hhc single equality scheme

Single Equality Scheme@ Hopwood Hall College

2010 - 2013

Diversity is Difference - and valuing all!It’s all about sharing - not swearing

About caring - not cursing

No place for hating - race, religion or gender

No calling names, like a ‘poof’ or a ‘bender’

No worry of religion - all faiths are the same

No fear of disability - there should be no shame

The only way forward - for all to exist

Respect and Equality - should not be dismissed!

By Group B: BTEC First Diploma in Travel and Tourism for One World Week 2010

Jordan Decourcy, Benjamin Donald, Lauren Dyson, Shantelle Harvey,

Lauren Heys, Linda Kitchin, Charlotte Moulton and Reza Shojakhani

2

Single Equality Scheme 2010 - 2013

Contents

1. Foreword Page… 4

2. Introduction Page… 5

3. Equality & Diversity Statement Page… 6

4. Strategic Priorities Page… 7

a. Ethos & Mission Page… 7

b. Strategic Directions Page… 7

c. Our Values Page… 7

d. Equality & Diversity Strategic Priorities Page… 8

5. The Local Context Page… 9

6. The College Context: Learner and Staff Profile Page… 12

7. Legislative Overview Page… 15

a. The Public Sector Equality Duty Page… 15

b. Protected Characteristic Page… 16

c. Prohibited Conduct Page… 18

8. Involvement and Consultation Page… 20

a. Developing our Scheme Page… 20

b. Ongoing involvement and Consultation Page… 21

c. Learner Engagement Page… 21

9. Data collection and Monitoring Page… 23

a. Learners Page… 23

b. Staff Page… 23

c. Corporation and Community data Page… 24

10. Meeting the Equality Duty Page… 25

11. Leadership and Management Page… 27

a. Strategic Planning and Accountability Page… 27

b. Equality Impact Assessments Page… 28

c. Equality & Diversity Training Page… 29

d. Roles and responsibilities Page… 29

12. Monitoring, Reporting, Reviewing and Evaluation Page… 31

a. Monitoring arrangements Page… 31

b. Learner Services Page… 31

c. EDIMs Page… 32

d. Celebration Page… 33

13. Breach of Scheme and Complaints Page… 34

14. Publishing the Scheme Page… 34

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Hopwood Hall College

Contents

1. ForewordI would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to

the Hopwood Hall College Single Equality Scheme. The

Scheme is a key way of helping us meet our College

commitments.

Hopwood Hall College is committed to ensuring our

existing and potential learners and staff can access

services in ways that make sense and meet their needs.

As an educational institution we are dedicated to working

with external organisations focusing on achieving a better

service for learners and staff.

This Single Equality Scheme demonstrates how the

College will fulfil our obligations under current equality

legislation and how it will promote equality of

opportunity for all. As Principal of Hopwood Hall College I

want to go further than just meeting the requirements of

the legislation, I want to promote equality of opportunity

within the College and eliminate unlawful discrimination

in respect of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race,

religion or belief, sexual orientation and socio-economic

status.

I believe that this is a significant step forward for the

College in our efforts to mainstream equality into the

work of Hopwood Hall College. It will lead us to making

better policies and procedures aimed at delivering better

services to our customers, our learners and all who work

here on the basis of equality of opportunity.

Derek O’Toole

PRINCIPAL & CHIEF EXECUTIVE

4


Forward

2. IntroductionThis Single Equality Scheme sets out positively to meet the requirements of statutory duties under existing equalities

legislation and the new Equality Act 2010. The Scheme will also incorporate the College’s commitment to the Socio-

Economic Status Duty.

This Single Equality Scheme brings together our Equality & Diversity Policy, Disability Equality Scheme and Gender

Equality Scheme. This Scheme states how the College proposes to meet the current general and specific duties under

race, disability and gender. It also embraces the equality strands of age, religion and belief, gender identity and sexual

orientation.

The Scheme describes how we intend to fulfil our legal duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment,

promote equality of opportunity, promote good relations and positive attitudes between people from diverse

backgrounds regardless of race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief and socio

economic background.

The principles of this Scheme apply to all members of the College

community including learners, staff, the Corporation, parents,

partners and community members.

The Single Equality Scheme is linked to the Equality & Diversity

Action Plan which sets out how the College intends to implement

the Scheme over the next three years. Progress against the

Scheme and Action Plan will be reviewed annually.

5


Introduction

Equality and Diversity Statement


6

3. Equality & Diversity StatementHopwood Hall College will not tolerate less favourable treatment of anyone on the grounds of race, disability, gender,

age, gender identity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or socio-economic background. We seek to ensure that no

member of the College community receives less favourable treatment on any of these grounds which cannot be shown

to be justified.

Through the Single Equality Scheme, we will: tackle discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of

opportunity; and foster good relations between all people. Hopwood Hall College is committed to providing services that

promote equality, value diversity & community cohesion and we strive to ensure that everyone in our college is treated

with respect and dignity.

We will make sure that our employment practices are fair and promote equality; we will continue to take positive action

to address any under representation in the staff, student and corporation profile, and to tackle any gaps in the success,

retention or achievement rates for any equality groups. We will also work to eliminate any barriers that might inhibit the

success or progression of any group of staff or students and actively celebrate the rich diversity of our staff and learners

and the communities that they belong to. We will ensure that the principles of this scheme are reflected in all of our

policies, practices, procedures and services and are part of everything that we do.

Equality and Diversity is more than just meeting legal obligations, or targets. It’s about making a difference to the lives

of the people we serve, treating all people with dignity and respect, and recognising the value of each individual. This

means an ongoing commitment to ensuring that our services meet the varied and individual needs of our staff and

learners.

Strategic Priorities


7

4. Strategic Priorities a) EThOS & MISSION STATEMENT:

Our priority is to provide the best possible education for our students ensuring that each individual is given the support

and encouragement they need to achieve their goals. Our values reflect the importance that we place on a caring and

supportive environment. We expect the highest standards of work, behaviour and commitment from our students and

staff and we believe in:

• Equality of opportunity

• Treating everyone with respect

• A climate of openness and trust

• Celebrating the achievements of students and staff.

Our Mission

Hopwood Hall College provides the widest range of quality education and training to learners in the Borough of Rochdale

and beyond to ensure they achieve their individual, educational and employment goals, whilst meeting the skills needs

of the region.

The College’s commitment to this mission is reflected in the strategic directions and values which govern how we work

and what we expect from our learners, staff and stakeholders.

b) STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS:

Hopwood Hall College’s six key drivers are:

1. High Quality, High Expectations: The provision of high quality learning and training opportunities, which are

among the best in the sector.

