Transcript Equality Matters - Claverham Community Education

Introduction to Equality & Diversity
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What are Equalities
• Equalities can be described as all the work
individuals and organisations carry out to promote
equal opportunities, inclusion and antidiscrimination.
• Equalities are about developing a framework within
which people are treated differently according to
their needs but with equal respect and fairness
• Equality is about recognising that inequalities exist
and making sure that everyone is treated fairly.
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Our Aim
Our aims are to make sure that:
 Equality is central to all policy development and
practice
 Employment and other services are genuinely
accessible to everyone
 Everyone has individual needs and the right to
have these needs respected without
discrimination; and
 Discrimination is identified, challenged and
stopped.
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What is Diversity
• People of many different nationalities,
ethnic groups, cultures, religious or non
faith backgrounds, and of different age,
sex, impairment, household type, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation
and transgender/gender reassigned status
now live in Britain. That is what makes it a
diverse society.
Diversity
• Embracing diversity means being open to
differences
between
people
and
celebrating differences so that everyone’s
talent is recognised and everyone has
opportunities to actively participate within
society.
Diversity
• Diversity is about valuing and respecting these
differences and making sure that everyone is
valued, by understanding and respecting these
differences in the way our organisation works.
•
• Diversity is wider than equal opportunities
because it is about relationships between
organisation and people. It is also about creating
environments that everyone can be included in
and can thrive in.
What are some of the benefits
 Meet the different needs of people living in
our local communities
 Attract more learners to the College
 Recruit staff and volunteers with a wide
range of talent and different perspectives.
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Why we need Equality & Diversity
• Legal Case:
– The Equality Act 2010 provides protection and rights
for people including students and staff in relation to
discrimination (less favourable treatment),
harassment and victimisation.
– Human rights legislation provides a set of
fundamental rights and freedoms that all individuals
are entitled to based on core principles including
dignity, equality and respect.
– We all have rights and responsibilities in relation to
the law on equality.
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Why we need equality & diversity
• Business Case:
– Attracting and retaining students and staff
– Making full use of people’s talents & learning from
a wide range of knowledge and experience
– Improving performance and enabling people to
perform to their full potential
• Ethical Case:
– Treating people fairly
– Creating an inclusive environment
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The Equality Act
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Equality Act 2010
• The Equality Act 2010 provides a harmonised
approach to equality and diversity. It brought
all the ‘protected characteristics’ under 1 law.
Under the act it is unlawful to discriminate
against an individual because of any of the
following 9 protected characteristics:
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PROTECTED
CHARACTERISTICS
Take a card (each card has one of the protected
characteristics as a heading)
As this person
What type of discrimination might you face?
As a tutor
How can you make sure that this person is treated equally
and fairly
Write your thoughts and ideas on the card, you will not be
asked to read them out unless you feel comfortable but as
a group we will discuss your ideas.
Protected Characteristics
The Equality Act 2010 provides rights and protections in
relation to the following ‘Protected Characteristics’:
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Age
Disability
Gender Reassignment
Marriage and Civil Partnership
Pregnancy and Maternity
Race
Religion and Belief
Sex (Gender)
Sexual Orientation
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Who does the law protect?
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The Equality Act defines the
following types of discrimination
Direct Discrimination
Indirect Discrimination
Discrimination by association
Direct discrimination (1)
Direct discrimination is where someone is treated less
favourably because of a protected characteristic.
Example: Two engineering postgraduates are equally
qualified. The department offers a teaching assistantship
to the man, and not the woman, because most of the
faculty are men and they think the man will fit in better.
Example: The College requires all disabled applicants to
undergo a medical screening, but does not require this of
non-disabled students.
Example: A politics department does not offer a
teaching assistantship to a Jewish postgraduate student
because the tutorials take place on Friday evening and
the Chair assumes that she will want to leave early on
Friday to observe the Sabbath.
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Direct discrimination (2)
Direct discrimination also covers situations where someone
is treated less favourably because they are perceived to
have a protected characteristic or are associated with
someone who does:
Example: A placement coordinator thinks that a student
is gay, though in fact he is straight. She decides not to
offer him a placement on the course because she
doesn’t think the College will be a supportive place for a
gay student.
