Access to Leadership Development

The Midlands Leadership and Lifelong Learning team is working in partnership with the Midlands Region of the Disability and Wellbeing Network (DaWN) to better understand the experiences of colleagues regarding access onto leadership training and development programmes. In particular we are looking to see if there are issues impacting disabled colleagues and those with health conditions. This relates to both formal programmes and informal development opportunities/assignments. We are not looking at evaluating the content of programmes, but rather the access to development opportunities.

The evaluation project is being undertaken independently by a company called Frontline who has extensive experience in all aspects of evaluation and in particular in relation to aspects of leadership and leadership development. The concept of this work has been developed by members of a neuro-diversity staff group in NHS England and NHS Improvement but the issues are applicable to all staff who may want to access programmes from the Midlands Leadership Academy. Below is a short, anonymous survey.

The survey is open to all colleagues, not just those who identify as having a disability, physical and non-physical as we are looking at access and how that is supported.

We would encourage all staff to share their experiences to help us improve access to our training and development offer as well as and the processes that support these.

If you have any queries about the evaluation please contact [email protected]

Please note: The wording in this survey matches the wording in the NHS staff survey, so you will see ‘disability’ described as ‘A physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more’. This definition intends to encompass the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 “You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

The Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) subscribes to the social model of disability. Therefore, there is a collective commitment to remove barriers and providing appropriate support when the need becomes apparent.

About you
Please tell us a little bit about yourself. All information is anonymous and not traceable to individuals. It is the same information as asked in the NHS staff survey.
Are you:*
Gender Description:
Your Age:*
Ethnic Background:*
White:
Mixed/multiple ethnic backgrounds:
Asian/Asian British
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British:
Other ethnic group:
Any other background:
Which of the following describes where you work?*
Which of the following best describes your role:*
Do you consider yourself to have a disability / Learning Difference?*
Do you have any physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?*
Has your employer made adequate adjustments for you to carry out your work?*
We want to understand if seniority influences access to development so please could you tell us what Grade/level are you now?*
Other band/grade/level, please state:
Is this grade the same as when you joined the organisation?*
What is your highest level of education?*
Has the NHS supported you to attain your highest qualification?*
Are you a line manager?*
About your development opportunities
In this next section we are looking at what development and training you have been able to access.
Have you undertaken any development [apart from statutory and mandatory training] in the past 2 years?*
If yes was this any of the following Leadership programmes?
Have you been offered any other type of Leadership development?*
Other type of leadership development – Please state
Have you highlighted other training and development you would like to undertake to your manager?*
If yes, was this supported by your line manager?
Is your manager aware of your disability of you consider yourself to have one?*
Does your organisations act fairly with regard to career progression / promotion regardless of ethnic background, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age?*
Do you feel your disability has or has had any baring on the development opportunities offered to you?
On a scale of 1-5 how easy do you find it to complete applications for development?
Have you ever withdrawn from a development opportunity because any requirement related to the condition you referred to in question 5 were not in place?
Do you feel your line manager understands your individual needs?
Do you feel your health condition has altered your line manager’s perception of your ability?
Do you feel your health condition has altered your personal perception of your ability?
Do you think your organisation is a good place to work for staff with disabilities?
Any other comments

About you

About your development opportunities