speak or translate this page

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

The Trust promotes an inclusive culture built on our values. This is articulated through our vision of ‘Excellent care at the heart of the community’.

This vision is supported by a specific ambition of: ‘equitable care at the heart of all our communities’ delivered by the Trust’s equality strategy.

Our ambition emphasises that care excellence always includes equality and it respects that we are all – staff, patients and carers alike – part of many different communities.

"The trust recognised the importance of valuing the diversity of its staff and specific staff group networks had been established." Care Quality Commision Report 11 September - 18 October 2018

Compassionate
Care

Working
Together

Achieving
Ambitions

Delivering
Excellence

promotes dignity and accessibility for all and eliminates discrimination

respectfully fosters good relations, widens participation and tackles stigma

promotes peoples independence and their rights with fairness

advances equality of opportunity in care, health, wellbeing and employment


The Trust promotes an inclusive culture by setting standards in the Trust’s equality policy and promoting accountability from Board to frontline services, engaging with people to include them in their care and in their workplaces and through a range of leadership development opportunities to foster good relations.

Equality objectives

The Trust’s equality objectives are delivered by the Trust’s equality action plan. The objectives for 2017-18 are listed below:

Improve BME people’s experiences of urgent care

Promote workforce racial equality

Promote LGBT+ wellbeing

Promote accessibility and a positive experience of care for disabled people

Promote workforce disability equality

Improve chaplaincy and pastoral support

Equal pay for equal work between the sexes

Being an equitable business grounded in our diverse communities


Annual Equality Reports

A report about how well the Trust is delivering the equality duty and the NHS Equality Delivery System (EDS) is published every year. Links to these reports are below:

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES)

The Trust wants employees from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and receive fair treatment in the workplace. The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) is used by the Trust to measure progress. The standard consists of a number of indicators that we report on annually:

Annual Gender Pay Gap Report

The Trust proactively publishes details of the levels of pay across the organisation and is fully committed to ensuring equal pay between the sexes. You can find out more here:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group (EDIG)

The Trust’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group (EDIG) meets every two months and oversees progress against the Trust’s equality plan. Equality is delivered by services collaborating on projects or initiatives, coordinated by EDIG members for each area or division:

There are a number of sub-committees and working groups bringing people from across the Trust and beyond together to work on projects and initiatives to promote equality:

Employability partnership

The group oversees work to increase the number of people with a learning disability and autism in successful employment and provided with other vocational opportunities. It is a partnership group with the following core members:

If you are a manager who has a job or a potential job or work experience that you can offer within your team please contact our Placement Coordinator, Stef Ransley, stefanie.ransley@nhs.net

Accessible information group

The Trust wants to make sure that people who have a disability or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need.

The Trust has adopted the Accessible Information Standard to make sure that patients and service users, and their carers and parents, can access and understand the information they are given. This includes making sure that people get information in accessible formats.

If you would like to discuss any communication or other support needs that you may have, please contact a member of staff using the contact details on your appointment or admissions letter to arrange support. See further information about supporting your communication needs below.

BME Staff Network

The Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff network is open to all people working at the Trust. The network exists to engage BME staff to promote racial equality of opportunity in Trust workplaces and to promote a positive staff experience for BME people.

The Trust’s board champion for race equality is Susan Marshall, Chief Nurse, who advocates for the network at the highest level.

The network rotates its meetings and staff are allowed reasonable time off to attend and pursue network activities at work with the prior agreement of their line manager.

LGBT+ Staff Network

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBT+) staff network is about promoting a culture which values LGBT+ people. It is a safe place that is visible, open and supportive.

The network includes experts by experience who can help educate the rest of the Trust about issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. It recognises that LGBT+ staff experience is very closely linked with LGBT+ patient experience. It is an evolving network that is open to discussion.

It is accessible to every member of staff working at the Trust; it will rotate venues for meetings and will use different means for staff to get involved, such as video conferencing. The network will include lunch and learn events around different topics. It will also organise informal social events at safe venues outside work.

The network is open to everyone. It is growing but is starting with people who identify as LGBT+. The network will build relations between people of different sexual and gender identities. It will include two levels of membership: LGBT+ members and associate members for straight allies. Staff are allowed reasonable time off to attend and pursue network activities at work with the prior agreement of their line manager.

