Disability Standard Most Improved Award 2009: Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust

Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust fought off stiff competition to come up trumps this year and win the Most Improved Award.

Jackie Smith, who led the Disability Standard assessment process for the Trust, comments: "We realised we had a long way to go on disability issues following our assessment on the Standard in 2007. But there was a strong desire to improve and through the commitment and hard work of the Equality and Diversity Team, the HR department and indeed the whole organisation we feel we have made big steps on the road to becoming disability confident!"

Participating in the Standard in 2007 was a particular challenge for the Trust, as they had only recently been formed through the amalgamation of the previous four Primary Care Trusts covering the area. So with the mixing together of four different organisational cultures and with nearly 3000 staff,  the new Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust was only just finding its feet.

Having support from the top of the organisation was important to their success as Jackie explains: "The HR Team and the Equality and Diversity Team devised plans to address internal and external issues which formed the basis of one coherent integrated plan.  We got the full support of the CEO and the Chair of the Trust which helped to champion the importance of this work throughout the Trust and to find the resources to take action. We have also been very fortunate in gaining the wholehearted support of local disability groups whose ongoing advice and involvement is crucial in making sure the changes we make have real impact."

The whole ethos of the organisation around disability issues has changed. In 2007, 12 members of staff were registered as disabled. Now, with the establishment of a Disability Staff Network and other innovations, including proactive support from a new Occupational Health scheme, there is a growing confidence amongst staff that they can be open about their disability without any concern about negative repercussions.  Now, just two years later, 33 people are members of the Disability Staff Network and more are joining all the time.

The Trust has also started active recruitment of disabled people through an initiative run in partnership with the Department of Health’s Pacesetters scheme and Arthritis Care.  Disabled people who have applied unsuccessfully to work with us were invited to a free workshop including sessions on application and interview skills and personal action planning.

Jackie comments: "Disabled people are often more than capable of the jobs we have to offer but they don’t know how to fill out the forms in a way that demonstrates their skills, knowledge and experience. These workshops have been very popular and we are hoping to secure further funding to run more next year".

Jackie feels "We have already gone beyond what is legally required of us under the Disability Equality Duty - but we are keen to do more and to pick up on areas that the Disability Standard 2009 has shown us we need to improve on.  Next time we’re aiming for Gold!"