WDES Annual Report 2025

On 1st April 2019, the Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) came into effect. It is a set of ten specific measures (metrics) which will allow NHS organisations to compare the experiences of Disabled and non-disabled staff. This information will be used by the Trust to develop an action plan and demonstrate progress. The WDES was commissioned by the Equality and Diversity Council (EDC), mandated in the NHS Standard Contract.

The Inclusivity team developed the 2024/2025 action plan in consultation with our Disability Support Network (DSN), as it has in previous years. The action plan was developed from analysis of the workforce data and from the results of surveys that EEAST had commissioned McKenzie LLP to carry out with all Disabled staff. The finalised action plan was signed off through EEAST’s various Boards and Committees. The action plan is published on the Trust’s internal intranet and external website and shared with Suffolk and North-East Essex ICB (Integrated Care Board) to be cascaded across the other five ICB’s we work with.

Whilst the 2024/2025 Action Plan was presented and uploaded and shared as a separate document it is fully integrated into EEAST’s Inclusivity Plan. This will be the case with the 2025/2026 action plan (as per Appendix 2).

We continue to bring attention to the Senior Leadership Team of the challenges and differences of experience across our workforce as documented in our reporting and data analysis.

To hopefully make more meaningful progress for the 2024/25 reporting period we focussed on 4 of the WDES metrics which were: 2, 3, 4a and 4b.

• Relative likelihood of non-disabled candidates being appointed from shortlisting compared to Disabled candidates.
• Relative likelihood of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff entering the formal capability process.
• Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from (patients, managers or other colleagues). In the last 12 months.
• Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled saying that the last time they experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work, they or a colleague reported it.

We identified these four metrics as being our key priorities following the review of our workforce data, staff survey results, reviewing our 2023/2024 action plan performance and from the results of surveys carried out by an external consultancy during 2023/2024.

During 2024/25 EEAST implemented a range of strategic actions to address inequalities, including recruitment progression workshops, the rollout of inclusive leadership development programmes, a Trust-wide ESR declaration campaign and the completion of an Equality Audit of some of policies and processes by an external organisation. As a result, declaration rates have increased slightly, and some progress has been made in areas such as harassment reduction, fairer disciplinary processes and career progression support.

Despite these advancements, challenges remain. Engagement levels among Disabled staff have stagnated. Harassment from patients towards staff also continues to be a concern along with a reduction of the percentage of Disabled staff saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work. The data tables on pages 7 to 10 shows where our improvements are and those areas that have shown a reduction.

Areas/themes of improved performance

Areas/themes of a reduction in performance

A more visual overview of the progress against the metrics is set out in the table that follows.

WDES Progress: Further explanatory narrative

Our Disability Support Network is firmly established at EEAST and continues to provide a safe space for staff with disabilities to share experiences, discuss challenges, contribute insight, as well as providing an opportunity to share positive stories. The Chair and or Deputy Chair attended the quarterly EDI Group meetings and provided feedback on the network during 2024. Network Chairs are also invited to attend the People Committee meetings to provide an overview of progress and raise awareness of any issues or problems.

Other progress that we have made against the actions and generally during 2024/2025 are as follows:

• Recruited and appointed a Reasonable Adjustment Associate Advisor.

Examples of adjustment themes:

• Headsets

• Ear loops

• Specialist Stethoscopes for hearing aid wearers

• Specialist software

• Roger Equipment for hearing air wearers

• Specialist furniture

• Actively exploring delivering a further Calibre Programme at EEAST during 2025.

• Disability Support Network (DSN) members have produced articles and stories for the Trust internal communication forum Need to Know

• The now established Leadership Development Programme continues to be rolled out and delivered by the Learning and Development team which includes a module on EDI & Cultural Intelligence and feedback remains consistently high.

• The Trust continues to promote the Speak Up, Speak Out, Stop It Campaign, to tackle bullying and harassment. Leadership messages also endorse this with the clear message that bullying, and harassment is not tolerated at EEAST.

• A reasonable adjustment policy/guidance has also been developed to aid this process for both staff and managers

• We are registered as Disability Confident Committed (Level 2).

• We have established an external Freedom To Speak Up Guardian service, providing greater access for staff. Our Guardians have visited sites and attended various meetings to further explain their role and how to access them. They also provide reports on emerging themes.

