Outcome A2
Increase the number of job applications, including internal promotions, received from people who identify as having a Protected Characteristic.
Professional memberships
NHS GJ has a strong track record of establishing robust relationships with 2nd and 3rd sector accreditations and initiatives to mainstream equalities across the organisation. These include Stonewall Diversity Champions, Investors in Young People, Disability Confident Leader, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) Equality Academy Graduate trainee programme and Purple Tuesday.
In December 2022, we launched our latest membership with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme. The Sunflower is an internationally recognised symbol for non-visible disabilities, which can include autism, chronic pain, learning difficulties as well as mental health conditions, mobility, speech impairments, diabetes, sleep disorders and sensory loss such as speech, sight loss, hearing loss, or deafness.
People who require additional assistance or who simply just want to indicate to others of their personal circumstance can choose to wear a lanyard, badge or wristband. By making the non-visible, visible, we strive to create a culture of acceptance whereby everyone is treated with fairness dignity and respect.
| Professional membership | Protected Characteristic |
|---|---|
|
Hidden disability |
Disability |
|
GCIL Equality Academy Graduate trainee programme |
Disability |
|
Disability Confident Leader |
Disability |
|
Purple Tuesday |
Disability |
|
Investors in Young People |
Age |
|
Stonewall Diversity Champion |
Sexual orientation Gender Reassignment (Trans status) |
NHS Scotland Pride badge
June 2021 marked the launch of the NHS Scotland Pride Badge campaign. The badge and associated pledge enable staff to show their commitment to support LGBT+ equality for service users and colleagues from all backgrounds.
LGBT+ people (and particularly LGBT+ minority ethnic people) still face challenges in relation to accessing healthcare, and negative attitudes towards them.
Since launching a year ago, 203 NHS GJ staff members have signed the pledge. This is approximately 10% of the organisational workforce.
Internal Policy Audits
Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL) audit of internal practices
Throughout 2021, NHS GJ collaborated with GCIL to undertake an audit of our internal policies and processes relating to the recruitment and retention of disabled staff to the organisation. The audit focused on the following areas:
- Existing equality reporting and monitoring framework.
- Assessment of our existing equality strategy, policies and procedures.
- Evaluation of the recruitment and selection process (with a focus on disability rights).
- Evaluation of reasonable adjustment practices within recruitment and selection.
- Information technology: comments on the accessibility of services.
- Staff training and development.
- Evaluating overall performance monitoring systems and data protection systems.
NHS GJ were commended for the robust processes in place to mainstream equalities across the organisation, with minimal resulting actions required to strengthen existing procedures to achieve best practice industry standards.
Stonewall Workplace Equalities Index (WEI) and Diversity Champions Programme
NHS GJ was awarded the Gold employee award in the 2022 WEI submission. The programme requires participating organisations to demonstrate their commitment to LGBT+ inclusion within the workplace by submitting evidence of policies, processes and activities designed to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity for LGBT+ staff.
The 87-page self-audit spans the Board’s policy set, employee lifecycles, the LGBT+ network, empowerment programmes, leadership, monitoring information, supply chains, and community engagement.