Example: The placement coordinator knows that the
student is straight, but decides not to offer him a place at
the College because the student has appeared in local
press campaigning for gay rights, and therefore she
doesn’t think the College will be supportive of him.
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Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination is where an apparently neutral rule
or practice is applied to everyone, but it puts people who
share a protected characteristic at a particular
disadvantage.
Example: The College does not allow dogs on the
premises. This would put people with vision impairments
who use guide dogs at a disadvantage.
Example: A department requires students to have Alevel grades sat in one sitting. Women with young
children are more likely to be primary caregivers than
men with young children, and therefore more likely to
study part-time over several years. Therefore this
requirement would put women with young children at a
disadvantage.
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Equality Act 2010
• Discrimination by association is where
people are directly discriminated against
because they are with/belong to a
person/group with protected characteristic.
• Example: This course if for men only
This discriminates against women
Reasonable adjustment
• As an organisation we are required to
make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to
remove barriers to learning, to ensure that
we do not discriminate against any
protected characteristic.
Disability: Reasonable Adjustments
We must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that
disabled people are not placed at a disadvantage as a
result of disability.
Example: A history Tutor gives students printed handouts in the lesson, and only provides an electronic
version afterwards. It would be a reasonable adjustment
to give the electronic copy to the blind student in
advance, so that he has time to use text-to-speech
software to read it before class.
Example: A Deaf student who lip-reads needs to be able
to watch people’s faces when they speak. It would be a
reasonable adjustment for her tutor to arrange the seats
in a circle and require students to speak one at a time.
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Objective justification
There is no justification defence for direct discrimination,
except in a few circumstances in relation to age.
Indirect discrimination can only be justified if
– the rule or practice is adopted in order to pursue a
legitimate goal;
– the rule or practice is an appropriate means of achieving
the goal, and
– there is no other less discriminatory way to achieve the
goal.
This is called an objective justification.
Example: No dogs are allowed in the School of
Pharmacy’s clean manufacturing facility. This would
not be unlawful discrimination against a guide dog user,
because keeping the facility sterile is a legitimate goal,
and excluding dogs is the only way to achieve it.
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Important to note:
• The College does not tolerate harassment and bullying
including offensive language
• The College encourages the free exchange of ideas,
materials and arguments. However, those exercising
freedom of speech must not breach other laws, for
example, those relating to harassment or incitement to
hatred in the way ideas are delivered.
• Compliance with equality legislation and policies is the
responsibility of all students and staff
• Students and staff have a responsibility to act in a
manner that does not unlawfully discriminate
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Our Equality and Diversity Policy
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The Student Charter
At Claverham Adult Education Department you can expect
staff and students to:
- treat you with dignity, courtesy and respect at all times;
- foster and promote equality and diversity.
- act promptly and effectively to address complaints of
discrimination or harassment;
- be committed to improving the accessibility of our
curriculum, facilities and services, to meet the
requirements of all potential users.
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The Student Charter
The College in return expects you to:
- behave appropriately, treating fellow students,
staff and the local community with dignity,
courtesy and respect at all times;
- inform us if your own experience is adversely
affected by the behaviour of fellow students or
staff.
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Discrimination
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Disability
Under the Equality Act, a person is disabled if they have a
physical or mental impairment which has a substantial, long
term, adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal dayto-day activities. People with these kinds of conditions are
likely to be protected by the Act:
– Vision and hearing impairments
– Long-term or recurring mental health difficulties
– Severe disfigurements
– Specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)
– Physical conditions (e.g. cerebral palsy, arthritis)
– Long-term medical conditions (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes,
cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis)
They are still protected even if medication or treatment
controls their condition or limits its effects.
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Discrimination arising from disability
Discrimination arising from disability is treating someone
unfavourably because of something which arises from their
disability (but not because of the disability itself).
Example: A student has a medical condition which
causes severe fatigue and he falls asleep in a lesson.
The tutor says he’s obviously not paying attention, and
asks him to leave.
This will only be unlawful if the tutor knew about the
student’s disability, or should have known about it. The
Tutor can also defend herself by providing an objective
justification for the treatment.
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Victimisation and Harassment
Harassment is unwanted conduct which violates someone’s
dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading,
humiliating or offensive environment. It includes behaviour that
an individual finds offensive, even if the behaviour is not
directed at them.
Harassment related to a protected characteristic is unlawful.
