Equality Engagement and Inclusion
For the engagement outcomes report please click , so you can review our engagement performance in 2018 to 2019.
Background
The 2011-2012 EDS assessment by third sector organisations and other protected groups based much of their assessment grades on the equality performance of the Countess (CoCH) on evidence of how the Trust includes and collaborates with stakeholder groups in how it reviews and plans its policies, functions and services.
In October 2011, a new equality governance framework was established which built on some previous work on involving patients and 3rd sector organisations, from across many but not all of the protected characteristics. In order to build on this, there was a need to expand the engagement with protected groups, in particular groups that had little contact with public authorities e.g. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual people and also Irish Travellers. This plan was shared with last year's EDS assessors to demonstrate how the Trust would aim to make progress.
In the EDS action plan for 2012-2013, a new programme of engagement was formulated with the specific mandate to:
Build up trust and actively engage with protected groups, in particular, those who are seldom heard or engage with services
Recruit a wider stakeholder membership in the Trust equality groups
Progress the involvement of protected groups who are already established within the equality governance framework, to shape progress and equality objectives
Establish a multi-agency steering group, to harmonise engagement work across Cheshire West and Chester and North Wales, with protected groups and share best practice and research
Set up health and wellbeing forums for protected groups, to ascertain their health experiences and identify any health inequalities or potential barriers to accessing health care
Collaborate on engagement events across protected groups and build up capacity for groups to contribute to the health and wellbeing agenda and act as EDS assessors for 2012-2013 and beyond