The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) was introduced in April 2019 as a mandated data collection. The WDES is a collection of 10 metrics that aim to compare the workplace and career experiences of disabled and non-disabled staff. NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts are required to report and publish data, on an annual basis, for each of these metrics.

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) metrics data analysis highlights the collective experiences of disabled NHS staff and provides a tool for our Trust to work with disabled staff to examine and benchmark our own data, using the evidence as a springboard for action. The WDES Technical Guidance contains information to support with the collection and reporting of WDES metrics data and producing action plans.

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan details the initiatives which will result in the achievement of our goals with robust quarterly reporting undertaken against each individual initiative including RAG rating and metrics.

This report provides an overview of the Trust figures for 2022 and 2023 and National figure for 2022.

Our workforce composition is made up of the following; 4.08% are disabled, 86.5% have declared non-disability and 9.4% are unknown.

Indicator 1: Percentage of disabled staff in each of the Agenda for Change (AfC) bands 1 to 9, very senior managers (including executive board members), medical, dental and other staff, compared with the percentage of non-disabled staff in these categories.
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 4.2%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 3.5%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 4.08%
Indicator 2: Relative likelihood of non-disabled staff compared to disabled staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 1.09%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 1.48%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 0.67%
Indicator 3: Relative likelihood of disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff entering the formal capability process
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 2.01%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 0%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 0%
Indicator 4: Percentage of disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse in the last 12 months
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021):
    • from the public: Disabled: 33% | Non-Disabled: 25.7%
    • from colleagues: Disabled: 25% | Non-Disabled: 16.4%
    • from managers: Disabled: 17% | Non-Disabled: 9.6%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021):
    • from the public: Disabled: 26.3% | Non-Disabled: 22.3%
    • from colleagues: Disabled: 28.4% | Non-Disabled: 18.6%
    • from managers: Disabled: 20.9% | Non-Disabled: 12.7%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022):
    • from colleagues: Disabled: 27.9% | Non-Disabled: 21%
    • from managers: Disabled: 30% | ​​​​​​​Non-Disabled: 16.5%​​​​​​​
    • ​​from the public: ​​​​​​​Disabled: 18.8%​​​​​​​ | Non-Disabled: 11.9%
Indicator 5: Percentage of disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff believing that the trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 51.3%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 45.5%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 41.8%
Indicator 6: Percentage of disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff saying that they have felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties (“presenteeism”)
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 29.9%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 24.5%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 26.5%
Indicator 7: Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff saying that they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 35.1%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 28.2%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 25.9%
Indicator 8: Percentage of disabled staff saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 72.2%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): New indicator for staff survey 2022
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): 68.4%
Indicator 9: Staff engagement
  • Staff network in place
Indicator 10: Percentage difference between the organisation’s board voting membership and its organisation’s overall workforce
  • National Figure for 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): 4.6%
  • NCIC 2022 (Staff survey data is from 2021): -3.6%
  • NCIC 2023 (Staff survey data is from 2022): -4%

​​​​​​​Area of improvement

We have seen an improvement in the following areas:

  1. Indicator 1: Percentage of disabled staff in each of the Agenda for Change (AfC) bands 1 to 9, very senior managers (including executive board members), medical, dental and other staff, compared with the percentage of non-disabled staff in these categories has increased by 0.58%.
  2. Indicator 2: Relative likelihood of non-disabled staff compared to Disabled staff being appointed from shortlisting across all posts has reduced by 0.97%.

Areas of Decline

We have seen a decline in the following areas:

  1. National Staff Survey indicators: The majority of these indicators have declined. This decline has been analysed and is a focus of our National Staff Survey Strategic Improvement Plan.​​​​​​​