Example: In lesson, two students complain loudly that
disabled students who have extra time in exams get an
unfair advantage, and that they’re just stupid students
making an excuse who don’t really deserve the
qualifications they are awarded. This creates a hostile and
humiliating environment for a disabled student in the group.
Victimisation is treating people less favourably because they
have tried to exercise their rights under the Equality Act, or
because they have helped someone to exercise their rights.
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Stereotypes & Prejudice
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Stereotypes & Prejudice
• Stereotyping: biased generalisation about a
social group – making assumptions or
assigning overgeneralised traits to a group
• Prejuduce: "a preconceived notion or idea that
is based upon little or no fact"
• We often make assumptions about other people,
about their abilities, skills and qualities without
knowing much about them
• There is a tendency to see differences as
weaknesses.
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What we see:
• Appearance, gender,
skin colour, age…
What we don’t see:
• Values / Beliefs
• Experiences / history
• Sexual Orientation
• Religion / Faith
• Non-visible disabilities …
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Dangers of Stereotyping
• Reinforces prejudices and negative
perceptions of certain groups
• It can lead to exclusion and/or
discrimination
• Making assumptions about an individual's
needs can result in a failure to address
peoples needs appropriately and
effectively
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Ways to avoid stereotyping
1. Question your own pre-judgements, norms,
habits and interaction with others
2. Commit yourself to open-mindedness and
respect towards "others"
3. Never tolerate discrimination, exclusion,
condescension or other biased behaviour
4. Do not treat people as you would like to be
treated but rather as they want to be treated
5. Develop personal values to combat stereotyping
and tackle discrimination in learning.
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Examples of Barriers to Inclusion
• Negative attitudes
• Lack of understanding
• Poor (and inappropriate) ways of giving
information/ poor communication
• No consultation processes
• Lack of opportunities in study and work
• Poor physical access
• Poor study environment
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7. Language of Diversity
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Language
• Using positive language is important as negative
language use can contribute to prejudice,
stereotypes and discrimination and can cause
offence to individuals
• Language meaning and usage can change over
time and checking preferred terminology with
individuals can assist to avoid causing offence
8. Your role as a Tutor
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Equality and Diversity in Teaching (1)
• Don’t assume your students understand conventions
about behaviour and participation: make your
expectations explicit
• Use text or visual materials to supplement spoken
delivery (and provide these materials in advance, if
possible)
• Provide an explicit structure for sessions and activities,
and use ‘signposts’ to that structure as you go
• Write up difficult spellings, or provide a hand-out of
abbreviations and technical or subject-specific terms
Equality and Diversity in Teaching (2)
• Make sure written content in slides or hand-outs is also
spoken aloud
• Minimise copying from boards and flipcharts, and leave
slides up long enough for slower readers/writers
• Face the students when speaking, and try to limit
movement around the room
• Repeat questions/comments from students before
responding
• If possible, arrange the seating so people can see each
other when speaking, and that they speak one at a time
• Take mini-breaks, or change activity type
Clear print guidelines
• Use a sans serif font like Arial, Trebuchet or Verdana
• Use at least 12pt on printed text and 24pt in powerpoint
slides
• Make sure text is left-aligned, not justified
• Break up long passages with headings or bullet points
• Use bold for emphasis rather than italics or underlining,
and avoid use of ALL-CAPS for more than a few words
• Use a plain background for powerpoint slides and ensure
good contrast with the text colour
Keep materials in a simple electronic format, such as Word;
this allows alternative formats to be produced quickly if
necessary!
Equality and Diversity Checklist for Tutors
Name…………………………………………………………………Course Title…………………………..Date………………………………
Prompts
Tutor’s notes
(Provide examples or cross reference to where evidence can be found in your
course file).
1/ Planning and Course Content
Using initial assessment, have you produced a group profile (including each learner’s
prior knowledge, preferred learning style, personal goals, additional needs) so that you
can check that your planning addresses individual learner’s needs?
In your planning do you ensure that examples and illustrations to be used are widely
drawn rather than being only from white/British/middle class/non-disabled/heterosexual
culture?
Do you record in your scheme of work and session plans evidence of your promotion of
equality and diversity?
2/ Teaching and Learning Resources
Do your resources reflect the fact that the UK is a diverse society by providing positive
images of older/ younger people, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, differing
family structures etc?
