Proposal to establish a NHS North East LGB staff network

Proposal for the establishment of a NHS North East LGB Staff Network Group 1 Purpose of Report This paper explains the background to the proposal to establish a north east network group for lesbian, gay and bisexual NHS staff, and seeks the approval of Management Team to establish and fund the Network Group during its first year as part of our commitment to promoting equality and diversity.

2 Background The promotion of equality and diversity is a statutory responsibility of all public bodies, and a good thing in its own right: • To deliver a patient-led NHS, services must be fair to everyone and recognise the needs of each individual.

• As a provider of significant public services, the NHS is not able to deliver equality of access or ensure that health care gets to those who need it most without keeping equality and diversity at the forefront of its thinking.

• As the largest employer in the UK the NHS will not realize the full talents of its workforce, if it does not have a culture which recognizes the unique contribution of each individual member of staff, and which takes pride in having a workforce which represents the diverse public it serves.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual NHS staff Within the North East the NHS employs 60,000 staff. Current estimates suggest that 3,600 of these staff are lesbian, gay or bisexual. Research published by the Department of Health (‘Being the gay one’, 2007) shows that members of NHS staff who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender are still likely to be subject to homophobia. Whilst bullying and harassment procedures exist within NHS organisations, they are often not used by staff because of a culture in a workplace that indicates an acceptance of homophobia.

The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 came into force on 30 April 2007. The Regulations make it unlawful for health and social care organisations to discriminate unfairly against lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

3 Lesbian, gay and bisexual staff network group NHS organisations in the north east work together on the promotion of equality and diversity through the monthly ‘Equality and Diversity Leads Group’ chaired

by Martin Wilson. Over the past two years local NHS organisations have 1

increasingly collaborated together through this group on shared programmes of work including the commissioning of the ‘Our Voice Forum’ for black and minority ethnic service users and the development of a shared gender equality scheme. These joint programmes of work arise develop there is a belief that a shared approach would be more efficient and / or effective.

In reviewing the key equality and diversity challenges for local organisations and shaping the work programme for the next 12 months, the group have recognised a number of benefits, and strong interest from local lesbian, gay and bisexual staff NHS staff, in establishing a staff network group on a north east basis.

A staff network group is a formal mechanism for lesbian, gay and bisexual to come together to share information and support. It has several potential benefits: For NHS organisations

For lesbian, gay and bisexual staff For patients

• • • • • • • •

Promotes diversity Encourages compliance with employment law Builds employee communication channels Enhances our reputation Builds communication channels Provides peer support Promotes career progression Improves the services the NHS offers by having a better understanding of LGB patients

There are currently at least three staff network groups within local trusts and trade unions. It is recognised however that due to concerns about confidentiality and discrimination there is greater potential benefit in a region wide group, not associated with an individual NHS employing organisation, and which meets in a ‘safe space’.

4 Proposal to establish a NHS North East lesbian, gay and bisexual staff network group In the light of the above it is proposed that a ‘NHS North East lesbian, gay and bisexual staff network group’ should be established for lesbian, gay and bisexual members of staff to come together to share information and support.

The group would be open to any member of staff in any local NHS organisation and established by a steering group accountable to the North East ‘Equality and Diversity Leads Group’.

It would be established initially for a one year pilot period and would include: • A web page, including a discussion board for staff to share comments • A facility for staff to share specific comments via a ‘network facilitator’ with their employer • Regular safe space events for staff to meet and share information and support 2

In recognizing the need for confidentiality it is proposed that the network is facilitated by an organisation out with the NHS structure, such as a voluntary sector body with expertise in facilitating equality programmes and web site management.

The creation of the network group would be publicized to NHS staff through syndicated articles in Trust, PCT and union communication materials, and through wider non NHS based communication routes aimed at the broader lesbian, gay and bisexual community in the north east.

The creation of this network group would be a further demonstration of our commitment to equality and diversity, and would enable NHS North East to legitimately apply as a whole region to come a ‘Stonewall Diversity Champion’ which is the Department of Health recognized gold standard for organisations that promote equality and diversity.

The proposal to establish the network group has been discussed with equality leads from some local trade unions who have indicated their strong support for the proposal and their willingness to join the steering group.

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5 Suggested timeline A high level project plan for the establishment of the network group is outlined below: 2007 S O N D J Approval to initiate program by SHA MTM and HR Directors Steering group established Steering group meetings Membership and participation guidelines agreed Confidentiality policy Selection of third party network facilitator and web page provider Development of communication materials Launch of the network

F

2008 M A M J

J

A

!

Safe space events Evaluation

6 Anticipated costs The anticipated costs of establishing the network are identified below. Whilst there is an opportunity to share these costs across all local NHS organisations it is felt that in the interests of expediency it may be more appropriate for these costs to be borne in the first year by the SHA. Website set up

3,000

Steering group costs

500

Safe space events

2,000

Network facilitation and maintenance of web site

15,000

Publicity materials

2,000

Evaluation of project

4,000

Joining Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme

1,500

Contingency

2,800 Total

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30,800

7 Why should NHS North East do this?

Because it is a smart thing to do in itself…

The perpetuation of discrimination in the workplace has a significant impact on employees, and is contrary to the vision that “The NHS in North East England will be the leader in excellence in health improvement and health care services”.

A network group would also be consistent with our draft mission statement “To create, facilitate and manage an environment in which NHS North East organisations and our partners can excel.”

“Establishing a lesbian and gay network group will make your gay staff a visible element of your workforce. It will provide a forum for unique networking opportunities and a means of peer support between gay staff. It will also enable you, as an employer, to engage directly with the needs of gay staff and to recognise which policies may impact on lesbian and gay employees, and what changes can be made to improve staff experiences. Such a step isn’t just important for your staff; it’s good for business and service delivery too. People are becoming increasingly aware of their right to choose and increasingly want to engage only with organisations committed to equality. Setting up a lesbian and gay network group is a key step to ensuring effective equality within your workplace.”

Stonewall, 2005.

Because the North East already has a reputation for innovation and success…

The North East Strategic Health Authority has a developed a reputation within the Department of Health and with equality bodies for being at the forefront of actions to promote equality and diversity and this new step would improve our reputation further.: •

• •

The Disability Rights Commission is shortly to publish a review of all Disability Equality Schemes which will praise NHS North East for having set the exemplar standard of equality schemes against which other NHS organisations will be judged.

The North East is one of only two SHAs to not be threatened with legal action for failing to comply with statutory duties on equality and diversity.

In November 2007 we will be the first (and possibly only) SHA to develop a Single Equality Scheme which positions equality and diversity not as a bureaucratic ‘must do’ for human resource departments, but as an enabler to improve the effectiveness of all the work we do as part of NHS North East.

Because it offers a potential model that could be used for other things…

It is envisaged that the development of a network group for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff would enable NHS North East organisations to test the potential benefits of the network group model for other equality groups, both with staff and with the patients and the public. To this end it is proposed that a programme of evaluation would accompany the development of the network group.

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8 Action required Management team is asked to: • •

Note the issues raised in this paper Give permission and fund the establishment of the staff network group subject to the approval being given by trust and PCT HR directors on 17th and 19th September.

Martin Wilson David Levy 17 August 2007

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