Equality and Diversity

Accessible Information Standard

103. Theatre - staff smiling 2.jpg On 24 June 2015 the new ‘Accessible Information Standard’ was approved.

All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the accessible information standard by law.

Organisations must follow the standard in full by 31 July 2016, and there are some things they must do before then.

The aim of the Accessible Information Standard is to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need.

The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations how they should make sure that patients and service users, and their carers and parents, can access and understand the information they are given. This includes making sure that people get information in different formats if they need it, for example in large print, braille, easy read or via email.

The Accessible Information Standard also tells organisations how they should make sure that people get any support with communication that they need, for example support from a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.

Further information on the Accessible Information Standard.

The Equality Act 2010 – Equality Objectives

Following consultation, the Trust has adopted a number of equality objectives for 2016-2020. These are:

To make our information and services accessible to the people we serve.
To increase support for LGBT staff.
To encourage the recruitment conversion and progression rates of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BME) staff.
To work with partners to identify and implement methods of raising awareness of modern exploitation issues (e.g. forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), human trafficking, modern slavery and child sex exploitation).

The Trust uses the Equality Delivery System (see below for further details) in order to identify priorities for action that will provide a real benefit for patients and the public and for staff and volunteers.

The Equality Act 2010 - Publication of Information

The Trust has published a statement on its compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Supporting evidence is available in the Document Library.

Location of Hearing Loops

Hearing loops are available in the following locations:
Emergency Department (Reception; Main Desk)
Outpatients (Main Desk)
Fracture Clinic (Reception Desk)
Admissions (Main Desk; Consulting Rooms)
Macmillan Unit (Chemotherapy Unit; Main Reception Desk)
Eye Care Centre (Main Desk)
Treatment Centre (Main Desk; Discharge Lounge)
Audiology
Occupational Therapy Office
Breast Care Unit

Equality and Diversity at MCHFT

The things we do at the Trust touch lives and change futures. That’s true for our patients and their relatives and for our staff. We also affect our partner organisations and our suppliers. The influence of the Trust is felt across our community. Every day, the Trust aims to provide excellent services for the community and to be an excellent employer.

This is possible only if we take full account of the diversity of our local population and our workforce. We strive to provide services that are appropriate, sensitive and easily accessible for all. As an employer, we consider the needs of individual members of staff and strive to meet those needs where compatible with key service requirements. We seek and listen to the views of patients and their families and of our workforce and their representatives. We also involve other organisations whether from the public, private or voluntary sector.

We live in a world with barriers. Barriers that prevent people from looking to us for help when they need it. Barriers that make it difficult for people to get the best from the services that we provide. Barriers to the Trust being a great place to work. Working in partnership, we will seek out those barriers and pull them down.

The Trust recognises and welcomes its responsibilities under legislation such as the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act. The Trust’s Single Equality Scheme was agreed by the Board of Directors in 2010. The Scheme sets out the Trust’s vision for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Human Rights and has an action plan that describes the steps that we are taking to move towards that vision. The implementation of the action plan is monitored by the Equality & Diversity Committee.

The Trust welcomes the introduction of the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS). EDS sets goals and outcomes for equality that apply to NHS organisations. Full details are available in the Equality and Diversity document library.

The Trust recognises health inequalities in Cheshire East and is committed to work with others to address those inequalities.

It is the policy of the Trust that no one will be discriminated against on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. The Trust will provide interpretation services or documentation in other mediums as requested and necessary to ensure natural justice and equality of access.