Managing Equality and Diversity in NHS: A Cultural Competency Approach

This essay discusses the importance of managing cultural competency in the workplace, specifically in the context of NHS. It explores the strategy of promoting workforce equality and the assessment of NHS's annual report on equality and diversity. The essay highlights the significance of creating an inclusive work environment and fostering cultural competence. Subject: Cultural Competency

CULTURAL
COMPENTENCY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PART A...........................................................................................................................................3
Strategy on equality and diversity of NHS.................................................................................3
PART B............................................................................................................................................5
Assessment of annual report of NHS in which they report their working in terms of equality
and diversity................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Cultural competency is ability of the company or a person to understand, communicate
and interact with other people coming from different cultures. In the organizational setup the
employees and people are recruited from all over the world and from different set of cultures
(Jackson, 2019). Managing cultural competency is necessary for the company as if employees in
the company will work in effective manner then only the business will gain a profitable and
competitive position within the company. Hence, for gaining a good and secured position the
most important thing is the management of employees in better terms so that employees coming
from different culture understand one another and their saying and can work in effective manner.
There is great relation among the cultural competence and equality and diversity.
This is majorly because of the fact that if cultural competence is not maintained then in
the business organization the equality and diversity will not be there. Hence, the cultural
competency is very important for any of the strategy of equality and diversity for the company
because if this will not be there then the working will not take place in effective manner. The
present essay is based on company NHS that is National Health Service which is a publicly
funded company dealing in health care sector and was founded in the year 1948 by Aneurin
Bevan. The present essay will discuss about the strategy being used by NHS for managing
equality and diversity within workplace. Also, it is highlight the assessment of annual report of
NHS in terms of management of equality and diversity at workplace.
PART A
Strategy on equality and diversity of NHS
For the success of company the most important thing is the management of people within
the company. This is because of the fact that if the employees within the company will not be
managed in effective manner then the company will not be able to manage its operations in
effective manner. Hence, for this it is very necessary for NHS to manage equality and diversity at
the workplace and to gain success and competitive position. Hence, for this the most important
thing is the management and proper maintenance of equality and diversity within the workplace
(Jongen, McCalman and Bainbridge, 2018).
For managing the equality and diversity also the major criteria for the working is to
manage the gender discrimination within the company. This is majorly because of the fact that if

the gender discrimination will be there within the company then the employees will not work in
effective manner. This discrimination on basis of gender reduces the morale and level of
motivation of the employees of working. Hence, this is majorly because of the reason that if the
employees will not work in proper manner then the working efficiency of NHS and its
employees will decrease (Bristol, Kostelec and MacDonald, 2018). Thus, this will have a great
impact over the working and operations and the services being provided by NHS in treating the
patients coming to the place.
Thus, for the management of equality and diversity the most important thing is the
management of gender differentiation being taking place at the workplace. Thus, for this the
major strategy being used by NHS is the promotion of workforce equality within the workplace
of NHS. This is majorly used as a strategy because this includes the treating of all the employees
whether be it male or female at the same level and providing them with equal and same
opportunities of growth and development. For this the NHS has also made a NHS Workforce
Race Equality Standard (WRES) which was made in 2015 for helping NHS in improving
workforce race equality.
The major strength of this strategy of promoting workforce equality is that this assists the
company in managing the gender equality within the company. Thus, this providing of equal
opportunities within the company to both male and female will attract more of the employees
within the company to work. Thus, this will increase the efficiency of the employees working in
treatment of patients and people coming to the hospital of NHS. Thus, this will also increase the
goodwill and market value of the hospital as the patients will like the fact that the employees
work in more coordinated and effective manner. Thus, this will also increase the liking for the
NHS among the patients coming to the hospital (Kennedy and Wheeler, 2018).
But the major weakness of this strategy is that this binds all the employees to the policies
of the hospital and they have to work in the same intended manner. Thus, this provide
opportunity to the employees who are not even capable or eligible for this post but because of
promotion of equality and diversity they get that position which they in actual not deserve.

