Single Equality Scheme2014 - 2017

Summary Guide

www.hopwood.ac.ukHopwood Hall College I Rochdale Road Middleton I M24 6XH

Introduction to the Single Equality Scheme Hopwood Hall College believe that equality and diversity is key to ensuring that we meet the needs of our customers so we can provide services that are accessible and relevant to their needs as far as possible.

We recognise that Hopwood Hall College has a legal requirement to promote equality and diversity under the Equality Act 2010. The Single Equality Scheme sets out how the College aims to meet these legal requirements, how we intend to fulfil our obligations in relation to the protected characteristics and identifies our key priorities in creating a fair and inclusive environment for all.

The principles of this Scheme apply to all members of the College community including learners, staff, the Corporation, parents, partners and community members.

Our Equality and Diversity Objectives 2014 - 2017Our Scheme has been developed working in partnership with staff, learners, governors, stakeholders and service users and reviewing a range of information, data and evidence from which we have identified the following Equality Objectives for the Scheme:

1. Leadership and Management:To ensure that equality and diversity (including the equality duty) underpins the way the College is led and managed and is fully embedded in policy, performance and quality assurance processes;

2. Performance and Progress:To address any gaps in the success, retention or achievement of equality and disadvantaged groups.

To ensure the curriculum offer is appropriately differentiated to meet learner needs, to support the skills development, progress and progression of different groups;

3. Promotion:To welcome and celebrate equality, diversity and community cohesion in the College and the wider community - including seeking opportunities for active promotion and marketing.

4. Representation & Participation:To develop the staff and governor profile of the College better reflects the student population and encourages participation throughout the College:

• To support the involvement, development and progression of staff;

• To achieve a diverse board membership with the skills and experience necessary to strengthen the Corporation;

• To take positive steps to address underrepresentation in programme areas;

• To ensure learner voice (particularly those from equalities groups), is heard and appropriately acted on;

5. Embedding E&D in Teaching, Learning and Assessment:To ensure equality and diversity is embedded in teaching, learning, training, tutorials and assessment practices and within the curriculum offered by all programme areas;

6. Safe and Inclusive Community:To develop an inclusive and safe environment based on the equality duty, where the needs of students and staff are appropriately identified and supported in order for them to thrive and reach their full potential.

Equality & Diversity Statement Hopwood Hall College will not tolerate less favourable treatment of anyone on the grounds of race, disability, sex, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment and socio-economic background. We seek to ensure that no member of the College community receives less favourable treatment on any of these grounds which cannot be shown to be justified.

Hopwood Hall College is committed to providing services that promote equality, value diversity & community cohesion and we strive to ensure that everyone in our college is treated with respect and dignity.

Our Scheme Aims Through the Single Equality Scheme, we aim to meet our legal duty outlined under the Equality Act 2010:

1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;

2. Advance equality of opportunity;

3. Foster good relations between all people.

Definitions Direct Discrimination – when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have, or because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination – when you have a condition, rule, policy or even a practice that applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.

Harassment – unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.

Victimisation – occurs when a person is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so. A person is protected from victimisation.

Reasonable Adjustments – an organisation must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to remove the disadvantage that a disabled person experiences because of their disability.

Positive Action – an organisation is allowed to take positive action if they think that employees or job applicants who share a particular protected characteristic suffer a disadvantage connected to that characteristic, or if their participation in an activity is disproportionately low.

Genuine Occupational Requirement – In certain circumstances it is legal to recruit someone purely on the basis of their characteristic. This is where it is legal to recruit someone purely on the basis of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion or belief, where this is a genuine occupational requirement for the job.

Protected CharacteristicsThe following characteristics are protected under the Equality Act 2010.

