Equality, diversity, inclusion

Providing inclusive mental health, learning disabilities and neurodiversity services is at the centre of Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Across the Trust, we continue to develop a culture of kindness and inclusion.

People are at the heart of all we do. This includes people using our services, their carers and the staff who work at the Trust. We know it is important to address discrimination and health inequalities. We work to remove barriers to access, experience and outcomes.

Our aim is to create environments that are easy to access and supportive. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. We do this by working with colleagues across Devon, people who use our services, families, carers, local communities and charities. This helps us to hear a diverse range of voices and experiences. This means we can shape our Trust to meet the individual needs of any person who may need us or who wants to work at our Trust.

Everyone in contact with our Trust should be safe from abuse, bullying or harassment. We are taking action to tackle discrimination and can only be a truly anti-discrimination Trust if everyone feels confident and supported to act.

Our Trust strategy for 2026 - 2030 includes the aim to Strengthen inclusion. One of the ways we aim to do this includes:

  • Tackling discrimination and promoting social justice, including our commitment to being an anti-racist organisation, embedding the patient and carer race equality framework and working with national experts to take tangible action

If you have any questions about equality, diversity and inclusion at our organisation, please contact dpn-tr.equality@nhs.net

Equality monitoring

Equality monitoring involves collecting information about patients' protected characteristics - such as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex and sexual orientation - to better understand needs, reduce inequalities and ensure everyone's voice is heard. Our aim is to provide inclusive and accessible services for all.

How do we use your information? 

The collected helps us:

  • Provide personalised care
  • Remove barriers and improve access to services
  • Understand community needs and identify service gaps
  • Assess service usage
  • Support reporting requirements (using anonymised data)
  • Inform future service development

Further information about how we use your personal data can be found on the Privacy Notice page.

Why is equality monitoring important?

By sharing this information, you help us to:

  • Tailor care to your needs
  • Identify and address unfair treatment or barriers to accessing services and inform improvements

You can choose 'prefer not to say' for any question. Sharing your details helps us support you and others across Devon more effectively

When and how do I complete the form?

The form is usually sent with appointment letters or provided at the first appointment. You should bring the completed form to your first appointment, or complete it later if you prefer.

Where is the information stored?

Your information is stored securely and confidentially, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. You can update or withdraw it at any time by speaking with your healthcare worker. 

Who can I speak to if I have questions?

  • Contact your healthcare worker or relevant service with questions about the form.
  • For alternative formats or languages, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at dpt.pals@nhs.net or 01392 675686.
  • For questions about equality, diversion and inclusion, email dpn-tr.equality@nhs.net.

How sharing your information helps:

Sharing your information can lead to real improvements in care.

I am prescribed medication as a result of a disability. This medication is not commonly prescribed, but commonly used illegally and was therefore an exclusionary factor for accessing services. After sharing my data, not only could I access the service, the department received training and the Trust is working on specific policies to improve accessibility for those prescribed this medication. - Expert by Experience 

Another patient in our Older Person's Mental Health service said they felt respected when asked about their sexual orientation:
Services usually don't ask because of my age.

Thanks to people sharing their information, services like TALKWORKS and the Bristol Dementia Service have become more inclusive and better at meeting people's needs.

Publications

Some of our publications are not fully accessible, but we are required to publish them by law. Please search our publications library or view html versions of our main strategies below:

For different formats like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille please contact our Patient Experience Team (PET):

For earlier versions of documents, please email dpn-tr.communications@nhs.net