New eLearning module for Board members about equality and the Public Sector Duty
A project team from NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have developed a new elearning module and suite of resources for board members. “Equality and the role of Board members in meeting the Public Sector Duty” aims to promote understanding of key issues relating to equality, and the ways in which those in senior leadership roles can help advance equality and eliminate discrimination.
NHS non-executives from NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Dumfries & Galloway and the NHS Equality Leads Network provided support and input to the project.
The resource aims to support senior leaders, both executive and non-executive board members, to learn about key issues relating to equality, and why equality is central to everything they do. On completion of the module, learners will be able to identify what equality is and what their legal obligations are. They will also recognise why equality is important in the NHS, and be able to identify ways they can contribute to improvements in equality in their own roles.
As a public body NES has a responsibility to ensure its services are equitable for the population it serves and for its employees. The Public Sector Equality Duty provides the legal framework to mainstream equality into day-to-day work and decision-making. It is important in demonstrating how NES is eliminating discrimination and advancing equality through the services it designs and delivers.
Importantly, the Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies to consider evidence and take account of people’s experiences, seeking out the views of those who sadly experience discrimination and inequality in Scotland today. It is important for good governance that non-Executives are aware of this statutory requirement and what it means for their role.
Katy Hetherington, Principal Lead – Equality, Diversity and Human Rights, Workforce Directorate, NES said:
“Equality is an important principle and value which underpins our work in health and social care. Ensuring that we uphold people’s rights is everyone’s responsibility, but our Board members have a particular role in the governance of statutory responsibilities such as the Public Sector Equality Duty.
“This new e-learning module has been developed in collaboration with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ensure Board members are aware of the Duty and their role in progressing equality. The module provides a useful overview of equality issues and the importance of embedding equality into our day-to-day work and we would recommend it as a useful learning resource for all staff.”
The Board Development TURAS Learn site is open to all and may be relevant to the wider health and care leadership and workforce. Anyone can access the equality eLearning module by typing TURAS Learn into any search engine; register and type Board Development in the search bar. The module is in the Essentials for Good Governance tab.
July, 25 2022