Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) Metrics and Action Plan 2023-2024

Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust is committed to meeting the requirements of the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) for NHS Trusts and this is our fifth publication against this standard.

Publication of the WDES reports and action plan are a requirement as set out under the NHS Standard Contract within the annual Quality schedule.

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, building on high impact actions shared in the first ever EDI improvement 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.

The WDES is important, because research shows that a motivated, included, and valued workforce helps to deliver high quality patient care, increased patient satisfaction and improved patient safety.

The WDES puts data into the hands of people in NHS organisations who best understand the experiences of their disabled staff and how to make positive change. A more inclusive environment for disabled people working and seeking employment in the NHS is better for our people, for teams and for patients.

As a result of collecting evidence to support our WDES submission, we have identified both statistical gaps in our data alongside some areas for improvement from the National Staff Survey (undertaken in 2022). Therefore, the action plan below sets out our primary work to address these areas. The plan covers the next 12-month period, until 31st October 2024.

Key themes from the workforce data analysis and NHs Staff Survey results have helped inform the Trust’s priorities, as highlighted in the action plan overleaf.

The key themes relate to:

securing Senior Leadership support for the WDES action plan
promoting the use of ESR self-service to improve the known disability status of our workforce
working to improve reasonable adjustments to support applicants and employees who have a disability or long-term condition in applications and work-based adjustments
reducing negative and untoward conduct towards colleagues who have a disability
promoting the Trust’s affirmative commitment toward its colleagues who have a disability or long-term health condition through national and bespoke events as well as acknowledging a number of awareness days
working to improve the representation of colleagues who have a disability or long-term condition at Executive and Trust Board level.

The action plan will be monitored by the Trust’s Disability Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network, and Staff Side Partnership. It will have a place on the Equality and Inclusion Steering Group agenda and will feature as a key link to our EDS2 and Equality Strategy 2023-2026.

Engagement may also be sought with the Staff Carers network, Human Resources Department and Occupational Health Team.

The WDES Metrics

Below the Trust provides the results set out from the ten specific measures (metrics) of the WDES.

WDES1

Indicator	Comparator	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23
1 - Representation	% of Disabled staff by band compared with the % of staff in the overall workforce	See table above	See table above	See table above
The table above indicates that in non-clinical roles, disabled staff are adequately represented at band 7 and below, with less representation at band 8 and above. In clinical roles, representation overall is significantly less than non-clinical, but adequately represented still at band 7 and below. In medical roles, representation of staff with disabilities and long-term conditions is significantly lower.
2 - Recruitment	Relative likelihood of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts.	Non-Disabled staff are 1.79 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting.	Non-Disabled staff are 1.59 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting.	Non-Disabled staff are 1.28 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting.
The above indicator demonstrates that proportionally a non-disabled shortlisted applicant is more likely to be appointed, in 2020/2021 they were 1.79 times more likely (nearly twice as likely). If the indicator were 1 then proportionally shortlisted applicant whether disabled or non-disabled would have the same likelihood of being appointed. The figures for 21/22 and 22/23 show that this is moving the right direction with non-disabled shortlisted applicants being 1½ times more likely to be appointed in 21/22 and reducing to 1¼ times more likely in 2022/23. If the indicator falls below 1 the disabled shortlisted applicants would be more likely to be appointed, than non-disabled counterparts.
3 - Capability	Relative likelihood of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff entering the formal capability process, as measured by entry into the formal capability procedure.	Disabled staff are 0.73 times more likely than disabled staff to enter the formal capability process.	Disabled staff are zero times more likely than disabled staff to enter the formal capability process. In 2021/2022 there were no disabled staff entering the formal capability process.	Disabled staff are zero times more likely than disabled staff to enter the formal capability process. In 2022/2023 there were no disabled staff entering the formal capability process.
The capability indicator is based on an average over the previous two years. If the indicator were 1 it would mean both disabled and non-disabled staff would proportionally have the same likelihood of entering the formal capability process. In 2020/21 proportionally, disabled staff were 3/4 times more likely to enter the process than non-disabled staff. In the following two years there have been no disabled staff entering the formal process, so this indicator has been zero or not likely to enter compared to non-disabled staff.
4a - Harassment, bullying or abuse	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from: Patients/service users, their relatives, or other members of the public	32.7% - Disabled 25.0% - Non-Disabled	35.1% - Disabled 29.7% - Non-Disabled	35.1% - Disabled 27.6% - Non-Disabled
The Staff Survey indicator 4a for 2022 demonstrates disabled staff are more likely to experience bullying and abuse from patients compared to their non-disabled colleagues
4b	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from: Managers	18.3% - Disabled 10.4% - Non-Disabled	18.3% - Disabled 11.7% - Non-Disabled	17.7% - Disabled 10.3% - Non-Disabled
The Staff Survey indicator 4b for 2022 demonstrates disabled staff are more likely to experience bullying and abuse from Managers compared to their nondisabled colleagues
4c	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from: Other colleagues	24.7% - Disabled 15.2% - Non-Disabled	25.9% - Disabled 18.8% - Non-Disabled	27% - Disabled 19.6% - Non-Disabled
The Staff Survey indicator 4c for 2022 demonstrates disabled staff are more likely to experience bullying and abuse from other colleagues compared to their nondisabled colleagues
4d	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non - disabled staff saying that the last time they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work, they or a colleague reported it	47.1% - Disabled 45.7% - Non-Disabled	48.6% - Disabled 43.2% - Non-Disabled	46% - Disabled 46.7% - Non-Disabled
The Staff Survey indicator for 2022 demonstrates that incidents of bullying and harassment are equally as likely to be reported by disabled and non-disabled staff.
5 – Career progression	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non - disabled staff believing that the Trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion	42.3% - Disabled 52.9% - Non-Disabled	41.8% - Disabled 50.0% - Non-Disabled	41.1% - Disabled 50.3% - Non-Disabled
People with disabilities are more likely to believe that the Trust does not provide equal opportunities
6 - Presenteeism	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non - disabled staff saying that they have felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties	36.0% - Disabled 22.3% - Non-Disabled	32.6% - Disabled 24.0% - Non-Disabled	32.8% - Disabled 19.2% - Non-Disabled
Disabled staff are more likely to have felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties
7 – Feeling valued	Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non - disabled staff saying that they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work	28.1% - Disabled 45.9% - Non-Disabled	22.3% - Disabled 32.6% - Non-Disabled	25.3% - Disabled 30.9% - Non-Disabled
Disabled staff are less likely than non-disabled staff to say that they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work
8 – Workplace adjustments	Percentage of Disabled staff saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work.	Average – 75.5% Trust average - 72.7%	Average – 70.9% Trust Average - 66.2%	Average -71.8% Trust Average – 67.7%
Trust average has increased from last year, but still falls under the national average
9 – Staff engagement	The staff engagement score for Disabled staff, compared to non-disabled staff and the overall engagement score for the organisation.	Trust average 6.9 Disabled staff 6.5 Non-Disabled staff 7.1	Trust average 6.4 Disabled staff 5.9 Non-Disabled staff 6.5	Trust average 6.3 Disabled staff 6.0 Non-Disabled staff 6.4
Staff Engagement has increased slightly and is closer to the Trust average, but staff with disabilities are still less likely to score as high for Trust engagement compared to non-disabled staff.
10 – Board representation	Disabled board membership (difference between the organisations’ Board voting membership and its overall workforce)	-3%	-3%	-4%
Indicator 10 looks at the proportional disabled representation of the voting board membership against the total disabled representation of the Trust workforce, in 2022/2023 the disabled staff represented 3.98% of the total workforce in the previous 2 years it was nearer 3%. The figure of -4% demonstrates that proportionally there is no disabled representation in the voting membership of the board and similarly in the two previous years. If the percentage of disabled representation of the voting membership was equivalent to that of the workforce this figure would be zero. Only a slight change to the voting membership of the board would change this indicator to a positive figure.