PART B
Assessment of annual report of NHS in which they report their working in terms of equality and
diversity
The NHS works in the direction of the managing and maintenance of the equality and
diversity of the workforce working in the company. This is very essential for NHS to maintain
equality and diversity as if the employees will not be treated in equal manner then the employees
will be satisfied and will work up to their maximum potential capacity (Chun and Jackson,
2020). The report of equality and diversity of NHS states that the major objective of company
behind managing equality and diversity is to bring people working in company together so that
they work in more coordinated and cordial manner.
For this the NHS has set up a council named NHS Equality and Diversity Council (EDC)
which mainly focuses on the building up of inclusive workforce and equality all over the
working of NHS. The major aim of EDC is to improve the performance of employees by giving
them equal and good growth opportunities and areas of their personal development. Thus, this
will motivate the employees to work in more effective and efficient manner. The major
highlights and strategies in the annual report of EDC is that the company works in direction of
eliminating the unlawful discrimination taking place at the workplace.
Also, this EDC provides for the advance equality opportunity to people and employees
who really deserve it and are capable of it and managing it in proper and effective manner. Also
this guidelines in the EDC will assist all the employees of NHS in managing and fostering good
relation among them as this will be mentioned in the report that how the employees have to
work. Also, the EDC includes the treatment being given to the employees of some disability or
some weakness physically or mentally. Thus, this motivate those employees that the company is
taking some measures to help the employees so that employees also give their full efforts
towards the better working of the NHS and increasing the goodwill and market share of the
hospital in the highly globally competitive market.
Further, for managing and maintaining good equality and diversity environment within
the workplace the most important thing done by NHS is creating an environment which is full of
cultural competence. This is majorly because of the fact that that this good and cordial
environment for the employees in getting motivated and working in more effective manner (NHS
equality and diversity council, 2017). Also, in this EDC some of the practices are listed which is

used in order to manage the work in effective and efficient manner. Hence, this will assist the
company in telling the employees in advance that what all work they have to perform and how it
will be done. Thus, this will give advance knowledge to the employees that how they will
perform the task and what requirements will be needed by the employees to be fulfilled at time
of working in an equitable working environment.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it is summarised and inferred that managing cultural
competence is very essential for the company. This is very important for the success of company
as this will help company in securing good and competitive position within the market. This is
because when employees are being hired from different cultural backgrounds then this brings in
a wide variety of working types within the company. Thus, this increases a wide a range of
different styles of working. Hence, this increases the working efficiency of the employees and
this in turn increases the overall productivity of the company.
From the above discussion it is clear that managing equality and diversity is very
necessary for the company as this will increase the working capacity of the company. Hence, for
this NHS uses the strategy of building inclusive work force and working environment. Also, the
discussion highlighted the fact that the annual report of the NHS and it was discussed that EDC
that is NHS Equality and Diversity Council was set uo in order to manage the equality and
diversity at the workplace.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bristol, S., Kostelec, T. and MacDonald, R., 2018. Improving emergency health care workers’
knowledge, competency, and attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
patients through interdisciplinary cultural competency training. Journal of Emergency
Nursing. 44(6). pp.632-639.
Chun, M.B. and Jackson, D.S., 2020. Scoping Review of Economical, Efficient, and Effective
Cultural Competency Measures. Evaluation & the Health Professions,
p.0163278720910244.
Jackson, A., 2019. Cultural competency and racial inclusion. In A Research Agenda for New
Urbanism. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Jongen, C., McCalman, J. and Bainbridge, R., 2018. Health workforce cultural competency
interventions: a systematic scoping review. BMC health services research. 18(1). p.232.
Kennedy, J.A. and Wheeler, W.N., 2018. Exploratory Longitudinal Study: The Impact of a
Cultural Competency Course on Graduating Master's Level Student Affairs
Professionals from a Historically White Institution. College Student Journal. 52(4).
pp.483-493.
Online
NHS equality and diversity council. 2017. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nhs-edc-annual-report-16-
17.pdf>