Equal Opportunities
INTRODUCTION
We at Newbury College wish to be fair in our dealings with our students, our staff and with the wider community. This is why we have an Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Policy.
The College will work actively to make progress in five key areas :
Key Area 1: Discrimination
Eliminating any discrimination in relation to students and staff on recruitment, during their programme of study/employment, progression, the purchase of goods and services, and in the content delivery and management of the curriculum regardless of age, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social class, nationality and faith.
Key Area 2: Harassment
Ensuring all students, staff and visitors can go about their business in an atmosphere free of intimidation or abuse.
Key Area 3: Widening Participation
Encouraging maximum access to the full range of courses and other educational services for people of all social backgrounds and cultures. This includes monitoring patterns of recruitment to courses and working to ensure that course recruitment is based solely on student needs and aptitudes.
Key Area 4: Inclusive Learning
Providing support to enable individual learners of different abilities and needs to progress through the curriculum towards successful achievement.
Key Area 5: Celebrating Diversity
Recognising and reflecting the positive contributions of people of both sexes and of different social backgrounds, cultures, religions, abilities, ages and sexual orientation.
GENERAL COMMENTS AND COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT
The College is pledged to provide further education and training of a high quality for all who can benefit from it , treating all staff and students as individuals.
The College will actively work towards offering equality of opportunity to all students whatever their mode of study, and to all staff regardless of age, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social class, nationality and faith. The College will create an environment in which all students and staff feel comfortable regardless of age, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social class, nationality and faith. The College environment will also foster respect and support for diversity and all races.
The College will promote processes, attitudes and behaviour which are not discriminatory by prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness or stereotyping of people. All participants in the educational process will be made aware that they have a legal and moral duty to play their part in this.
Pro-active and positive steps will be taken to ensure no forms of unlawful discrimination occur.
The College will make reasonable adjustments to enable access to learning and work by persons with disabilities.
The College will maintain up-to-date information to enable it to compare the composition of its student and staffing bodies with that of the community it serves.
All students and visitors will receive a positive welcome from their first point of contact.
Students, staff and all visitors to Newbury College wherever it is operating are to be treated with respect and are expected to treat others respectfully.
The College protects students, staff and visitors from harassment, bullying and racial abuse of all kinds and has in place complaints and grievance procedures for dealing with any incidents of this kind.
Guidance and counselling given to students, or potential students, will be non-discriminatory in terms of age, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social class, nationality and faith. The College is fully accessible to learners with disabilities. The College provides multi-faith facilities.
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
All staff and students are entitled to be treated with respect.
Personal harassment is behaviour that is objectionable and offensive and which might threaten the victim's security or create an intimidating or hostile environment that may hinder a person in their performance. The College will not tolerate harassment, of any kind, and sees it as a form of discrimination.
The College has in place complaints, grievance and disciplinary procedures to deal with discriminatory incidents of this kind. All staff and students will be informed of these procedures. In addition to dealing with the offender, the College will provide support for the victim.
MARKETING, PUBLICITY, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION
The College will research local labour market trends in order to provide the appropriate training for employment. The needs of disabled people, women and ethnic minorities will be included.
College publications and other relevant documents will refer staff and students to this policy and how it can be obtained.
Publicity will reflect equality of opportunity and the College's commitment to meet diversity of need and prevent racial discrimination. It will make this publicity available in public places throughout the Community.
Research will be undertaken enabling publicity to be targeted effectively. The needs of minority groups will be considered.
Outreach activity will be undertaken and partnerships forged to
stimulate interest and generate local involvement for people not
currently attending College.
STUDENTS ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION
The College's commitment to equality of opportunity, diversity and freedom from racial discrimination will be stated in all College prospectuses.
The College provides advice and guidance to learners through its Student Services Team and does so in ways that respect the individual and his/her particular needs, whatever they may be.
The College works closely with the Connexions Service to ensure that high quality careers advice, and advice about further training and education are provided to all who need it irrespective of their race, sex, age or disability.
College admission systems will be free from bias. The College will ensure that access to opportunity will be open to all on the basis of interest and ability.
Subject to financial resources, the College will make full-time child-care provision available.
All areas of the College should be physically accessible to all and support the diverse needs of students and staff.
The College curriculum will reflect the needs of the local area community including local industry.
CURRICULUM
Curriculum encompasses needs analysis, subject content, student-centred and work - related teaching and learning, assessment of students and evaluation of provision in the light of aims and values.
