Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) 2023/2024

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) is a set of ten specific measures which enables the Trust to compare the workplace and career experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff.  The Trust uses the data to develop and publish an action plan. Year on year comparison enables the Trust to demonstrate progress against the indicators of disability equality. Three metrics are taken form Electronic Staff Record (ESR) and the remainder are taken from the staff survey. All percentages relate to those who completed the staff survey.

1. Name of organisation

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Date of report

Month:  May   Year: 2024

• Name and title of Board lead for the Workforce Disability Equality Standard

Christine Brereton – Chief People Officer

• Name and contact details of lead manager compiling this report

Karen Pearce – Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (People)

• Unique URL link on which this Report and associated Action Plan will be found

• This report has been signed off by on behalf of the board on

Date: 23^rd May 2024

Name:  Christine Brereton, Chief People Officer

Background narrative

• Any issues of completeness of data

12.73% of staff have not declared their disability status.

• Any matters relating to reliability of comparisons with previous years

None

• Total number of staff employed within this organisation at the date of the report (March 2023)

16,391 (excluding bank and agency)

1. Proportion of Disabled staff employed within this organisation at the date of the report?

5.16%

1. The proportion of total staff who have self–reported their disability status?

87.25%

1. Have any steps been taken in the last reporting period to improve the level of self-reporting by Disability?

Fully implemented Employee Self Service.

Full roll out of the ESR employee portal complete.

1. Are any steps planned during the current reporting period to improve the level of self-reporting by Disability?

We will work with the enabled network and EDI steering group to establish how we might increase self-reporting to declare disability.

1. What period does the organisation’s workforce data refer to?

April 2023 – March 2024

Workforce Disability Equality Indicators

1. Percentage of Disabled staff in each of the Agenda for Change (AfC) bands 1-9, VSM (including executive board members), medical/dental and other staff compared with the percentage of non-disabled staff in the overall workforce

Non-Clinical Workforce 2023 and 2024 (headcount)

Clinical Workforce 2023 and 2024 (headcount)

1. Relative likelihood of non-disabled staff compared to Disabled staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts.

Data for reporting year:                   1.13

Data for previous year:                    1.20

1. Relative likelihood of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff entering the formal capability process.

Data for reporting year:                   1.59

Data for previous year:                    1.13

1. Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from patients, service users or the public

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  29.82%             Disabled: 19.41%

Data for previous reporting year:    Non-disabled  23.98%            Disabled: 32.57%

1. Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from a line manager.

Data for reporting year:                     Non-disabled  8.79%              Disabled  16.00%

Data for previous year:                      Non-disabled  7.31%              Disabled  15.79%

• Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months from other colleagues.

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  16.98%            Disabled  26.12%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  16.46%            Disabled  26.98%

• Percentage of staff who reported harassment, bullying or abuse the latest time it happened.

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  45.11%            Disabled  46.21%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  47.14%            Disabled  44.78%

• Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff believing that the trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  57.92%            Disabled  49.77%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  63.53%            Disabled  56.48%

• Percentage of staff who have felt pressure from their manager to come to work despite not feeling well enough to perform duties.

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  24.00%             Disabled  33.52%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  21.78%            Disabled  32.4%

• Percentage of staff satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  40.78%            Disabled  28.51%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  43.10%            Disabled  30.90%

• Percentage of disabled staff who said their employer has made adequate adjustments to enable them to carry out their work.

Data for reporting year:                   72.79%

Data for previous year                     76.76%

• Staff Engagement

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  6.35%              Disabled  6.75%

Data for previous year:                    Non-disabled  6.92%              Disabled  6.49%

• Percentage difference between the organisations’ Board voting membership and its overall workforce

Data for reporting year:                   Non-disabled  18%     Disabled -5%

• Are there any other factors or data which should be taken into consideration in assessing progress?

No

• Organisations should produce a detailed WDES action plan, agreed by its board. It is good practice for this action plan to be published on the organisation’s website, alongside their WDES data. Such a plan would elaborate on the actions summarised in this report, setting out the next steps with milestones for expected progress against the WDES indicators. It may also identify the links with other work streams agreed at board level, such as EDS2. You are asked to provide a link to your WDES action plan in the space below.

Workforce Disability Equality Standard – Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk)

• Organisational Priorities Going Forward

The Trust still has some significant challenges. Despite the initiatives put in place, the WDES data still identifies some areas that are concerning for the Trust specifically around compassionate leadership, equity of opportunity, reasonable adjustments and Disabled staff feeling valued and heard.

Culture/behaviours: The People Priorities work for 2024/25 are linked directly to the NHS People Promise aimed at improving staff experience and retention.  It is evident from the WDES data that there needs to be some specific focus around leading with compassion, taking a person-centred approach to reasonable adjustments and providing individual support.

In addition, through further development of the data we will look to identify hotspot areas through the newly developed clinical boards and introduce intense Organisational Development (OD) support as necessary.

Key activities going forward include;

• People Programme Board – Our People Programme Board was formed to guide and ensure the success of the NHS People Plan and our people priorities, emphasising a cultural focus.  It drives delivery, identifying priorities and planning transformative initiatives in line with the Trust’s people agenda.  Key priorities involve workforce planning, culture change, supporting future-ready Clinical Boards and reshaping the People Directorate to prioritise people. 
• People Plan – Year 1 Action plan; – Developed, aligned to our People Priorities and assured through the People Programme Board.
• Civility Charter – In partnership with our Staff Networks and Staff Side colleagues we have developed a civility charter with the intention of embedding it across the Trust and the employee life cycle.
• Incivilities/Micro-aggressions training; Continue to roll out (and develop and improve based on feedback) training for staff on civilities/micro-aggressions, supporting the roll out of our People Programme and raising awareness of poor behaviour.
• Just and learning approach; a review ofHR processes, practises and approach are being prioritised to ensure an increase in autonomy and flexibility and a reduced focus on rules, violations, and consequences.
• Staff and patient experience; A focus on staff and patient experience, tailored to individual needs to improve staff outcomes and staff morale, attract and retain talent, nurturing a positive culture.
• Staff Networks; Through the EDI Steering Group we continue to work with staff networks on key projects to ensure all are mindful of lived experience.  An important part of change is changing attitudes and increasing understanding around impact but it’s also about improving the ‘experiences’ of minority groups within the Trust and the most effective way is to enable staff to influence the design and delivery of our People Priorities, providing an authentic voice and unique insights that challenge assumptions and motivate us to do things differently.
• Values based recruitment for senior roles; VBR questions will be incorporated into competency-based interviews with a recommendation that two value-based questions are asked as part of interview which are underpinned by other supplementary questions for each value.
• EDI Improvement Plan.   The NHS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Improvement Plan contains targeted measures to combat prejudice and discrimination, both direct and indirect, manifested through behaviours, policies, practices, and cultures against specific groups and individuals within the NHS workforce.  The plan has an aim of improving the culture and equity and the experiences of our workforce. Additionally, ‘belonging’ is a key theme highlighting the need to address poor behaviours, reduce discrimination and ensure opportunities for progression are equitable. The plan supports the delivery of the Trust’s People Strategy.
• Reasonable Adjustment Guidance for managers and staff to raise awareness and increase understanding.

Trust Board Trust Board is asked to:

• Note the contents of this report.
• Provide approval to publish by 31 May 2024 on the Data Collection Framework website and the Trust’s website.

Report of Karen Pearce

Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (People)

10th May 2024