Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) 2022 - Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Question 1

Name and contact details of the lead(s) compiling this report (name & email)

Karen Pearce – Karen.pearce19@nhs.net

Question 2

Name and contact details of the Board lead for the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (name, job
title and email)

Dee Fawcett, HR Director

Question 3

Name of commissioner, name of commissioning body and email address that the WDES Annual report
(containing the WDES metrics report and action plan) will be sent to. (Commissions, commissioning
body and email)

Co-ordinating commissioner – NHS England, Newcastle Gateshead CCG
North Tyneside CCG, Northumberland CCG, South Tees CCG, South Tyneside CCG, North Durham CCG, Durham, Dales, Easington & Sedgefield CCG, Hartlepool & Stockton CCG, Darlington CCG, Sunderland CCG, Cumbria CCG

Question 4

Unique URL link or existing web page on which the WDES Annual report will be published.

https://www.newcastle-hospitals.nhs.uk/about/trust/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/workforce-disability-standard/

Date of Board meeting at which organisation’s WDES Annual report will be ratified. If the date is not
known, please provide an approximate date or explain why a date cannot be provided

Trust Board – September 2022

For the following questions text marked in bold indicates the Trusts has or undertakes the activity

Question 5

Does your organisation participate in any programmes or initiatives that are focused on disability
equality and inclusion?

Yes (highlighted)

Project SEARCH
Disability Confident Scheme
NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme (LDEP) pledge
NHS Employers Equality and Inclusion Partners Programme
Disability Equality Staff Network Group
Equality and Diversity Conferences
Other – please specify

Project Choice is a work experience /internship development programme for young people with learning
disabilities/difficulties or autism. The project is designed to support young people to enhance their
strengths in the labour market, and with support, develop key employability skills. In addition to
providing work experience placements within the Trust, the project links with other organisations within
Newcastle upon Tyne who provide additional work experience placements.

Question 7

Do your staff have access to the ESR self-service portal?

Question 8

If yes, please share any examples of interventions that have increased declaration rates at your
organisation.

Promotion of ESR self-service to encourage staff to update details
Internal communications (e.g. staff email, intranet page)
Poster campaign
Survey of staff to understand views
Consultation exercise / workshops
Internal events
Other – please specify

Looking to utilise robotic automation to capture equality monitoring data

Question 9

What level of Disability Confident accreditation does your organisation currently hold?

None
Level 1 – Committed
Level 2 – Employer
Level 3 – Leader

Question 10

Does your organisation use the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please add any examples of interventions that have impacted positively on the recruitment of Disabled
staff.

Review of the implementation of the Guaranteed Interview Scheme
Disabled people on interview panels
Disabled people advising review of recruitment processes
Review of recruitment policy and procedures
External communications
Other – Please specify

Integrated COVID Hub North East recruitment included:

An inclusive recruitment campaign, using materials developed through engagement with
community groups/third sector partners.
Specialist support to help vulnerable people into employment.
Championing equality and promoting voluntary and community sectors, including our internal
internship for those with learning disabilities.
Engaging with the Kickstart scheme, to assist young people at risk of long-term unemployment.
Working with Prince’s Trust to develop an employability training programme, for young people
aged 16-30 years.
Establishment of an employability programme with key stakeholders – 2-week training
programme, aimed at diverse communities and unemployed. Prince’s Trust programme -young
people aged 16-30 years – entry level roles.
Changing Lives – Providing specialist support to help vulnerable people into employment.
Links with Connected Voice, an organisation that has been supporting the voluntary sector and
communities in Tyneside since 1929, campaigning for health equality and positive change
throughout the community. Through their Haref programme, we extended our reach into Black,
Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and organisations to provide information about
employment opportunities.
Established relationships and key contacts in local community organisations across the region we
key in promoting opportunities through the voluntary and community sectors.
Project Choice – providing information for people with learning disabilities.
Kickstart scheme –to promote interview opportunities and six-month work placements for 16–24-
year-olds.
Virtual engagement sessions held reaching over 800 people in one week.
All information materials and communications emphasised our ambition to recruit a diverse
workforce.

Diverse recruitment panels

Question 11

Has your organisation compared any of the following other datasets you hold to the WDES Metric 4
(Harassment, Bullying or Abuse)?

Grievance
Disciplinary
Exit
Data held by Staffside representatives
Data held by Freedom to speak up guardians
Data held by Health and Wellbeing leads
Other

Other includes Datix, Chaplaincy and Contact Officers, Speak in Confidence.

Question 12

Please add any actions taken since your 2020/21 WDES Action Plan was published to reduce
harassment, bullying or abuse in relation to Disabled staff.

Dignity at Work Campaign
Disability Awareness campaigns
Harassment and Bullying policy revision
Consultation event
Champions/ ambassadors/advisors
Peer support scheme
Training events
None applicable
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months
Other

Question 13

Does your organisation provide any targeted career development opportunities for Disabled staff?

Yes
No
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months

Question 14

Does your 2020/21 WDES Action Plan set out any targeted actions to reduce presenteeism i.e. feeling
pressured to come to work when not feeling well?

Yes
No
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months

Question 15

Does your 2020/21 WDES Action Plan set out any targeted actions to increase the workplace satisfaction
of Disabled staff?

Yes
No
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months

Question 16

Does your organisation have a reasonable adjustments policy?

Yes
No
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months

Question 17

Are costs for reasonable adjustments met through centralised or local budgets?

Centralised budgets
Local budgets
Both

Question 18

Have you undertaken any actions in the last 12 months to improve the reasonable adjustments process?

Yes
No
Not at present but planned in the next 12 months

Question 19

Please list any actions contained in your 2020/21 WDES Action Plan that have not been completed.

20% of the workforce have disclosed a disability by March 2022.
Zero Nulls in ESR for disability status by December 2021.

Question 20

Are there plans for your Trust to merge with another trust in the next 12 months?

Question 21

Has the Board reviewed the 2020/21 WDES Action Plan in the last 6 months?

Yes
No

Question 22

Do you have any further comments?

WDES Subgroup in place that meets monthly to review progress against the WDES action plans.