Context
The College’s prime aim is the provision, in a supportive environment, of high quality, full-time academic and general education courses to meet the needs of young people who live in the Colchester area.
This Single Equality & Diversity Policy is an overarching statement of intent regarding the College’s commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discrimination legislation and it affirms the College’s dedication to the values contained in the Equality Act (2006). The College therefore will encourage and support the development of a community in which:
- people's ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination
- there is respect for and protection of each individual's human rights
- there is respect for the dignity and worth of each individual
- each individual has an equal opportunity to participate in society, and there is mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing of diversity and on shared respect for equality and human rights
The College is concerned to promote this policy as a single equality scheme because the College is committed to promoting an environment in which each and every member of the College community is valued and respected.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies:
- Promotion of Racial Equality
- Protection from Bullying and Harassment
And the following supplementary schemes, which address specific strands of equality and diversity:
- Disability Equality
- Gender Equality
- Religion / Belief Equality
- Age Equality
- Sexual Orientation Equality
Further policies will be developed according to legal requirements, College initiatives and needs.
The legal framework
Three pieces of legislation are central to our Single Equality & Diversity Policy. These are:
- Race Relations (Amendment) Act (RR(A)A) 2000
- Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005
- Equality Act 2006
These laws impose positive duties on the College to promote race, disability and gender equality in everything that it does. The general and specific duties are explained in the individual equality schemes, contained in the Annexes.
Our Policy Commitments
The College is committed to taking account of the diversity of the communities it serves and promoting equality of opportunity for everyone.
The College will treat students, staff, applicants, parents / guardians and members of the wider communities with dignity, respect and fairness. The College will provide an inclusive, personalised learning environment in which students are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential and are valued as individuals.
The College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all its members and visitors. Students and staff have a right to expect protection from harm.
The College will prevent unlawful discrimination against any individual or group within the College. The College values diversity in respect of race, ethnicity or national origin, gender, religion and belief, socio-economic background, marital status or family circumstances, political opinions and affiliations, physical attributes or appearance, disability, sexual orientation and age.
The College will educate students and staff on the importance of equality and human rights.
The College will consult regularly members of the College and local communities to develop and implement policies appropriate to this diverse society.
The College will monitor the impact of this Single Equality & Diversity Policy. The College is committed to analysing and publishing the results and to taking positive, corrective action where required.
What the College is Aiming to Achieve
The College is aiming to achieve:
- confidence in the quality and fairness of its provision
- satisfaction among the College community
- awareness among students and staff of the importance of equality and diversity issues
- equality of educational opportunity and achievement
- equality of opportunity in career development for all staff
- an environment which is free of prejudice, harassment and unlawful discrimination
- effective treatment of complaints
- a representative community of students, staff and Governors
- a community in which there are no unlawful differences in students’ and staff members’ experiences from entry to exit
- a College that consults its members and the local communities, and uses this information to improve its provision
Benefits
The College community will gain multiple benefits from continuous progress on equality and diversity. These include:
- enabling greater awareness of possible issues before they arise and helping the College to develop better policies
- more informed decision making
- appropriate targeting of policies and resources
- improving educational provision and meeting varied needs
- greater openness in policy making
- increasing confidence in the College’s provision
- eliminating incidents of unlawful discrimination
- improved morale, inclusion, satisfaction and productivity
- a population of students, staff and Governors that is representative of the local communities
- being recognised as an educational institution and employer of choice
How the College Will Achieve its Policy Commitments
The College will achieve its policy commitments by:
- embedding consideration of equality and diversity issues into all aspects of its provision
- consulting members of the College and local communities
- providing opportunities and resources for students and staff to engage with equality and diversity-related issues
- assessing the impact of policies on diverse groups
