Equality, diversity & inclusion

At the end of 2020, we joined the Inequalities in Health Alliance. The IHA is a coalition of organisations with an interest in the health of the UK who have come together to campaign. The aim is to reduce health inequalities and spur the government into action. We support the alliance’s three asks of the government, to: 

• develop a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities
• commence the socio-economic duty, section 1 of the Equality Act 2010
• adopt a ‘child health in all policies’ approach

In March 2021 the Charity joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA). This dynamic network of employers come from a wide variety of sectors, working collectively to take action on domestic abuse. The initiative:

• is committed to change, helping employers to better care for their employees by implementing effective internal policies on domestic abuse 
• offers easily accessible practical support and tools through information, meetings and digital resources  
• are constantly evolving, collating feedback and learning from initiatives

If you know a company who would be interested in raising awareness of domestic abuse, working to keep people safe and saving lives, applications can be made at eida.org.uk/become-a-member 

We have pledged to change the way we think and act about mental health at work.

2020 and 2021 in particular and the pandemic have brought mental health and wellbeing very much to the forefront for many. To support colleagues the Hospice has introduced a number of initiatives to give them the space to focus on their own mental health.

Find out more in our Time to Change and Time to Talk news articles.

In May 2019 Arthur Rank Hospice Charity was certified as a Disability Confident Committed Employer.

Our certification runs until 4 May 2022, when we will be reassessed.  As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we have committed to:

• ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible
• communicating and promoting vacancies
• offering an interview to disabled people
• anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required
• supporting any existing employee who acquires a disability or long term health condition, enabling them to stay in work
• at least one activity that will make a difference for disabled people      

Find out more about Disability Confident at gov.uk/disability-confident

In July 2019 we signed up to Cambridge City Council’s Equality Pledge.  

This is a simple pledge that commits us to appreciating and valuing the benefits that different communities contribute to Cambridge and the surrounding region. 

You can find out more about the Pledge on Cambridge City Council’s website by clicking here.

At the WAG’s December meeting, Dr Gurpreet Gupta, our Specialty Registrar in Palliative Medicine, gave a presentation about Hospice colleague’s experiences of racism from service users. This was conducted at another hospice of a similar inpatient size to Arthur Rank Hospice.

We are keen to adapt this project and support colleagues with our ongoing commitment to being anti-racist, ensuring colleagues are supported and equipped when faced with racism or discrimination of any sort. We want all colleagues to recognise our responsibility to constructively challenge any form of discrimination. Providing outstanding care requires the highest level of personal integrity from us all, at all times.

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity subscribes to the Mid & South Essex University Hospitals Group Equality & Inclusion current awareness bulletin.

The weekly online publication provides links to relevant commentaries, evidence based articles, events, multimedia resources and more.

To access this, please visit our Library website page (see ‘Professional Resources’ section).