Equality and diversity
The RCN Employment Relations Department represents the RCN in discussions on equality and diversity for nurses in their employment at all the formal national negotiating meetings including the NHS Staff Council and the NHS Social Partnership Forum.
The current priorities of the NHS Staff Council Equality and Diversity subgroup are to conduct an audit of the impact of Agenda for Change with respect to gender and race (due for completion end of 2008) and to work with the NHS Information Centre to design a methodology to equality impact assess the on-going operation of Agenda for Change.
Within the NHS Social Partnership Forum (England) which considers health policy in broader terms, the RCN seeks to ensure the equality implications of current policy initiatives are given due consideration, for example, in the implementation of the Darzi recommendations and with respect to the development of staff passports.
In addition, the RCN Employment Relations Department develops publications to support stewards and members on equality and diversity issues in the workplace. Guidance is available in Employment relations publications on how to deal with workplace bullying and harassment, work-life balance, promoting diversity in the workplace, supporting and recruiting international nurses, and how to build positive team relationships in the health care setting.