Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are an organisation that will continue to drive equality, diversity and inclusion in all that we do, right at the start of everything that we do. We're proud to serve diverse communities throughout Coventry and Warwickshire, and want to ensure people using our services have the best experience possible. This includes making sure our services are appropriate and accessible for everyone, and putting adjustments in place to support people, such as our translation services. 

For the people who work with us, we're dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment, where all our staff are given the tools and support to reach their full potential. Anyone is welcome to apply for a job with us, and we will never discriminate based on race, disability, beliefs, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of identity.  

We aim to:

proactively work towards a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion, where our people can bring their whole self to work, and our patients are given inclusive care at the point of entry.

The Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is there to ensure high standards are met across the organisation. The Trust provides training to staff on cultural and linguistic issues, and support to staff and service users who may have experienced harassment, bullying or abuse.

We're also taking action by: 

• Working with staff to reduce any barriers for people accessing our services. 
• Providing tailor made training to staff about equality and diversity. 
• Addressing racism for both staff and service users. 
• Ensuring our staffing reflects the needs of minority groups.
• Engaging in preventative work with local communities around illnesses and disease. 
• Working alongside other local organisations to address challenges together. 

Our campaigns and initiatives 

We also have a wide range of campaigns and initiatives to help us develop a more inclusive and fair culture, that celebrates our diversity. These include: 

• The No Excuse for Abuse campaign demonstrates CWPT's stance that there is never an excuse for abuse and raises awareness of how to report so that together, we can take action.
• The Heart of CWPT campaign celebrates our diversity and the many nationalities, faiths, and sexualities that make up our workforce.
• An inclusion calendar is shared across the Trust to raise awareness of religious or cultural events that our colleagues and service users may observe, and we regularly campaign so that we can learn more about each other and what's important to us.
• Staff networks that connect our diverse communities.
• Online and in-person Let's Talk sessions are open to all staff on a wide range of topics related to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

I am proud to be part of an organisation where we work hard to ensure everyone feels they are treated with respect and has access to the same opportunities. Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust has a socially inclusive reputation of being open and accessible to all that use our services.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but we will look at our achievements and continue our journey to ensure that our staff work in an environment that embraces equality, diversity and inclusion, and where this is seen as not just a legal requirement but something that is normal and every day.

 - Rano Bains, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion