Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Training Workshop

‘Promoting equality, human rights and valuing difference’

Equality & Diversity Management Consultants Facilitator Issan Ghazni Mangospice Equality & Diversity Management Consultants

WORKING CONTRACT

Aims Provide an overview of equality and diversity whilst also exploring the impact on individuals and organisations Understand the importance that valuing and managing diversity can have in the workplace

Objectives Raise awareness of discrimination and barriers to access Build common understanding Discuss definitions Appreciate equal opportunities legislation

Objectives Identify good practice Understand difference between equalities and diversity Apply learning to practical work situation Develop personal diversity plan

Name Game Name Background to name History Cultural attachments What does your name mean to you? Ever had any problems or barriers to it?

NHS – Equality and Diversity Key points NHS is committed to equality and diversity It is an integral part of healthcare We all have a responsibility to integrate the principles into our everyday work

STEREOTYPING Preconceived notions about people Rarely checked out or validated Produces prejudices Acts to help us with ambiguity Operates at both conscious and unconscious level

HOW WE USE STEREOTYPES Consciously, we ask ‘efficient’ questions Unconsciously, we ‘filter’ what we see / hear Our attitudes, values and experiences constitute the ‘filter’ We think we’ve got the picture, but much of it is us ‘Making sense’ is not the same as ‘objectively accurate’

The Equal Opportunities Guide – P Clements PREJUDICE ‘Implicit in the word prejudice is the idea of prejudgement, of making your mind up about something before you have any personal experience of or fact about it’ The Equal Opportunities Guide – P Clements T Spinks

THE REALLY PREJUDICED vs THE UNPREJUDICED Those who have strong prejudiced views, which they admit, and are unwilling to change Those who have ‘perceived self-fairmindedness’, who claim no prejudice, and are unwilling to check it out Both fail to recognise the existence of prejudice Both fail to question their prejudices before acting Not about removing prejudice. It is about recognition, thought and action

DEALING WITH OUR OWN PREJUDICE Recognise that it applies to us all Appreciate that you don’t understand the full picture – you just think you do When you feel you’ve gathered enough information - gather some more Learn to recognise your ‘consistent prejudicial perceptions’

DISCRIMINATION ‘Discrimination is about the way we act. When we act more favourably towards one group of people than another and that favouritism is based on prejudice, then we may be said to have discriminated.’ The Equal Opportunities Guide – P Clements T Spinks ‘ Treating one or more members of a specified group unfairly as compared with other people’ Oxford Reference – A Dictionary of the Law

DEFINITIONS OF DISCRIMINATION Direct Racial Discrimination arises where a person treats another person less favourably on racial grounds than she/he treats, or would treat, someone else. (also applies to race, gender and disability)

DEFINITIONS OF DISCRIMINATION Indirect Racial Discrimination consists of treatment which may be described as equal in a formal sense as between different racial groups, but discriminatory in its effect on one particular racial group. (also applies to race, gender and disability)

QUESTION “What personal experience do you have of discrimination and prejudice?

INSTITUTIONAL RACISM ”The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amounts to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantages minority ethnic people” (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATION Equal Pay Act 1970 / Sex Discrimination Act 1975 / Equality Act 2006 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 Race Relations Act 1976 & Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & Amendment Act 2005

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES LEGISLATION Employment Rights Act 1996 Parental Leave Directive 1999 Human Rights Act 1998 European Laws; Equal Treatment Directive, Equal Pay Directive, Pregnant Workers Directive, Race Directive EU Employment Equality Regulations 2003 – Sexual Orientation, Religions and / or belief, Age

8 STRANDS OF EQUALITY Age Disability Gender Transgender Sexual Orientation Race and ethnicity Religion and / or belief Human Rights

PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN RIGHTS All our contact with staff, patients, carers, customers should be based on the 5 principles contained within the Human Rights Act 1998 – Dignity Equality Respect Fairness Autonomy

POSITIVE ACTION Employers are permitted by law, to encourage applications from particular groups and, where appropriate, provide single group training. However selection must always be judged on competence and on a job related basis. Positive discrimination is illegal

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Cultural diversity is about the characteristics that make one individual different from another. Cultural differences include patterns of lifestyles, beliefs, values and practices. Cultural diversity includes differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, language and religion.

MANAGING DIVERSITY (a working definition) The establishment and fostering of a workplace culture where people, regardless of their background or personal characteristics feel able to contribute to the maximum of their potential without having to conform to the predominant culture, without being abused by it and by actually being valued for the difference that they bring.

DIVERSITY VERSUS EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES A COMPARISON Discrimination versus maximising potential Embraces a broad range of people Organisation / culture / business objectives Personnel / HR Practitioners versus all employees / managers Positive action / group versus individual

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DIVERSITY externally initiated legally driven quantitative focus (i.e. improving the numbers) problem focused assumes assimilation reactive race, gender and disability internally initiated business needs driven qualitative focus (improving the environment) opportunity focused assumes pluralism Proactive all differences

HOW CAN YOU PROMOTE EQUALITY? Become aware of equality and diversity issues Understand the negative impact of discrimination Ensure staff and patients are treated fairly and equally Challenge discrimination – zero tolerance! Communicate your views and vision effectively – change the culture! m

STORMING EXERCISE Coloured sticky paper Write down comments 15 minutes “What objectives are you expected to achieve in your role / work?” “in what forms, how and where does discrimination take place in wider society?” Write down as many as you can in the allotted time

INTEGRATION & GOOD PRACTICE EXERCISE How do the wider challenges of discrimination affect achievement of our work objectives? What is being done in the organisation in terms of good practice to meet the challenges of diversity? What still needs to be done (emphasis on the positive)

MAKING CONNECTIONS AND ACTION PLANNING

KEY LEARNING POINTS

QUIZ How much do we know?

EVALUATION FORMS