Equality Objectives April 6 2013-2017

These equality and diversity objectives have been developed through engagement with those who share, or represent those with, a protected characteristic and other local interests. Engagement has been with service users/patients, patient representatives, carers and staff. Specific feedback has been gathered in line with a process called the 'Equality Delivery System'. The Trust undertakes ongoing engagement throughout the year and results from the EDS are also reviewed in light of this as well as information that we have to publish as part of meeting our Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The following objectives represent the areas highlighted as priorities from the resulting feedback.

The equality objectives will be aggregated into the Trust’s corporate objectives and will therefore form part of the Trust board reporting around these.

We have three new objectives for 2013 onwards. Last year in 2012, four objectives were developed with one objective having two parts. We have completed two of these objectives within the designated timescales and two are ongoing. These are currently within timelines as can be seen below. The two objectives brought forward have original timescales extending into this current year and 2014. Please see below, numerical listings do not indicate order of importance.

Heading	EDS goals and outcomes that objectives relate to	By When	Measure
Objective 1	EDS Goal 1 Improved patient access and experience EDS Outcome 2.3
	To improve equality monitoring of feedback for patient / carer experience for all protected characteristics. (In line with the EDS outcome this should include the reporting of positive experience of treatment and outcome, privacy, dignity, respect and being listened to).	April 2014	Patient experience trackers can demonstrate. Evidence of implementation of equality monitoring recently implemented in our clinical audit and effectiveness surveys, relating to patient/carer satisfaction or experience.
Objective 2	EDS Goal 1 Improved patient access and experience EDS Outcome 1.2
	To review access to and ease of use of key diagnostic facilities in our outpatient services for patients with a physical or sensory impairment. (The review will involve patient representatives who have a disability or impairment. Results will then inform the development of an action plan and priorities with timelines to be confirmed once identified. Some could include longer term planning)	July 2014 TBC Once actions known.	Evidence of review. Key actions identified. Action plan in place.
Objective 3	EDS Goal 3 Empowered, engaged and well supported staff EDS outcomes 3.3
	Demonstrate an improvement in staff uptake, perception and experience of the quality of appraisal.	May 2014	EDS Staff survey 2014
Brought forward
Objective 4	EDS Goals 3 Empowered, engaged and well supported staff EDS outcomes 3.1,
	To work with BME staff groups and the BME network to identify and provide support required, to assist career progression to senior bandings.	April 2014	Data showing increased number of BME staff represented in bands 7 and above. 31 March 2012 data as benchmark
Objective 5	EDS Goal 1 Better health outcomes for all EDS outcomes 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.4,
	Second part of the original goal To improve the patient experience and access to services via early identification for staff in waiting areas and when sending out patient letters.	June 2013 Linked to system upgrade