Staff Equality and Inclusion

Equality and Inclusion | Equality Reporting | Patient Equality and Inclusion | Staff Equality and Inclusion


Staff equality and inclusion means being fair and making sure that everyone has the chance to work for us.

This includes making changes or providing extra support for some people so they can be the best they can be at their jobs.

It means having action plans so that we can keep getting better as an employer.

And it also means making sure our staff reflect the communities we serve.

Our Equal Opportunities Policy is our policy to make sure that we are fair to both our patients and our staff.

This page tells you more about what we are doing to be fair to everyone who works for us.

What staff inclusion means to Bridgewater

Workplace equality and inclusion is a vital part of running a successful Trust, and being a fair and supportive employer is very important to Bridgewater.

Workplace equality just makes good business sense. Inclusive employers can utilise the wide range of talents and ideas in the diverse communities served; diverse teams are more innovative in problem solving and developing ideas; and through representing different communities within the workforce differing needs and inequalities can be better understood and addressed.

Most importantly of all is the evidence that good workplace equality and inclusion impacts positively on the patient, with the reverse leading to poor patient experience and outcomes.

We have a legal duty towards ensuring workplace equality, and this is set out in our Equal Opportunities Policy.

Please see our recruitment webpage for more information on working from Bridgewater.

Race Equality and Anti-Racism

Anti-Racism Statement and Commitment

Bridgewater is committed to improving race equality for our staff and our communities, and to being actively anti-racist.

We are committed to improving awareness and understanding, from an individual to a Trust level, of the ways in which many of us have benefitted from privilege and systemic racial discrimination throughout our lives.

We will as a Trust demonstrate honesty and transparency; we will admit where we have gaps in knowledge, understanding, data, representation; we will be open and honest about where we believe we can do better; and we will actively facilitate and listen to the voices of our diverse workforce and communities, recognising that Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are not a collective whole any more than ‘White British’ is a group with identical views, needs, aspirations and inequalities.

We will work in true partnership with our staff networks and with our wider communities to develop and deliver real and sustainable plans that address racism, discrimination, and inequality.

Race At Work Charter

Business in the Community (BITC) in partnership with the government is pleased to announce that Bridgwater has signed up to the Race at Work Charter, an initiative designed to improve outcomes for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic employees in the UK.

The charter builds on the work of the 2017 McGregor-Smith Review, ‘Race in the workplace’, a wake-up call for UK employers, which found that people from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds were still underemployed, underpromoted and under-represented at senior levels.

The Race at Work Charter is designed to foster a public commitment to improving outcomes of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic employees in the workplace. It consists of five principles to ensure organisations address the barriers to recruitment and progression. Organisations that sign up to the charter are publicly committing to:

  • Appointing an Executive Sponsor for race
  • Capturing data and publicising progress
  • Ensuring zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
  • Making equality in the workplace the responsibility of all leaders and managers
  • Taking action that supports ethnic minority career progression

Disability Confident

We are proud to be a part of the Disability Confident scheme, and in March 2022 were delighted to be recognised as a Disability Confident Leader.

We  have a robust action plan that will support us in our journey to improve workplace and service experience for people with disabilities: We commit to:

  • Removing barriers to rewarding employment for people with disabilities and long-term conditions
  • Providing services that are accessible to disabled people
  • Promoting our commitment to DC to external partners and encouraging them to do the same, which includes introducing external services to Disability Confident best practice when they may not have previously been aware of it.

Staff Networks

We have five staff networks in Bridgewater, offering both safe and confidential spaces for staff to meet, and for staff and allies to discuss ideas and ideas to support the development of actions that will improve the workplace and services for people from different and diverse groups.

Are networks are:

  • Bridgewater LGBTQ+ Staff Network
  • Carers Support Network
  • (Dis)Ability and Wellbeing Network
  • Menopause Support Network
  • Race Inclusion Network

Menopause Friendly Committed

In 2021 we were one of the early adopters of the new Menopause Friendly accreditation scheme.

We are committed to making our workplaces menopause inclusive, to breaking the stigma about menopause, and to providing our staff with support, and a voice to continue honest and open conversations about menopause.

We have a staff network for staff offering both a safe space to meet, talk and share, and to also support and challenge the Trust in delivery of the menopause friendly action plan.

Workforce equality and inclusion reports

There are a number of reports we produce annually that relate to workforce equality and inclusion. These include the WRES, Gender Pay Gap report, Public Sector Equality Duty Annual Report, and EDS2. We also have two equality action plans, one for workforce, and one for services and communities.

All documents can all be viewed on the Trust webpage.