Equality and Diversity Leadership Competency Framework to support new Equality Delivery System for NHS
A groundbreaking framework which puts equality and diversity roles on an equal footing with other managerial roles in the NHS is published today. The NHS Equality and Diversity Leadership Framework, which sits alongside the new national Equality Delivery System (EDS), was developed in a partnership between NHS North West and the Department of Health. It offers an holistic, comprehensive and evidence-based overview of the competencies required to support improved equality in health outcomes and workforce diversity across all the diverse communities which the NHS is there to serve.
Mike Farrar, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, welcomes the publication of Framework. He says, 'It will support NHS organisations in developing both personal and organisational competency on equality, diversity and inclusion for patients, service users and staff. A tool such as this is long overdue in the NHS. For the first time organisations can assess their capability and capacity for such an essential role.
Shahnaz Ali, Associate Director for Equalities, Inclusion and Human Rights at NHS North West, who led the project, explains: 'Research we carried out in 2008 confirmed anecdotal evidence we had about systemic weaknesses which were limiting progress towards equity for staff and patients in the NHS for many years. Many of our specific conclusions and recommendations were linked to effective leadership for change management.This Framework is a comprehensive answer to those recommendations and the NHS will find it an essential tool to help recruit, retain, develop and motivate the right workforce to deliver the best services for our communities.'
Dean Royles, Chief Executive, NHS Employers, adds: 'The framework is an important step in inclusion and equalities work – both because this area should be seen as a valuable part of the professional journey for NHS management; and also because it will allow consistency in how equalities competencies are built into organisational and personal development.
'Staff in the NHS may have hesitated about moving into an E&D role because there is no obvious career path – this framework demonstrates that in fact this role provides many transferable skills and requires understanding of the whole NHS system in order to influence it.'
Surinder Sharma, National Director of Equality and Human Rights at the Department of Health, says: 'One of the EDS outcomes asks NHS organisations to adopt this Competency Framework so that they have a national tool to help them acquire or retain the right skills and expertise to deliver equality and diversity outcomes, and that individual managers charged with equality and diversity leadership have a clear picture of their role, and how their careers can develop.'
To read or download the main Framework document, please click here
To read or download the Resource Pack which suports the main document, please click here
Updated: 13 September 2011