East Kent Hospitals University Foundation NHS Trust is very proud to announce that NHS Employers have named the Trust as one of 25 organisations to be welcomed to the Equality and Diversity Partners Programme for 2015/16.
Sandra LeBlanc, Human Resources Director, and Executive Lead for Equality said:
“It is great news that the Trust has been successful in becoming an Equality and Diversity Partner for 2015/16 by NHS Employers. Thank you and well done to all our staff who have worked so hard to achieve this recognition”
Organisations are awarded partner status after they have demonstrated that they are delivering against six measurable criteria:
- improving patient access and experience
- empowered, engaged and well-supported staff
- inclusive leadership at all levels
- better health outcomes for all
- demonstration of commitment to the partners programme, and benefits the organisation will receive from taking part.
What are the benefits of being a Partner?
NHS Employers work closely with their Partners and support them to embed equality and diversity in their organisation. Other key benefits for NHS organisations in becoming a Partner include:
- Increased profile of your organisation at network events, conferences and through the NHS Employers website and communications.
- Advice, guidance and assistance from NHS Employers in meeting the minimum requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
- Free access to training, development, coaching and mentoring for the Partner lead person on the use of the tools within the programme.
- Opportunities to discuss, network and test out new concepts within the safe environment of Partner meetings.
- The opportunity to influence national policy direction.
- In some cases, indirect benefits of NHS Employers’ membership of national forums, such as the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion, in terms of reduced rates.
What does Partner status mean?
The Equality and Diversity Partners programme supports participating trusts to progress and develop their equality performance and to build capacity in this area. At the same time, the programme provides an opportunity for Partners to offer advice, guidance and demonstrations of good practice in equality and diversity management to the wider NHS. Partners are supported to achieve this via:
- Continuous improvement around equality and diversity within their own organisation.
- Raising awareness of what constitutes sustainable, outcome-focused improvement in managing equality and diversity across their region.
- Acting as a thermometer by which NHS Employers can determine the key issues facing the wider NHS so that advice and guidance are relevant and up to date.
- Contributing to the development of emerging good practice and providing a channel for collecting case studies from which others can learn, within the wider context of NHS initiatives.
- Contributing to a broader understanding of equality and diversity – across both the NHS and the wider public sector – in the context of quality, innovation, productivity and disease prevention.
Bruce Campion-Smith, Head of equality and Engagement said,
“I’m really excited and pleased about the news. This is a real opportunity to develop Equality and Diversity at EKHUFT.”
