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