Do you design materials using scenarios that challenge stereotypes: e.g. 2 men going on
holiday together rather than a family, wheelchair users playing sports etc?
Do you provide hand outs in advance for any learner that may have difficulties coping with
reading material or following verbal instructions in the session?
3/ Classroom Activities and Management
Do you consult with all learners about room set up to ensure that everyone is involved, including
those with physical or sensory impairment?
During induction do you negotiate ground rules with the group that cover learners’ rights and
responsibilities and do you have a copy of the ground rules in your course file?
Do you give your learners opportunities at induction and on course to disclose a disability and do
you make reasonable adjustments to support additional learning needs?
On a regular basis do you set up small group and pair work activities yourself in order to facilitate
differentiated learning and to encourage learners to mix with people from different backgrounds?
Do you involve the existing knowledge and experience of learners from different backgrounds and
cultures and make it clear that these contributions are valued and that learners do not feel
patronised?
Do you exploit naturally occurring opportunities, for example, during group discussions, to promote
an understanding of equality and diversity issues?
Do you ensure that learners listen to each other’s views, even if they are different from their own?
During whole group discussions and activities do you make sure that no one person dominates?
Do you challenge offensive or inappropriate language or behaviour?
Do you promote peer support, team work, learner responsibility and other skills that help create a
safe, supportive and collaborative rather than competitive learning environment?
Do you ensure that assessment of learning is adapted to suit individual needs?
Equality does matter…..
Consider what equality
means to you;
Treat everyone with
Fairness and aim to
be non-judgemental
and respectful;
Work together, share ownership and
responsibility for implementing equality.
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9. Equality Quiz
Keep count of the questions you get right
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Question 1
“Equal Opportunities” is about treating everyone
the same?
A: True
B: False
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Question 1
“Equal Opportunities” is about treating everyone
the same?
A: True
B: False
Equal Opportunities is about treating everyone
according to their specific needs and
requirements. For example some disabled
students will require ‘reasonable adjustments’ to
provide equal access (a ‘level playing field’).
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Question 2
How many protected characteristics are there?
A: 12
B: 9
C: 6
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Question 2
How many protected characteristics are there?
A: 12
B: 9
C: 6
There are 9 protected characteristics.
They are: age, disability, gender reassignment,
marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity,
race, religion & belief, sex, sexual orientation.
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Question 3
A student feels they need additional time to
complete their exams because of their disability.
How would you advise them?
A: They are not entitled to this as this would not
be fair for other students
B: They should ask for this via the Examination
Officer as a ‘reasonable adjustment’
C: They shouldn’t tell the College that they are
disabled
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Question 3
A student feels they need additional time to complete
their exams because of their disability. How would
you advise them?
B: They should ask for this via Examinations
Officer as a ‘reasonable adjustment’
Students can ask for reasonable adjustments to
meet their needs in relation to disability. This may
include additional time in exams.
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Question 4
A student has changed their gender identity from
male to female and would like to use the women’s
toilets. Are they entitled to do this?
A: No – they must use the male toilets
B: No – they should use the accessible
(‘disabled’) toilet
C: Yes – they can use the women’s toilets
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Question 4
A student has changed their gender identity from
male to female and would like to use the women’s
toilets. Are they entitled to do this?
C: Yes – they can use the women’s toilets
From the time they present as a woman (e.g. dress
like a woman, refer to themselves as female etc) a
student can use the women’s toilets, changing
rooms etc. Students don’t have to undergo medical
procedures (e.g. operations, hormone treatments) to
be recognised in their new gender. Only disabled
students should use the accessible ‘disabled’ toilets
and non-disabled people should not be instructed to
use these as gender neutral toilets.
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Question 5
A student tells you that they are being ‘bullied’ by
another student via social media sites. Can they ask
the College to take any action?
A: No, this is an external matter
B: Yes, this would come under the College’s
Dignity at Work and Equality Policies
C: Yes, but only if it relates to a protected
characteristic
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Question 5
A student tells you that they are being ‘bullied’ by
another student via social media sites. Can they ask the
University to take any action
B: Yes, this would come under the College’s
Dignity at Work and Equality Policy
The College’s Dignity at Work and Equality Policy
applies to all behaviour that could amount to harassment
and bullying. If the behaviour is in relation to a protected
characteristic (PC) e.g. using sexist or racist language
this may be ‘harassment’ . However, ‘Bullying’ does not
have to be in relation to a PC. If the behaviour amounts
to a criminal offence e.g. ‘stalking’ this may also be
addressed externally.
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Question 6
What is our Equality and Diversity Policy for?
A: A document that outlines the College’s
commitment to equality and Diversity and to
the Equality Act 2010
B: An aspirational document that is not required
under any legislation
C: A document about treating some groups more
favourably
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Question 6
What is our Strategic Equality Plan for?
A: A document that outlines the College’s
commitment to equality and Diversity and
to the Equality Act 2010
B: An aspirational document that is not required
under any legislation
C: A document about treating some groups more
favourably
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Question 7
A student keeps using the term ‘that’s so gay’
meaning ‘that’s so stupid’. When he is confronted
about this he says it’s only a joke and he is not
homophobic. Is this acceptable?
A: Yes – it is only used as a joke
B: No – this could be perceived as a form
of harassment/bullying
C: It is only harassment/bullying if the person
complaining is gay
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Question 7
A student keeps using the term ‘that’s so gay’
meaning ‘that’s so stupid’. When he is confronted
about this he says it’s only a joke and he is not
homophobic. Is this acceptable?
B: No – this could be perceived as a form
of harassment/bullying
For someone to make a complaint of harassment it is the
effect of the behaviour and not the intention of the
perpetrator that is important. Harassment is behaviour
that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
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Question 8
Engineering want to encourage more women to
study with them as women are underrepresented on
the courses. What can they do?
A: Have a positive action campaign including
targeting open day sessions for women, holding
workshops for girls at schools (widening access)
B: Nothing - they would have to treat men and
women equally
C: Offer places to all women that apply regardless
of their entry qualifications
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Question 8
Engineering want to encourage more women to
study with them as women are underrepresented on
the courses. What can they do?
A: Have a positive action campaign including
targeting open day sessions for women,
holding workshops for girls at schools
(widening access)
A positive action campaign in this situation is likely
to be justifiable as there is underrepresentation of
women studying engineering. Offering places
regardless of qualification however is unlikely to be
considered as a ‘proportionate means of achieving a
legitimate aim’ and will be discriminatory for men.
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Question 9
A student complains that all of their sessions are held
in the evening when it is difficult to arrange childcare.
The information available when applying for the course
had not advertised the course as having evening
sessions. Can anything be done about this?
A: No – the student has to make an effort to attend all
sessions
B: Yes – the student should discuss their needs with
the College and where reasonably
practicable the College should look to
offer an alternative
C: Yes – the student has a right to have the time
changed as this would be sex discrimination
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Question 9
A student complains that all of the courses are held in the
evening when it is difficult to arrange childcare. The information
available when applying for the course had not advertised the
course as having evening sessions. Can anything be done
about this?
B: Yes - The student should discuss their needs with the
College (via their tutor) and where
reasonably practicable the College should
look to offer an alternative
The practice of holding all sessions in the evening may be
indirect discrimination if this cannot be justified as proportionate
and legitimate. The College should consider offering alternative
times if this is possible.
(Note: the legal requirement to implement ‘reasonable
adjustments’ only applies to disability and is a stronger
requirement than considering alternative arrangements for
other groups)
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Question 10
A student attending social activities complains
that the activities are all based around alcohol
and this is problematic for their religious belief.
What can they do?
A: They should talk to the
or organiser of the activity to discuss
their concerns
B: They should refrain from attending these
activities and socialise with students with
similar beliefs
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Question 10
A student attending social activities complains that the
activities are all based around alcohol and this is
problematic for their religious belief. What can they do?
A: They should talk to the
organiser of the activity to discuss their concerns
The College has a duty not to discriminate directly or
indirectly, to consider the needs of students and to
promoting good relations between students with different
protected characteristics. Activities should not indirectly
exclude certain groups from participating and a range of
activities including some alcohol-free activities should be
provided.
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How did you do…..
If you answered less than 6 questions
correctly you may want to re-read the
slides to ensure that you have understood
the information provided.
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For more information or feedback on
the information provided, please
contact Elaine Hayhurst:
[email protected]
All the information regarding E & D is
available to download on our website
in the Tutor section.
www.claverham-education.co.uk
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