- integrating equality and diversity into its quality assurance procedures; regularly monitoring and reviewing performance; publicly reporting on achievements and taking positive action where necessary
- providing training for all staff to raise awareness of legal responsibilities and to promote good practice
- providing equality of opportunity in career development for all staff
- continuing professional development, through which staff will meet their responsibilities relating to equality and diversity
- providing effective and trusted complaints procedures
- treating acts of unlawful discrimination as a disciplinary offence
- publicising and communicating the College’s work on equality and diversity, both internally and externally
Responsibilities
All members of the College share the responsibility to:
- create an environment within which progress can be made on equality and where there is genuine inclusion and respect for diversity
- comply with the law and work within the College’s Single Equality & Diversity Policy
The Governors are responsible for:
- reviewing and approving equality and diversity-related policies and Action Plans
- approving appropriate resource allocation
- reviewing impact assessments on equality
- taking the lead in equality and diversity, both internally and externally
The Principal is responsible for:
- providing leadership, acting as overall leader to ensure the policy is developed and implemented
- ensuring the development and fulfilment of the Single Equality & Diversity Policy and Action Plans which is integrated within the College’s strategic priorities
- publicising and communicating the policy, externally and internally
- strategic engagement with, and accountability to, the wider community for delivery on equality and diversity in all relevant activities
- ensuring that all staff fulfil their responsibilities with regards to equality and diversity
The Vice-Principal (Curriculum) is responsible for:
- ensuring that equality and diversity issues are embedded in learning and teaching strategies
The Assistant Principal (Equality & Diversity) is responsible for:
- ensuring the practical implementation of the policy
- ensuring students and staff act in accordance with the policy, providing necessary support and direction
The Equality & Diversity Co-ordinator and the Equality & Diversity Working Party are responsible for:
- enabling the College to translate this policy into Action Plans
- monitoring and reviewing teaching provision to ensure equality and diversity issues are embedded across the College
- drafting policies and strategies related to equality and diversity
Each staff member is responsible for:
- actively addressing equality and diversity issues in their day-to-day work
- ensuring her or his own behaviour meets appropriate professional standards
Each student is responsible for:
- ensuring her or his own behaviour does not contravene the principles of this policy
Monitoring, Reviews and Reporting
The College has a specific duty to monitor, review and report on its equality and diversity-related policies and practices, in order to measure progress in achieving agreed objectives.
The College will publish reviews of its equality and diversity provision in:
- an annual Equality & Diversity / Inclusive (Personalised) Learning Monitoring Report
- an annual Promotion of Racial Equality Monitoring Report
- an annual Learning Support / DDA Monitoring Report
- the College’s annual Self Assessment Report
Reports are available at: http://www.colchsfc.ac.uk/equality/ or on request from the College.
The Single Equality & Diversity Policy will be reviewed at least biennially or when required to comply with any changes in legislation.
What To Do If Things Go Wrong
The College regards very seriously any allegation of discrimination or harassment. The appropriate disciplinary action may result in sanctions up to and including expulsion or dismissal from the College.
If you are a student and you feel that you have experienced unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation or abuse then please raise the matter with your Personal Tutor, Senior Tutor or the Assistant Principal (Equality & Diversity).
If you are a member of staff, please raise the matter with your departmental Equality & Diversity Working Party representative, or the Equality & Diversity Co-ordinator, or your line manager, or the Assistant Principal (Equality & Diversity).
If you are a parent / guardian or other member of the wider communities, please raise the matter with the Assistant Principal (Equality & Diversity) or follow the Complaints Procedure described in the Parent Handbook.
If necessary you can make a formal complaint. If you wish to do so, please contact the Vice Principal or follow the Complaints Procedure described in the Student Handbook, Charter and Diary, which is available on the College’s website.
If you would like to ask a question or make a comment regarding the College's equality and diversity provision, please email equalitymatters@colchsfc.ac.uk.
Consultation
The effectiveness of this policy is dependent on the support and co-operation of all members of the College. This version has therefore been agreed in consultation with the Student Council, staff representatives on the Equality & Diversity Working Party, Governors, trades unions and other relevant parties. This policy is, however, a working document and therefore is subject to constant review.
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