Equality and Diversity Policy

Twickel Dental Practice

1. Purpose

Twickel Dental Practice is committed to providing a respectful, inclusive and fair environment for patients, staff, clinicians, contractors and visitors.

The practice aims to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness, regardless of background, personal characteristics, health needs, beliefs, identity, role or circumstances.

This policy sets out how the practice will promote equality, value diversity and prevent discrimination in relation to:

  • patient care
  • access to services
  • employment and recruitment
  • workplace conduct
  • reasonable adjustments
  • communication
  • training
  • complaints and concerns
  • practice policies and procedures.

The practice recognises its duties under the Equality Act 2010 and will take reasonable steps to ensure that patients, staff and others are not unlawfully discriminated against. The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination in relation to protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

  • employees
  • workers
  • clinicians
  • associates
  • locums
  • contractors
  • agency staff
  • trainees
  • volunteers, where applicable
  • patients
  • visitors
  • suppliers and other third parties.

It applies to all areas of the practice and all work-related interactions, including:

  • patient care
  • reception and appointment handling
  • telephone, email and digital communication
  • recruitment and selection
  • induction and training
  • performance management
  • disciplinary and grievance processes
  • complaints handling
  • clinical decision-making
  • referrals
  • practice policies and procedures
  • work-related meetings, events and social activities.

3. Policy statement

Twickel Dental Practice will not tolerate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying or unfair treatment.

The practice will seek to ensure that:

  • patients are treated fairly and respectfully
  • staff are treated fairly and respectfully
  • employment decisions are based on merit, role requirements, capability, conduct and legitimate business need
  • patient care is based on clinical need, consent, safety, suitability and professional judgement
  • reasonable adjustments are considered where required
  • staff are supported to raise concerns
  • complaints are taken seriously
  • equality and diversity are reflected in practice policies, training and everyday behaviour.

4. Protected characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination linked to the following protected characteristics:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race, including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation.

The practice will not discriminate unlawfully against a person because of any protected characteristic.

The practice also recognises that people may experience unfair treatment for reasons that are not always limited to protected characteristics, such as health status, caring responsibilities, language needs, social background, neurodiversity, education, employment status, lifestyle, appearance or personal circumstances.

5. Types of discrimination

Unlawful discrimination may include:

  • direct discrimination — treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic
  • indirect discrimination — applying a rule or practice that appears neutral but disadvantages people with a protected characteristic, unless it can be objectively justified
  • discrimination arising from disability — treating someone unfavourably because of something arising from their disability, unless justified
  • failure to make reasonable adjustments — failing to take reasonable steps to reduce disadvantage experienced by a disabled person
  • harassment — unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment
  • sexual harassment — unwanted conduct of a sexual nature
  • victimisation — treating someone badly because they have complained about discrimination, supported a complaint or raised a concern.

6. Patient care and access to services

Patients must be treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

The practice will seek to ensure that patients are not treated unfairly because of:

  • age
  • disability
  • race, nationality or language
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation
  • gender reassignment
  • pregnancy or maternity
  • marital or civil partnership status
  • health condition
  • mental health condition
  • neurodiversity
  • caring responsibilities
  • social or financial circumstances.

Dental care decisions must be based on clinical need, consent, safety, professional judgement, available services and suitability of treatment.

Staff must not make assumptions about a patient's needs, preferences, ability to consent, ability to understand, ability to pay, reliability, lifestyle or treatment choices based on stereotypes or personal views.

7. Reasonable adjustments

The practice will consider reasonable adjustments for disabled patients, staff and visitors where required.

Reasonable adjustments may include:

  • accessible appointment arrangements
  • longer appointment time where clinically and operationally appropriate
  • allowing a carer, advocate or companion to attend
  • clear written information
  • communication support
  • use of hearing loops or other aids where available
  • support for anxious or neurodivergent patients
  • step-free access arrangements where available
  • suitable surgery allocation, including use of accessible facilities where possible
  • flexibility with communication methods
  • adjustments to recruitment, training or work arrangements for staff where reasonable.

The practice will consider each request individually, taking account of the person's needs, clinical safety, infection prevention, staffing, facilities, regulatory requirements and what is reasonably practicable.

8. Communication and information

The practice will aim to communicate clearly and respectfully with all patients, staff and visitors.

Where possible and appropriate, the practice may consider:

  • plain English explanations
  • written treatment plans
  • support for patients who need help understanding information
  • communication with carers or representatives where consent and confidentiality allow
  • accessible formats where reasonably practicable
  • interpreter or translation arrangements where appropriate and available
  • additional time to explain care, risks, fees or consent.

Staff must avoid dismissive, patronising, discriminatory or judgmental language.

