Gender pay gap
Dorset HealthCare is committed to promoting the health and wellbeing of all those who use our services, as well as their carers and families. We are proud of the diverse communities we serve and the rich diversity of talented staff we have.
We recognise our responsibility to achieve the highest standards in equality and inclusion, and to be a proactive agent for change. We are fully committed to providing high quality services to everyone, irrespective of whether people are men or women, from different races, cultures and religions, with or without disabilities, of varying ages, of different sexual orientation and with or without caring responsibilities.
We are also committed to equality and diversity in employment, with fair access and fair outcomes for all. We aim to create an environment in which everyone feels valued, and in which differences are recognised and fully utilised in delivering excellent services.
Our approach to inclusion
Our joint Inclusion and Belonging Strategy 2024-2026 with Dorset County Hospital sets out our approach to inclusion, both as an employer and as a healthcare organisation. Inclusion is everyone’s business, and all our people have a collective responsibility to achieve our vision, where “we work together as one community to provide outstanding quality of care, in an environment where diverse voices are not only heard but valued, where differences are celebrated as sources of strength, and where discrimination has no place”.
The strategy explains how we embed inclusion and belonging throughout the organisation, and how we deliver on key guidance and statutory requirements relating to inclusion, including the NHS Constitution, the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty and the CQC Fundamental Standards.
NHS England has developed a framework called the Equality Delivery System (EDS2) to help local NHS organisations set priorities for making improvements in equality and diversity for patients, the public and staff. Find out more.
We use this framework to:
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improve the equality performance of the Trust, embedding equality into the mainstream of our business
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enable us to meet the requirements of the statutory public sector equality duty contained within the Equality Act (2010) and the NHS Act (2006).
Our Inclusion and Belonging Strategy is aligned with the NHS National Guidance from NHS England’s NHS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Improvement Plan. The NHS EDI Improvement Plan builds upon the People Promise and NHS People Plan by using the latest data and evidence to identify six high impact actions Trusts can take.
Dorset HealthCare values diversity and actively encourages inclusion so we can better understand the differing backgrounds and perspectives of the communities we care for. We are committed to:
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attracting, retaining and developing people from a wide variety of backgrounds to reflect the diversity of the patients we care for
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ensuring our policies, practices and processes support our people’s needs throughout different times in their lives and during their career with us
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our people understanding their role in creating an inclusive culture and demonstrate compassion and conscious inclusion towards one and other.
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creating an environment where our leaders role-model inclusion and are committed to ensuring the decisions they make are equitable
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reporting on our progress through statutory frameworks (e.g. Workforce Race and Disability Equality Standards, Gender Pay Gap and the Equality Delivery System).
How are we doing?
The following information outlines what we are doing to meet our equality goals and the progress we are making across a range of different workforce indicators.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2023-24
Results of the annual NHS staff survey show that disabled staff consistently report higher levels of bullying and harassment and less satisfaction with appraisals and career development opportunities.
The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) is a data-based standard that uses a series of measures (metrics) to help improve the experiences of disabled staff working in, or seeking employment with, the NHS.
The ten evidence-based metrics enable NHS organisations to compare the reported outcomes and experiences of disabled staff with those of non-disabled staff.
NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts are required to publish their results and develop action plans to address the differences highlighted by the metrics, outlining the steps the organisation will take to improve the experiences of disabled staff.
We publish an annual Workplace Race Equality Standard (WRES) report and action plan, as required by the NHS Standard Contract.
The WRES is intended to provide real impetus, not just on race equality, but on equality generally, for all those who still experience unfairness and discrimination within our health and care system. The focus is not just on compliance with implementing the Standard, but on using the Standard as an opportunity to help improve the wider culture of NHS organisations for the benefit of all staff and patients alike. Watch a short video about WRES.
WRES requires NHS organisations to demonstrate progress against a number of indicators of workforce race equality, including a specific indicator to address the low levels of ethnic minority Board representation.
Read our Workplace Race Equality Standard report and action plan 2023/24.
Our accreditations
To support us in achieving the highest standards in equality and inclusion across our work, we are accredited with a number of organisations and programmes that promote fair treatment for all, including:
Want to know more about our work in this area? Contact our equality, diversity and inclusion team at dhc.