2. A Thriving Community: To develop the College community into a place where learners and staff thrive.

3. Employers & Skills: To engage effectively with employers to develop the local and regional workforce.

4. An Innovative Offer: To be innovative and responsive in our approach to curriculum and course development.

5. Strong Foundations: To achieve a sound financial basis to invest in our future and provide value for money.

6. A 21st Century College: To completely redevelop the College’s estate: thus creating 21st century teaching and

learning facilities.

c) OuR VALuES:

Hopwood Hall College aspires to being a values-driven organisation.

Our values contribute to defining the culture we want to create and describe the way we are aiming to do things at the

College. As an ambitious college, we challenge ourselves to make this vision a reality. We recognise that these values

impact positively on equality and diversity, but also state ‘people’ and ‘celebration of diversity’ as explicit core values.

Our values are:

People: It is our ambition to ensure that everyone within our college community is treated equally, within an ethos of

mutual trust and respect. We are striving to create a homogeneous organisation where everyone’s contribution is valued

equally and people feel empowered and motivated to achieve.

Celebration of Diversity: We are a community of individuals and we will promote equality and actively celebrate

diversity. We want everyone to be respected and as an organisation we will welcome diversity.

Excellence and Improvement: Each and every one of us will strive to make this organisation a success. We want our

college to be successful for staff, learners and the communities we serve. We will embrace innovation and ensure that

quality improvement drives us forward. We will promote entrepreneurialism and allow people to develop in a climate

which encourages and fosters creativity.

Partnerships, Community and Development: We recognise our role within our communities and believe we have a

major part to play in the development of the areas we serve. We believe that partnerships and collaboration will bring

benefits to our organisation and the people within it. We will operate in a way which promotes sustainability.

Accountability and Transparency: We are all accountable for our actions and believe that integrity should drive our

behaviours and actions.

Communication: Effective communication is key to the success of the organisation. We recognise that communication is

a two-way process and we all have a duty to communicate in a respectful, clear and timely manner.

d) EquALITy AND DIVERSITy STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The vision, mission, strategic directions and values are the overarching drivers for the following Equality and Diversity

Strategic Priorities:

1. Leadership & Management: To ensure that equality and diversity underpins the way the College is led and

managed and is fully embedded in the performance and quality assurance processes;

2. Teaching, Learning & the Curriculum: To ensure equality and diversity is embedded in teaching and learning

practices and within the curriculum offered by all areas;

3. Achievement of Learners: To address any gaps in the success, retention or achievement of any particular

equalities groups and to ensure the curriculum is appropriately differentiated for all learners;

4. Learner Profile & Engagement: To ensure that the profile of learners reflects the local demography, to take

positive action to address any under-representation or stereotyping in particular areas, and to ensure the learner

voice (particularly from equalities groups), is heard and appropriately acted on;

5. Legislative Requirements: Ensure that the College meets its Public Sector Equality Duty and have due regard to

the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation;

• Advance equality of opportunity between different groups;

• Foster good relations between different groups of people.

6. Safe & Inclusive Environment: To develop an inclusive and safe environment based on equality principles, where

the needs of learners are appropriately identified and supported in order for them to reach their full potential;

7. Human Resources: To develop the staffing profile of the College so that it better reflects the learner population,

and to support the involvement, development and progression of staff;

8. Governance Arrangements: To achieve a diverse membership for the Board of Governors and its committees

whilst still recruiting the skills and experience necessary to strengthen the Corporation;

9. Equality Impact Assessments: To benefit from a comprehensive equality impact assessment (EIA) process to

ensure all College polices and procedures meet the requirement for equality and diversity;

10. Celebration: To welcome and celebrate equality, diversity and community cohesion in the College and the wider

community.

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Strategic Priorities

10

8

6

4

2

0Bangladeshi

Minority Ethnic Group

Source: ONS Census 2001, Experimental Statistics 2006

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f Po

pula

tion

Black/Black British

Chinese/Ethnic Group

Indian/Other Asian

Mixed Pakistani White Irish White Other

20062001

5. The Local Context 1

Hopwood Hall College is a further education (FE) College in the Borough of Rochdale. The Borough serves a population

estimated as 206,100 in 2007, with 83,401 households in the borough (ONS mid-year estimates). This is expected to

grow to a population over 217,000 by 2021.

Rochdale is situated 10 miles to the north east of Greater

Manchester. It is the second largest of the ten metropolitan

boroughs that make up Greater Manchester.

Rochdale Borough has the lowest population density of the local

area and consists 62 square miles of mixed urban and rural

areas and over two thirds of the borough is covered by

countryside and green areas. It contains four townships:

Rochdale, Middleton, Heywood and the Pennines.

Rochdale is one of the most deprived boroughs in England.

Employment levels are lower than the national average but

higher than those of the North West. The proportion of qualified

adults and the number of School leavers achieving five A* to C

grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics, is below the

minimum on both local and national averages.

EThNICITy

Statistics show that 84% (173,400) of the Borough’s population are from a White British ethnic background.

People from a Pakistani background make up the largest ethnic minority group with nearly 17 thousand people or 8.2%

of the population.

White Irish make up the second highest group at 1.5%, followed by Bangladeshi at 1.3%.

Proportion of Minority Ethnic Groups in Rochdale Borough

DISABILITy

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The Local Context

The Local Context


10

Disabled people form approximately 19% of the working age population of the Borough. It is estimated that some 53%

of disabled people of working age are unemployed.

GENDER

There are more females than males in the Borough; with approximately 51.4% women compared with 48.6% males.

AGE

Rochdale Borough has a mixed and comparatively younger population than that of Greater Manchester and England &

Wales. The greatest difference is in the 0-15 year old age range comprising of 23% in the Rochdale Borough compared

with the national average of 20%. The 0-15 years age group make up a significant proportion of the Bangladeshi,

Pakistani and Mixed Ethnic group which will have an impact on the level of need and planning of services for the College.

Age Structure in Rochdale Borough

RELIGION OR BELIEF

Christians form the main religious group in Rochdale with 72% of the total population. The next largest religious group is

Muslims with 9.4% of people in the Borough. 1 in 10 people in the borough describe themselves as having no religion.

Religion or Beliefs in Rochdale Borough

25

20

25

25

5

00 to 15 years 16 to 29 years 30 to 44 years 45 to 59 years 60 to 74 years 75 years plus

Rochdale

England & Wales

Manchester

50

40

30

80

70

60

20

10

0Christian Muslim Other Religions No Religion Religion not Stated

Rochdale

England & Wales

Manchester

The Local Context


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OVERALL DEPRIVATION / SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATuS:

Rochdale Borough is one of the most deprived boroughs in

England and is ranked between 10th and 44th most deprived in

the Indices of Deprivation. As a district Rochdale Borough is

ranked 25th (out of a total of 354 LA in England) using the

indices of multiple deprivation and scores for Lower Super

Output Areas (LSOs).

The Borough has challenges in relation to low economic growth,

poor life expectancy, higher levels of crime, low skill, high levels

of people living in poverty and poor physical environment.

19 of the 20 wards are in the poorest third in the UK. Out of 135

LSOs in the Borough, 16 are in the 3% most deprived in England,

36 are in the 10% most deprived and 57 in the 20% most

deprived. Deprivation is highest in parts of West Heywood, West

Middleton, Kirkholt, Smallbridge, Firgrove and the centre of

Rochdale.

Index of Multiple Deprivation

1 Information taken from Rochdale Borough Profile 2009 based on Office of National Statistics (ONS) and Census data.

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The College Context: Learner and Staff Profile

6. The College Context: Learner and Staff ProfileHopwood Hall College was established in 1990. It is a vocational college set on two sites situated 5 miles apart: the

Rochdale campus, in the centre of Rochdale; and the Middleton campus, in the green-belt 8 miles from Manchester. The

curriculum offer is predominately vocational.

Most full-time learners are aged 16 to 18. 22% of all full-time learners are studying a level 3 course. The proportion of

learners from a minority ethnic background is 25% which is more than double the proportion found in the local

population.

The College plays a key role in the educational development of the Borough: it is at the heart of curriculum reform and

plays a strategic role as a member of the Rochdale 14-19 Consortium, leading on Young Apprenticeships, Diploma

Development and Foundation Learning.

The College works closely with its partner and community organisations in the Borough including Rochdale Metropolitan

Borough Council, the Greater Manchester Police and local businesses.

EThNICITy:

The College has a mixed learner population which increases in diversity every year with 25% of the College population

from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, predominantly Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. The four main ethnic

groups are White British, Pakistani, Black African and Bangladeshi.

Learner Data: Overall breakdown of ethnic groups by year and local population.

Ethnic Group 2009/2010 2008/2009 2007/2008 Borough Data

White* 74.33% 70.08% 76.34% 87.59%

Pakistani 14.31% 12.28% 13.21% 7.71%

Bangladeshi 2.53% 2.17% 2.27% 1.30%

Indian 0.41% 0.46% 0.36% 0.36%

Asian Other 0.96% 1.11% 1.09% 0.47%

Mixed 1.81% 1.89% 1.74% 0.93%

Black African 2.84% 2.84% 2.22% 0.15%

Black Caribbean 0.31% 0.29% 0.28% 0.14%

Black Other 0.49% 0.47% 0.43% 0.41%

Chinese 0.18% 0.40% 0.83% 0.24%

Any other 1.74% 1.45% 1.23% 0.70%

Unknown 0.07% 6.57% 0.00% 0.00%

Totals 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

* This also includes White Irish and White Other. (White British is 86.09% Borough Data)

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The College continues to recruit a higher percentage of BME learners compared to the local population of the Borough.

This information reflects the wider catchment of learners from outside the Borough including Oldham, Manchester and

Tameside.

Data also shows that age is a factor in the BME demographic data with ethnic groups weighted strongly towards

younger people in the Borough of Rochdale. When comparing the percentage of BME groups in Hopwood Hall College to

BME group data from the Borough’s High Schools we can see a closer relationship between the two sets of BME learner

percentages.

Demographic Data: Ethnic breakdown comparison hhC, high Schools and Rochdale Borough population.

Ethnic Group hopwood hall College high Schools Borough Data

2009 2009

White British 74.33% 74.99% 87.59%

Pakistani 14.31% 15.22% 7.71%

Bangladeshi 2.53% 2.93% 1.30%

Indian 0.41% 0.29% 0.36%

Asian Other 0.96% 1.33% 0.47%

Mixed 1.81% 1.66% 0.93%

Black African 2.84% 1.18% 0.15%

Black Caribbean 0.31% 0.06% 0.14%

Black Other 0.49% 0.17% 0.41%

Chinese 0.18% 0.25% 0.24%

Any other 1.74% 0.31% 0.70%

Unknown 0.07% 1.59% 0.00%

Totals 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

* This also includes White Irish and White Other. (White British is 86.09%, Borough Data)

Perc

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10%

8%

6%

14%

12%

16%

4%

2%

0%

Pakis

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Ba

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Ind

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Asian

Other

Mixe

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Chine

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Any O

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100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0Staff Learner Staff Learner Staff Learner

2009 2008 2007

White

Not recordedBME

A comparison of staff and learner ethnicity data shows that the staff ethnicity profile does not match that of the learner

profile. However, much progress has been made in the last 3 years with a changing workforce profile in relation to BME

staff from 5.39% to 8.70% (difference of 3.31%). It is important to note that the learner BME profile for the College is

much higher than the BME profile of the Borough (12.41%) therefore further workforce progress should be looked at

from this perspective too.

yearly Ethnicity Profile of Learners and Staff

The percentage of BME staff in management positions is currently at 18.60% which demonstrates that BME staff are

progressing or being appointed in senior roles in the College.

GENDER:

The gender profile of learners, staff and the Borough is predominately female. The percentage of female learners in the

College is 3.31% higher when compared to Borough data. The Gender profile of staff continues to be predominately

female: the ratio is currently 60% female: 40% male (the FE sector norm is 64% female: 36% male). The staff profile of

females is higher than that of the learner profile and the local population.

The percentage of staff in management positions by gender is 46.34% male and 53.65% female which demonstrates

the gender profile of staff that are progressing or being appointed in senior roles in the College.

Gender Profile of Learners and Staff in comparison with Borough Data.

DISABILITy:

In relation to disability, currently the learner profile is 89.75% with no disabilities, 9.03% with declared disabilities and

1.22% are either unknown or not disclosed. For the College workforce 3.9% of staff have declared a disability with

91.2% declaring no disability. However, 4.9% have declined to state whether or not they have a disability.

