Equality and diversity

Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are treated fairly and equally and no less favourably, specific to their needs.’

Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences to contribute and realise their full potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all.’

A word cloud featuring themes around diversity, empowerment and equal rights.

At East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), we are fully committed to embedding a culture of inclusiveness and continue to strive to meet the needs and aspirations of our patients, service users, carers and staff in commissioning services which respond to individual needs.

As an employer, we recognise and value people as individuals and accommodate differences wherever possible by making adjustments to working arrangements or practices. As a commissioner of health services, we work with other health care providers and contractors to ensure that valuing diversity and promoting fair access to services are core elements of care and that full consideration is given to all equalities issues when planning or redesigning services and when assessing the health needs of our local population. In partnership with local communities and other local organisations in the health and social care sector, we aim to reduce inequalities in health.

Our Equality and Diversity Plan reinforces these commitments and is the first step in outlining our approach to equality and diversity, whilst ensuring compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. It highlights the national and local drivers that will shape and influence our approach to promoting equality in our commissioning decisions and valuing the diversity of service users and employees.

Click here to read our Equality and Diversity Plan. And to view the easy read version click here. 

Equality and Health Inequality NHS RightCare Packs

We also utilise the Rightcare equality and health inequality packs produced by NHS England in any business decisions. 

These have been produced with an aim to support health and care systems design and deliver services that work to reduce health inequalities in access to services and improve health outcomes for the CCGs diverse local populations. 
Click here to find out more information.

East Riding LGBT needs assessment

The East Riding of Yorkshire LGBT Strategic Needs Assessment is now complete, which includes findings on topics such as mental health, education, hate crime, sexual health, social isolation, and smoking, drugs and alcohol.

A rainbow flag

Equality and Quality Impact Assessment (EQIA)

Here at the CCG we are committed to ensuring that any commissioning decisions, business cases, Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) and any other business plans, including changes to services delivery are evaluated for their impact on quality and equality. 

What is a Equality and Quality Impact Assessment?
An impact assessment is a continuous process that systematically tests the quality impacts of possible or actual business plans designed to change patient care. The impacts are assessed and the potential consequences on quality are considered with necessary mitigating actions outlined in a uniformed way.

Click here to read our EQIA Policy 

Click here to read Equality Impact Analysis Guidance 2018 document 

Click here to read out EQIA guidance tool.

Equality Objectives

To inform our equality and diversity plan 2016-2020, we worked with key stakeholders to refresh our equality objectives using the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS2) as a framework for engagement. This assessment included a review of progress against the previous objectives. 

Objective 1
Our services will be as accessible as possible and appropriate to users’ needs.

Objective 2
Our workforce will be more representative (both directly and through our contracted provision) and equipped to deal with culturally sensitive issues

Progress Updates

The Equality Plan is monitored by the CCG's Employee Health & Wellbeing Group. In 2018-19 we have:

  • Maintained level 2 of Disability Confident with an agreed action plan to achieve level 3
  • Achieved recognition at the This Ability awards for the support provided to young people with disabilities
  • Improved our approach to equality impact analysis by:
    • combining the screening tool with the quality analysis to ensure a more holistic assessment
    • delivering a series of workshops for key staff
    • developing and maintaining a database of equality and quality assessments
  • Continued to support the implementation of the Accessible Information Standard
  • Maintained a network of Mental Health First Aiders and promoted Mental Health awareness through ‘Time to Talk’ and managers/ staff resources
  • Raised awareness of Dementia through Dementia Friendly training
  • Supported young people in schools by providing mock interviews experience and the annual ‘Day in the Life’ event
  • Included individual patient and carer experiences as part of Governing Body learning to highlight lessons at CCG Governing Body meetings raising awareness and increased understanding of particular issues and barriers faced by people with a number of protected characteristics, including people with long-term conditions

Mindful Employer initiative

As part of our Equality Objectives we are delighted to have re-signed the Mindful Employer Charter. The MINDFUL EMPLOYER® initiative, provides us with easier access to information, local support, mental health awareness training and other resources to help to support our staff. The overall aim is to create an environment where people are confident to talk about mental health. So as an employer we aim to:

  • Show a positive and enabling attitude to employees and job applicants with mental health issues. This will include positive statements in local recruitment literature.
  • Ensure that all staff involved in recruitment and selection are briefed on mental health issues and The Equality Act 2010, and given appropriate interview skills.
  • Make it clear in any recruitment or occupational health check that people who have experienced mental health issues will not be discriminated against and that disclosure of a mental health problem will enable both employee and employer to assess and provide the right level of support or adjustment.
  • Not make assumptions that a person with a mental health problem will be more vulnerable to workplace stress or take more time off than any other employee or job applicant.
  • Provide non-judgemental and proactive support to individual staff who experience mental health issues.
  • Ensure all line managers have information and training about managing mental health in the workplace.

You can find more information about the MINDFUL EMPLOYER® initiative by clicking here.

Consultation and feedback

We welcome any feedback or ideas from patients, carers and staff on our performance in relation to equality and diversity. Please send any comments via e-mail ERYCCG.ContactUs@nhs.net or by post to

East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Second Floor, Health House
Grange Park Lane
Willerby
HU10 6DT

If your preferred language is not English, or for those who are blind or partially sighted, we can make arrangements to help you with any of our documents. Please click this link to find out more.