Roles and Responsibilities
NHS Golden Jubilee:
- Has a responsibility to ensure that it complies with the Equality Act (2010) to the effect that staff who have an impairment or long-term health condition are not discriminated against. In many cases, this may require that reasonable adjustments should be considered for them.
- Has further responsibilities to ensure that managers are made aware of their obligations towards disabled staff and are supported in fulfilling them.
- Where an adjustment is considered reasonable, NHS Golden Jubilee has a duty to make that adjustment, except where it did not know, and could not reasonably have known, that an adjustment is required.
- Has an anticipatory duty to be able to make adjustments. For example, processes must be in place to enable provision of information in Braille, even if this is not been requested to date, it is not acceptable to not make provisions just because a specific need has not as yet been identified.
- Must also be able to show that it took such steps as are reasonable to encourage disclosure.
- Must make reasonable adjustments in a reasonable time, appropriate for the scale of the adjustments made.
Line Managers will:
- Ensure that their staff are able to work safely and effectively. This may begin with a conversation about reasonable adjustments.
- Inform/involve Human Resources (HR) where a need for reasonable adjustments is identified. The Manager should then explore reasonable adjustments with the assistance of the member of staff, Occupational Health and HR and implement any agreed/recommended reasonable adjustments in conjunction with HR. Consultation and advice should also be sought from Occupational Health, Health and Safety, Estates, eHealth, and any relevant external organisation necessary, as well as the employee concerned.
- Where appropriate Managers may need to brief other members of the team, and others who share responsibilities with the staff member (with the consent from the individual), particularly in situations where the reasonable adjustments require a re- distribution of work tasks, hours, a change in work location or adjustments in the working space. This must be undertaken in a sensitive manner in consultation with the employee.
- Coordinate the implementation of reasonable adjustments following Access to Work, Occupational Health or other Health and Safety recommendations and in conjunction with the member of staff, their manager and other relevant teams across NHS Golden Jubilee.
- Monitor the effectiveness of all reasonable adjustments to ensure they are fit for purpose. This should involve ongoing review at least once a year, as a part of an employee’s annual PDP review.
Staff:
- Have a responsibility to understand that people with an impairment or long-term health condition that impacts upon their daily activities, may require ‘reasonable’ adjustments from the employer. Such adjustments are intended to enable safe and effective work, tackle discrimination and create equality in opportunity for disabled employees, and are carefully designed so that they do not impact negatively on the work of other staff or the organisation.
- Although it is the responsibility of NHS Golden Jubilee to take steps to find out about any need for reasonable adjustments, employees have an obligation under this policy to bring to the attention of their Line Manager the fact that they have additional needs, and to assist with the investigation and implementation of reasonable adjustments as required. Staff have no obligation to disclose a diagnosis, but should understand that line managers may wish to know about underlying conditions.
- Staff should maintain appropriate, timely communication with their line manager if they believe they have developed an illness, impairment or condition that may fall within the boundaries of the equality Act and reasonable adjustments may be required to enable them to support them to undertake their role.
- Staff responsible for organising functions, events and courses, whether in-person or digital, must ensure that all participants and visitors are asked if they require reasonable adjustments in advance and ensure that these are investigated and implemented as appropriate, where possible and practicable. Those responsible for organising such events will notify the guest speakers and facilitators presenting at such functions, events, courses and meetings so as to be made aware of the reasonable adjustments where necessary.
- Staff working in teams such as HR, Occupational Health, Health and Safety, Estates, eHealth and Communications Department are required to consider this instruction when providing reports, advice, assessments and guidance.
Health and Safety, Estates, eHealth and HR will:
- Provide advice and support to managers and staff on reasonable adjustments and the Access to Work process.
- Put in place any reasonable adjustment or Access to Work requirements which have been agreed through the relevant process.
- Record any agreed working conditions/equipment provided for reasonable adjustments or Access to Work.
- Review any agreed working conditions/equipment provided for reasonable adjustments or Access to Work.
Trade Unions will:
- Encourage members to speak to their line manager, Occupational Health or Human Resources about reasonable adjustments or Access to Work requirements.
Occupational Health will:
- Provide consultation and advice on reasonable adjustments when requested by HR/Line Managers or the member of staff, if appropriate.
- Advise line managers and employees on medical conditions and potential reasonable adjustments.
- Provide detailed reports to HR and Line Managers regarding employee conditions and the requirements for reasonable adjustments.
