Race Equality Policy

Introduction

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 has introduced requirements upon the College to positively promote equality. It is intended that this statement, and reference to other related documents such as the 'Joint Agreement on Guidance for Equality in Further Education', will outline the Colleges policy and the actions it intends to take in this matter.

Our Commitment

• The College celebrates and values the diversity brought to its workforce by individuals, and believes that the College will benefit from engaging staff from a variety of racial, ethnic and national backgrounds, thus allowing it to meet the needs of a diverse student population within a multi-cultural society. The College will treat all employees and students with respect and dignity, and seek to provide a positive working and learning environment free from racial discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
• The College will seek not only to eliminate discrimination, but also to create a working and learning environment based on positive relations between members of different racial groups. To this end, the College undertakes to provide training and support for staff, to consult with black staff about their experience of the working environment, and to provide diverse images in any material which it produces for students and staff. The aim is to create a positive inclusive ethos where issues of racism, stereotyping and discrimination can be discussed openly with a shared commitment to challenging and preventing racism and discrimination, to respecting diversity and difference, and to encouraging good relations between people of different groups.
• The College will work towards the elimination of racism whether overt or covert, and will seek to ensure that individuals and communities have equal access to learning programmes and facilities.

Definitions and Scope

• Both institutional and individual racism "can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, and racist stereotyping which disadvantages ethnic minority people." [Macpherson]
• The College recognises that institutional racism can exist, and that no organisation is immune to it.
• This policy is applicable to both College staff and student matters.

Our Statutory Duties

Under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000), the College has a general duty to have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful race discrimination
• Promote equality of opportunity
• Promote good relations between people from different racial groups.

It also has specific duties to:

• Prepare and maintain a written race equality policy
• Assess the impact of its policies on students and staff from different racial groups
• Monitor the admission and progress of students and the recruitment and career progress of staff by racial groups
• Set out the College's arrangements for publishing the results of assessments and monitoring
• Where reasonably practicable publish annually the results of assessments and monitoring

Meeting Our Duties

We will seek to ensure that:

• Governors, staff, students and their sponsors (including work placement providers) are aware of our racial equality policy and the action needed for its implementation  
• Staff, students and their sponsors (including work placement providers) are aware of the value placed upon equal opportunity and that action will be taken in the event of any breach of the policy  
• Governors and staff have access to comprehensive information, which assists them to plan, implement and monitor actions to carry out their responsibilities under the policy.  
• We will also ensure the College's publicity materials present appropriate and positive messages about minority racial groups

Monitoring Our Progress

The monitoring process will be used to ensure that members of staff are treated equally in terms of promotion, staff development, grading etc.

To inform the setting of targets and the measurement of our progress in achieving them, we will collect and analyse the following information by racial group origin.

For Students:

• Racial group profiles of students
• Applications, success and failure rates for admission to programmes
• Retention rates
• Achievement rates
• Work placements including success rates, satisfaction levels and job offers
• Disciplinary action
• Complaints by students or their sponsors
• Student surveys

For Employees:

• Racial group profiles of employees by grade/salary scales and type of work
• Job application rates
• Selection success rates
• Type of contract (permanent, temporary)
• Training/Staff development
• Promotion application and success rates
• Disciplinary/capability proceedings
• Grievances
• Exit surveys

Positive Action

In specific circumstances, the Act allows positive action as a way of overcoming racial inequality.

Positive action allows the College to:

• Provide facilities or services, in training, education or welfare, to meet the special needs of people from particular racial groups (for example, English language classes).
• Target job training at particular racial groups that are under-represented in a particular area of work.
• Encourage applications from racial groups that are under-represented in particular work areas.

The College undertakes, once the results of monitoring are available, to consider targets to reduce any disadvantage suffered by ethic minority employees and students. If monitoring reveals that specific racial minority groups are disadvantaged, some targets may relate to those specific groups. The targets will be published annually in an Action Plan.

