Workforce disability equality standard (WDES) annual report 2025

Data collated from Workforce disability equality standard (WDES) and Colleagues Survey 2024.

Long term conditions or illness

27.1% colleagues across our trust report having a long-term condition or illness. Compared to the 21.6% reported in 2023. Nationally 5.7% of staff declared a disability on the electronic staff record, the trust is 9.88% (positive).

Colleagues with long-term condition or illness

The likelihood of non-disabled colleagues being appointed from shortlist compared to colleagues with disabilities is 1.13 times more likely compared to 1.10 in 2024 (colleagues with disabilities less likely to be employed) (negative). The national figure is 1.20 more likely.

Colleagues with disabilities are 0.004 times more likely to enter the capability process than those without (last year we reached equity) (negative). The national figure 1.25 more likely.

Colleagues with long-term condition or illness

Experiences of harassment, bullying and abuse from patients or relatives standard at 21.93%, this is static compared to last year. The national figure is 30%.

From managers in last 12 months is 9.8%, which has improved from 10.27% last year. The national figure is 14.6%.

From other colleagues this is 19.96%, a 1% increase (negative). The national figure is 23.8%.

Colleagues have shown a decrease in reporting bullying and harassment if they experience it to 63.55% from last year at 64.9% (negative). The national figure is 52.5%.

Disabled colleagues have shown a decrease in believe that our trust provides equal opportunities for career progression or promotion at 53.87% (negative). A decrease from 58.09%. The national figure is 52.2%.

Colleagues have shown a decrease in levels of satisfaction with the extent to which their organisation values their work. Colleagues with long term condition or illness stands at 41.5% compared to last year at 44.27% (negative). The national figure is 36.9%.

Fewer colleagues with long-term conditions or illness reported that they have felt pressure from their manager to come to work, despite not feeling well enough to perform their duties since last year at 15.43% compared to 19.35% last year (positive). The national figure is 26.6%.

There has been a decrease to 79.46% from 80.29% from of colleagues with long-term condition or illness saying that their employer has made adequate adjustment(s) to enable them to carry out their work (negative). The national figure is 74.5%.

The has been a decrease from 6.9 to 6.7 in terms of engagement score for disabled colleagues, compared to non-disabled colleagues for the organization (negative). The national figure is 6.5.

Our trust enables the voices of colleagues with long-term conditions or illness via the Disability and Well Being Colleagues Network (DAWN).

23% of board colleagues have declared a long-term condition or illness (positive). The national figure is 6.5%.

Areas for action

Continue to deliver the 7 point anti-racism plan:

• introduction of acceptable behaviour policy
• changing our recruitment process to ensure diverse interview panels
• changing our investigative process to ensure racism allegations are typically investigated by a diverse panel
• active bystander training within both our leadership development offer and our monthly first line management training programme.
• putting anti-racism learning and understanding at the heart of our new induction programme and within learning half days
• committing to have a diverse and representative leadership in senior roles
• creating a clear message that the trust will not remain neutral on any form of discrimination

Continue to deliver the 11 point inclusion plan through our staff networks and strengthen the voices of all our disabled and diverse colleagues through these networks.

Page last reviewed: September 11, 2025
Next review due: September 11, 2026