Combined Healthcare is delighted to have been identified in the top 10 Trusts nationally in three out of nine indicators of workplace experience and opportunity in the latest Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report.
The national report provides a summary of the 2021 national WRES data analysis and key findings and recommendations and was published by the national Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team at NHS England and NHS Improvement.
Combined Healthcare has been identified as being in the top 10 Trusts nationally on three of the nine WRES metrics:
- Indicator 6 – % of BME staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from staff in the last 12 months (staff survey measure)
- Indicator 7 – % of staff believing that their trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion (also survey measure)
- Indicator 9 – board membership
This good news follows a year when the Trust has worked exceptionally hard on further embedding inclusion – and specifically on race inclusion – both through our own organisation and at system level.
Our Inclusion Schools, our Comfortable Being Uncomfortable with Race development programme, New Futures programme, our inclusion council projects (inclusive recruitment, inclusive development, addressing personal abuse incidents, and culture of inclusion) and the work of our Equality Network for Racial Equality and Cultural Heritage (ENRICH) have all been important contributors to this and we anticipate these will pave the way to even better results in the 2022 WRES.
However, we are very clear that we have lots more to do to reach our goal of offering truly equally outstanding experiences to all our colleagues with minority ethnic heritage.
Shajeda Ahmed, Executive Director of People, OD and Inclusion said: “We are delighted to receive this confirmation that we are performing strongly on workforce race inclusion compared to other Trusts nationally. However, this is not an agenda on which we are prepared to settle for second best and we will keep pursuing our goal of being exemplary across all nine indicators in the Workforce Race Equality Standard. We will keep going with our ambition to be outstanding in our race inclusion and wider inclusion approach, also being mindful of the experiences of people at the intersection of different characteristics.”
Our 2021 Trust WDES report can be accessed here.
The NHS is committed to tackling racial discrimination to bridge the gaps in experience, opportunity and differential attainment in this diverse workforce. Central to the correction of these inequities is the presentation of detailed data to organisational leaders to allow them to identify the targets for action.
The WRES is mandated for all trusts in England with the aim of furthering equality and inclusion for NHS colleagues who identify as Black and Minority Ethnic. The WRES requires NHS trusts and CCGs to self-assess against nine indicators of workplace experience and opportunity. Four indicators relate specifically to workforce data, four are based on data from the national NHS staff survey questions, and one considers Black and Minority Ethnic representation on boards.
In their foreword to the report, Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice, Acting Chief People Office for the NHS, and Anton Emmanuel, Head of the WRES, said: “Inequalities in any form are at odds with the values of the NHS – the fair treatment of our staff is directly linked to better clinical outcomes and better experience of care for patients.
“This data report represents the seventh since the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) was established. It showcases the experience of staff at a pivotal moment in the 73-year history of the NHS. At a time when we continue to manage those directly affected by the pandemic whilst coordinating the recovery of services and simultaneously establishing integrated care systems (ICS) as the future vehicle to deliver the health and care needs across geographical areas.
“The talents and dedication of the approximately 1.4 million NHS staff are a reflection of their diversity, with over 100 nationalities represented in the workforce engaged in over 350 different health-related careers.”
Key Findings from the National 2021 WRES national results are summarised below:
