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Our commitment to supporting our patients, staff and communities.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to delivering a health service where everyone embraces equality and diversity. At the Trust, promoting equality, inclusion, and human rights is integral to our values and the delivery of our services. We are fully committed to providing high-quality services to everyone, irrespective of the gender individuals identify as, their ethnicity, those with or without disabilities, ages, sexual orientation, and those with or without caring responsibilities.
We are committed to reducing health inequalities that affect our patients and service users in and around the Herefordshire and Worcestershire communities, ensuring that everyone has access to the health care they need while treating people with respect, dignity, and fairness. We are dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of our service-users, their carers, and their families.
At the Trust, we will continue to strive to create an employment environment that is inclusive and supportive for all staff and to promote a health services culture in which:
- Diversity is valued and respected – an approach that embraces both visible and non-visible differences, where there are fair access and fair outcomes for all.
- Differences are recognised and fully utilised in delivering excellent services.
- The community works together effectively in an atmosphere of trust, harmony, and respect.
- Discrimination and prejudice are challenged, and every individual feels valued.
- Both direct and indirect discrimination (associative, perceptive), harassment and victimisation are not tolerated.
We recognise our responsibility to achieve the highest equality and inclusion standards and to be a proactive agent for change. We will continue to take every opportunity to strengthen our approach to equality and diversity in the design, delivery and review of our functions, policies, and practices.
Supporting our staff
Our greatest asset is our people. We want our staff to feel recognised, supported and valued in work where everyone is treated equally and fairly. Our staff networks and EDIE committee such as the EDIE Committee, Equality Advisory Group and the staff networks, tackle issues for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups and support a fairer and more diverse NHS for everyone.
They connect those who share a particular characteristic or are enthusiastic about driving change. The Trust’s message of inclusiveness, “Together We Can”, is at the very heart of our staff networks and committees. We believe they offer a supportive space for staff to come together, share experiences and ideas, and enhance career and personal development.
One key aspect of our committees and staff networks is to challenge and assist in shaping our organisational strategy and policy and improving staff experience on specific issues relating to each participant. They are an integral part of our mission to make our Trust a better place by supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Our staff networks, EDIE committee, Equality Advisory Group and various Equality working groups, tackle issues for underrepresented and disadvantaged groups and support a fairer and more diverse NHS for everyone.
Equality, diversity and human rights
This is an important part of our everyday lives, as citizens, employees, service users and providers.
What is equality?
Equality is about recognising that each one of us is unique, valuing everyone as an individual, and creating a fairer society where everyone can participate and can fulfil their potential.
Equality is recognising that discrimination is unacceptable regardless of people's gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, marital status, age, colour, disability, carer status or social background.
Treating everybody equally does not mean treating people the same. We all have very different needs and requirements, so while equality promotes fairness regardless of need, treating people with equity achieves fairness through recognising that everyone is different. Treating people with equity achieves fairness by treating people differently, dependent on their needs and requirements.
What is diversity?
Diversity literally means difference, and it is about recognising the individual as well as group differences and placing positive value on diversity in the workplace. It is not about creating a level playing field and treating everyone equally, it is about treating everyone fairly.
Diversity is the many distinct characteristics that staff, patients, carers, and families bring to our organisation. These distinguishing characteristics bring variations of thinking, communication styles, skills and personalities that are respected and valued.
What are human rights?
Fair treatment is fundamental – unless people are treated with dignity and respect, they will not feel valued.
Respect for human rights of an individual or group is fundamental to ensuring their quality of life. At the core of Human Rights are the principles of FREDA – Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity and Autonomy. These principles are fundamental to the NHS and our organisation.
The economic, social, and cultural rights, including the rights to fair employment conditions and health care without discrimination, are relevant to the NHS as both an employer and service provider.
All Trust employees/volunteers are responsible for implementing and promoting equality, diversity and human rights in our day-to-day contact with our patients, each other, and partners. We have a moral duty that is reinforced by legislation.
Our staff
To achieve growth and success in today's environment, we need to fully engage all the talent, potential and ability of every member of our staff. We need to value the richness that diversity brings and its positive influence on the Trust's services.
Our patients
We must ensure that all individuals within our community, from whatever background, have fair and equal access to the services we provide while respecting their different needs and cultural backgrounds.
How we promote equality and inclusion across our services
AccessAble
AccessAble produce online accessibility guides to buildings, sites & venues across the UK – including many hospitals, shops, tourist attractions and universities. The Trust has worked in partnership with AccessAble to develop a series of guides for many of our Trust sites.
Accessibility
We aspire to make our services accessible for all. That's why we have a number of different options in place to support people to access our services. This includes the Accessible Information Standard, Website accessiblity guidelines and interpretation and translation services.
Chaplaincy Team
Our Chaplaincy Team consists of ordained, licensed and authorised lay ministers, an ordained interfaith minister, and a non-religious provider, providing religious, spiritual, and pastoral support. Throughout all our community hospitals and mental health inpatient units. The team is available to offer help and support in many ways. Support is offered wherever or whenever you need it regardless of faith or no faith.
Disability Confident
Disability Confident is a national scheme to support employers make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace. This means that we are committed to employing, supporting and promoting people with disabilities in the workplace.
EDI reporting, governance, and policy
Find out how our governance structures support EDI and access our EDI annual reports and relevant policies.
EDI Training
We provide a suite of essential training and resources to our staff to create collective awareness and understanding of several areas linked to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Equality Impact Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment is a tool for helping us to consider the potential impact that our Trust activities might have on our community (staff, patients, carers and others), from different equality perspectives.
Interpreting and translation services
At the Trust, we are committed to providing information in an accessible format that enables people to make informed choices about their care and treatment which takes account of their disability, impairments and cultural identity as well as language.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma Informed Care nurtures a culture of compassion and kindness for all and seeks to avoid re-traumatising people. It offers an environment in which we endeavour to understand and pay attention to the signs and symptoms of trauma and the variety of ways this may present.
Staff Networks
We host a number of staff networks, each developed to provide a safe space for colleagues sharing circumstances or characteristics to connect with others, share experiences and challenge organisational practices to create a more inclusive working environment.
- Armed Forces
- BAME
- IADA (I am differently able)
- LGBTQ+
- Carers
- Mental Health (coming soon)
Stand Up, Speak Out
Stand Up Speak Out is our campaign to encourage colleagues to act against bullying, harassment, and other forms of unacceptable behavior they may experience or witness at work.
Support for children and families with SEND
All children should have access to the right services, at the right time, to make sure they can reach their full potential. We work together with other agencies to ensure that the right professionals are involved at the right time to meet the needs of you and your child.
Support for Armed Forces personnel and their families
As a supporter of the Armed Forces, we are proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, which is a promise by the nation to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the UK Armed Forces (and their families) are treated fairly. We also provide a service supporting ex-military personnel and their families in Herefordshire.
Support for carers
We are committed to ensuring that carers receive appropriate advice and information as well as supporting their own health and wellbeing.
Further information on our commitment to providing high-quality, safe care that embraces equality and diversity can be found in our Quality and Safety Standards.
Our awards, commitments and pledges
