensure ICT staff induction addresses
access to E&D information (as above)
6. ICT staff to introduce into ICT
training
ICT Dept.
All
April 07
ongoing
Equality and Diversity pages are included in
Trust IT training.
Ensure all communication is available
in alternative formats as required
7. Guidelines developed to
ensure coherent approach
across the Trust
Staff Handbook checked for
compliance
Communications
Team
E&D Group
All
April 07
ongoing
Actions completed
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
33
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
34
Single Equality Scheme
Priority
E&D Group to act as conduit for and
disseminator of information, advice
and guidance
Action Plan: 7. Evaluation, Monitoring and Review
Action
Who?
R/D/G/
A
All
Time
Target
April 07
ongoing
Progress
1. Feedback routes established
Group members roles agreed
Priorities for action established
in relation to current SES Action
Plan
AP for 08/09 developed
Board Champion
E&D Group
E&D Co-ordinator
Action Completed
Enhance T&D evaluation
2. Monitor and review uptake of
all courses (see SES AP
section 2)
Act on findings to ensure
inclusion
HR
L&D Team
All
April 07
ongoing
Monitoring information is being collected and
will be put into appropriate format for the
Equality and Diversity Steering Group.
Further interrogate workforce profile
data to establish any E&D trends /
issues
3. Scrutinise current date
Identify any areas for further
research or positive action work
HR
E&D Group
All
April 07 –
Sept 07
As above
Review partnership arrangements
4. Identify any gaps and invite
wider participation
PALS co-ordinator
E&D Co-ordinator
All
April 07
ongoing
Action Completed
Dec onward
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
35
Patient Council to address E&D re
incident reporting
5. E&D monitoring utilised
E&D issues reported to
Governance Department
Patient Council
All
April 07
ongoing
Monitor progress against SES AP
6. Quarterly reports to board
champion & HR Council
meetings
Half yearly reports to Board
E&D Group
HR team
All
April 07
ongoing
Key: R = Race D = Disability G = Gender A = Age
Action Completed
E&D = Equality & Diversity
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
36
Appendix 1
Workforce Profile St Helens & Knowsley
Hospitals NHS Trust February 2007
Workforce Age Profile
Age Group (Years)
0-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65+
TOTAL
Staff count
21
245
478
480
673
736
647
502
391
150
39
4362
% of workforce
0.48
5.61
10.95
1.10
15.42
16.87
14.83
11.50
8.96
3.43
0.89
100
Workforce Gender Profile
Gender
Male
Female
TOTAL
Staff Count
879
3483
4362
% of workforce
20.15
79.84
100
Workforce Ethnicity Profile
Ethnicity
White
Black
Asian
Chinese
Mixed white
Not stated /other
Staff count
3708
31
249
14
11
37
% of workforce
91.8%
0.7%
5.7%
0.27%
0.23%
1.3%
0.85% employees have a disability, Two thirds of these are female and a third are
male.
The largest female staff group is Nursing (1750) and the largest male staff group is
Medical and Dental (253).
Further analysis of employee data is being undertaken with the introduction of a new
tracking system from April 07.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
Appendix 2
Equality and Diversity Legislation - Key Acts:

Equal Pay Act 1970 (Equal Value Amendment 1984)

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Gender Reassignment Regulations 1999; (Indirect
Discrimination & Burden of Proof Regulations 2001; Employment Equality (Sex
Discrimination) Regulations 2005)

Race Relations Act 1976

Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 – (race duties on public authorities)

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Special Educational Needs Disability Act 2001

Mental Capacity Act 2005

Disability Act 2005 – (disability duties on public authorities)

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Human Rights Act 1998

Employment Act 2002

Flexible Working Regulations 2002 (Flexible working (Eligibility, Complaints and
Remedies) Regulations 2006 )

Employment Regulations : Religion or Belief 2003

Employment Regulations : Sexual Orientation 2003

Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004

Civil Partnership Act 2004

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Work and Families Act 2006

Employment Equality (Age) Discrimination Regulations 2006

Equality Act 2006 – (gender duties on public authorities)
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
38
Appendix 3
Equality and Diversity group
Terms of Reference
Aims:

To reach a shared understanding of equality and diversity and how they impact
upon the core business and related activities of the Trust

To act as a focus and point of contact for equality and diversity advice and
guidance

To oversee and co-ordinate the Single Equality Scheme through delivery of the
Action Plan

To monitor and review progress with the purpose of drafting the action plan for
next year
Membership





Members of the group will be drawn from across the Trust.
Each care group will be represented.
Each member will have a named deputy who will attend the meetings in the
absence of the nominated person.
Each member will be expected to promote and champion equality and diversity
within their own particular care group.
Individuals may be co-opted at times for a particular project or because of a
particular expertise / interest.
Meeting Cycle


In the first instance meetings will be held every 6 weeks.
An annual calendar of meetings will be published at the beginning of the year.
Reporting


The group will make quarterly reports to the Trust Governance Boar.
Minutes of meetings will be posted on the Equality and Diversity section of the
intranet within one week of the meetings being held.
Chairing and Administration


The group will be chaired by Anne-Marie Stretch, Board Champion.
The group will be administered by the HR team.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
39
Appendix 4
External groups and organisations that have been invited to give us feedback on this
document are:

St Helens District Women’s Aid

St Helens Multi-cultural Group

St Helens CVS

St Helens Community Empowerment Network

St Helens Coalition of Disabled People

Carers UK

Older People’s Voice

Concept Knowsley Partnership Board

Knowsley Racial Harassment Forum

Merseyside Society for Deaf People (MSDP)

Crime and Reduction Disorder Partnership

St Helens and Knowsley Pride Project

Knowsley Racial Harassment Forum

Knowsley Disability Concern

Merseyside Society for Deaf People

Older People’s Voice

Health and Well Being Partnership Board

Concept Knowsley Partnership Board

Crime and Disorder Partnership Board

5 Boroughs Partnership Trust

Knowsley Community College
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
40

St Helens MBC

Knowsley MBC

Knowsley Domestic Violence Forum

Knowsley Against Racism

Age Concern St Helens

Age Concern Knowsley

Knowsley Partnership

Press for Change
The list is not exhaustive and we welcome feedback from any person, group or
organisation.
St Helens and Knowsley Acute Trust – Single Equality Scheme – April 2007
41