Perc

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50%

40%

60%

70%

30%

20%

10%

0%Learners Staff Borough

MaleFemale



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Legislation Overview


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7. Legislative OverviewHopwood Hall College is defined as a public authority under equality legislation. This means that we have a legal duty to

comply with equality and diversity laws. The Equality Act 2010 is the most relevant equality legislation applicable to

public bodies and most aspects of the legislation came into effect on 1st October 2010. The Act replaces all previous

equality and anti-discrimination legislation with a single Act which aims to streamline, strengthen and harmonise the

previous equality law. It replaces the following equality legislation:

• Equal Pay Act 1970

• Race Relations Amendment Act 2000

• Race Relations Act 1976

• Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and 1995

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975

• Equality Act 2006

• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003

• Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007.

The Act incorporates a wider range of ‘protected characteristics’ covering age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage

and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The legislation is in

place to protect and promote equality for everybody and the protected characteristics apply to all staff, learners and

visitors to the College. This is realised through a new Public Sector Equality Duty.

a) ThE PuBLIC SECTOR EquALITy DuTy:

The Public Sector Equality Duty has a key role in making sure that fairness is at the heart of the College’s work and that

our services meet the needs of different groups of people. The Duty will fully come into force from April 2011 and the

College recognises the importance of meeting these new requirements.

The Duty consists of a general duty, laid out through the Act, and a specific duty, imposed by Ministers, which will help

public bodies to meet their obligations under it. The Duty will replace all existing legal duties in relation to Race,

Disability and Gender and instead extend the scope to over all characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010 in

one single duty.

The General Duty places a legal responsibility on the college to have due regard to:

i) Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;

ii) Advance equality of opportunity between different groups; and

iii) Foster good relations between different groups of people.

This applies to all activities in education, employment and training such as teaching and learning, employing people and

providing services. The responsibility for meeting the legislative requirements sits ultimately with the College

Corporation, however all learners, staff and visitors have responsibilities to ensure the duty is met to ensure legal

compliance and to meet the College’s commitment towards tackling discrimination and promoting equality and diversity.



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The College recognises the importance of meeting the legal requirements and through this Scheme we outline our

priorities and actions to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity and

foster good relations between different groups of people. The existing public sector duties in relation to race, disability

and gender have been incorporated within the scope of this Scheme.

b) PROTECTED ChARACTERISTICS:

The following characteristics are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Each characteristic is defined in more detail below:

• age;

• disability;

• gender reassignment;

• marriage and civil partnership;

• pregnancy and maternity;

• race;

• religion or belief;

• sex;

• sexual orientation.

Age

The Act defines age by reference to a person belonging to a particular age group (e.g. 32 year olds) or range of ages in

a group (e.g. 18 - 30 year olds).

Disability

A person is a disabled person (someone who has the protected characteristic of disability) if they have a physical and/or

mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day

activities. There is no need for a person to have a medically diagnosed cause for their impairment; what matters is the

effect of the impairment.

Gender reassignment

Gender reassignment is the process of transitioning from one gender to another. It is a personal process (rather than a

medical process) which involves a person expressing their gender in a way that differs from or is inconsistent with the

physical sex they were born with. This may include undergoing medical procedures or could include choosing to dress in

a different way as part of the personal process of change.

Marriage and civil partnership

Marriage is defined as a ‘union between a man and a woman’. Same-sex couples can have their relationships legally

recognised as ‘civil partnerships’. Civil partners must be treated the same as married couples on a wide range of legal

matters.

Pregnancy and maternity

Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth, and is

linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity

discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is

breastfeeding.



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Race

Race refers to a person or a group of people defined by their race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic and /

or national origin. A person has the protected characteristic of race if they belong to a particular racial group, such as

‘British people’. Racial groups can comprise two or more racial groups such as ‘British Asians’.

Religion and belief

The protected characteristic of religion or belief includes any religion and any religious or philosophical belief. It also

includes a lack of any such religion or belief (e.g. Atheism). A religion need not be mainstream or well known to gain

protection as a religion. It must, though, be identifiable and have a clear structure and belief system. Denominations or

sects within religions, Cults and new religious movements may also be considered religions or beliefs. Generally, a belief

need not include faith or worship of a god or gods, but must affect how a person lives their life or perceives the world

to be included in the definition.

Sex

A person’s sex refers to the fact that they are male or female. In relation to a group of people, it refers to either men or

women or to either boys or girls.

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation means the attraction a person feels towards one sex or another (or both), which determines who

they form intimate relationships with or are attracted to. Some people are only attracted to those of the same sex

(lesbian women and gay men). Some people are attracted to people of both sexes (bisexual people). Some people are

only attracted to the opposite sex (heterosexual people). Everyone is protected from being treated worse because of

sexual orientation, whether they are bisexual, gay, lesbian or heterosexual.

Socio-Economic Status

The College also recognises the importance of socio-economic status and community cohesion with regard to developing

good relations across different cultures, ethnicities, religious and non-religious and socio-economic groups. We have

incorporated these priorities into our Scheme. This will allow the College to prepare for the proposed socio-economic

public duty as outlined in the Equality Act.

c) PROhIBITED CONDuCT

The Equality Act 2010 extends the scope of conduct prohibited in relation to the protected characteristics. The following

provides an overview of what is included within the scope of the legislation.

Direct Discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected

characteristic they have or are thought to have, or because they associate with someone who has a protected

characteristic.

i) Associative Discrimination

This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a

protected characteristic. Associative discrimination already applies to race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

It is now extended to cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex.

ii) Perceptive Discrimination

This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular protected

characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess that characteristic. It already applies to age,

race, religion or belief and sexual orientation and is now extended to cover disability, gender reassignment and

sex.

iii) Combined Discrimination

Combined or dual discrimination is where a person is discriminated against by another because of a combination

of two relevant protected characteristics (e.g. if someone is treated unfairly because they are female and disabled).

iv) Discrimination arising from disability

This is where a person discriminates against a disabled person in that they are treated unfavourably because of

something arising in consequence of the disability and it cannot be shown to be proportionate to achieving a

legitimate aim.

Indirect Discrimination

Indirect discrimination can occur when a condition, rule, policy or even a practice applies to everyone but particularly

disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic. Indirect discrimination already applies to age, race, religion

or belief, sex, sexual orientation and marriage and civil partnership and is now extended to cover disability and gender

reassignment.

Indirect discrimination can be justified if you can show that you acted reasonably in managing your business, ie that it is

‘a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’. A legitimate aim might be any lawful decision you make in

running the organisation, but if there is a discriminatory effect, the sole aim of reducing costs is likely to be unlawful.