Trust:

Year:

Primary Author(S):

Plan Endorsed by:

Sources of Information Underpinning the Plan:

Countess of Chester Hospital Trust

2023/2024

Surendra Shroff (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Lead)

Nicola Price (Director of People & OD)

NHS Staff Survey 2019-2022, ESR/Employee Relations Data. NHS Jobs

Actions WDES	Please specify which actions are different to current practice, and which are continuum	Please specify KPIs and timelines for monitoring the actions	How will the actions be sustainable
Actions Around WDES Metric 1: Recruitment and Promotion	Set up focus group with disabled staff to discuss recruitment initiative and career development opportunities for persons with disability.	February 2024.	Feedback from focus group discussions will be incorporated across relevant HR and OD activities and processes.
Actions Around WDES Metric 2: Appointments	Undertake Disability Confident Level 3 Accreditation and rollout inclusive recruitment training to line managers.	January 2024 – Ongoing.	This will be sustained by embedding Disability, Equality and Inclusion issues in the workplace including across strategic workforce planning activities and processes.
Actions around WDES metric 3: Capability	Develop current mechanism to identify and offer targeted support to respective staff and line managers to spot issues and deal with them in a timely and effective manner.	February 2024 – Ongoing.	Progress on this will be sustained through routine HR, OD, Comms disability staff network and education activities.
Actions Around WDES Metric 4: Bullying, Harassment and Abuse	Explore in greater depth the lived experiences of disabled staff at work and outline measures to improve them.	May 2024 – Ongoing.	This will be achieved by embedding disability inclusion issues across the Civility & Culture Framework.
Actions Around WDES Metric 5: Equal Opportunities for Career Progression	Undertake a scoping study to map job roles and create career pathways for disabled staff. Consult with disabled staff and take specific and targeted action to improve disability declaration rates on ESR.	May 2024. March 2024.	This will be achieved by embedding career progression of disabled staff across the leadership, skills, and talent framework. And by engendering sense of confidence and belonging among disabled staff.
Actions Around WDES for Metric 6: Pressure to Attend Work Whilst Unwell	Rollout reasonable adjustments and unconscious bias training for line managers and staff.	January 2024 – Ongoing.	This will be embedded through periodic review of EDI, HR, Education and disability staff network activities and feedback from reasonable adjustments.
Actions Around WDES Metric 7: Feeling valued	Consult on and introduce job shadowing opportunities for disabled staff.	April 2024.	This will be sustained through routine inclusive workforce development activities and targeted initiatives as required.
Actions Around WDES Metric 8: Reasonable Adjustments	Establish the reasonable adjustment intranet page to support line managers and service leads in their day-to-day work on addressing disability issues in the workplace.	December 2023.	This will build on and be sustained through current support offered to divisions across the Trust.
Actions Around WDES Metric 9: Staff Engagement	Launch the disability and neurodiversity staff networks and create opportunities for disabled staff to get involved in network activities.	December 2023.	This will be sustained through workforce engagement, inclusion and well-being events and activities.
Actions Around WDES Metric 10: Board Representation	Nominate Executive Board Members as sponsors to the Disability and Neurodiversity Staff Networks.	December 2023.	This will be sustained by routine one-to-ones between network leads and their exec sponsors. And by growing the network of inclusion and diversity champions across the Trust.

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