Equality and Diversity Policy

The Adult College is working to ensure equality and the elimination of descrimination within its community, whilst promoting and valuing diversity.

This policy is an integral part of the college mission and key values. It should be read in conjunction with the college Harassment and Bullying Policy and Race Equality Policy.

The college will support this policy through guidance, support and training for all employees.

Key Principles

  1. The College celebrates and values diversity, and aims to recruit a student body which is representative of the local community and to employ a workforce which reflects the community it serves
  2. The college believes that all manifestations of prejudice such as discrimination, harassment and bullying on the grounds of race, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, age or personal circumstance are unacceptable
  3. The College will strive to provide a safe and positive environment and will not tolerate discriminatory behaviour within the College Community

The policy covers all aspects of college activity in relation to employees, volunteers, students, partner agencies and members of the public, and should be read in conjunction with the college Race Equality Policy, Harassment and Bullying Policy and Lancashire County Council Adult and Continuing Education Service Disability Statement. Robust monitoring systems and structures will monitor diversity, harassment, discrimination and policy effectiveness.

As part of its responsibility as an employer, The College will ensure that all members of the college community are aware of their rights and responsibilities in relation to equal opportunities legislation and The College's Equal Opportunities Policy.

Scope

The policy applies throughout the area within which The Adult College, Lancaster provides adult learning (North Zone).

The Adult College seeks to implement equality of opportunity within the framework established by Lancashire County Council Equality and Diversity Policy, Race Equality Scheme and Race Equality Policy.

It further seeks to address those circumstances which particularly apply within this organisation.

  • The policy reflects national legislation and guidelines on good practice including:
  • The Equal Pay Act 1970 (and 1986)
  • The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
  • The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
  • "From Exclusion to Inclusion" report by Disability Rights Task Force Dec 1999
  • The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
  • The Sex Discrimination Act 1975
  • The Race Relations Act 1976
  • The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
  • The Employment Act 2002
  • The Human Rights Act 1998
  • The Public Order Act 1986
  • "Valuing People" Government White Paper 2002
  • The McPherson Report
  • The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
  • The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
  • Lancashire County Council Race Equality Scheme

Accountability

The College designates the Senior Manager Widening Participation to have overall responsibility for equality issues. The designated person will make reports to the Senior Management Team, the College Governing Body and the Equality and Diversity Steering Group.

The College Equality and Diversity Steering Group will be a sub-group of the Senior Management Team and will be chaired by the Senior Manager Widening Participation. Membership will comprise representatives from all areas of the College Community.

The steering group will be responsible for:

  • Raising awareness of equal opportunities in order to ensure the removal of prejudice and discrimination.
  • Developing and reviewing policy and procedure in order to promote equality and diversity and remove prejudice and discrimination
  • Developing a phased action plan for agreed priority areas
  • Setting targets to correspond with internally agreed priorities and externally set baseline measures
  • Monitoring and reporting progress on the curriculum, student intake, staffing, accommodation, teaching and learning, student services and all other aspects of college activity
  • Making recommendations to the college Senior Management Team

The Principal and Senior Management Team are responsible to The College and Governors for ensuring that equality of opportunity is continuously promoted and comprehensively implemented and monitored in all aspects of college operation, and that development is informed by consultation with the wider community.

All managers and staff of the college have responsibility to promote equality and diversity, and for improving the equality of opportunity in their operational area.

All students and other members of the college community are expected to comply with policy and procedure relevant to equality of opportunity. Every member of the college community is responsible for ensuring that their own behaviour is consistent with this policy and for confronting or reporting discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional, whenever it occurs, irrespective of whether a complaint is made.

College Governors will receive reports on progress and will advise the Senior Management Team in order to ensure that effective policies and procedures are in place to continuously improve equality of opportunity throughout The College.

Updated June 2005

Equality and Diversity