Launching a network which will help make the NHS in the North East a great place for LGB staff to work

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Tonight is about

• Launching a network which will help make the NHS
  in the North East a great place for LGB staff to
  work
• Designing what the network should be

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?

• Introduction to the Staff Network, and the plans
  weve had to get us to this point
• Stonewall view of Staff Network Groups and how
  good or bad one of our organisations is on LGB
  equality
• Discuss the steering groups plans
• Design what the network actually becomes

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Safe Space

• People here today are
• LGB staff (in and out) from the local NHS
• Equality and diversity leads
• Confidential

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What is a staff network group?

• An LGB employee network group is a formal
  mechanism for enabling lesbian, gay and bisexual
  staff to come together to share information and
  support.
• Stonewalls research shows that it is a valuable
  workplace resource that can benefit the
  organisation, employees, customers and clients.

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2008 Workplace Equality Index Preliminary
results 27 November 2007 David Shields
WORKPLACE EQUALITY INDEX 2008 NHS North East
23 February 2008 Madeline Lasko, Associate,
Workplace Programmes Stonewall
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STONEWALL DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS

• Best practice forum on sexual orientation in UK
  workplaces
• DCs are part of wider work done by Stonewall e.g.
  lesbian health survey biggest ever
• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)
  Regulations 2003
• 350 members so far
• Seminars and events through the year
• Workplace Conference 16 April
• Starting Out LGB Recruitment Guide
• Workplace Equality Index

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WORKPLACE EQUALITY INDEX 2008

• 241 organisations
• entered this years Index
• 223 Diversity Champions
• 18 other organizations
• 3rd year Stonewall
  publishes the Index

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SCORES

• 71 MINIMUM SCORE necessary to be
  listed in the top 100
• 63 MINIMUM SCORE in the
  2007 Index
• 66.5 AVERAGE SCORE of 2008 entry
• 61 AVERAGE SCORE of 2007 entry

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WHO ENTERED

• 162 Public Sector
• 68 Private Sector 11 Third Sector

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SECTOR SCORES
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POLICIES AND PRACTICES

• 100 of participants have a written policy
  barring discrimination based on the
• grounds of sexual orientation
• 100 of the top 100 have audited policies and
  procedures updated to
• achieve full legislative compliance

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DIVERSITY PRACTICES

• 99 of the top 100 have a DEDICATED DIVERSITY
  TEAM
• that includes LGB issues

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EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• 100 of the TOP 100 offer
• EQUAL PENSION entitlements to same-sex
  partners of employees
• 100 of the TOP 100 offer
• EQUAL BENEFITS to same-sex partners of
  employees

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

• 73 of participants have a recognized
• LGB EMPLOYEE NETWORK GROUP
• 94 from the TOP 100
• 81of those who have LGB employee groups
• CONSULT THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS

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STAFF NETWORK GROUPS

• Support, including mentoring/counselling
• Social function safe space
• Advisory role source of expertise
• Awareness raising

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT METHODS
MOST POPULAR Posters Pages on the intranet
Diversity Emails INNOVATIVE PRACTICE All staff
diversity meetings Newsletters
FOR EXAMPLE
Gentoo Group hold a monthly Business Briefing
Club (BBC) at lunchtimes which is open to all
staff. One of these meetings was focused on the
diversity agenda, including LGB issues. This is
an effective way of raising awareness of issues
around sexual orientation amongst both gay and
straight staff
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TRAINING DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

• 100 of the top 100 provide diversity awareness
  training including sexual orientation
• Only 36 of the top 100 have compulsory training
  that all staff members have been through

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TRAINING DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
FOR EXAMPLE Accenture has a mentoring scheme
which is coordinated through its LGBT network.
Potential mentors, who are all out LGB people,
write a short profile about themselves which is
posted on an internal website. Employees who want
a mentor can then pick the most suitable for
themselves Many police forces offer extra
support to their LGB staff through the Positive
Action Leadership Programme. This is a national
course produced by the National Police
Improvement Agency (NPIA) and provides career
development opportunities to minority groups
MOST POPULAR Mentoring Counselling
INNOVATIVE PRACTICE In-house leadership
development
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MONITORING CAREER STAGES
65 monitor sexual orientation at one stage of
career development usually at job application
82 do so in the top 100 48 monitor at
least two stages of career progression
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MONITORING GRADES

