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

Race

The proportion of BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) staff grew by 5% over three years across KMPT. There has been an improvement in BAME representation at Board level of 6% since 2019.

There was an overall four-point decrease in BAME staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from other colleagues and patients in 2020, with BAME ally training delivered to support BAME staff members. This coincides with the growth of the BAME Network to include at present over 140 members (4% of the workforce).

Across 2020-21 KMPT’s BAME Network brought people together from different ethnic backgrounds committed to valuing individuality, supporting inclusion and promoting diversity. Key achievements include:

      • Over 140 BAME allies were trained over four courses.
      • A month of staff events held to promote intercultural learning, culminating in the first virtual Black History Month Celebration
      • The BAME staff network membership grew to 140 (approximately 4% of the total Trust workforce)
      • The staff survey engagement score was higher for our BAME staff (7.4) than for our white staff (7.0). 

Key findings: Race

 Workforce ethnicity representation (WRES 1) - Amber

  • The number of BAME people in the workforce at 31 March 2021 was 908, or 24.7% of the workforce overall. The Trust’s BAME workforce has grown by 5% over the past three years.
  • Medical and dental staff was 58.5% (n.188) BAME. Clinical staff was 28.1% BAME (n. 691). Agenda for Change (AfC) pay band 2 had the largest proportion of any AfC pay band at 55% (n. 180), followed by band 9 at 30% (n.10), then band 5 at 29% (n.102).
  • By comparison the average workforce was 20.1% BAME in the whole NHS South Region.
  • AfC 8d-9 and very senior managers (VSMs) is 46 % White British and 54% BAME.

 

Ethnicity shortlisting-to-appointment likelihood (WRES 2) Amber

  • 156 BAME people and 448 white people were appointed in 2020-21. White people were 1.19 times more likely to be appointed from shortlisting than BAME people, the same as the regional and sector averages. This is a reduction from white people being 1.5 times more likely to be appointed in 2019. If the Trust had employed 28 more BAME people it would have achieved racial equality in appointments. 

Workforce ethnicity by group

  • White - 73.5 per cent
  • BAME - 24.7 per cent
  • Unknown - 1.8 per cent

Formal disciplinary likelihood by ethnicity (WRES 3) Red

  • BAME people were over 4 times more likely than white people to enter formal disciplinary, including 8 BAME people and 12 white people. Although based on small numbers this is an increase year on year since 2018. 

Non-mandatory training (WRES 4) Amber

  • White people (n. 1041) were 1.26 times as likely to access non- mandatory training and development as BAME people (n. 279).

Harassment, bullying or abuse by ethnicity (WRES 5-6)

  • Red - 42.9% of BAME staff experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from patients, relatives or the public in the prior 12 months, although a decrease of 1.4 points than 2019 it is 7.3 points greater than the 35.6% BAME staff in 2017. This figure is just over 10% more than the 32.1% BAME staff mental health trust providers benchmark. KMPT has committed to reducing this percentage to 34.3% over two years. 
  • Red - 23.4% of BAME staff experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from other colleagues in the prior 12 months, 1.6 points less than the national average and 2.1% points from the 25.5 % BAME staff in 2019. KMPT has committed to reducing this 17.5% over two years.

 Racial equality of opportunity for promotions (WRES 7) Amber

  • 74.3% of BAME staff reported the Trust provided equal opportunities for promotion. The Trust is 1.6 points greater than the 72.7% BAME staff mental health provider benchmark and 9.3 points less than the national average (83.6) but with the Trust’s white staff reporting of 89.3%, hence the rating is amber.

Staff work discrimination by ethnicity (WRES 8) Red

15% of BAME staff (n.54) experienced discrimination at work from their manager or colleagues, an 8.6-point difference to the 6.4% of white staff experiencing it and a 0.1-point difference from the 15.1% BAME staff mental health provider benchmark.

Board ethnicity membership (WRES 9) Green

The Board, including voting and executive, was 80% white and 20% BAME. This is thirteen points greater than the 7.5% Board mental health provider benchmark.

New steps for race equality 2021-2022

      • Set an inclusive leadership masterclass for equality, diversity and inclusion
      • Introduction of the Early Resolution Policy to decrease numbers of staff going through the disciplinary process
      • Develop and deliver positive action workshops to support job applications
      • Trust-wide discussion on what being an anti-racist organisation means
      • Develop our actions on reducing our race disparity ratio for implementation and incorporate into our WRES action plan next year.