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Being proportionate really means being fair and reasonable, including showing that ‘less discriminatory’ alternatives

have been considered in any decision made.

harassment

Harassment is ‘unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of

violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for

that individual’. Protection includes harassment because of perception and association.

Harassment applies to all protected characteristics except for pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil

partnership. Employees will now be able to complain of behaviour that they find offensive even if it is not directed at

them, and the complainant need not possess the relevant characteristic themselves.

Third Party harassment

The Equality Act makes an organisation potentially liable for harassment of their employees by people (third parties)

who are not employees of the company, such as customers or clients. The organisation will only be liable when

harassment has occurred on at least two previous occasions, and they are aware that it has taken place, and have not

taken reasonable steps to prevent it from happening again. This already applies to sex and is now extended to cover

age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

Victimisation

Victimisation occurs when a person is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or raised a

grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so. A person is not protected from victimisation

if they have maliciously made or supported an untrue complaint. There is no longer a need to compare treatment of a

complainant with that of a person who has not made or supported a complaint under the Act.

Positive Action

The Equality Act allows an organisation to take positive action if they think that employees or job applicants who share a

particular protected characteristic suffer a disadvantage connected to that characteristic, or if their participation in an

activity is disproportionately low.

Genuine Occupational Requirement

In certain circumstances it is legal to recruit someone purely on the basis of

their characteristic. This is where it is legal to recruit someone purely

on the basis of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion

or belief, where this is a genuine occupational requirement for

the job.

Reasonable Adjustments

As well as making it unlawful to treat a disabled person less

favourably because of a reason relating to their disability, it is

also discrimination if an organisation fails to make

‘reasonable adjustments’. Reasonable adjustments aim

to remove the disadvantage that a disabled person

experiences because of their disability. Making

reasonable adjustments means changing

policies, practices or procedures and/or

providing auxiliary aids or services.

19





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8. Involvement and Consultation a) DEVELOPING OuR SChEME

The process for developing the Single Equality Scheme has been led by the Equality & Diversity Steering Group. It was

recognised that the involvement of different groups and stakeholders across the College was key to developing the

Scheme and Action Plan. We have strive to involve the full diversity of our College and community, recognising that

people who share an aspect of their identity in relation to race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or

belief and socio-economic background are best placed to identify key issues for us to address.

It was considered essential to gather a range of qualitative data. The initial consultation phase on the Scheme was

carried out with a range of learner and staff discussions and through meetings and forums. In addition, questions on

equality and diversity were used in surveys to capture the views of staff and learners. This information has been taken

into consideration in the development of the scheme and results were distilled to enable the priorities for the Scheme to

be established. All consultation has taken place at the formative stages of the Scheme and amendments have been

made accordingly.

The draft content of the scheme has also been through a rigorous process of consultation. This has primarily been

through attended meetings to outline the scheme and its content and providing an opportunity for feedback and

question. Teams that have been involved are all college managers, Senior Management Team, Human Resource Team,

Learning Resource Centre Teams, the Equality and Diversity Steering Group, Trades Unions, and the College Corporation.

In developing our scheme, we have used information and data gathered from learners, staff, governors and partners in

the following ways:

• Questionnaires to learners and staff;

• Involvement of students through the Learner Voice Conference;

• Involvement of the Senior Management Team and College Managers;

• Involvement of governors;

• Survey data;

• Involvement of curriculum teams;

• Attendance at various groups and meetings;

• Involvement of partners and local community members.

Gathering and using data:

Data to inform the Scheme was gathered from a wide range of sources. In terms of quantitative data, local information

on demographics came from Rochdale Borough Council’s Stats and Maps data and the National Office of Statistics, and a

significant amount of work was undertaken during the year comparing the learner and staff profile (from College MIS

and Workforce Information systems).

Success, retention and achievement rates (from Goldmine) have been analysed using all available equalities data and

reported to the Senior Management Team and the Corporation, and priority actions agreed. All of this information has

provided a baseline for the Scheme and for Equality Impact Assessments carried out during the year.

External involvement:

The College plays a major role in forming multi-agency partnerships in the Borough of Rochdale. These partnerships and

multi-agency team working extends to the areas of equality and community cohesion such as the Community Cohesion

Advisory Group, New & Emerging Communities Group, Multi Agency Race Hate Forum (MARHF) and the 14-19

Involvement and Consultation


21

Consortium. In addition, the College works effectively across different agencies for example the police, community

safety, Connexions, the LEA, the Corporate Borough Equalities team, Multi Faith Partnership, the LGBT group and

RADDAG; many of these organisations have been involved in developing and shaping this scheme but are also involved

and consulted throughout the year.

A range of external equalities groups have been asked to comment on the draft of this policy, and comments are

included as appropriate. We have also developed a more formal mechanism of involving external groups in the College

Equality & Diversity Steering Group to provide external challenge and scrutiny on an ongoing basis.

b) ONGOING INVOLVEMENT AND CONSuLTATION

As detailed above, the College will use information and statistics gathered throughout the year on learners, staff, the

Corporation and the local community to inform our service provision and identify any issues of concern. Actions

identified as a result of the information gathered will be included in the Scheme Action Plan and reflected through the

College equality priorities which will then be monitored by the EDIMs.

We have strategies in place to ensure that learners and staff are involved and consulted at specific times to develop the

way we carry out our services and ensure that we promote equality in everything that we do. We continuously involve

the College community (including external stakeholders) through the policy development process and through shaping

the delivery of services and functions at Hopwood Hall. We use information, data and comments from the whole College

community to form the basis of equality impact assessments and the delivery of services.

We embed equality and diversity into our strategies, policies, plans, and practices so that learners from diverse

backgrounds are involved in shaping provision and improving practice. We value the participation of learners in decision-

making processes and in making a positive contribution to College life. This is clearly outlined in the College Learner

Voice Strategy which details our commitments to learner voice and engagement. We ensure that outcomes from these

involvement activities are acted upon by the College’s Senior Management Team.

c) LEARNER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGy

Hopwood Hall College is committed to involving its learners in key decisions and improvements across the College

Community. Each year the College sets out a Learner Engagement Strategy through which this can be achieved.

The College is committed to:

• Provide learners with opportunities to get involved;

• Help learners develop the skills they need to get involved;

• Give learners the support and confidence they need to get involved;

• Motivate learners to get involved.

