Case Study: South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust achieves greater staff openness and equality reporting with NHS Employers' Personal, Fair & Diverse Champions campaign

The Value Of The Personal, Fair & Diverse Champions Campaign

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to around 2.5 million people, with a workforce of 4,500 across 200 sites. While its staff survey results showed strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, SEPT identified gaps in employees declaring characteristics such as marital status/civil partnership, sexual orientation and religion, and needed a better way to build openness across the organisation. NHS Employers supported the trust through its Personal, Fair and Diverse (PFD) champions campaign.

NHS Employers helped SEPT grow its network of PFD champions by promoting the scheme through engagement events, board-level sponsorship, targeted recruitment of interested staff, and linking employees seeking equality advice with champions. As a result, the trust strengthened its equality champion network over four years and saw more staff declare their faith, disability, sexual orientation and civil partnership status, which SEPT believes reflects greater confidence and openness. The campaign also helped create a broader support network for managers and HR on equality issues.

South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT)

Jessica Wallin

Administrator