• Our Leadership messages encouraged staff to update their information on the ESR system. Quick step-by-step guides were produced to help people complete the process. Senior leaders have shared stories on Need to Know (NTK) and updated their disability status on NTK.

• Cultural Inclusion Ambassadors have been panel members for recruitment and hearings.

• Attending job fairs to support Neurodiverse applicants.

• During 2024 the Trusts Values were reviewed, and staff were invited to attend workshops to give feedback on proposed changes and to shape their development.

• We ran a further externally managed survey for Disabled staff to gain insight on experiences of our staff. Another one will run in the Spring/Summer 2025. Outcomes from these surveys are analysed and themes and trends will be included in the Inclusivity Plan.

• Occupational Health service has been brought in house with effect from January 2025.

• Leadership Learning Circles for managers to help support employees run during 2024 and into 2025 covering such as areas as Injury allowance and injury at work and Stress in the workplace.

• In September 2024 EEAST became the first NHS organisation and emergency service to achieve the silver quality mark with the British Dyslexia Association and is now working towards the gold standard and sharing its pioneering work with other ambulance services and other NHS Trusts.

To achieve the silver quality mark organisation, EEAST has:

• Employed two specialist lecturer practitioners to support staff with specific learning difficulties

• Provided one-to-one advice to neurodivergent staff on overcoming any challenges, including advice on appropriate reasonable adjustments

• Offered a screening service to identify any potential specific learning difficulties

• Offered specialist advice to the training and education team and managers

• In November 2024 EEAST received the Inclusive Workplace Award at the British Dyslexia Association Annual Awards recognising its ‘pioneering work in creating an inclusive workplace.

We recognise that progress against the 2024/25 actions and objectives in many of the metrics has been quite limited and disappointingly some metrics have shown a reduction in performance.

The WDES Action Plan is a standing item at the Disability Support Network Agenda and is discussed at their meetings. Involvement from the network members is vital in assisting the Trust to deliver against the targets set for this year. Updates were also provided at the quarterly EDI Group meetings.

We continue to work closely with the National Ambulance Disability Network (NADN) to improve our performance and to benefit from the national initiatives that are being developed by this group and to share good practice across the Ambulance sector. We have also been able to access and benefit from attending Neurodiverse training developed by NADN in partnership with Ambulance Trusts and an external provider.

The actions undertaken by EEAST in 2024/25 demonstrate a renewed and structured commitment to addressing inequalities within EEAST through targeted interventions, strengthened governance, and increased staff engagement. Notable progress has been made in areas such as career development for underrepresented groups, enhanced data declaration rates, and the embedding of inclusive practices across recruitment and leadership processes.

However, ongoing challenges persist, particularly around senior-level representation, access to workplace adjustments, and disparities in disciplinary and recruitment outcomes. These issues underscore the need for sustained focus, accountability, and a clear link between data insight and action. The integration of audit findings, relaunch of key campaigns, and implementation of new training and leadership programmes position EEAST to drive meaningful and measurable change.

Continued oversight from the People Committee, Executive Leadership, and the Trust Board will be critical in ensuring that WDES objectives are not only met but embedded as part of a broader culture of equity, inclusion, and transparency across the organisation.

For the 2025/26 Action Plan all objectives will be captured within the EEAST’S Inclusivity Plan, and the overall aim is that they will have a wider reach and greater overall impact to improve the working experiences of Disabled colleagues. The Inclusivity Plan will be reviewed quarterly by the People Committee.

Our Inclusivity Plan has four over-arching themes with objectives under-pinning them.

1. We will attract and retain an inclusive workforce.
2. We will enable and empower our people by equipping everyone to be inclusive leaders.
3. We will ensure our policies, processes and practices are fair and consistent.
4. We will monitor and report on how we are progressing and target our plans to deliver change.

Looking Forward

A suite of next steps for 2025/26 have been identified, including implementation of a Cultural Intelligence Programme, expanded equality training, enhanced data use, and continued focus on inclusive hiring practices.

WDES Highlights

Progress:

• Disabled staff representation has increased across all pay bands.
• Improvements in recruitment and disciplinary equity.
• Reduced harassment from managers.
• Increased confidence in equal opportunities and reduced presenteeism.

Concerns

• Harassment from patients remains high.
• Fewer staff report having access to necessary workplace adjustments.
• Decline in disabled staff feeling valued.

Stagnation

• Staff engagement scores have remained unchanged since 2022.