9. Recruitment and employment

Twickel Dental Practice is committed to fair recruitment and employment practices.

Recruitment, selection, promotion, training, performance management and other employment decisions should be based on:

  • skills
  • qualifications
  • experience
  • competence
  • suitability for the role
  • conduct
  • availability and operational requirements
  • legal and regulatory requirements
  • safeguarding and patient safety considerations.

The practice will not unlawfully discriminate in job adverts, interviews, selection, pay, training, promotion, work allocation, disciplinary action, dismissal or other employment matters.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants and staff where required.

10. Workplace conduct

Everyone working at or for the practice is expected to behave respectfully and professionally.

Staff must not:

  • discriminate unlawfully
  • bully, harass or victimise others
  • make offensive jokes or remarks
  • use stereotypes or discriminatory language
  • exclude colleagues unfairly
  • mock someone's accent, disability, race, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, maternity or personal circumstances
  • pressure others to tolerate inappropriate behaviour
  • retaliate against anyone who raises a concern.

Concerns about bullying, harassment or victimisation should be handled under the Bullying and Harassment Policy, Grievance Policy or Disciplinary Policy as appropriate.

11. Patients, visitors and third parties

The practice will not tolerate discriminatory, abusive, threatening, bullying, harassing or sexually inappropriate behaviour from patients, visitors, suppliers, contractors or other third parties.

Where inappropriate behaviour occurs, the practice may take proportionate action, including:

  • asking the person to stop
  • setting clear communication boundaries
  • asking the person to leave the premises
  • changing appointment arrangements
  • requiring future contact to be in writing
  • involving police where there is threatening or criminal behaviour
  • seeking advice from indemnity, HR, NHS or legal advisers
  • ending or restricting non-urgent care arrangements where lawful and appropriate.

Urgent care and professional obligations will be considered carefully, but staff are not expected to tolerate abuse, discrimination or harassment.

12. Training and awareness

The practice will provide equality and diversity awareness as part of induction and ongoing training where appropriate.

Training may cover:

  • equality and diversity principles
  • protected characteristics
  • discrimination, harassment and victimisation
  • reasonable adjustments
  • communication needs
  • dignity and respect
  • unconscious bias
  • patient access
  • workplace conduct
  • reporting concerns.

Staff are expected to engage with training and apply the principles in everyday practice.

13. Responsibilities

The Practice Owners are responsible for ensuring that equality and diversity arrangements are maintained and reviewed.

All staff are responsible for:

  • treating patients, colleagues and visitors respectfully
  • following this policy
  • avoiding discriminatory behaviour
  • making reasonable efforts to support inclusive care
  • raising concerns where appropriate
  • cooperating with investigations
  • completing relevant training.

Managers and senior team members have additional responsibility for setting an appropriate example and addressing concerns promptly.

14. Raising concerns

Staff who believe they have experienced or witnessed discrimination, harassment, victimisation or unfair treatment should raise the matter with one of the Practice Owners:

Dr Mihail Drug-Ionescu
Dr Roxana Drug-Ionescu

Concerns may also be raised under the Grievance Policy, Bullying and Harassment Policy, Underperformance and Whistleblowing Policy or Complaints Policy, depending on the nature of the issue.

Patients may raise concerns through the practice complaints procedure.

The practice will take concerns seriously and handle them fairly, sensitively and as confidentially as possible.

15. Complaints and feedback

The practice will review complaints and feedback where equality, diversity, dignity, access or discrimination concerns are raised.

Where appropriate, the practice may:

  • investigate the concern
  • apologise where appropriate
  • review practice procedures
  • provide staff training
  • consider reasonable adjustments
  • update policies or patient information
  • seek external advice.

16. Monitoring and review

The practice will monitor equality and diversity through:

  • complaints and feedback
  • staff concerns
  • patient access issues
  • recruitment and employment processes
  • training records
  • incident reviews
  • policy review
  • audit and governance processes where relevant.

The Care Quality Commission expects providers to demonstrate inclusive care that respects people's rights, and equality, diversity and human rights are relevant to how services meet legal and regulatory obligations.

17. Related policies and procedures

This policy should be read alongside:

  • Bullying and Harassment Policy
  • Grievance Policy
  • Disciplinary Policy
  • Underperformance and Whistleblowing Policy
  • Recruitment Policy and Procedure
  • Safeguarding Children Policy
  • Safeguarding Adults Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Data Protection Policy including UK GDPR
  • Confidentiality Policy
  • Information Governance Procedures
  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Lone Working Policy
  • Third-Party Code of Conduct
  • Uniform, Practice Property and Systems Access Policy.

18. Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if:

  • legislation or guidance changes
  • regulatory expectations change
  • a complaint or incident identifies the need for review
  • practice procedures change
  • staff or patient feedback suggests improvement is needed.