Over the last academic year the College has worked on its strategy to develop the Learner Voice. The appointment of

the Learner Participation Officers, and the work of the Customer Services (CLASS) group have been the key mechanisms

through which we have both increased opportunities for learners to contribute their views about the College, and more

consistently fed back to learners what they are saying about us and the quality improvements we are making in response.

The key way the College will do this is through Learner Participation Officers who will continually develop ways for the

learner voice to be heard, and will train and support learners to be involved. ˇThe Learner Participation Officers also

develop a programme of enrichment activities to engage learners within the college community - including themed

college focus weeks developed around the Every Learner Matters agenda. These focus weeks comprise a range of

activities such as workshops, drop-in activities, tutorials, themed stalls and competitions.



22

We will continue to use and develop the current ways for our students to be involved, namely:

• Student Representation on College Forums

• Representation on Local and National Bodies

• Course Reviews and Evaluations

• Student Focus Groups during Internal Inspection

• Informal Meetings with Course Representatives

• Encouraging Student Ambassadors to represent college learners

• Continuing to develop the Student Council

• Discussions through Principal’s question Time

• Through the college quality Surveys

• Development of the Student Leadership Team.

The Learner Engagement Strategy was presented and discussed at the Student Council to ensure learners were aware of

the mechanisms for learner engagement within College and had the opportunity to suggest new ways to become

involved.

The Strategy will be reviewed annually and approved by the Student Council, Student Leadership Team and College

Senior Management Team at an appropriate meeting at the start of each academic year.

The development of a Student Leadership Team is a key initiative to implement the aims in our Learner Engagement

Strategy of developing opportunities for peer mentoring and developing more formal links between the Senior

Management Team and student advocates to enable direct discussions on key management issues.

Principal’s question Time



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9. Data Collection and MonitoringThe College collects and analyses a range of data for a variety of purposes, including assessment of our performance

against strategic aims and objectives and performance indicators. This also includes indicators on progress with equality

and diversity.

The College collects and monitors equality and diversity information though a system of quantitative and qualitative data

collection. This system is a fundamental aspect of our quality assurance process. We will collect a broad range of

qualitative and quantitative information to monitor our policies and practices, and to demonstrate our progress in

equality and diversity. Our approach to equality and diversity helps us to effectively monitor our progress and

performance, as our learners and staff may face more than one barrier to achieving their full potential.

Information is collated and maintained against equality groupings. We use statistical data drawn from:

• The College learner records system;

• The Human Resource (HR) information database;

• The Management Information System;

• Borough level data;

• Information from complaints;

• Information from satisfaction surveys;

• Incidents of bullying and hate.

To inform the setting of targets and the measurement of our progress in achieving them, the College will collect and

analyse the following information by equalities groups:

a) LEARNERS

The College currently monitors its learners by ethnicity, disability, gender and age with some early data collection on

religion and belief and socio-economic status. Data is currently gathered relating to:

• profile for learners

• applications for admission

• recruitment

• retention rates

• achievement rates

• success rates

• work placements including success rates, satisfaction levels and job offers

• disciplinary action

• complaints by learners and their response

• satisfaction surveys

• safeguarding information

• bullying and hate incidents

• learner voice.

b) STAFF

The College currently monitors its workforce by ethnicity, gender, disability and age. Data is currently gathered including

data relating to:

Data Collection and Monitoring


24

• Profile of the workforce by grade and type of work

• Recruitment and Selection by application, short listing, interview and appointment

• Type of contract (permanent, temporary)

• Training and development

• Promotion application and success rates

• Disciplinary proceedings

• Grievances

• Complaints

• Satisfaction surveys

• Sickness levels

• Incidents of harassment

• Dismissals and redundancies.

c) CORPORATION AND COMMuNITy DATA

The College currently collects profile data on ethnicity, gender, disability and age. We recognise that we need to achieve

a diverse membership for the Board of Governors and its committees whilst still recruiting the skills and experience

necessary to strengthen the Corporation. This will be continually be monitored throughout the year and with any board

vacancies.

Community data is gathered from local information on demographics from Rochdale Borough Council’s Stats and Maps

data, Census information and the National Office of Statistics. Intelligence from external agencies and services is also

used to ensure vulnerable groups are included and considered within the remit of equality and inclusion.

Data Collection and Monitoring


25

10. Meeting the Equality DutySection 7 outlined the legal responsibilities placed on the College by law and explains the duties we must comply with.

This section of the Scheme relates specifically to the requirements for achieving equality within the college and

highlights what actions we intend to take to meet our legal duties and drive forward our work on equality and diversity.

What we will do:

1. Implement the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensure that the College complies with the requirements of the

Equality Act 2010 through the implementation of this Single Equality Scheme;

2. The College will not tolerate discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil

partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.

Any incident or complaints of discrimination, harassment or victimisation will be investigated, and if proven,

disciplinary action will be taken;

3. Take positive action to redress the effects of discrimination against people from different backgrounds and work

towards eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation by making sure that this Scheme and

related procedures are implemented in full;

4. Promote equality of opportunity for all staff and learners, regardless of their characteristics;

5. Promote and foster good relations between people of different groups by working internally and with

other institutions, local community and other relevant bodies to tackle discrimination where it occurs;

6. Identify and challenge stereotypical and discriminatory assumptions and act on attitudes, remarks and behaviour

based on prejudice or discrimination;

7. Equality Impact Assess and regularly review our policies, procedures, practices and plans to ensure that the

needs and interests of all equality groups are taken into consideration when planning and delivering services;

8. Ensure that recruitment, selection and promotion opportunities are open to all staff from different groups and

backgrounds using positive action where required;

9. Ensure that recruitment and selection procedures for all courses of study are open to all learners from all equality

groups;

10. Work to address any equality gaps in success rates for learners from different groups;

11. Encourage the participation of different groups and consult with staff, learners and service user in the delivery

and shaping of services in the College;

12. All staff will be given ongoing support and training to ensure that an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture

exists and equality and diversity is embedded throughout the College;

13. Promote an inclusive curriculum which uphold the principles of equality and diversity;

14. Collect and report on information in relation to the diversity of its staff, learners and Corporation members

together with local community data to assess needs and inform service delivery;

15. The College’s commitment to Equality and Diversity will be highlighted in publicity material, and a summary of

the results of monitoring information will be published annually;

16. Take steps to take account of people with disabilities, even where this involves treating people with a disability

more favourably than other people. The College will make reasonable adjustments to support people with

disabilities to help overcome barriers;

17. Learners and staff wishing to participate in cultural / religious activities will not be discouraged and the College

will provide a supportive environment for staff or learners who wish to follow cultural, philosophical and religious

practices and express their cultural and religious identity. The exception to this is where the health, safety and

welfare of the person is compromised or where there is likely to be an increase in the risk to other people;

18. Identify strategies to encourage learners to mix with other learners from a different background. The College will

be involved in multi-agency partnerships working on promoting equality and community cohesion across the

Borough.

