This is a 2000 word assignment. It should be written in a business report format. You should follow the assessment guidelines at the end of the case study. This assignment represents 50% of your total grade for this module.

The Scenario:

The employee relations data of a large NHS Trust identified that their Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff along with women at certain grades were having a hard time getting through the internal interview processes to progress within the Trust.

The data also found that BAME staff did not get annual appraisals as much as white staff (even though appraisals are mandatory for all staff).

The Trust has a global reputation for its clinical (medical) excellence, but there is disquiet on the Board that the senior roles (both medical and non-medical) are not representative. There is a sense that they are not tapping into the diverse talents within the Trust.

As a public body the Trust has duties to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality and good relations between groups. The Board are keen that the equality principles are translated into practice throughout the Trust. They not only want to comply with the law but they want the Trust to be seen as a beacon of best practice in the NHS promoting equal opportunities for all.

As the HR Manager you are well aware that Human Capital Theory tells you that it is important to focus on what people can do rather than who they are. Indeed you are reminded that, "discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, or any other marker is poor business, regardless of one's moral view "Gary Becker (1975) Human Capital: a theoretical & empirical analysis. Columbia University, New York.

TASK:

You are the HR Manager of the Trust. The HR Director of the Trust has tasked you to produce a report toaddress each area ofthe employee relations data that has been identified.as an area of concern. Those areas are:

· The internal interview processes
· BAME annual appraisals

You will need to suggest possible solutions on how the Trust can tackle these areas within a five year time scale.

The HR Director is clear that your report should not only show how the Trust will comply with the legislation, but how it intends to bring about change that utilises the potential strengths and talents of BAME and women staff that are being overlooked within the Trust. The report should address the following:

· The 2000 word report should be in a business report format:

Executive Summary
Introduction
Assignment discussion areas:
· Internal interview processes &
· Appraisal
Conclusions
Recommendations

· In the introduction, you should provide a brief background of the development of Equality legislation and diversity approaches in the context of UK and EU. (Approx. 300 words)

· In relation to the scenario, you should analyse how the Trust can improve the effectiveness of internal interview process by addressing the equality and diversity issues as highlighted by the report. (Approx. 700 words)

· As highlighted in the scenario, you should analyse the legal and diversity related issues associated with the annual appraisal. You should also discuss how the effectiveness of the annual appraisal can be improved, so that talents are recognised and rewarded regardless of their background. (Approx. 700 words)

· You should identify the key conclusions from your analysis on each of the themes- internal interview processes and appraisals. You should ensure that your recommendations relate to future practises and reflect best practice in the HRM field. (Approx. 300 words)

GUIDANCE:

· Within the assignment discussion areas (the internal interview process and BAME annual appraisals) your analysis should at least include the Equality Act 2010, Equality Scheme, Positive Action provision and any other relevant Acts. In addition to providing the relevant acts you must evaluate inequalities and discrimination within the context of the NHS Trust.

· It is important to consider the practical aspects of implementing best practice. Ensuring that your anyalsis and discussion acknowledges the limitations of implementing legislation in an orgnaisation.

· Your analysis and discussion should consider the additional duties for public bodies

· You should use relevant theory to support your analysis, referring to any models of practice where appropriate.

· You should clearly identify the recommendations that the Trust should follow over a five year time scale

· Your report should be properly referenced using the Harvard referencing format.