Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy
This key policy sets out the ICB’s aims, aspirations and commitments in relation to equality, diversity, and inclusion in employment. It describes the practical steps the organisation will take in order to build and develop a diverse workforce in which all staff feel valued, included, and able to give their best. The ICB Board understands that this will give the organisation the best possible opportunity of achieving its mission to optimise health and wellbeing for our population, advance health equality in our communities and make the best use of NHS resources.
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)
Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care Board (ICB) is committed to the reduction in inequalities in the provision of services in BLMK and within our workforce. There are a number of mechanisms that are used to assess how well the ICB is progressing in this area.
The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is one of those, designed to support ICBs and other organisations to think about equality across our workforce and the work that we do. It guides us in identifying the major challenges we face in respect of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and agreeing the actions we will take to tackle them.
The PSED consists of a general duty and specific duties. The general duty requires ICBs to think about how they can prevent discrimination, advance equality and foster good relations. This applies to the services that are provided and commissioned, and to the employment of staff, and their experience in the workplace. The PSED requires a thorough consideration of the needs of people with each protected characteristic and is therefore different to the focus of the health inequalities duty which includes a focus on geographical inequalities and other non-protected characteristic inequalities.
The specific duty requires the ICB to be transparent about our work on equality and to show how we are meeting the requirements of the general duty. Each year we must publish equality information that demonstrates how we are thinking about equality across the services we provide and commission and the employment of staff.
ICBs should also have one or more published equality objectives, that are specific and measurable and cover a period of up to four years.
BLMK ICB has published a review of its equality objectives during 2022/3 BLMK ICB Equality Activity April 2022 to March 2023.
Gender Pay Gap Report 2024
In 2017, it became mandatory for all public sector employers with more than 250 employees to measure and publish their gender pay gap information. Since then, employers have had a responsibility to publish data annually.
BLMK ICB agrees and welcomes the opportunity to publish this information.
Equal pay means that men and women in the same employment who are performing equal work must receive equal pay, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.The gender pay gap is a measure that shows the difference in average earnings between men and women across an organisation and this report includes the mean gender pay gap, the median gender pay gap and the number of men and women in each pay quartile.
BLMK ICB Gender Pay Gap Report 2023-24
NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) Report 2024
The NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) came into effect in the NHS in 2015 and was required for all NHS Trusts. This requirement has since changed and WRES is now required for all Healthcare Providers and Commissioners which includes Integrated Care Boards (ICB’s)
The purpose of the WRES is to support NHS organisations to identify and improve experiences and opportunities for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds. It uses nine indicators to help develop actions plans to address any gaps between White and Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) staff, including improve BME representation at Board level. It focusses on ensuring an inclusive approach with regards to recruitment, training, and promotion. The nine indicators were developed in collaboration with the wider NHS.
Information relating to our Workforce is captured annually on 31st March for the WRES report. Further data is used from the annual NHS Staff Survey. Data from these sources is used to assess trends, show progress, and develop action plans. The ICB formed in July 2022 so data trend comparisons are for its predecessor Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes CCG’s.
Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) ICB is committed to having responsibility for the WRES and uses it as a means of transforming, both as an employer and a commissioner of services. The recent Denny Review highlights the need for better cultural competency, better communication and representation in the services they use. Ensuring our diversity in our workforce to meet these needs are essential in reducing health inequalities.
The ICB aims to fully understand the diversity of their workforce so that it can ensure non-discriminatory practice and work with staff and staff representatives to identify and eliminate barriers and discrimination in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), the Equality Act 2010 and Employment Statutory Code of Practice.
Below are the nine WRES indicators:
1. Percentage of staff in each of the AfC bands 1-9 and VSM (including executive Board members) compared with the percentage of staff in the overall workforce.
2. Relative likelihood of staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts
3. Relative likelihood of staff entering the formal disciplinary process, as measured by entry into a formal disciplinary investigation.
4. Relative likelihood of staff accessing non-mandatory training and CPD.
5. Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in the last 12 months.
6. Percentage of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from staff in the last 12 months.
7. Percentage believing that the organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion.
8. Percentage of staff who have personally experienced discrimination at work from manager/team leader or other colleagues in the last 12 months
9. This indicator presents the percentage difference between the organisation’s Board voting membership and its overall workforce, and the organisation’s Board executive and its overall workforce
View the BLMK ICB WRES Report 2024 here
Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) Report 2024
The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) is a set of ten specific measures (metrics) which enables NHS organisations to compare the workplace and career experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff. NHS organisations use the metrics data to develop and publish an action plan. Year on year comparison enables NHS organisations to demonstrate progress against the indicators of disability equality to create the cultures of belonging and trust that will improve retention, recruit from the widest possible talent pool and provide sustainable careers. National healthcare organisations are not mandated by the WDES, however as part of our continuing improvement approach and commitment to developing good practice the ICB has completed WDES data using the NHS England (NHSE) submission template.
View the BLMK ICB WDES Report here
BLMK ICB EDS 2022-2023 Report
The Equality Delivery System (EDS22) is an accountable improvement tool (national toolkit) for the NHS to review and develop their services, workforce and leadership, to provide better working practices and environments, free of discrimination.
It is driven by evidence and is the foundation of equality improvement within the NHS.
EDS22 helps to set our objectives and develop action plans towards compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.
It also helps us to understand how well we are responding to the equality issues that matter most to patients and staff. Further, it tracks our performance against national benchmarks, including the NHS Outcomes Framework and Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidance.
View the BLMK ICB EDS 2023 report here
BLMK ICB Summary Report of Equality Activity 2022-2023
The purpose of this report is to present the work undertaken by NHS Bedfordshire Luton Milton Keynes ICB (BLMK ICB) to meet its Public Sector Equality Duty in 2022.
We have a Public Sector Duty under the Equalities Act 2010 to work in ways that support the following:
Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
BLMK ICB Summary Report of Equality Outcomes Report 2022-2023