WDES-Report-2022-23 (332kB pdf)
Introduction
This report sets out the 2022/23 annual workforce data in relation to disability which the Trust is required to publish. The Trust has a contractual obligation under the NHS Contract to publish annual data in respect of the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES). Working to address inequalities identified by the workforce data demonstrates our compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty. Monitoring of the workforce equalities data is also central to ensuring that we are delivering against the equality, diversity and inclusion priorities agreed by the Trust Board in January 2021:
- We will ensure our current employees and future talent have fair opportunities and access to jobs and career progression resulting in improved representation of diverse groups at all levels of the organisation, including Board.
- We will educate and develop our leaders and staff to improve understanding of racism, discrimination and cultural competence to deliver a step change in the experience of our staff and patients.
- We will improve our use of patient data and patient experience to drive improvements in access and health inequalities, for patients from diverse communities.
Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES)
This data relates to the period of 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023. In line with the updated national mandated timeframe, the data was submitted to NHS England in May 2023. This is the fifth year of reporting for WDES, and as with previous years, the data includes results from the National Staff Survey.
Metric 1 – Workforce information
Percentage of staff with disabilities
| Job type | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non clinical staff – Cluster Bands 1 – 4 | 5% | 4.7% | 6.7% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| Non clinical staff – Cluster Bands 5-7 | 2% | 3.5% | 5.8% | 6.2% | 8% |
| Non clinical staff – Cluster Bands 8a-8b | 3% | 0% | 0% | 4.7% | 3.6% |
| Non clinical staff – Cluster Bands 8c-9 and VSM | 3% | 2.6% | 5.1% | 5% | 14% |
| Clinical staff – Cluster Bands 1-4 | 3& | 3.65% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 6.1% |
| Clinical staff – Cluster Bands 5-7 | 4% | 4.05% | 4.5% | 5% | 6.4% |
| Clinical staff – Cluster Bands 8a-8b | 2% | 3.7% | 5.2% | 6.9% | 14.3% |
| Clinical staff – Cluster Bands 8c-9 and VSM | 8% | 7.69% | 13.3% | 11.8% | 0% |
The data shows that there has been an increase in percentage of staff declaring a disability in three of the four clinical clusters, with the most significant improvement being in the 8a-8b cohorts. There were also notable increases in representation with the most senior non-clinical staff cohort as can been in the table above.
Overall, the trust has seen an increase in the representation of staff with disabilities in most levels of the organisation. For example:
- Non-clinical staff with disabilities rising from 7.1% in 2022, to 8.3% in 2023
- Clinical (non-medical) staff with disabilities rising from 4.8% in 2022, to 6.3% in 2023
- % of staff with disabilities in the total NWAS workforce rising from 5.0% in 2022, to 6.5% in 2023
The increases in representation of staff with disabilities can be explained in part due to continued internal communications campaigns aimed at encouraging staff to record and update their disability status on the Electronic Staff Record (My ESR), this has been supported by engagement visits to sites and stations to increase awareness of this area. This work is supported by the Disability Network and aims to ensure that the Trust has an accurate record of staff representation.
There remain 541 staff who have a ‘null’ or ‘disability unknown’ record in their ESR record. However, this is yet another significant decrease from 642 staff in 2022 (805 in 2021) who had not declared their disability status. Work will continue to encourage staff to declare their status and to amend it when it alters, along with other protected characteristics/equalities monitoring information which can be recorded in ESR, particularly focusing on the following staff cohorts:
- Band 3 (6.4% 111 people) Medium Impact Percentage/High Number of People
- Band 6 (11.7% 230 people) High Impact Percentage/High Number of People
- Band 7 (8.5% – 50 people) Medium Impact Percentage/High Number of People
- 8d (13.3%) High Impact Percentage
- VSM (18.2%) High Impact Percentage
Metric 2 – Recruitment
This metric looks specifically at the likelihood of being appointed from shortlisting. The target outcome is a figure of 1.0 – meaning that disabled candidates are no less likely to be appointed from shortlisting than candidates who have not declared a disability. A figure of 1.0 reflects well on the fairness of current recruitment processes.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likelihood | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.39 | 1.56 | 1.26 |
Data in relation to recruitment has shown an increase in the number of disabled candidates appointed from shortlisting compared to 2021/22:
- More than double the number of individuals (561) declaring a disability were shortlisted in 2022/23, compared to the previous year (250 shortlisted in 2021/22).
