East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is committed to advancing equality of opportunity in the healthcare, employment and other services provided for patients, service-users and workers by respecting human dignity and diversity. The Trust also aims to comply with Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.
The Trust has an Equality Strategy that sets out our approach for how improvements can be made to meet these ends. Specifically it also includes a tool called an Equality and Human Rights Analysis (EHRA) which is used to examine the effects of individual pieces of work and services upon people with protected characteristics.
Equality objectives
The Equality Scheme 2010-2013 is still in effect but will be superseded at the end of March by a refreshed draft Equality Strategy 2011-15. The new strategy reflects the changes in Equality Act 2010 and the results of the Annual equality report - 2011-12.
The strategy went to the Equality and Human Rights Steering Group in December 2011.
The strategy is monitored quarterly through the Equality and Human Rights Steering Group which is chaired by Darren Grayson, chief executive. Six community steering groups report into this group which monitor the strategy’s action plans more closely: age, disability and carers, gender (including pregnancy and maternity), race, religion and belief, and sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
The Trust’s ‘Equality Action Plan’ includes the information and evidence to support each of the actions. This incorporates the findings from the Public Engagement and Involvement Report - 2010-13.
Publishing Information
Annual Reporting
The progress of the overall strategy is reported formally to Trust Board annually: Annual Equality and Human Rights Report 2010/11. The results of this report and the data reports used to inform it were fed back into the Equality Strategy 2011-15 refresh.
Staff Networks
In addition the Trust promotes staff networks which advance their own shared agendas to promote equality in the workplace.
For information about the BME Staff Network please email bme@esht.nhs.uk or for information about the LGB&T Staff Network please contact the HR Lead for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Mike Bailey mike.bailey@esht.nhs.uk
For any queries or requests for information in alternative formats and languages please telephone a member of the Equality and Human Rights Team on 01323 417400 ext 3085.
