Annual Equality Report 2020/2021

Welcome. This document reports progress against inclusion and where we need to continue progressing towards equality in our mission of brilliant care through brilliant people at Kent and Medway NHS Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) across 2020-21.

Publication date:
30 October 2021
Date range:
2020 - 2021

Disability

7% of the workforce shared that they identify as disabled on their staff record, with 12% choosing not to share their disability status. People who were disabled were just as likely to be appointed from shortlisting than non-disabled people against this key national workplace disability equality standard (WDES) measure. 

84% of disabled staff felt the Trust made adequate adjustments to enable them to work; an increase of 7.9% on the previous twelve months. The disability staff network has 53 registered members. 

Across 2020-21 the Trust continued to advance disability equality and make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in our workplaces and to facilitate that their voices be heard (WDES 9): 

  • Introduced the Staff Wellness Passport, which was designed by the Trust’s disAbility Staff Network 
  • Rolled out Disability Awareness Training delivered by Disability Rights UK 

Disabled staff scored on average 6.8 out of 10 for how engaged they felt; 5% different from the 7.2 out of 10 score of non-disabled staff. 

Key findings - Disability

Workforce disability representation (WDES 1) - Amber

  • The number of people sharing their disability with the Trust at 31 March 2021 on their staff record was 236, or 6.8% of the workforce. The group not wishing to share their disability status is at 11.9%, hence the amber rating. There were 22.3% (n.450) of 2,015 who answered the staff survey 2020 and selected they were disabled. 
  • Staff in agenda for change (AfC) pay band 6 had the largest proportion of disabled staff at 25% (n. 59), with 1.7% sharing a disability in the AfC 8c-9 cluster. 
  • Over the last year the amount of staff sharing their disability status grew by 0.8% overall. 

Shortlisting-to-appointment by disability (WDES 2) - Amber

  • There were 45 disabled people and 547 non- disabled people appointed in 2020-21. Non-disabled people were 1.2 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting as disabled people. If the Trust had employed 9 more disabled people it would have achieved equality in appointments. 

Formal capability likelihood by disability (WDES 3) -Green

  • No people who had shared they were disabled on their staff record entered a formal capability process in 2020-21. There were 6 non-disabled people who entered a formal capability process. 

Harassment, bullying or abuse by disability (WDES 4) - Amber

  • 35% of disabled staff in the 2020 staff survey experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the  public in the prior 12 months, a 5% difference from the 30% of non-disabled staff, and a 4% difference from the disabled staff mental health provider benchmark (31%). 
  • 16.2% of disabled staff experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from managers, nearly double that of the 8.6% of non- disabled staff, and a decreasing three-year trend for non-disabled staff. 
  • 24.5% of disabled staff experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from other colleagues, a 11-point difference from the 13.6% of non-disabled staff, and an increasing three-year trend for disabled staff. 

Disability equal opportunities for promotion (WDES 5) - Amber

  • 81.3% of disabled staff felt the Trust provided equal opportunities for promotion, with a positive (more desirable) trend over three years, a 6.7-point difference from the 88.5% of non-disabled staff, hence the amber rating. The Trust disabled staff figure is similar to the disabled staff mental health provider benchmark (82%). 

Pressure to work when unwell by disability (WDES 6)  - Amber

  • 25.6% of disabled staff felt management pressure to come to work when not feeling well enough, nearly a 6-point difference from the 19.2% of non-disabled staff. 

Trust values their work by disability (WDES 7) - Amber

  • 44.3% of disabled staff felt the Trust valued their work, a 11-point difference from the 55.3% of non-disabled staff but similar to that of the disabled staff mental health provider benchmark of 44.6%. 

Adequate adjustments for disabled people (WDES 8) - Amber

  • 84.8% of disabled staff felt the Trust made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work. A 7.9% increase on those disabled staff completing the staff survey in the previous twelve months. 

Board disability membership (WDES 10) - Red

  • The Board, including voting and executive, was 100% non-disabled. 

Next steps for disability equality 2019-20

  • Collect disabled staff life stories ‘Hidden Talents’ to raise staff awareness 
  • Produce a handbook for managers in accessing the right information to support their staff who have disabilities 
  • Review and produce a new WDES action plan developed with our disAbility network