- There were 92 staff with a disability appointed this year, in comparison to 42 in the previous year.
These figures are very encouraging and may be indicative of the increasing number of applicants declaring their disability status at the time of applying, linked to inclusive language being used in recruitment adverts and promotion of the trust being a Disability Confident Leader.
As a result of the data emerging from this metric and based on figures in the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), we commissioned an audit of the trust’s end-to-end recruitment and selection processes to identify the barriers and challenges facing applicants from Ethnic Minority backgrounds or those with Disabilities. The audit has undertaken a deep dive into the data and explored the issues which exist, identified potential solutions and provided recommendations to effectively address the challenges and improve access.
Metric 3 – Formal performance process
As with recruitment, a figure of 1.0 or below is desired as this would indicate staff who have declared a disability are no more or less likely to enter into a formal capability process than those without a disability. Only the Performance Policy is used by NWAS to calculate this figure. In line with the technical guidance, it does not include sickness capability processes.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likelihood | 5.52 | 2.71 | 0 | 1.47 |
The figure has increased from last year’s likelihood score of 0.00, to a score this year 1.47. This means that disabled staff are nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to enter the performance process compared to non-disabled staff.
The number of overall staff in the formal performance process is low, and the actual number of disabled staff in the performance process is lower still. However, it is important to understand and ascertain why the disproportionality exists, and work will be undertaken through the HR Business Partner Team to explore this further.
Metric 4 – Experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse
This metric collates the data from four Staff Survey questions relating to bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination and reporting such behaviours.
% of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients/service users, their relatives or other members of the public in the last 12 months.
- The 2022 figures show the biggest difference in experience between disabled and non-disabled staff, since reporting began in 2018.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 45.8% | 45% | 42.1% | 37.8% | 34.1% |
| Disabled | 52% | 56.2% | 47% | 45.9% | 47.2% |
| Difference | 6.2% | 11.2% | 4.9% | 8.1% | 13.1% |
% of staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from managers in the last 12 months.
- The data showed that fewer Disabled and non-Disabled staff had negative experiences with managers compared to previous years, and the difference of between the two staff cohorts is also at the lowest since reporting began.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 13.2% | 11.8% | 14.5% | 11.3% | 10.1% |
| Disabled | 25.8% | 23.2% | 22.1% | 18.6% | 16.8% |
| Difference | 12.6% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 7.3% | 6.7% |
% of staff experiencing bullying, harassment, or abuse from other colleagues in the last 12 months.
The results for this question still show that more than 1 in 5 disabled staff experience abuse from colleagues, which is significantly higher than when compared to non-disabled staff.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 15.6% | 14.5% | 15.5% | 14.1% | 14% |
| Disabled | 26.5% | 26.7% | 23% | 23.6% | 21.8% |
| Difference | 10.9% | 12.2% | 7.5% | 9.5% | 7.8% |
% of staff saying that the last time they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work, they or a colleague reported it in the last 12 months.
There is virtually no difference between disabled and non-disabled on the question of reporting negative experiences. However, more than half of staff experiencing abuse are still not reporting it. Work will be undertaken to understand the reasons and consider appropriate actions.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 38.2% | 43.7% | 43.4% | 43.8% | 45.1% |
| Disabled | 39.9% | 49.1% | 49.3% | 46.3% | 44.7% |
| Difference | 1.7% | 5.4% | 5.9% | 2.5% | -0.4% |
In the main, based on this data from the Staff Survey, we have seen an improvement in respect of the experiences of staff with Disabilities. However, there continues to be a significant % of disabled staff experience, which will be monitored closely.
To improve experiences of all our workforce but particularly those with disabilities, the trust and the Disability Network have undertaken a range of activities over the last year. We will be looking to build on the progress which has been achieved so far, and aim to ensure that the experiences of disabled staff in NWAS continue to improve including promoting avenue such as freedom to speak up (F2SU).
Metric 5 – Equal opportunities for career progression
% of staff who believe that the trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion.