• Age – a person belonging to a particular age or age range;

• Disability – a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse impact a person’s ability to carry out normal on day-to-day activities;

• Gender Reassignment – a process of transitioning from one gender to another;

• Marriage and Civil Partnership – union between man and woman or same sex couples;

• Pregnancy and Maternity – being pregnant and upto 26 weeks after giving birth;

• Race – a group of people defined by their race, colour, nationality, citizenship, ethnic or national origin;

• Religion or Belief – identified beliefs that affect your life choices or the way you live. Also includes lack of belief;

• Sex – man or woman, boy or girl, group of people of same sex;

• Sexual Orientation – whether a person is attracted to their own sex or the opposite sex or both sexes.

Roles and Responsibilities Every member of the College community has a responsibility for promoting equality and diversity, preventing discrimination and treating others with respect.

The Scheme outlines the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved and connected with the College, so that each individual knows what is expected of them. In summary these are:

• To be treated fairly and equally irrespective of age, disability, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio economic background or any other differences;

• To create a working environment free from bullying and harassment;

• To treat others with the respect they would wish to be treated with themselves;

• To treat others kindly and fairly without prejudice, discrimination or harassment;

• To report any incidents of bullying, discrimination or harassment using the appropriate College systems;

• To help create and promote inclusion and good community relations;

• To understand their roles and responsibilities under the Scheme.

The Equality & Diversity Steering Group are responsible for promoting, monitoring and reviewing equality and diversity work as well as reviewing the Single Equality Scheme and for evaluating its effectiveness. It is chaired by the Principal and the membership is made up of staff, learners, governors, public and voluntary sector representatives. The group is responsible for promoting, reviewing and monitoring the development of equality, diversity, inclusion and cohesion activity across the College.

What we will do:1 We will implement the Public Sector

Equality Duty and the Equality Act 2010;

2 We will not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics. Any incident or complaints of discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation will be investigated, and if proven action will be taken;

3 We will report annually on its progress against our Equality Objectives;

4 We will work to address any equality gaps in performance (success, achievement and retention rates) for different groups of students;

5 We will work to eliminate any barriers that might inhibit the success or progression of any group of staff or students;

6 We will collect and report on information in relation to the diversity of its staff, students, corporation members and take action to inform service delivery and address any under representation;

7 We will make sure that our recruitment, selection and promotion practices are fair and that they promote equality and inclusion;

8 We will promote and embed equality, diversity and inclusion in the curriculum;

9 We will encourage the participation of different groups and consult with staff, students and service users in the delivery and shaping of services in the College;

10 We will provide ongoing support and training to staff to ensure that an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture exists and that equality and diversity is embedded throughout the College;

11 We will actively celebrate the rich diversity of our staff and learners and the communities that they belong to;

12 We will provide various facilities available for students and staff including multi-faith prayer rooms, health and wellbeing room, accessible buildings, services and environments;

13 We will provide key college documents in alternative languages and formats on request, for example Braille or large print;

14 We will ensure that the principles of this scheme are reflected in all of our policies, practices, procedures and services and are part of everything that we do.

Complaints and Breach of Scheme Complaints in relation to equality and diversity or the Single Equality Scheme will be handled through the College compliments procedure.

Learners can raise issues through their Student Support Tutor, tutorials, teaching staff, course representatives, Principal’s Question Time, Stay Safe button on ItsLeanring, and through the Student leadership Team or the Student governors.

The College will seek to provide a supportive environment for incidents of harassment, bullying

and discrimination. The Bullying and Harassment Policy can also be used to report and investigate equality issues or incidents. Any identified hate incidents will follow the procedure as outlined in the Bullying and Harassment Policy.

Breaches of this Scheme will be dealt with in the same way that breaches of other College policies are dealt with. Complaints will be monitored annually and reported to the Equality & Diversity Steering Group. Specific monitoring will also take place in relation to bullying and hate incidents.

If you would like this document in a different language or in an alternative format such as audio, large print or braille, please contact:

Nimisha Mistry Head of Student Support and Equality Hopwood Hall College Rochdale Road Middleton, M24 6HX

t. 0161 643 7560 ext 3312 e. nimisha.mistry@hopwood.ac.uk