Royal Trinity Hospice has been conditionally awarded the Investors in Diversity award stage 2 by the National Centre for Diversity.

As a result of a conditional review to assess Trinity’s progress against our action plan, assessors reported that they are confident that we are tangibly fulfilling our commitment to improving and expanding our practices around fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion and engagement (FREDIE).

In her conditional review, National Centre for Diversity Advisor Caroline Wells said:

I have never seen any organisation make so much progress so soon [after beginning the process]. I am more than confident about the commitment of Royal Trinity Hospice and I am already convinced the organisation has the potential to become a significant role model in the sector if it keeps the momentum around FREDIE going.

The award is conditional upon continued progress until the full review is carried out later in 2019.

Royal Trinity Hospice was awarded Investors in Diversity at stage 1 in December 2017 and has been working towards achieving stage 2, which involves delivering an action plan to achieve even more measurable improvement in its FREDIE practices, since January 2019.

Stakeholders across the hospice have been involved in this process, including employees, volunteers and patients. The FREDIE steering group’s action plan has included improving awareness and training around mental health, unconscious bias and other protected characteristics through “FREDIE Fortnights” a programme of internal training and education, dedicating a fortnight to each legally protected characteristic, and updates to policies and strategic documents.

Solat Chaudhry, Chief Executive at the National Centre for Diversity said:

Trinity has shown professional courage, an admirable transparency and a steely determination to improve.

Dallas Pounds, Chief Executive at Trinity said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been conditionally awarded Investors in Diversity accreditation from the National Centre for Diversity at stage 2.

“I am grateful to our steering group for their leadership of the programme and to our staff and volunteers for making FREDIE part of the Trinity family. We want Trinity to be an inclusive, fair and welcoming workplace where our people can fulfil their potential. We hope this award will be a further sign to current and future colleagues, volunteers and patients that they are free to be themselves and everyone is welcome”