- While the response for disabled staff on this question is more positive compared to the previous year, nevertheless more than half feel the organisation does not act fairly in terms of career progression.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 53.9% | 53.7% | 52% | 49.7% | 51.9% |
| Disabled | 43.3% | 45.5% | 44.9% | 39.4% | 45.1% |
| Difference | -10.6% | -8.2% | -7.1% | -10.3% | -6.8% |
We are continuing efforts to improve retention of talent, as well as career progression and development opportunities for staff. This is taking in to account the experiences of staff with protected characteristics, and the barriers they may face in their professional development and career progression.
Metric 6 – Attending work
% of staff who felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to do so.
- Around 4 in 10 staff still report that they feel the pressure to work while for non-disabled staff this is less than 3 in 10.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 32.6% | 30.8% | 29.5% | 28.6% | 27.2% |
| Disabled | 45.3% | 44% | 38.9% | 40.6% | 38.3% |
| Difference | 12.7% | 13.2% | 9.4% | 12% | 11.1% |
Metric 7 – Feeling valued
% of staff who are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work.
- More than three-quarters of staff with Disabilities do not feel satisfied with how the trust values their work – which is considerably more when compared to non-disabled staff.
- The difference in experience between the two cohorts of staff has widened this year in comparison to the last two years.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 36.7% | 39.5% | 35.2% | 32.9% | 33.6% |
| Disabled | 25.3% | 29.1% | 29.1% | 27.5% | 23.9% |
Metric 8 – Reasonable adjustments
In the Staff Survey, respondents who declare they have a disability are asked whether the organisation has made adequate adjustments to enable them to carry out their work. Following a significant decrease from 2020 to 21, the result for this question did improve in 2022.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled | 60.3% | 58.6% | 71% | 57.8% | 63% |
Metric 9 – Staff engagement
This metric provides an engagement score for staff, calculated from nine specific questions from the Staff Survey. The 2022 Staff Engagement score shows that a gap does remain between the experiences of staff with and without Disabilities – as has been shown in the metrics below. The score for both cohorts of staff in 2022 was the same as in 2021, but this is lower than the score in 2020.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non disabled | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Disabled | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| Difference | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
This metric also asks whether the organisation has taken action to facilitate the voices of staff with disabilities to be heard, to which NWAS has said ‘Yes’ and added the following note:
“Disability Network members have been involved in an end-to-end audit relating to organisational recruitment and selection processes undertaken by our external ED&I partner – enei. Recommendations from the audit were received in May 2023, and are now being considered by the Board for implementation.”
Metric 10 – Board representation
This metric is about the % difference between the organisation’s Board voting membership and its overall workforce, and the trust’s Board executive membership and its overall workforce.
The data shows a significant improvement from the year before, with 14% of the total Board declaring a disability in 2022 (0 in 2021). With regards Executive members of the Board, 25% have declared a disability. In comparison, 6.5% of the overall NWAS workforce have declared a disability, which is a significant improvement.
Trust-wide actions
The WDES data along with the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), and Gender Pay Gap data (set out in separate reports) reflects the ongoing work to support all our staff groups and address inequalities in the workplace. It is reassuring to see that there have been some improvements across a number of key areas. However, we recognise that there remains a significant difference in the experiences of disabled and nondisabled staff. We will continue to explore the reasons for this and put in place actions to help improve the employee experience of our disabled colleagues.
Over the coming months, there will be a specific focus on the following pieces of work:
- Following the conclusion of the inclusive recruitment audit earlier this year, we are working to deliver the key recommendations which are focused on ensuring that our processes relating to recruitment and selection do not disadvantage underrepresented groups or communities.
- The organisation recognises that neurodiversity is a natural and valuable part of human diversity and seeks to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace environment where all employees can thrive. To help achieve this, we are embedding a new policy on supporting neurodiverse employees. This is intended to provide guidance to support the needs of employees who are neurodiverse.
- The development of the Procedure for Requesting and Managing Reasonable Adjustments is expected to be completed in January 2024 and will then be rolled out across the trust – providing a single consistent approach to staff and managers around reasonable adjustments and other support for disabled staff.
- Supporting the Staff Networks to facilitate their growth and contribution to the development of a positive organisational culture.