Workforce Race Equality Standard

Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES)

The Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) requires organisations providing NHS services to show progress against a number of indicators of 'workforce equality'.

The focus is on complying with implementing the standard, as well as helping to improve the wider culture of the NHS to benefit all staff and patients.

Tackling race inequality

This standard seeks to tackle one particular aspect of equality - the consistently less favourable treatment of those who identify themselves as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic.

National research shows that those from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background are:

• Less likely to be appointed for jobs once shortlisted
• Less likely to be selected for training and development programmes
• More likely to experience harassment, bullying or abuse
• More likely to be disciplined and dismissed.

Measuring performance

The WRES captures and publishes information on various aspects of race equality, including:

• Recruitment
• Training
• Harassment/bullying.

The WRES uses indicators (measures) of an organisation's workforce, including a Board membership indicator, to gauge the current state of 'workforce race equality'.

County Durham and Darlington hospitals will use the WRES to track progress to identify and help eliminate discrimination in the treatment of Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic staff.

The WRES is not intended to provide a blueprint for how good practice can be achieved. However, it does provide a platform and direction that encourages and enables NHS organisations to seek and address any difference in performance. It will be used to benchmark different organisations across the NHS.