Equality, diversity and inclusion
It starts with me
Our people priority is to create a culture at work where people feel safe, healthy, and supported to make this a great place to work, where everyone is not only valued but also excited to contribute (in a big or small way) to deliver excellent patient care.
Through our compassionate leadership approach we commit to include with care, listen with genuine curiosity and act with courage to make Torbay and South Devon not only a great place to work but also a great place to receive care and treatment.
It starts with me underscores our collective responsibility to creating a culture where people feel seen, heard and included, where all are treated with dignity and respect and everyone is welcome. We all have a responsibility to make the NHS a place where we all feel we belong.
Our immersive equality, diversity and inclusion training has rolled out across all areas with the aim of all our people, wherever they work and whatever their job role, having completed the training.
Our culture charter
Creating an environment where everyone feels included is paramount. This can only be achieved through mutual respect, kindness, and a genuine celebration of diversity in all its forms – because we are all unique individuals.
Our culture charter is our contract with our people that we will promote a culture that fosters openness and transparency and does not tolerate unwanted, harmful and/or inappropriate behaviours. We are one big, diverse team which is united by a desire to provide better health and care for all and our culture charter underpins everything we do.
We include with care, we listen with genuine curiosity, we act with courage
We have several active staff networks. These networks provide a safe space for colleagues to share their experiences and learn from one another, but also influence change across our organisation. All our colleagues are welcome to join our networks as we recognise the importance of allyship in creating a culture of belonging:
- BME staff forum
- Disability awareness and action group
- LGBTQ+ network
- Menopause network
- Under 30s network
Reports
Our key equality reports can be found on our equality, diversity and inclusion reports page. For archived reports, please contact our diversity and inclusion team.
Statement on the UK Supreme Court Ruling and Our Commitment to Equality
We recognise that the ruling by the UK Supreme Court regarding the legal definition of sex under the Equality Act 2010 has raised questions and concerns across our communities.
The judgment clarified that, for the purposes of the Act, ‘sex’ refers to biological sex. At the same time, the UK Supreme Court confirmed the legal protections for transgender people in respect of discrimination and harassment under that Act.
The Supreme Court ruling has implications for how organisations interpret and apply equality legislation, particularly in relation to single-sex spaces and services.
We understand that this decision is impacting on NHS colleagues and those who use our services in different ways and may be causing confusion and anxiety.
NHS England is currently reviewing guidance on same sex accommodation, considering all relevant legislation and the recent ruling. Until we receive the new guidance our current policies and procedures remain unchanged.
We want to reassure our staff, patients, and partners that our commitment to inclusivity, dignity, and respect remains unwavering. We recognise and value people for their differences and expect all our people to treat others fairly, with respect and without bias. All our NHS colleagues and people who use our services have the right to be respected, protected and safe.
We will continue to uphold the principles of the Equality Act and work with our colleagues to foster an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and included while we await the new guidance from NHS England on what changes we, and the hundreds of NHS service providers, will need to make.