The improvement in declaration rates is largely credited to the ESR (Electronic staff Record) declaration campaign launched in summer 2024, which featured messages from the Chair and CEO reinforcing the importance of self-declaration and the Trust’s commitment to inclusion. This campaign has helped build staff confidence in sharing personal information. This campaign will continue during 2025.

WDES Actions Completed

Recruitment and Career Development:

• Recruitment progression workshops held for staff.
• Community career fairs targeted underrepresented groups.
• Career pathways supported by revised appraisal process and L&D team.
• Calibre Project and Disability Confident Employer Status achieved.
• Associate Reasonable Adjustments Coordinator appointed.

Training and Education

• 592 staff completed the Leadership Development Framework EDI & Cultural Intelligence modules.
• Safe Conversations Training and Let’s Talk sessions delivered on bullying and harassment.

Governance and Representation

• Cultural Intelligence Ambassadors (CIAs) where possible attend band 8 recruitment panels and ER panels.
• Equality audit (TIAA) completed across recruitment, L&D, ER, and performance management.
• FTSU Guardian site visits encouraged open dialogue and speaking up.

Leadership and Inclusion Commitment

• Launch of inclusive hiring practices and continued bias reduction in recruitment.
• British Dyslexia Association Silver Mark awarded; ESR Disability Declaration Project implemented.

Health and Wellbeing

• Full Health and Well-Being offer including Mental Health Awareness training, Health and Well-Being Passport, and a comprehensive Directory of Services.

Next Steps

• Launch CIA booking system to standardise inclusive panel representation.
• Review Equality Audit findings and integrate follow-on actions into the Inclusivity Plan.
• Roll out Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) training from June 2025 (delivered by McKenzie’s).
• Finalise Board-level Equality Objectives.
• Launch Cultural Intelligence Programme Trust-wide (subject to Cost Efficiency Programme CEP25).
• Implement Pay Gap Improvement Plans (Gender, Race, Disability).
• Relaunch ESR Declaration Campaign.
• Work towards achieving Disability Confident Leader status.

Overall figures

Overall figures for previous year

(Data source: ESR (Electronic Staff Record)

There is an increase of 1.38% in the percentage of Disabled staff of: from 7.13% to 8.51% (455 to 561 staff).

The number of Disabled staff in Bands 8 to 9 and VSM has increased from 26 to 36.

However, please note 0% of Band 8d’s this year and the reduction of VSM from 18.18% last year to 14.29% this year.

The overall total of undeclared/unknown has increased from 1591 to 1742, this maybe an outcome from the ESR declaration campaign.

Relative likelihood of shortlisted to appointment

• Disabled 0.12
• Non-disabled 0.08
• Relative likelihood of Non-disabled candidates being appointed from shortlisting compared to Disabled candidates - 0.72 times greater.

Relative likelihood of shortlisted to appointment

• Disabled 0.23
• Non-disabled 0.24
• Relative likelihood of Non-disabled candidates being appointed from shortlisting compared to Disabled candidates - 1.04 times greater.

We are continuing to increase the number of trained Cultural Inclusion Ambassadors at the Trust, with further cohorts and training planned for 2025. Part of their role will be to participate in recruitment panels.

In 2024/25, the relative likelihood of non-disabled applicants being appointed from shortlisting compared to disabled applicants improved from 1.04 to 0.72. This marks the first time disabled applicants are statistically more likely to be appointed, reflecting a positive shift in our recruitment practices.

Key contributing factors include:

• A marked increase in staff declaring a disability on ESR, improving data quality and confidence in the system.
• Strengthened recruitment practices, such as TRAC system prompts during shortlisting, ensuring consistent consideration of applicants who have declared a disability.
• Inclusive initiatives like pre-interview adjustments for neurodivergent and disabled applicants, enabling candidates to present their strengths more effectively

Relative likelihood of shortlisted to appointment

• Disabled 0.12
• Non-disabled 0.08
• Relative likelihood of Non-disabled candidates being appointed from shortlisting compared to Disabled candidates - 0.72 times greater.

Relative likelihood of shortlisted to appointment

• Disabled 0.23
• Non-disabled 0.24
• Relative likelihood of Non-disabled candidates being appointed from shortlisting compared to Disabled candidates - 1.04 times greater.

We are continuing to increase the number of trained Cultural Inclusion Ambassadors at the Trust, with further cohorts and training planned for 2025. Part of their role will be to participate in recruitment panels.