Positive action strategies are intended to be temporary measures only. They must be kept under regular review and can not be used once the special needs have been met or if the under-representation no longer exists. The College will ensure that when using positive action as a strategy, it falls within the law.  

Division of Responsibilities

Governors are responsible for ensuring that:

• The membership of the Corporation reflects the diversity of the communities served by the College
• The College's strategic plan includes a commitment to race equality
• Equalities training features as part of the College's strategic plan
• They are aware of the Corporation's statutory responsibilities in relation to race legislation as an employer and service provider
• They receive and respond to the racial group monitoring information on students and staff

The College Management for ensuring that:

• The College Principal, Executive and Senior Management Team are responsible for taking the lead in creating a positive, inclusive ethos that challenges racist or inappropriate behaviour on the part of managers, staff or students.
• They are aware of the College's statutory duties in relation to race legislation
• All aspects of College policy and activity are sensitive to racial issues
• Racial group monitoring information is collected and analysed
• Targets are set for the recruitment, retention and achievement of students based upon the analysis of the racial group monitoring information
• Teaching observation reports include criteria on racial issues where appropriate
• Internal verification procedures include scrutiny of racial groups
• Curriculum areas are required to assess performance in relation to racial issues and take action as appropriate
• The procedures for the recruitment and promotion of staff enshrine best practice in equal opportunities
• Targets are set on the recruitment and promotion of staff based upon the analysis of racial group monitoring information
• The College's publicity materials present appropriate and positive messages about minority racial groups
• Student induction programmes and tutorial programmes reflect the College's commitment to promote equality of opportunity
• Appropriate training and development is provided to support the appreciation and understanding of diversity

Staff are responsible for ensuring that:

• They are aware of the College's statutory duties in relation to race legislation
• Their schemes of work, lesson content and teaching resources demonstrate sensitivity to issues of cultural diversity
• They challenge inappropriate behaviour by students, work placement providers, outside contractors or other members of staff
• The College and each of its individual staff confront racism, whether witting or unwitting, whenever it occurs

Publicising Our Policy and Progress

To the public (including students, work placement providers and staff):

• Our commitment to racial equality will be highlighted in our prospectus, annual report and annual financial statement
• A summary of the results of our monitoring information will be included in our annual report and annual financial statements, where this does not breach individual confidentiality

To Students:

• All students will receive a summary of this policy.
• The induction programme for students will highlight the College's commitment to racial equality, the action to be taken by students who suffer discrimination and the action to be taken against such perpetrators of discrimination
• Student tutors will reinforce this information during tutorials or work-based monitoring visits

To work placement providers:

• All work placement providers will receive a summary of their responsibilities under the policy and will signify their understanding of, and agreement to, these responsibilities
• The College will publish the requirement to offer appropriate training covering diversity issues to their staff
• The College will promote the requirement of students from under-represented groups to providers
• A summary of the results of racial group monitoring information will be included in the appropriate College publication sent to relevant employers

To staff:

• All staff will receive a full copy of the policy as part of the Staff Handbook
• The staff induction programme will highlight the College's commitment to racial equality, action to be taken by staff who suffer discrimination and the action to be taken against any perpetrators of such discrimination
• A summary of the results of our monitoring information will be included in the appropriate College publication.
• Any published information will have due regard for individual confidentiality

Complaints

The College will seek to provide a supportive environment for those who make claims of discrimination or harassment.

Acts of racial discrimination (direct or indirect), harassment, victimisation or abuse will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.

Members of staff who feel they are being discriminated against on racial grounds by other members of staff should raise the matter under the Grievance/Harassment Procedure, which will, if the accusation is upheld, be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.

If, in the course of their work, College staff who suffer racial discrimination from members of the public, the College will take appropriate action and provide appropriate support.

Any racist behaviour directed against staff by students will be dealt with under the student disciplinary procedure.

Review

 This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis in accordance with legislative developments and the need for good practice, by the Equal Opportunities Committee and approved by the Corporation.