The Trust’s board champion for sexual orientation and gender identity equality is Richard Curtin, Chief Operating Officer. He is actively involved with the network and provides high level support.

Interpreting and communication support

If you speak little or no English and would benefit having things explained in a language you are more comfortable with, we can arrange for professional interpreting services to be available at your appointment or during your visit.

If you would like to discuss any communication or other support needs that you may have, please contact a member of staff using the contact details on your appointment or admissions letter to arrange support.

Interpreting services

The main organisations we work with are:

Information in different formats

We can provide letters or patient information in different formats including:

  • Braille
  • Overseas languages
  • Easy Read
  • Audio format
  • Electronic formats

Chaplaincy and pastoral support

Members of our chaplaincy and pastoral support services are happy to talk to patients and their families or staff about any spiritual or pastoral concerns whether you have a religious belief or not. Chaplains or pastoral support workers can be found for most belief groups (including none).

Pastoral, religious and spiritual needs

When you are ill or face times of crisis, your spiritual, religious and personal beliefs should be considered as an integral part of your treatment plan.

Your beliefs can be unsettled by illness, but they are often a resource from which strength can come.

If you would like to discuss any pastoral, religious or spiritual needs that you may have, please contact a member of staff using the contact details on your appointment or admissions letter to arrange support.

What is a chaplain or pastoral support worker?

Chaplains and pastoral support workers offer spiritual care to all patients and their carers, friends and family.

Each chaplain or pastoral support worker is a specialist accredited by their own governing body to work with people with any religious or philosophical belief (or none).

Pastoral support

Chaplains and pastoral support workers can support you in the following ways

  • By listening to you.
  • By providing a link with representatives from your own belief group or religious community if you belong to one.
  • By helping you put into words what you want to say and supporting you when you are talking to the staff looking after you.
  • By helping you explore how your beliefs are affected by your illness.

Our chapels and prayer rooms

Some of our community hospitals have dedicated chapels and prayer rooms. Please speak to your member of staff to find out more information. Staff members who require prayer rooms can speak to their line manager who can assist you locate a suitable space.

Contact us

In emergencies, the switchboard operator can contact a chaplain or pastoral support worker directly for you.

In non-emergencies, ask the switchboard to put you through to the following phone numbers:

Area / site

Name

Telephone

Email

West

Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital

Rev Graham Reeves

01243 791900 / 07767 830509

Email

Salvington Lodge Hospital

Rev Anthony Trevithick

01903 202195

 

Zachary Merton Hospital

Rev Patrick Brooks

01903 858100

 

Central

Horsham Hospital

Rev John Du Bois

01737 768511

Email

Crawley Hospital

Rev John Glasspool

01737 768511 ext.6120

Email

The Kleinwort Centre

Rev Peter Wells

01273 696955 ext.67495

Email

East

Lewes Victoria Hospital

Rev Peter Wells

01273 696955 ext.67495

Email

Brighton and Hove Palliative Care Partnership

Rev Nicolas Roddick

01273 273400

 


Other sites and services maintain links with local faith leaders and volunteers. Please contact your member of staff for further information.

Chapels and quiet rooms

Chapels and designated quiet rooms are available for you at certain sites. A list is provided below including which floor these rooms are located on. If your site is not listed please speak to a member of staff who will make other arrangements to try and support your spiritual needs.

Chapels and quiet rooms can be used to support prayer or contemplation by anyone. Some rooms are kept locked but may be unlocked on request. Please speak to your member of staff to find out more information.

Town / City

Site

Floor

Room

West

Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital

Main Hospital Building, Ground Floor

Chapel

Quiet Room

Chichester

Bicentennial Building

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Rustington

Zachary Merton Hospital

Ground Floor

Chapel

Central

Crawley

Crawley Hospital

Yellow Wing, Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Haywards Heath

The Kleinwort Centre

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Horsham

Horsham Hospital

Main Hospital Building, Ground Floor

Chapel

East

Brighton & Hove

Hove Polyclinic

Lower Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Mile Oak Clinic (Portslade)

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Lewes

Lewes Victoria Hospital

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Chailey Clinical Services

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

Uckfield

Uckfield Community Hospital

Ground Floor

Quiet Room

 

If you have specific requirements for using a room for spiritual or pastoral reasons, please ask a member of staff to contact the chaplain.

Employees who require rooms for prayer or for practicing their beliefs at work can speak to their line manager/supervisor to find out more information.