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Meeting and Equality Duty

11. Leadership and Managementa) STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ACCOuNTABILITy

The College Corporation are legally responsible for promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful

discrimination, harassment and victimisation where it exists, implementing the public sector duties and ensuring that

effective policies and procedures are in place to continuously improve the quality of equality and diversity throughout

the College. This has been communicated through training, information and reports presented to the Corporation on a

ongoing annual basis. We also try to ensure that membership of the Corporation reflects the wider community, that the

strategic plan includes a commitment to equality and diversity and that they receive and respond to equal opportunities

monitoring data. We also have a named Governor Champion for equality and diversity to ensure that equality issues are

continuously championed through the College.

The Principal is responsible to the College Corporation for ensuring that equality and diversity is continuously promoted

and comprehensively implemented in all aspects of the College’s operation. The Principal oversees the work on

equality and diversity, is the named senior leadership champion and chairs the Equality and Diversity Steering Group.

The Vice Principal for Curriculum and quality will deputise for the Principal where necessary.

The Equality and Diversity Steering Group is responsible for promoting, monitoring and reviewing work in relation to

equality and diversity and the Single Equality Scheme, and for evaluating its effectiveness. It is also responsible for

promoting, reviewing and monitoring the development of community cohesion activity across the College. The group’s

role is to provide an integrated, proactive approach to monitoring, challenging, influencing and changing the culture of

the College with regard to equality and diversity and to advise SMT and the Corporation accordingly.

The Steering Group’s role is:

• To ensure that the College Single Equality Scheme and its strategic priorities for assuring

equality and diversity are implemented and monitored.

• To help develop and oversee the implementation of new and existing legislation relating to

Equality & Diversity in all aspects of College activities.

• To provide strategic direction on the promotion of equality and diversity that meets the needs

of staff and students in the College.

• To develop the implementation of equality targets and performance indicators and to set clear

targets and milestones to monitor College progress on equality and diversity.

• To develop strategies to identify and share good practice in relation to equality and diversity.

• To oversee the development of strategic planning and self-assessment in relation to

equality and diversity.

• To monitor the implementation and progress of the College’s Single Equality Scheme Action

Plan in meeting its targets and to review as required.

• To monitor the undertaking of Equality Impact Assessment of all College policies, procedures,

processes and plans.

• To monitor all key data in relation to staff, learners and the Corporation, identify issues to be

addressed and agree actions to redress.

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Meeting and Equality Duty

Leadership and Management


28

• To oversee the preparation of the equity and diversity annual report.

• To evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken to promote equality and diversity.

• To report to and advise SMT and the Corporation of action needed to further enhance equality

and diversity;

• To ensure that Equality and Diversity Impact Measures (EDIMs) are used to contribute to

continuous improvement.

• To monitor the embeddimg of equality and diversity through building tolerance and

respect through training and development opportunities for staff and learners.

The Director for human Resources is responsible for the promotion, monitoring and implementation of all aspects of

the Scheme as it relates to the employment and retention of staff. The Equality and Diversity Manager has day to day

responsibility for overseeing equality and diversity issues in relation to students and other stakeholders.

quality Assurance: It is recognised that equality and diversity issues should not be seen as marginal to the core

business of the College, and should be embedded in the strategic planning and quality assurance processes. Work will

be undertaken to further embed equalities and diversity into the lesson observation process, the self assessment

process, and the development planning process. It will also be increasingly explicit in performance management

processes e.g. appraisals, management competencies.

b) EquALITy IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

As part of our legal duties to comply with legislation in relation to equality, we must also carry out Equality Impact

Assessments on the policies, procedures, plans and practices of the organisation. We must ensure that policies do not

discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or

socio-economic status.

Equality Impact Assessments are a crucial mechanism for ensuring the embedding of equality and diversity. EIAs have

been developed as a tool for ensuring that different equality groups and issues can be considered when drawing up or

reviewing polices or procedures which affect the delivery of service, carrying out of functions and employment practices.

We will carry out equality impact assessments on our policies, procedures, practices and plans which will cover all

aspects of equality: race, disability, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, religion and belief and socio-

economic status. EIAs will be carried out by policy authors and supported by the Equality & Diversity Manager.

We will look for ways to promote equality and improve practice as well as ways to eliminate unfairness, inequality,

discrimination and harassment. We have a programme to carry out impact assessments on our existing policies and

practice and we will build the impact assessment process into all new policy development and decision making

activities.

We will assess whether the policies have, or could have, an adverse impact on the involvement, access and

performance of different groups. We will assess the effectiveness of our policies through existing arrangements for

developing and reviewing existing College policies.

In line with statutory requirements, our equality impact assessments process will be applied to all new policies. Once

EIAs are carried out they will be monitored by the Equality & Diversity Steering Group, approved by a member of SMT,

presented to the Corporation by including results in the Annual Report and published on the College website.



29

Hopwood Hall College has developed an EIA form and EIA toolkit consisting of 8 stages to ensure consistency across the

College, support managers to undertake EIAs and ensure the process is embedded throughout the College. The toolkit

will be supported by guidance provided by the Equality and Diversity Manager.

c) EquALITy & DIVERSITy TRAINING

The College recognises that training and development of staff is a key element in ensuring that:

• there is good awareness and understanding of equality and diversity issues across the College and an appreciation

of the College’s values and commitment to inclusion;

• unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation are eliminated;

• all staff are aware of the potential barriers to inclusion and the need to address these appropriately within the

scope of their remit.

The college will provide a range of training opportunities for staff; these include:

• Mandatory e-Learning training for all staff on Equality & Diversity;

• Induction training on Equality & Diversity which mandatory for all new staff;

• Equality & Diversity awareness workshops;

• Equality Impact Assessment Training and workshops;

• Workshops on promoting Equality & Diversity in the curriculum;

• Safeguarding training which has been provided for all staff and is mandatory for all new staff;

• Ongoing training to meet the needs of the College and its users.

d) ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Every member of staff has a responsibility for equality and diversity.

Promoting equality and preventing discrimination is the responsibility of the whole College staff, including support staff.

This Scheme outlines the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved and connected with the College, so that each

individual knows what is expected of them.