The College will provide planning, teaching styles and resources to ensure equality and to be appropriate for all diversities. Teaching materials and other resources will reflect and promote respect for diversity and will not contain negative, inaccurate or insulting stereotypes of people on any grounds.
The College will meet the needs of learners to support them in their learning. For example those with English as a second language will be offered English Language support while studying other subjects. Learners with dyslexia will be offered support while studying other subjects. Where such needs are especially great, separate provision will be made and plans for progressing into the rest of the curriculum will be made. English as a second or other language will be provided according to need.
Resource materials used to deliver the curriculum shall be free from racist, sexist and other discriminatory assumptions and language. Teaching at the College will be designed to foster respect for diversity and those of different races. Wherever possible it draws on subject examples from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Physical disability will not be a barrier to study and the College is fully accessible to disabled people. Curriculum design will take full account of access and progression, and the accreditation of prior learning and experience.
The College will provide opportunities for open learning, e-learning and blended learning.
The College will strive to meet the needs of the long-term unemployed, or those returning to work after a period of domestic commitment, illness etc.
Women will be encouraged to undertake courses in curriculum areas traditionally perceived as male areas of work, and vice versa.
The College will provide special courses to give a second chance to people whose linguistic or cultural background, gender or other stereotyping, have made it difficult for them to benefit from education.
The College will encourage the integration of students with disabilities into the College.
Students in need of Learning Support will be offered individual programmes of study to assist them where necessary.
STAFF THE SELECTION, RECRUITMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF STAFF
Recruitment, including advertisements, selection and induction for all positions and promotions within the College will be carried out in a manner that accords with equal opportunities practice, targeting effectively minority groups to encourage applications from these groups.
All appointing panels will have undertaken training in recruitment and selection practices and procedures, which will address equal opportunities and race relations issues.
Job sharing may be considered if appropriate to the needs of the post.
Training and development opportunities for staff will be offered fairly, equitably, meeting requirements for diversity of offer and to meet the needs of the business.
The College will actively promote and provide to all staff training and development in equality, diversity and race relations.
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The Principal will establish an Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Policy Committee to monitor and evaluate progress. The Committee will be empowered to co-opt members of relevant organisations.
The Corporation is responsible for promoting this policy and ensuring the policy is effective and leads to improvements.
The Principal is responsible for ensuring that this policy is continuously promoted and comprehensively implemented in all aspects of the College's operation.
The Committee is responsible for coordinating, monitoring and reviewing the Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Policy and for evaluating its effectiveness. The Committee will ensure:
Statistics are gathered about staff and students, on the basis of age, race, gender and disability at the point of enquiry, entry and all stages of progression. (Provided by relevant teams in the College.),
Retention and achievement of learners will be monitored on the basis of race, sex, age and disability to ensure fitness and any indication of inequality,
If particular groups of students are not achieving well, or not taking particular courses, this will be investigated and recommendations made to address the relevant issues,
Analysis of these statistics is carried out to identify specific areas of under-representation,
Recommendations are made for changes in marketing, recruitment and selection procedures,
The implementation of all equality, diversity and race relations training programmes,
Recruitment procedures and College publications are audited for bias
The incorporation of this policy in the planning and review of provision at section and course level,
That all plans include specific targets and timetables for implementing the policy (to be reviewed and evaluated at regular intervals),
That regular reports are made on the implementation of policy to students, staff, management and the Corporation.
All Managers of the College are responsible for promoting this policy, and for improving performance of their teams.
The College HR Services Manager is responsible for the implementation of all aspects of the College's Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Policy relating to the employment of staff.
All employees of the College have a responsibility for implementing the policy and promoting all its aspects in their work.
Students are responsible for ensuring their actions in College meet this policy.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Targets are to be agreed for achievement, retention and attendance rates by the Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Policy Committee with staff and managers.
- Staff Profile by ethnicity, gender and disability to reflect West Berkshire's population.
- Supplementary indicators.
- Student complaints of discrimination and harassment.
- Staff grievances of discrimination and harassment.
- Attendance by staff at Equality, Diversity and Race Relations staff development events.
BREACHES OF POLICY
Breaches of Policy will be investigated by the Equality, Diversity and Race Relations Committee and recommendations made at the end of the investigation. The recommendations may instigate Disciplinary Policy for students or staff.
REVIEW
This Policy will be reviewed annually by the College Management Team.
Lead Officer at Newbury College for this policy is:
HR Services Manager
To download the Equality and Diversity Policy please click on
the following link:
Equality and Diversity Policy (doc 148kb)