In 2024/25, the relative likelihood of non-disabled applicants being appointed from shortlisting compared to disabled applicants improved from 1.04 to 0.72. This marks the first time disabled applicants are statistically more likely to be appointed, reflecting a positive shift in our recruitment practices.

Key contributing factors include:

• A marked increase in staff declaring a disability on ESR, improving data quality and confidence in the system.
• Strengthened recruitment practices, such as TRAC system prompts during shortlisting, ensuring consistent consideration of applicants who have declared a disability.
• Inclusive initiatives like pre-interview adjustments for neurodivergent and disabled applicants, enabling candidates to present their strengths more effectively

Likelihood of Disabled staff entering the capability process - 0.007130

Likelihood of non-disabled staff entering the capability process - 0.003381

Relative Likelihood of Disabled staff entering the capability process compared to non-disabled staff - 2.11 times.

Likelihood of Disabled staff entering the capability process - 0.009890

Likelihood of non-disabled staff entering the capability process - 0.002420

Relative Likelihood of Disabled staff entering the capability process compared to non-disabled staff - 4.09

The introduction of Cultural Inclusion Agents at EEAST and a review and amendment of the Trust’s disciplinary process, has introduced a pause and review step (also known as a pre-action-review-meeting (pre-arm), rather than moving straight to the formal process.

Disappointingly we have seen a slight increase in the percentage of incidents of Disabled staff reporting bullying, harassment or abuse from patients.

EEAST has appointed a Guardian service which is available 24 hours a day.

9b) Has your Trust taken action to facilitate the voices of Disabled staff in your organisation to be heard? (Yes) or (No): YES

• Disability Support Network.
• McKenzie LLP survey completed in 2024 and 1:1 additional follow up calls and being repeated in 2025 (Spring/summer).
• Quarterly Pulse surveys.
• Individual stories on EAST 24 from DSN members throughout the year and for Disability History Month.
• Associate Reasonable Adjustments Adviser in post and reports regularly to People Services Directorate KPI meetings and presents achievements and escalates risks and issues.
• Network stand at Leadership Development events at Newmarket – opportunity for people to talk about any issues or challenges.
• Achieved the Dyslexia friendly quality mark (Silver August 2024).
• Achieved Level 2 of Disability Confident (Disability Confident Employer).
• Executive Q&A.
• DSN invited to present paper at People Committee raising any concerns challenges at Executive level.
• Development of WDES 2024/25 action plan.
• EEAST developed new Values in 2024: workshops and meetings were held to enable people to contribute and challenge.
• People Promise Manager appointed July 2024: carried out various staff engagement sessions and visited Ambulance stations to engage with staff and capture concerns and issues.
• Executive Team: “aim to improve our culture and improve performance”. Staff were invited to attend Big Conversations to provide feedback and put forward solutions and ideas that will make a difference. These commenced from April 2025, face to face focus group sessions being held across EEAST’s region and staff are also able to contribute and see the outputs from these sessions via Safe Space App.

Percentage difference between the organisation’s Board voting membership and its organisation’s overall workforce, disaggregated:

• By voting membership of the Board.
• By Executive membership of the Board. The Trust Board does (voting and non-voting).

Board Members

Percentage difference between the organisation’s board voting membership and its organisation’s overall workforce.

Our Action Plan has evolved from the data and also from EEAST’s Inclusivity Plan which has 4 over-arching themes with objectives under-pinning them:

1. We will attract and retain an inclusive workforce.
2. We will enable and empower our people by equipping everyone to be inclusive leaders.
3. We will ensure our policies, processes and practices are fair and consistent.
4. We will monitor and report on how we are progressing and target our plans to deliver change.

Key areas of focus for 2025/26 are metrics:

• Metric 3: Relative likelihood of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff entering the formal capability process. (Reduce from 2.11 times greater to 1.5 times greater).
• Metric 4a: .i Percentage of Disabled staff compared to non-disabled staff experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse from patients. (Reduce from 45% to 43%).
• Metric 5: Percentage of staff believing that the Trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion. (Increase from 42.9% to 44%).
• Metric 7. Percentage of staff saying that they are satisfied with the extent to which their organisation values their work. (Increase from 23.5% to 24.5%).
• Metric 8. Percentage of disabled staff saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work. (Increase from 65% to 68%).