Equality and Diversity

NHS Forth Valley's vision is to be a just and inclusive organisation where everyone who receives services or works for us has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

This cannot be achieved if there is prejudice, discrimination, or alienation, or whilst people in our community are excluded. Services need to be accessible, appropriate and sensitive to the needs of all service users. No-one should be excluded or experience particular difficulty in accessing and effectively using our services due to their age, disability, gender, race/ethnicity, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

As an Equal Opportunities employer we will strive to have staff with the right skills to deliver equitable and quality services. We are committed to ensuring that our employees are not discriminated against and are appropriately supported in the workplace.

NHS Forth Valley is committed to developing an organisational culture that promotes Equality and Diversity.

NHS Forth Valley's vision is to provide health improvement, healthcare services and employment opportunities which promote equality for all and which eliminate any risk of discrimination.

The equality and diversity agenda sets out significant challenges which are being addressed through the continued and developing work of the NHS Forth Valley Fair for All and Patient Focus, Public Involvement (PFPI) Frameworks. Working with local and national partners, and importantly, with our own workforce and communities, we aspire to deliver services and employment opportunities which are equal and fair for all and reduce inequalities.

NHS Forth Valley Integrated Health Care Strategy 2009-14

What is Equality and Diversity?

Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone has an equal level of opportunity to participate and to fulfill their potential as an individual member of society. The six equality strands are:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Race and Ethnicity 
• Religion and Belief
• Sexual Orientation

Diversity is about recognising and valuing differences to be found between individuals. Diversity results from differences including age, disability, gender, race/ethnicity, religion/belief, and sexual orientation, employment circumstances or background. All of these factors provide different experiences, perspectives and knowledge, which in turn can be of value to other people or organisations.

NHS Forth Valley Single Equality Scheme

As a public authority, we have a legal requirement under the general equality duties to promote equality in the areas of disability, gender and race.

Our first three-year Single Equality Scheme sets out how we will meet those legal requirements while also addressing the other areas of equality that we cover- age, religion or belief and sexual orientation, as well as a focus on inequalities in health.

In developing our scheme we have proactively engaged with stakeholders through extensive service user and staff involvement and consultation.

We view our scheme as a 'living document' to be of continued relevance through revision and performance monitoring.

• Single Equality Scheme (full document) (pdf, 653k)
• Single Equality Scheme (sectioned)

Single Equality Scheme Annual reports

The purposes of these reports are to outline the equality and diversity programme of work, which extends across the organisation and includes employment and service provision during 2010. The report highlights our achievements, outlines baseline data and reflects the progress made regarding our respective disability, gender and race equality schemes action plans.

• Equality and Diversity Schemes Annual Report 2011 (doc, 300k)
• Equality and Diversity Schemes Draft Annual Report 2010 (pdf, 292k)
• Equality and Diversity Schemes Annual Report 2009 (pdf, 280k)
• Equality and Diversity Schemes Annual Report 2008 (pdf, 313k)

Previous schemes

Disability

• Disability Equality Scheme 2006 -2009
• Revised Disability Equality Scheme 2006-2009  (pdf, 512k)

Gender

• Gender Equality Scheme 2007 – 2010
• Gender Equality Scheme Annual Report 2009

Race

• Race Equality Scheme 2008-2011
• Race Equality Scheme 2005 – 2008