Policy for Race Equality
1. In accordance with the Gospels of Christ and the explicit teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Governors of Saint Brendan's Sixth Form College will take positive steps, compatible with the Trust Deed and the resources of the College, to promote equality of opportunity and full participation for all.
2. Our Commitment
2.1 The College celebrates and values the diversity brought to its community by individuals, 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.
2.2 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. 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.
2.3 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.
3. Definitions and scope
3.1 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].
3.2 The College recognises that institutional racism can exist, and that no organisation is immune to it.
3.3 This Policy is applicable to both College staff and student matters.
4. Our Statutory Duties
4.1 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
4.2 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
5. Meeting Our Duties
5.1 We will seek to ensure that:
- Governors, staff, learners and their sponsors (including work placement providers) are aware of our racial equality policy and the action needed for its implementation;
- Staff, learners 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.
5.2 We will also ensure the College's publicity materials present appropriate and positive messages about minority racial groups.
6. Positive Action
6.1 In specific circumstances, the Act allows positive action as a way of overcoming racial inequality.
6.2 Positive action allows organisations 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 - see section 35 of the Act);
- target job training at particular racial groups that are under-represented in a particular area of work (see sections 37 and 38 of the Act);
- encourage applications from racial groups that are under-represented in particular work areas (see section 38 of the Act).
6.3 The College undertakes, once the results of monitoring are available, to consider targets to reduce any disadvantage suffered by ethic minority employees and learners. If monitoring reveals that specific racial minority groups are disadvantaged, some targets may relate to those specific groups. The targets will be published annually.
6.4 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.
7. Monitoring Our Progress
7.1 The monitoring process will be used to ensure that staff are treated equally in terms of promotion, staff development, grading etc. and that students are treated equally, e.g. in admissions, learning opportunities, guidance and support.
7.2 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 Learners:
- Racial group profiles of learners;
- 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 learners 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.
8. Division of Responsibilities
8.1 Governors are responsible for ensuring that:
- The membership of the Governing Body 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 learners and staff.
8.2 Managers are responsible for ensuring that:
- The College Principal 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 learners;
- 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 learners 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;
- Learner 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.
8.3 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 learners, 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.
9. Publicising Our Policy and Progress
9.1 To the public (including learners, 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 newsletter, where this does not breach individual confidentiality.
9.2 To learners:
- All learners will receive a summary of this policy. Copies of the policy will be on display in the College;
- The induction programme for learners will highlight the College's commitment to racial equality, the action to be taken by learners 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.
9.3 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 (e.g. newsletter) sent to relevant employers.
9.4 To staff:
- All staff will receive a summary of this 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 newsletter. Any published information will have due regard for individual confidentiality.
10. Complaints
10.1 The College will seek to provide a supportive environment for those who make claims of discrimination or harassment.
10.2 Acts of racial discrimination (direct or indirect), harassment, victimisation or abuse will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
10.3 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.
10.4 If, in the course of their work, College staff suffer racial discrimination from members of the public, the College will take appropriate action and provide appropriate support.
10.5 Any racist behaviour directed against staff by students will be dealt with under the student disciplinary procedure.
11. Review and Consultation
11.1 This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis in accordance with legislative developments and the need for good practice, by the College Equality Forum, which will make recommendations to the relevant committee of the governing body.
11.2 As part of the review the Equality Forum will seek and take into account the views of stakeholders including learners; work placement providers, the local consultation/negotiating arrangements within the College, and appropriate equality bodies (i.e. CRE).
12. Implementation
12.1 The College, working in partnership with the recognised trade unions and student representatives, will seek to ensure that all policies and procedure are non-discriminatory, and that monitoring and positive action processes are regularly reviewed and monitored.
13. General
13.1 This policy should not be read in isolation, but cross-referenced with all relevant College employment and student policies.
Reviewed by the Governors' Personnel Committee on 12 November 2009.