Purpose
To eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and reduce avoidable differences in health and care outcomes.
Scope
All people using the service, families, staff and applicants.
Legal framework
The nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, together with socio-economic disadvantage, digital exclusion and inclusion-health groups.
Reducing inequality in practice
Access: referral and assessment processes are reviewed for barriers such as language, literacy, digital access and transport.
Experience: feedback and complaints are disaggregated to reveal differences between groups.
Outcomes: clinical and quality indicators such as weight loss, pressure damage, falls, restrictive practice and hospital admission are analysed for disparity.
Reasonable adjustments and accessible information
Communication needs are recorded and met in line with the Accessible Information Standard, including interpreters, easy-read and assistive technology.
Training and competency
All staff receive induction training on this policy before working unsupervised, refreshed at least annually or sooner following incident learning or a change in guidance.
Competency is confirmed through observation of practice, supervision discussion and reflective questioning — not attendance records alone.
Training records are maintained centrally and gaps are reviewed monthly against the training matrix.
Governance, monitoring and accountability
The registered manager holds overall accountability for this policy. Day-to-day implementation is delegated to named leads recorded in the service's accountability matrix.
Compliance is monitored through the service audit calendar, with findings reported to the monthly governance review and escalated to the provider board where risk is rated high.
Every audit finding is converted into an entry on the improvement action tracker with a named owner, priority rating, target date and evidence of completion.
Learning is shared with the whole team through team meetings, supervision and reflective practice sessions. Where a theme recurs, the policy itself is reviewed rather than the individual blamed.
- Annual equality impact assessment on major policies and service changes.
- Equality data quality checks so that analysis is not defeated by missing data.
- Any identified disparity is entered on the improvement tracker with a named owner and a measurable target.
- Discriminatory abuse is treated as a safeguarding matter.
- Specific attention to people with a learning disability or autism, people living with dementia, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people and people experiencing homelessness or poverty.
- Annual review of uptake of health checks, vaccinations, screening and dental care by group.
Evidence of compliance
- Equality impact assessments
- Disaggregated outcome reports
- Accessible information records
Suggested review cycle: Annually.