- Conference
- 2014 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 7 December 2013
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes with concern that an increasing number of employers are not using the Agenda for Change Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) on which to base their appraisal schemes, but are opting for alternative methodologies. This has particularly come to light following the changes to the Agenda for Change contract in England, which has required employers to appraise staff performance at every incremental point of the pay scale.
In terms of Agenda for Change, that lack of understanding of equality and diversity could affect LGBT staff during the appraisal process.
Conference further notes that there is an increasing reliance on e-learning for training, which has certain disadvantages. Organisations and their managers and staff may have an awareness of the legal requirement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality, but not an understanding of the issues or how to address them.
The national agreement has always included a degree of flexibility on the understanding that the core principles, including the principle of equality and diversity, are adhered to.
Conference is concerned that with the growing pressure on the NHS from the Tory-led government’s unrealistic targets and cuts, growing staff shortages and growing pressure on individual NHS staff members from the cumulative impact of austerity, equality and diversity are early casualties. Recent research by NatCen Social Research, commissioned by UNISON, into the effect of austerity on LGBT people confirms this. The research revealed a fear that progress on challenging anti-LGBT discrimination is being reversed; that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are on the rise; and the LGBT concerns are treated as less important: a ‘nice thing to do’ that could be dropped in harder times.
Conference affirms that rather than being a luxury for times of plenty, equality and diversity are more important than ever at times of cuts to services and attacks on terms and conditions. Conference notes the wealth of information and research materials produced by UNISON to inform our activists about LGBT workers equality.
Conference calls on the Health Service Group Executive to:
1)continue to defend the KSF as a key strand of the Agenda for Change contract;
2)continue to make the argument in all negotiating forums that KSF is the framework on which all NHS appraisal systems should be based and equality and diversity should remain a core component of all and any system used across our health service;
3)publicise and promote UNISON’s research and information on LGBT equality including the bargaining guides, advice to reps and NatCen research report.