Membership Representation and Diversity Committee
21 January 2009
Agenda Item: 09/19
Corporate Diversity And Equality Strategy 2009-2013
1.
Purpose
1.2
The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the RCN’s proposed
corporate diversity and equality strategy 2009-2013.
2.0
Background
2.1
RCN Council agreed to adopt a corporate diversity strategy in 2005. This
strategy had an operational life of three years and was completed in 2008.
3.0
Detail
3.1
The corporate diversity and equality strategy has been designed to
synchronise with the RCN’s strategic plan and be the primary method for
achieving the strategic goal within that plan.
3.2
The action plan for the strategy is designed around the achievement of two
outcomes.
3.3
The first outcome relates to achieving equally high levels of satisfaction
amongst members with the RCN as a provider of services, with no significant
differences being noted across groups. This can be measured through
membership satisfaction surveys and the case management systems.
3.4
The second outcomes focuses on the achieving high levels of satisfaction
with the RCN as an employer. This can be measured through periodic staff
surveys.
3.5
There are also six strategic priorities which have been continued from the
first corporate diversity and equality strategy.
They are:
 Achieving a representative RCN
 Meeting legislative and moral responsibilities
 Leadership and influence
 Effective service delivery
 Connecting and communicating
 Performance- the journey to excellence
3.6
The primary vehicle for delivering these strategic priorities and outcomes is
the bespoke RCN Diversity Standard.
3.7
The Diversity Standard is a performance management framework around
diversity, human rights and equalities issues which assures risk reduction
and verifiable performance across specific RCN directorates and
departments.
3.8
The Diversity and Equality Unit will set a series of key performance
indicators in partnership with the Executive Directors for their areas of
responsibility as part of the operational planning cycle. The operational
1
Membership Representation and Diversity Committee
21 January 2009
Agenda Item: 09/19
planning process will ensure data to be collected and interpreted without
the need for additional or cumbersome bureaucracy.
3.9
Progress against the Diversity Standard will be reported back to RCN
members through the RCN annual report to ensure full accountability.
4.0
Resources, costs and implications
4.1
Any costs, resources and implications generated by this strategy document
will be met within current resourcing levels.
5.0
UK-wide/Four-country perspective
5.1
The strategy is a corporate document and therefore is based on a fourcountry perspective. This strategy will be evaluated on that basis also.
6.0
Strategic Plan
6.1
The proposals in this paper specifically address the section 8 of the RCN
strategic plan.
8.0
Enabling structures and processes to value diversity
8.1
Be a world-class champion of diversity, equality and
human rights within the health and social care sector.
8.2
Further promote our diversity toolkit, and be seen to
promote issues of social inclusion whilst also tackling
inequalities in health care.
7
Recommendations
71.1
The Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee is asked to adopt
the corporate diversity and equality strategy 2009-2013.
Sponsor, David Cooper, Executive Director, Human Resources
Originator, Wendy Irwin, Diversity and Equalities Co-ordinator
2