Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Diversity is about recognising and valuing difference in its broadest sense. Inclusion is about an individual’s experience within the workplace and in wider society and the extent to which they feel valued and included.

At Bedfordshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, we are passionate about building a working environment and culture that is ‘Inclusive by Instinct’, where Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is a golden thread that is woven into the wider organisational strategy and becomes business as usual.  We want our employees to feel a sense of belonging, psychologically safe, where their views and opinions are listened to and acted upon. We actively encourage you to bring your whole self to work – be proud of being you!  We want to work with everyone without judgement, recognising individuality as a strength, no matter who you are or where you are from.

Our Values

As a diverse and inclusive employer our THRIVE values are reflected in our policies and procedures.

Teamwork – We work mindfully and collaboratively to create a well-organised, professional, and supportive atmosphere that achieves the best possible outcomes for all.
Honesty & Openness We are open, authentic and have integrity and in all we do, reflecting on our actions to improve the quality of care and experience we deliver.
Respect – Inclusivity – Valuing People.  Our commitment is to foster a culture where all employees are valued, respected and acknowledged through fair and consistent treatment. and providing everyone with a voice
Excellence – We have a responsibility to recruit the best person for each job, based entirely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the role.  It is important to us that our recruitment process is fair, open, consistent and free from bias and discrimination.

We are disability confident committed, which means that:

• We ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and information is provided in accessible formats
• If you have a disability, we will always offer you an interview, once you have met the essential criteria
• We have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments at interview stage and when you become an employee

We are proud to be actively working on local, regional and national EDI initiatives including:

• NHS Diversity in Health and Care Partners Programme
• NHS Trust ICB EDI Leads & CQC Meeting
• NHS Trust Rainbow Badge Accreditation
• HIV Competent
• EoE EDI Disability Transformation Committee
• BLMK Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB)
• BLMK Mental Health Equalities Group
• Bedfordshire Race Equality Forum