Equality and inclusion

The organisation...

• ensure that there is a visible and accountable executive level sponsor for this work who provides a line of communication and reporting back to the organisation
• in partnership with staff, their representatives and staff networks, develops a comprehensive inclusion strategy which is regularly monitored and reviewed
• carries out equality impact assessments on all workplace strategies and policies and steps are taken to remove or mitigate the impact on those who may be disproportionately impacted
• demonstrates and encourages civility, honesty, inclusion and respect as defining features of relationships between all staff, modelled by managers, executives and board members and supported by effective policies on equality and inclusion
• takes a proactive and preventative approach to tackling workplace bullying by promoting a civil, compassionate, and respectful culture and identifies early warning signs and addresses issues promptly
• identifies and proactively addresses the needs of specific groups of workers with protected characteristics for example, culturally appropriate counselling support, menopause at work support and effective processes in place to support staff who have disabilities. Pay particular attention to workers who face multiple forms of discrimination because of their combination of protected characteristics
• supports and promotes staff networks, actively encourages participation, and supports the close working of networks and trade union structures 
• sets up a network of equality and inclusion champions and allies to take this work forward and ensures that they are supported with time, resources and information to do this work effectively
• develops and promotes a just and learning culture where staff feel psychologically safe to raise concerns and those concerns are listened to and acted on
• has a process in place to monitor employment policy and practice across all Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics (or equivalent in Northern Ireland) and acts on trends and hot spots
• is or is working towards becoming a Living Wage Employer and avoids the use of zero-hour contracts
• monitors agency and/or bank work with an aim to create sustainable, substantive opportunities for nursing staff to apply wherever possible
• ensures that managers are skilled and supported to implement policies on inclusion and equality
• has robust and transparent job evaluation practices which are adhered to and ensure that the skills, competencies, and knowledge required for the role are reflected in pay determination.

At a department/unit/team level…

• organisational strategies and policies related to equality and inclusion are implemented and monitored at a local level
• there are regular check ins with staff or their representatives on their perceptions of fairness within the department/team/unit
• local data on protected characteristics is reviewed and any necessary remedial actions are taken
• action is taken to support staffs’ needs at a local level – for example, facilitating reasonable adjustments
• local safety concerns are addressed, and staff are encouraged to report near misses or undesired circumstances. Feedback is given to staff on what actions have been taken to address their concerns
• local concerns around bullying, harassment, and abuse are addressed promptly and support is sought from independent staff leads/local unions, where necessary
• staff are supported to attend and participate in staff networks
• managers and staff are able to participate in learning and development opportunities related to equality and inclusion.