Released 19 December 2022
Request:
I understand the Trust is engaged in the NHS Rainbow Badge project and is seeking accreditation with regard to this.
Please could you tell me:
- What organisation will be doing the accreditation/bench marking.
- What guidelines have been given relating to what goals it has been suggested should be attained in order to achieve a positive benchmark.
- Please supply all hospital policies that have been supplied to the accrediting organisation for assessment and any that have been changed in relation to this assessment (These should include HR policies as well as any related to patient care etc) and also any action plan related to the accreditation.
- Please could you explain how the scoring/assessment will be carried out, including any materials supplied by the organisation in relation to this in order for the hospital to prepare for the assessment.
- Please could you explain what benefits the hospital expects to gain from a positive benchmark.
- How much the organisation doing the assessment will charge for this service
- Any other fees paid to this organisation over the last year, 2021-2022
- Any costs related to achieving “Rainbow Badge” status, including all branded materials supplied and used, to include rainbow badges and lanyards issued to staff, flags, rainbow painting of road crossings, rainbow road signs at the road crossings and any other branded signage and costs related to any public or staff surveys for the purpose of the accreditation.
Information disclosed:
Please note University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has been in operation since 1 April 2021, following the merger of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) and Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WSHFT).
- The Trust currently has no further plans to undertake additional work with the NHS Rainbow Badges Phase 2 Assessment.
- Not applicable
- Please refer to the attached documents. Staff names and contact details have been redacted from these documents in line with section 40(2) exemption of the Act on the grounds that this amounts to personal data.
The engagement of s.40(2) in this case is considered absolute and is not subject to public interest considerations.
Please also note that the assessment was undertaken in 2021, shortly after the merger took place. After the merger, some policies were transferred as part of the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2008) requirements with legacy BSUH staff and other policies apply to legacy WSHFT staff. No policies have changed as a result of the 2021 assessment. Following the merger in April 2021, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has continued to update its Human Resources and Employment policies with learning and best practice obtained from a range of sources. - Not applicable
- The Freedom of Information Act applies to recorded information held by public authorities. It is not clear from this question exactly what recorded information you are seeking for this part of your request. Since this questions appears to seek an opinion or conjecture by staff, it is not a valid request for information under the Act.
- The Trust was one of the national pilot sites for the NHS Rainbow Badges Phase 2 Assessment in 2021; no fees were charged.
- The NHS Rainbow Badges Phase 2 scheme in 2021 was administered through the LGBT Foundation; no fees were paid to this organisation in 2021/22.
- Not applicable