The reporting and monitoring of equality and diversity occurs through team meetings, the department and College Self

Assessment processes, equality impact assessments, and also through the Equality and Diversity Steering Group.

Staff and learners have the right:

• to be treated fairly irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, disability, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation,

gender identity, socio-economic background or any other perceived differences;

• to work free from harassment and bullying.

Staff and learners have the duty:

• to treat others with the respect they would wish to be treated with themselves;

• to treat others kindly and fairly without prejudice, discrimination or harassment;

• not to bully, intimidate, demean, undermine or harass others;

• report any incidents of discrimination using the appropriate systems.

All staff have the duty:

• to be role models in how to behave;

• familiarise themselves with this Scheme and know what their responsibilities are in ensuring that it is

implemented;

• promote equality, inclusion and good community relations;



30

• to make appropriate responses if witness to discriminatory behaviour - challenge inappropriate language and

behaviour, tackle bias and stereotyping, respond appropriately to incidents of discrimination and harassment and

report any incident using the appropriate systems;

• highlight any staff training or development that they require to carry out the above role and responsibilities.

Teaching staff need to:

• promote an inclusive curriculum and whole College ethos which reflects our diverse society;

• to ensure that lesson plans, lesson content and teaching and learning resources demonstrate sensitivity to issues

of equality and diversity;

• to challenge inappropriate behaviour by learners and work placement providers.

The Corporation will:

• make sure the College complies with all current equality legislation.;

• monitor the implementation of the Scheme and Action Plan to check progress and assess the impact on staff and

learners;

• receive and discuss regular equality reports on progress and performance;

• monitor achievement of equality targets and EDIMs;

• monitor equality impact assessments;

• have a named governor who takes on the responsible for equality and diversity.

The Senior Management Team will:

• take appropriate action in any cases of harassment and discrimination in line with the College guidance;

• ensure the Scheme is successfully promoted;

• allocate appropriate responsibilities, and provide suitable training and development for staff to implement this

Scheme;

• have a named member of the senior management team who will be identified as the co-ordinator for equality

and will be involved in action planning, policy development and monitoring and evaluation.

The Equality & Diversity Manager will:

• develop, monitor and ensure effective implementation of the Scheme and Action plan;

• provide effective leadership on equality, diversity and community cohesion;

• provide regular reports for SMT on the progress of the Scheme and

Action Plan;

• ensure staff, learners and any other interested stakeholders

are aware of this Scheme and their roles and

responsibilities in implementing it;

• make sure the Scheme is readily available and

that stakeholders know about it;

• produce an annual equality and diversity report

on progress for Corporation.

Visitors and contractors are responsible for:

• knowing and following our Single Equality

Scheme.



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12. Monitoring, Reporting, Reviewing and Evaluationa) MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS

We will regularly monitor and evaluate the implementation of our Single Equality Scheme and Action Plan and will

report annually on our progress and performance. Our annual report will be shared with the Senior Management Team,

Managers and the Corporation. A summary will be provided for learners, staff and partners. Both will explain how the

full report can be obtained.

The findings of our annual report will be used to update the Single Equality Scheme and Action Plan and inform

subsequent Schemes.

We want this Scheme to be a ‘whole organisation’ document that drives forward equality and achieves improved

outcomes. We will therefore ensure that the Action Plan is an integral part of our College Improvement Plan, and as

such, our progress will have regular oversight by the Senior Management team and the governing body.

Information and data, both quantitative and qualitative, will be used to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the

action plans including information on the College population, workforce recruitment, retention and progression, special

initiatives, progress at key levels and targets and future plans.

We will formally review, evaluate and revise this Single Equality Scheme and Action Plan every three years, to set new

priorities and identify new actions. This process will again involve staff, learners, partners and governors to reflect the

full diversity of the College community.

Findings, recommendations and monitoring of EIAs will be reported and monitored by the Equality & Diversity Steering

Group, reported in the Annual Report and published on the College website. The Equality & Diversity Manager will

monitor ongoing actions from the EIA improvement plans as part of the monitoring arrangements.

The College has a procedure in place for recording, reporting and responding to bullying and hate incidents. The College

will also report and monitor these incidents with partners so the information can be analysed at a Borough level. This

will be carried out through quarterly MARHF (Multi Agency Race Hate Forum) Meetings.

b) LEARNER SERVICES

Learner Services provide a wide range of support services for learners of all ages.

• Careers, welfare and finance - each campus has a one stop shop where learners can receive Information, Advice

and Guidance about their career choices, welfare and financial issues. There are well qualified staff that are

available to meet with learners both individually and/or in groups. The information, advice and guidance also

include Higher Education and support for applications through the UCAS system.

• Financial advice and support is provided by a team of student advisors. Advice is provided for all learners

including those who have learning difficulties and or disabilities and/or learners in hardship.

• Each campus has a Counselling Service to support either learners or staff who require a confidential service. The

staff in this area are accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and they

deliver a very high quality service. Appointments are made via telephone or email to ensure confidentiality.

• There is a team of Pastoral Support staff who actively promote themselves to learners. Staff act as advocates for

learners as appropriate and as agreed with learners. They support social and domestic issues such as:

homelessness; behavioural; confidence raising and they work with a wide range of other related agencies both

within the borough of Rochdale and beyond to ensure that as far as possible the support offered is well connected

to the overall needs of the learners and in accordance with best practice.

• Additional Learning Support - The College provides a range of additional support for learners covering a wide

spectrum of learning difficulties including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, physical disabilities and

support for behavioural/emotional and mental health needs. There is also well established support for sensory

learners who are deaf, partially sighted or blind.

All staff are well trained and qualified to support learners as appropriate. Learners are provided with written and agreed

support plans to aid progression and achievement and to support their overall success.

c) EquALITy AND DIVERSITy IMPACT MEASuRES (EDIMs)

Equality & Diversity Impact Measures or EDIMs address the key equality and diversity issues prioritised by the College.

The College sets EDIMs in order to assist the embedding of equality and diversity at all levels in the college.

The EDIMs are set on a yearly basis informed by the Self Assessment Report. Progress is reviewed in line with the

College’s quality cycle and at the Equality & Diversity Steering Group.

The College is very keen to ensure that the aspirations enshrined in the Single Equality Scheme can be realised. It has

therefore, ensured that Equality & Diversity has been integrated into the self-assessment process and the EDIMs and

analysis are fully utilised as part of the quality self-assessment system.

Key equality and diversity issues for the College EDIMs

1. