Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary

As a key senior leader in the Strategy, People and Partnerships Directorate, the post holder will lead on the full range of responsibilities covering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), from strategy, through to the corporate responsibility for policy-making and support for the operational implementation of the Trusts approach to EDI with its colleagues and service users.

This is a truly integrated role in which the postholder will have responsibility for ensuring that the Trust successfully meets all statutory and corporate duties in relation to EDI and that all services provided by the Trust, and to its employees, support their diverse needs. The post holder will be accountable to the Executive Director of Strategy, People & Partnerships, and to the Medical Director who is the named Executive Board member for tackling inequalities. Support and challenge will be provided by the Non-Executive Directors who additionally sponsor this work at Board level. The postholder will attend and participate in key Committee meetings.

A key part of the role is to lead the development of the Trusts approach to EDI, within the context of the newly developed Trust Strategy, and the associated People, Quality, Clinical and Sustainability strategies. The approach to EDI will be a golden thread throughout the delivery of these strategies. The role will include ensuring the Trust is well placed to improve significantly on its current performance in this area, contribute to the local and national EDI agendas, respond to future changes and challenges and become an exemplar in the field. They will play a lead role in ensuring a culture which is just, established through a compassionate leadership approach and that the Trust develops increasingly inclusive and collaborative ways of working with colleagues at all levels. They will enable the Trust to develop a committed workforce which is at the heart of the organisation, in which colleagues feel valued, safe, and respected.

The post holder will work closely with others in the Directorate who lead on the people agenda and on community engagement. They will work with operational service colleagues and clinicians in developing an outstanding approach to respecting the EDI needs and expectations of our service users, patients, families and carers. Due to the multi-functional nature of the role this will involve establishing innovative and collaborative, matrix-style ways of working In addition, the post holder will play an important role alongside other EDI leads across other service providers, especially those in the Birmingham and Solihull system, our partner organisations in mental health, and with our regulators, in developing a collaborative approach to long term, system wide approaches to EDI.

The postholder will be passionate about delivering within our values which guide how we treat ourselves, one another, our service users, families and carers and our partners. Our values are: Compassionate, Inclusive and Committed

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in general
• Provide senior leadership across the Trust on all matters relating to EDI
• Develop and lead on the Trusts EDI strategy and its implementation including ensuring it adheres to all legal and mandatory requirements, but goes well beyond those requirements, championing anti-discrimination and tackling health inequalities at all levels, responding to hostility and challenge
• Act as a visible champion of our values and ensure EDI is embedded in all of our work with patients and service users and in the way we support our workforce.
• Work with EDI leads across the Birmingham and Solihull system and at regional and national level to develop key alliances and positively engage with external organisations to the benefit of our colleagues, patients, service users, carers and families.
• Champion the Trusts ambition to become a truly diverse and inclusive organisation Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion ED&I Workforce Lead ED&I Service Lead Medical Director (Named Executive Board Member for tackling Inequalities) and foster partnerships and alliances that challenge the status quo.
• To act as the Trust lead for interpreting the Equality Act 2010 and associated legislation ensuring the Trust Board and Senior Management understand their collective and individual requirements.
• Provide senior expertise and advice for EDI matters across the Trust, ensuring EDI considerations underpin delivery of all aspects of our work.
• Ensure that the EDI management and governance frameworks are fit for purpose and effectively support the Trust to meet its legal obligations and annual reporting requirements including the Equality Act 2010, the NHS Equality Delivery System, Public Sector Equality Duty and the requirements of the Care Quality Commission. Create information systems for effective monitoring, delivery and reporting on statutory and Trust equality measures
• Ensure that there is a robust and effective system for Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) across the Trust, that they are used for all key decisions, and that actions arising from those EIAs are actively considered and resolutions achieved
• Develop and support EDI initiatives and programmes ensuring ownership and buy-in across the whole Trust and ensure that these are underpinned by a strong approach to Quality Improvement (QI), robust and benchmarked performance frameworks and metrics, mainstreaming the EDI agenda across all functions of the Trust.
• To regularly undertake formal, bespoke research using and complex auditing using research methodology, producing and presenting reports and papers on a range of EDI issues at relevant meetings and committees
• Ensuring Trust communications adopt EDI principles and are inclusive and accessible to colleagues and service users.
• Regularly report progress against the EDI strategy, priorities, plans and agreed metrics to internal committees and the Board as required.
• To hold and manage the departmental budget, authorising expenditure within the allocation.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities: Workforce

• Provide leadership to the whole workforce on All EDI matters by supporting and developing an organisational climate and culture of equality, diversity and inclusion through effective frameworks and development at all levels.
• Lead on the implementation and monitoring of the NHS Equality Delivery System, Trust Equality Objectives, the Workforce Race Equality Standard, Workforce Disability Equality Standard and the Gender Pay Gap legislation and similar requirements
• Lead on the work to become a Model Employer for workforce race equality Monitor and develop insights and innovative solutions from staff surveys and pulse checks, other highly complex workforce information and data relating to EDI matters
• Specifically, work closely with People function and operational service areas to develop and deliver priority plans to improve Staff Survey results in aspects in which impact on EDI, such as bullying and harassment, and violence and aggression from 5 | P a g e patients and staff
• Raise the level of awareness and active engagement of staff in EDI matters.
• Support the People function to deliver on the expectations of the NHS People Plan and the Trusts People Strategy.
• Specifically to: Support the ambition to recruit, retain and develop diverse talent to ensure a workforce which is reflective of our population and service users
• Support the development of an inclusive and values-based approach to recruitment which and draws from the widest possible pool of candidates
• Support the development and implementation of employment strategies, policies and priorities to embed EDI in our culture and behaviours with corporate responsibility for implementation o Support and advise on the development of a just and learning culture
• Lead on the development of a culturally competent workforce
• Lead the Trusts programme to create an anti-racist leadership and culture, and support and advise the Board on its own development programme
• Advise on, and where appropriate, develop and deliver, training programmes and oversee the EDI training needs at all levels across the Trust
• Influence, compliment and contribute to Trust wide learning and development programmes, ensuring that they are consistent with EDI principles.
• Work with the Trusts Staff networks and inclusion advisers to strengthen their role and influence throughout the Trust
• Work with the Freedom To Speak Up Guardians (FTSUGs)to develop and promote a psychologically safe environment for colleagues to raise concerns
• Work closely with the Trusts trade union representatives in delivering on the EDI strategy and objectives
• Provide support on the Health and wellbeing of our diverse workforce in relation to EDI matters, e.g., in the development and implementation of the health and wellbeing offer and Risk Assessments
• Contribute to and influence the staff engagement priorities with our diverse workforce and advise on campaigns such as those for the staff survey and flu vaccination programme
• Represent the Trust, as required, at local, regional and national level, on EDI matters as they relate to the workforce. Principal Duties and Responsibilities: Services Work closely with operational services and clinical colleagues to deliver on the EDI aspects of the Trusts Clinical and Quality strategies
• Support the reduction of inequalities through targeted work with under- and overrepresented groups
• Advise operational service colleagues to ensure that our services are informed by and meet the needs and expectations of our diverse communities
• Support the development of culturally sensitive services and interventions, removing barriers to access.

Person Specification

Qualifications and training

Essential

• Masters level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired though postgraduate diploma or equivalent experience or training

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and experience of equality, diversity and inclusion in a public sector setting (NHS experience desirable but not essential)
• Understanding and expertise in both workforce and service aspects of EDI side
• Experience of interpreting national policy and developing and delivering strategies to drive forward the Equality, Diversity & inclusion agenda
• A successful record in developing and delivering cultural change programmes on equality diversity and inclusion

Employer details

Employer name

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS FT

Address

B1 - Trust HQ

Birmingham

B1 3RB

Employer's website

https://www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)