NHSScotland Manual Handling Workforce Policy: Equality Impact Assessment

Key Findings

The EQIA has highlighted areas with potential impacts on different groups and opportunities for promoting equality.

NHSScotland Manual Handling Policy has a positive impact in eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation across all protected characteristics. The Manual Handling Policy:

• Aims to support the implementation of the Public Sector Equality Duty. It requires public bodies to have due regard to the elimination of unlawful discrimination.
• Is accessible through a purpose built NHSScotland Workforce Policies website. The website scores high on the System Usability Scale (universal usability scoring system). This may particularly support older staff and visually impaired staff.
• Applies to all employees and includes a risk-based approach to help ensure staff are not allocated unsafe tasks based on stereotypes. Manager obligations for assessment and training supports consistent treatment.
• Explicitly notes inclusion of requirements under the NHSScotland Maternity Policy which supports lawful and safe management of pregnancy-related manual handling risks.
• Includes a standard sentence in the scope section reinforcing compliance with equality act and linked to appropriate standard section.
• Has been written to meet legislative requirements, meeting statutory responsibility.
• Support lawful, evidence-based decision by advising managers to consult with manual handling specialists and occupational health about suitability of tasks for employees.

NHSScotland Manual Handling Policy has a positive impact in advancing equality of opportunity across all protected characteristics. The Manual Handling Policy:

• Aims to support the implementation of the Public Sector Equality Duty. It requires public bodies to have due regard to the elimination of unlawful discrimination.
• Sets out that NHSScotland is committed to ensuring that opportunities for growth and success are accessible to all.
• Can be downloaded and printed for those who have issues accessing or navigating the website.
• Advocates a person-centred approach.
• Advocates person-specific risk assessment and referral pathways, which can help accommodate musculoskeletal vulnerability, ensure fair participation in tasks and create routes to adjustments.
• Adopt gender neutral language to support inclusion.

The website scores high on the System Usability Scale (universal usability scoring system). This may particularly support older staff or staff with certain disabilities, advancing equality of opportunity through accessibility. Insights from user testing have been used to improve the experience for all staff. The following may particularly support older staff or staff with certain disabilities, advancing equality of opportunity through accessibility:

• screen can be zoomed beyond 300%
• used an 18px font size as standard, making the starting size for fonts more readable.
• alternative formats page where users can request content in a format that suits their needs.
• a site map, that can help some people find content more easily.
• supporting documents have an HTML version that makes the content more accessible than they would be in PDF or other file formats.
• links all use meaningful text which can be read and understood out of context by screen reader users.
• headings follow a sematic structure allowing screen reader users to easily scan and understand the content structure.
• colour contrast of all text is compliant to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
• meaningful text alternative created for the visual flowcharts. This is linked to before the visual flowcharts to support screen reader users.
• development of a style guide for policy writing which focuses on improving readability for a range of users. For example, by reducing sentence length, best use of grammar and providing meaningful website links to advance equality of opportunity through accessibility.

The NHSScotland Manual Handling Policy has no negative impact in promoting good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The Manual Handling Policy:

• Aims to advance the equality of opportunity and foster good relations between different groups.
• Is open to all employees and managers are encouraged to take a person-centred approach.
• Promotes transparent, safety-first approach which can reduce stigma and conflict if applied consistently and confidently.
• Is supplemented with a risk assessment, which can provide consistency in approach and reduce misunderstanding by clarifying that changes are risk-based and policy-driven.

The website was developed through extensive user testing and is compliant to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standard. However, in terms of access to the policy, it was identified that some staff may struggle with technology or do not have access or experience of using IT equipment and could be disadvantaged. This may be more likely in older age groups.

The following actions have been taken to minimise any negative impact:

• Policies and supporting documents have been created as downloadable documents which can be printed and shared in hard copy.
• Downloadable copies of the policy and supporting documents include a references section. This details in full any hyperlinks contained within the document to support those accessing hard copies and provide signposting.

Scottish Government will continue to monitor and review this EQIA to ensure ongoing assessment of potential impacts on people with protected characteristics.