To support employers in preparing for the duty, we have
produced some online guidance material which includes:
·
An overview of the Gender Equality Duty and a step-by-step guide
to producing a Gender Equality Scheme
·
A presentation 'Creating a Gender Equality Scheme - Key facts and
actions for NHS organisations.' The presentation includes speaker notes and
may be useful for informing your relevant audiences about the duty
·
A checklist to help you prepare for the Gender Equality Duty
What do NHS organisations need to do?
Health providers must think about the policies they develop
and the services they deliver with the different needs of women and men in
mind. You will also need to look at who uses your services, and ask questions
like:
·
What are the different issues and priorities for women and men
who use the services we provide?
·
Do they have different requirements and needs to be met by our
service?
·
Will women or men be put off using a service because of the lack
of childcare or an unsafe or unwelcoming environment?
·
Are there some services which are more effectively delivered as
women-only or men-only?
NHS organisations must also look at their employment policies
to see how they affect women and men. Some gender issues you may have to
think about are:
·
Is there a pay gap between men and women doing the same job or
jobs of similar value?
·
How could flexible working help staff and how will it benefit
men and women?
·
How do we recruit staff and are we likely to get a good gender
balance of candidates?
·
Do we have a gender imbalance? If so, how could we try and
rectify the situation?
·
Do we have a good return rate from maternity leave? If
not, why and how can we improve?