Equalities Manager

Site Trust HQ, Maudsley Hospital Town Denmark Hill Salary £70,387 - £80,465 per annum inclusive of HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 05/05/:59 Interview date 02/06/2025

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview Are you passionate about creating inclusive services and improving equity of access, outcomes and experience for service users? This role offers a unique opportunity to lead and influence the Trust's service user equality and human rights work, in a diverse organisation that serves the diverse populations of South East London.

The successful post holder will have experience of leading service Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) improvements, highly developed communication and influencing skills, and the ability to analyse and communicate data effectively.

You will be working in a dynamic environment alongside a committed and experienced senior leadership team. You will also support the equalities aspect of the new Children and Young People's Gender Service (London) as part of our partnership with Great Ormond St Hospital and Evelina Children's Hospital.

Main duties of the job

• Lead on the delivery of EDI activities, plans, interventions and strategies in support of the Trust's overall strategic plans, providing information, advice and support as required around operational plans.
• Provide senior and specialist expertise on equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights across the organisation, supporting the Operational Directorates to take an evidence-based approach to working towards equity of access, experience, and outcomes for service users.
• Be knowledgeable about and responsive to the experience of groups with protected characteristics.
• Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and public sector reporting duties.
• Identify areas for improvement and develop and implement projects and programmes to improve service user equity of access, experience and outcomes and to reduce health inequalities. This will include working closely with the Patient and Carer Race Equity Framework (PCREF) team, and supporting the delivery of the Trust's Anti-Racism plan.
• Actively engage with and represent the Trust at London and national EDI forums, networks and meetings.
• Lead and coordinate cross-organisational work on equalities in specific areas of service delivery where the Trust is taking a lead role as part of a provider collaborative.

Working for our organisation The post has been based within the Strategy and Transformation Directorate but will shortly be transferring to the Medical Directorate to strengthen alignment with the Trust's work on population health management and inequalities.

This role is a mix of home and office working. For office work, the role is based at Trust Headquarters, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities Instructions for Applicants

We expect to receive a high number of applications for this role. Your application will not be considered unless your supporting statement is explicitly tailored to this role and you have relevant work experience. To help us identify suitable candidates, please use the following structure in your supporting statement:

A. Brief statement about why you are interested in this role.

B. A short explanation with specific examples of how you meet these criteria:

1. Significant experience providing strategic direction, guidance, support, and advice on a range of service equality areas.
2. Ability to interpret legislation and EDI-related law, regulations, policies and good practice to provide specialist advice for the Trust and partner organisations.
3. Ability to develop strategic plans, and to lead and effect cultural change in service provision within a large public sector organisation.
4. Experience of analysing data and other evidence sources and producing policy advice for senior managers.
5. Excellent skills in communication across a range of audiences, including service users, patients and carers and staff at all levels of the organisation.

C. Anything else you would like to add to demonstrate how you meet other criteria in the person specification.

The postholder will be a passionate Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) leader with proven experience of leading culture change and working in partnership to create inclusive services that provide equity of access, experience and outcomes for service users. Drawing on your experience of leading EDI improvements, excellent analytical skills and encouraging learning and curiosity, you will play a key role in engaging, influencing and inspiring others to create a culture of inclusion and equity. You will help to drive sustainable improvements in our services to deliver inclusive care.

The Equalities Manager provides operational and strategic direction across all service delivery aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). The postholder will lead on mandatory and statutory reporting and ensure progress of EDI initiatives and projects, through the use of analytics and performance measures. As lead and subject matter expert, the postholder will work closely with the Board to set the strategic direction for the Trust. They will provide advice and support culture change to embed EDI thinking into service delivery.

The postholder will ensure the Trust meets its legislative and regulatory requirements laid out in the Equality Act 2010, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the associated obligations relating to the NHS Equality Delivery System 2, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) and national, regional and local initiatives.

They will ensure systems, policies and procedures support and reflect the Trust's commitment to providing excellent care for its patients and to recognising the diversity of its patients and communities. The postholder will work alongside the workforce EDI lead who holds responsibility for workforce equalities.

Key duties will include:

• Lead on the delivery of EDI activities, plans, interventions and strategies in support of the Trust's overall strategic plans, providing information, advice and support as required around operational plans.
• Provide senior and specialist expertise on equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights across the organisation, supporting the Operational Directorates to take an evidence-based approach to working towards equity of access, experience, and outcomes for service users.
• Actively seek out opportunities to promote the EDI agenda and actions.
• Using root cause analysis, advance positive change in behaviours, policies and practice to create systems which embed EDI including use of Equality Impact Assessments, culture change, training, education, recruitment and leadership.
• Be knowledgeable about and responsive to the experience of groups with protected characteristics.
• Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and public sector reporting duties.
• Identify areas for improvement and develop and implement projects and programmes to improve service user equity of access, experience and outcomes and to reduce health inequalities. This will include working closely with the Patient and Carer Race Equity Framework (PCREF) team, and supporting the delivery of the Trust's Anti-Racism plan.
• Together with the workforce EDI lead, coordinate the Trust-wide EDI Group, including representatives from all key teams, and ensuring there is a regular focus on learning and improvement.
• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of service delivery sections of the Trust's Integrated Equalities Action Plan.
• Actively engage with and represent the Trust at London and national EDI forums, networks and meetings.

Person specification Shortlisting

• Educated to masters degree or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience of leadership and providing strategic direction, guidance, support, and advice on a range of equality areas.
• Ability to interpret legislation and EDI-related law . click apply for full job details