About Equalities
Introduction to Equalities
Recent work
Tavistock and Portman Equalities Objectives 2012
This Tavistock and Portman is committed to the elimination of discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the delivery of all its services, the largest of which are clinical and education and training. We are dedicated to delivering services and developing a culture that promotes equality and meets people’s mental health needs; we have worked for many years with staff, all service users, specific communities and our FT members to develop a Single Equalities Scheme and we have also published a summary of our achievements under that scheme.
In January 2013 - more pictures have been added, with relevant links made clearer. There will be changes and improvements monitored every 2 months by the Equalities Committee
Introduction to Equalities
As a mental health trust we know that inequality contributes to psychological difficulties for individuals and groups, and that multiple layers of inequality create marked differences in people’s self-esteem, levels of hope and of emotional wellbeing.
The staff of this Trust are strongly committed to ensuring that our patients and students are not only treated equitably, but that they will receive services of the highest quality. So, in addition to giving our full support to the new Equality Act and its prescribed duties, we seek to understand the experience of minority groups, and the ways in which systemic and unconscious dynamic processes perpetuate the need to think and to work to eliminate discrimination and to address the covert as well as overt processes which impede achieving full equality for all.
Recent work
We have published our most recent Equalities Report (presented to the Board of Directors in March 2013) and updated data. The Board has approved our five new Equalities Objectives for 2013-14 and these will be updated on this webpage shortly.
Tavistock and Portman Equalities Objectives 2012
1.2 Objective 1
1.3 Objective 2
1.4 Objective 3
1.6 Objective 4
1.8 Objective 5
1.2 Objective 1:
Create and launch a dedicated Equality and Diversity page in addition to publishing the information currently available on the website.
Has this objective been completed?
in April 2012.
In January 2013 - more pictures have been added, with relevant links made clearer. There will be changes and improvements monitored every 2 months by the Equalities Committee.
1.3 Objective 2:
Ensure that published information on the website and printed leaflets and brochures includes clear statements about the Trust’s commitment to promoting equality, eliminating discrimination and embedding equality in all aspects of our work.
Has this objective been completed?
Equalities Commitment poster is displayed throughout the Tavistock Centre and online. We are working to ensure our commitment is printed on all our clinical and training service documentation and will report to the Equalities committee and on webpage each month until achieved. Awaiting confirmation.
1.4 Objective 3:
While continuing to ensure our general duty, the Trust will prioritise an agreed plan of work in relation to sexual orientation with staff, and with users of our clinical and education and training services.
Has this objective been completed?
in April 2012 (and ongoing).
From April 2012 (building on earlier work in INSET days and elsewhere) and continued throughout the year – Two INSET Days specifically on Sexual Orientation in 2012.
Staff Survey on Sexual Orientation - analysed and presented to Clinics Committee and Equalities Committee. Results of this Staff Survey on Sexual Orientation will be published in a newsletter (see below), which will be made available on the webpage in March 2013.
Further discussion at the Equalities Committee on March 2013 will propose the following:
The Dean to lead:
Changes in the curriculum – staff development work on sexual orientation and theory, changes to reading lists, discussions on clinical presentations of LGBT patients and requirements that all Trust supervisors ( visiting lecturers as well as staff) understand that they will only be employed if they are in agreement that sexual orientation is not a pathology. There is no rule against holding different views, but this will mean the Trust will no longer employ them as supervisors or visiting teachers.
It is clearly understood by everyone that education and training is the area most commented on in the staff survey on sexual orientation. This should probably include the question of applications by LGB candidates for clinical trainings. All courses need to include such statements as:
The Trust / this course welcomes applications from people of all sexual orientations to its courses.
1.5 2012 Staff Side member of Equalities Committee appointed and attending Equalties Committee, reporting to JSCC.
1.6 Objective 4:
The Trust through its Communications Team will publish clear and simple statements in a variety of languages to indicate that those clinical services users who do not read English can contact us form information, in order to access services or to inquire the availability of interpreters.
Has this objective been completed?
1.7 We should develop plans to incorporate equalities work and objectives into everyday work, planning cycles, the Annual Plan service and business development activity.
1.8 Objective 5:
There is a need to build on equalities training already given to the Board of Directors and the Management Committee to ensure that all staff have been trained about the Equality Act and the NHS and Public Sector Equality Duty, starting with the mandatory staff INSET day in May 2012 and then to follow up with Directorates and Managers. This should be complete by March 2013.
Has this objective been completed?
This objective is ongoing and started in April 2012:
- Discussions with HR Assistant Director and Chair of Staff Training Committee.
- Presentations at Clinics Committee.
- Plan with Training Committee for empowering all team leaders managers and directors to set local equality objectives to include relevant training in the Equalities and in the Equality Act.
