1. Equality and Diversity Compliance Issues Margaret Adjaye - LSIS

2. Outline and objectives
E&D Landscape within Specialist Colleges – Celebrating achievements, but also raising awareness of the issues and barriers standing in the way of true and meaningful equalities
The need for change inc roles and responsibilities in this process
Achieving Quality through Equality, inc what an equality focused organisation looks like
Outcome:
Appreciation of some of the E&D challenges and opportunity to take away some ideas for addressing E&D issues we face

3. E&D Landscape in FE inc Specialist Colleges
Some themes from Ofsted reporting 07 – 09
In a good number of institutions, there are good equality and diversity practices aimed at supporting and meeting learner needs
Skilled, dynamic and committed staff team working to achieve positive outcomes for learners
Statements and policies in place to support the promotion of equality of opportunity
E&D within teaching and learning
Cultural events targeted at learners
Robust health and safety policies
Appropriate safeguarding policies

4. E&DLandscape
However though good practice exists in most, excellence in a few, there is a lot of room for improvement
The Barriers we need to tackle
Tick box versus real meaningful change
Monitoring without impact
Policies on paper not in action
Training on roles and responsibilities – how to make equality a reality, understanding legal duties and obligations
Strategies and action plans lacking real meaningful targets - a few have yet to develop strategies
Safe, inclusive working cultures/environments

5. E&D Landscape
Good at disability equality for learners, not so good for staff
Race equality for learners, not always for staff
Impact assessments – still a myth in some instances
Language we use not always right for communities we work with
E&D not fully mainstreamed into curriculum
Gender equality targets???
Workforce profile not always representative of learner communities – governors, senior managers – Lack of diversity role models within workforce

6. We need to look at issue of equality and diversity because……
Reputation, profile within local community
Employer and provider of choice
Succession and retention crisis
Diverse talents, diverse experiences, successful organisations
Confident learner
Thriving and inclusive cultures, learners, staff feel valued, enabled and supported, staff develop
Moral and ethical thing to do
Good for business
Community development
Cohesive societies
Policies and strategies which actually work – I can say it if it is not right
Confidence in the organisation, its leadership
All contribute to the organisation’s strategic aims and priorities
Meet legislative duties
Avoid unnecessary costs – eg disciplinaries, loss of staff, talent

7. Your role in making equality real within your institutions
Understand, appreciate and know how to meet legal responsibilities (minimum) - compliance
Being able to confidently evidence if and how the organisation promotes equality of opportunity
Tackles unfair discrimination – clarity of what it is, how and where it manifests/likely to, what it does to those involved and the likely or existing impact on the organisation and the consequences of not tackling it
Promoting good relations between different communities
This is not limited to just learners (services), but to staff in the organisation
Gathering evidence – what does it look like here, how does it feel like here, how do our policies, plans, decisions, activities affect the different people we engage, involve, provide services for, employ?

8. Your role in making equality real within your institutions
Doing something with the evidence – not simply producing lovely reports for the Board, diversity committee or management team. But
Able to analyse and review the evidence, backed by solid and clear leadership, a focused strategy, SMART targets aimed at bringing real and sustainable change into the organisation
Ensuring that everyone in the organisation (governors, senior managers, staff, learners) understand their legal duties, are clear about the organisations strategic E&D intentions (where you want to be at, how you will get there, who you will need in the process, how you will monitor) and priorities, resources available to support and evidencing how it is done (accountability)
What this means, is E&D is seen as central to every aspect of the organisation’s life, culture, values, vision and direction
As an organisation I want my learners to succeed and to do so, I must ensure their individual, cultural and other needs are considered and addressed, so they feel confident, enabled and support
I want a staff group that reflects local needs and to do this, I must put myself forward and enhance my profile, so I am seen as an organisation of choice

9. Your role and responsibilities
Harnessing involvement, engaging with those who are affected either disproportionately or adversely by what you do and work together to change what is not right
Being transparent in decision making, in planning, in how you lead, govern and manage the institution both internally and externally
Monitoring, reviewing, evaluating and assessing – where was I before and what did it look like, what did I need to change, how did I plan to do it and have I done it. If not what stopped me, how do I ensure it does not happen again and what can I learn from this experience
Recruiting and managing diversity fairly because it makes real business sense, and is the moral thing to do
Communicating equality activities externally and internally – sharing, learning, celebrating, valuing

10. Achieving quality through equality – the equality focused organisation - Excellence
When I walk through the door, I feel valued, respected, spoken to with dignity, by people who feel motivated, respected and valued by their leaders and the organisation
Led from the top – not just the responsibility of the HR director, curriculum manager or the Quality manager - governors, leaders, decision makers are all involved in ensuring it is part of the corporate vision, plans and strategies
Equalities is led, monitored and evaluated in such a way that diverse learners (existing or potential) and their communities know the organisation is interested in them, in their goals and aspirations and support them in achieving this
diverse staff, existing and potential want to be part of the organisation because the leaders demonstrate through their own actions that it is the best place to be at
Stakeholders feel assured because the leaders and the organisation meet their legal obligations and go further to ensure that where they are not doing so well, they prioritise and monitor for action

11. Equality focused organisation
The right policies, shaped with diversity in mind are in place and people can access and use these policies if things are not right – most importantly they feel safe to question, challenge and get it right
Data monitoring captures the gaps and barriers and actively support equality impact assessments
Staff and Community involvement in decision making, in creating and implementing a shared vision, goals, aims, objectives is a must
HR, workforce and Organisational Development – E&D targets
Quality assurance or Performance management processes/structures include real indicators for promoting measuring equality and diversity
Measurable targets for all staff – evidence and account
Equality and diversity strategy
Procurement processes include real targets on promoting equality and diversity
Reporting

12. Support LSIS Workshop at the May conference
Three practical workshops planned post the May conference for organisation requiring some support, guidance to E&D forward in the organisation (June, September and January) .
LSIS – Sharing Effective Practice Seminar – date to be confirmed
Consultancy and bespoke work for the college
Equality and Diversity competencies
Equality and Diversity training
Support in developing an E&D strategy
E&D Leadership Toolkit
Governance programme – being planned
Equality and Diversity Practitioner Network