East Cheshire Hospice is dedicated to creating a culture in which diversity and equal opportunities are valued and promoted actively, and in which unlawful discrimination is not tolerated.
We are committed to providing the highest level of service to everyone we work with. To help us do this, we encourage you to share some information regarding your identity, language preferences and support needs that is important to you.
We recognise that we are not all the same and that is our greatest strength.
In October 2022 East Cheshire Hospice was awarded the Navajo Charter Mark. This was retained in June 2024 following a detailed review which showed it successfully met the needs of patients, staff and volunteers.
The Navajo Charter Mark is an equality mark supported by LGBTIQA+ Community networks across Merseyside. It is a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing LGBTIQA+ people.
To be awarded the Navajo Charter Mark, an organisation must successfully pass a two stage assessment process.
First, East Cheshire Hospice needed to submit an initial written application and action plan. This application process was designed to assess how accessible and friendly our organisation is across five distinct elements:
Once the application, action plan and evidence were reviewed by the Navajo assessors, we were informed we were successfully moving onto stage two of the application process.
Stage two of the process included a day-long assessment whereby eleven members of our staff were interviewed by the Navajo assessing panel. Staff from various teams, in a variety of roles from across the organisation were interviewed.
Once the Charter Mark has be awarded, the Navajo team reassesses each organisation two years later to ensure the positive work they are doing is continued and meaningful.
Achieving the Charter Mark means that East Cheshire Hospice has demonstrated that we:-
The hard work is not over yet. East Cheshire Hospice will continue to be active in taking positive steps to remove barriers to care for LGBTQ+ people.
East Cheshire Hospice has listened to the voices of LGBTQ+ people and acknowledged that there are, unfortunately, additional barriers and stressors associated with accessing end of life care.
In an effort to do our part and work to remove these barriers, East Cheshire Hospice partnered with Hospice of the Good Shepherd (Chester) and St Luke’s Hospice (Winsford) to hire an LGBTQ+ Development Facilitator. The role was created with the goal of tackling inequalities, increasing accessibility and fighting discrimination and exclusion. We wanted to ensure we were making clear and consistent improvements across all service delivery. Having a role that was dedicated to this work has allowed us to make positive changes on an organisational level whilst building connections within the wider Cheshire community.
We understand some patients may have reservations about the use of single sex bays. We would like to reassure all patients that we offer an inclusive service and are more than happy to discuss any specific arrangements with you directly to ensure you’re confident and comfortable during your stay.
We know each person accessing our services is unique. We do not want to make assumptions about you, your identity, your relationships and what’s important to you. Therefore, we encourage you to let us know if you have would like us to use a particular name and pronouns during your time with us.
We understand that not everyone feels comfortable and confident sharing details around their sexual orientation or relationship status. East Cheshire Hospice is committed to offering a truly inclusive service. We would like to take a moment to reassure you that if you do choose to confide in us, you will be met with support and your privacy will be respected.
We understand everyone’s family is different and that not everyone’s family consists of biological/legally recognised relatives. We encourage everyone to take a moment to consider who they would like to visit and make medical decisions on your behalf in times of emergency.
Thank you so much for choosing to support East Cheshire Hospice. You may never know how much your gift means, but we know that it will make the world of difference to our patients and their families.
East Cheshire Hospice, Millbank Drive, Macclesfield Cheshire, SK10 3DR | admin@echospice.org.uk | 01625 610 364
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Registered Charity No: 515104
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