Workforce equality plans

Workforce disability equality standard (WDES)

WDES Plans:

WDES action plan for 2020/21 

Workforce race equality standard (WRES)

WRES Plans:

WRES action plan for 2020/21 

Click here to view the archive of Workforce Equality Standard plans 

More information about the Workforce race equality standard:

Research and high profile reports (e.g. Kline 2014 and Francis QC 2015) as well as a considerable body of evidence, has shown that the treatment and experience of BAME staff within the NHS, is on average, significantly worse than those of white NHS staff.  Across the NHS as a whole, the research highlights workforce inequality that includes areas such as promotion, grading, disciplinary, bullying and access to mandatory training. The absence of representation in senior leadership positions across the NHS is also significant.

This research was considered by the Equality and Diversity Council (EDC) in 2014 who concluded that early and decisive steps needed to be taken to remedy the situation for the benefit of patients and staff. Following a three month consultation period, the Workforce race equality standard (WRES) was accepted for implementation; for the first time, organisations employing almost all of the NHS workforce, are required to demonstrate progress against a number of indicators of workforce equality, including a specific indicator to address the low levels of BAME Board representation. It is also planned that the regulatory bodies, the Care Quality Commission and Monitor, are also planning to use the standard to help assess whether organisations are ‘well-led’.       

This current data is high level and requires greater analysis to understand where the key issues and solutions lie. For example, to understand the data regarding senior managers it will be important to consider the ‘pipeline’ below the most senior levels in Bands 5-7.  We are therefore starting work to carry out this analysis and put in place plans that will enable us to embed the EDS2 and WRES across the organisation.