• 45 of organisations monitor at all grades
  which is a 14 increase from
• 2007
• Growth in confidential self-reporting HR systems

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MONITORING SURVEY

• 86 of the top 100 analyse staff attitude
  surveys that can be broken down into by sexual
  orientation or are introducing one next year
• EASY WIN 18 of entrants staff attitude surveys
  can still not be broken down by sexual
  orientation

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SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
still less than 50 of organisations monitor the
diversity policies of their suppliers
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• 89 of those in the top 100 recruited staff or
  advertised in the UK LGB media
• 100 of the top 50
• 90 in the top 100 sponsored
  community events

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PINK PLATEAU

• 60 of the top 100 have an openly LGB member on
  their UK board of directors/senior management
  team
• ? up from 43 in 2007
• 44 of all entrants
• ? up from 33 in 2007

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INNOVATION AND GOOD PRACTICE

• ONLINE NETWORKS

• INTER-ORGANISATIONAL
• COOPERATION

INTERBANK FORUM
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NHS IN THE WORKPLACE EQUALITY INDEX

• North East Strategic Health Authority Score 68
• Ranking 110th
• 11 health organisations entered
• 2 in Top 100 Tower Hamlets PCT, Bromley PCT
• Health sector lagging behind, but working with
  Stonewall in employment and service provision
• How can we get more NHS organisations to take
  part?
• Useful benchmarking exercise for them to see how
  they are performing, what their issues are etc.
• Its free!
• Public duty to understand the needs of service
  users and treat them fairly. This starts with
  employees get own house in order.

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DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS PROGRAMME

• people perform better when they can be
  themselves
• www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace

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The background to why this network was created

• NHS organisations in the North East have a vision
  to have no inequality
• But Being the Gay One shows LGB staff face
  tough times
• NHS equality and diversity leads heard from some
  LGB staff they wanted a group
• ED leads thought a regional group may be best

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? How we have got this far

• We think a staff network is a great idea
• We had the balls to do this!
• NE track record on equality better than most
• SHA still only scored 68
• NHS North East funding it
• Steering group is 15 LGB staff and ED leads who
  volunteered
• Plan is that it will be fully run by LGB staff

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What might the NHS North East staff network do?

• Pick and mix menu for staff
• Regular events
• Share info and mutual support
• Give feedback / Be consulted
• Website for info and networking
• Provide further opportunities to get involved
• ? Run campaigns

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Opportunities?

• Be consulted on single equality schemes
• All local NHS organisations take part in the
  Stonewall Equality Index 2009
• Pride march for NHS 60th Anniversary
• Produce joint staff induction pack
• Push to lift the ban on gay blood donations
• National LGB NHS Staff network
• ????

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Possible structure
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Some people may be feeling sceptical

• The NHS doesnt set up groups like this
• This is a publicity stunt or something
• This is just going to be a talking shop
• This wont change how Im treated at work
• The network will be all the usual suspects
• The network will be full of whingers
• We need to make sure
• this isnt the case

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Over to you

• Should we create this staff network?
• What should it do?
• Network events and meetings
• Website bulletin board
• Campaigns
• Giving feedback being consulted

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What will we do now?

• Send round a newsletter about today
• Organise the events
• Get the website set up
• Steering group meeting (3-5pm Friday 7th March)

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Thanks

• Rhys the Urban Café Team
• Madeline Lasko -Stonewall
• Members of the Steering Group
• And to all of you for coming
• LGBT history month event at
• the Discovery Museum now.

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Before you go please

• Fill in a feedback card telling us how you think
  this went
• Leave your contact details if you would like to
  keep involved

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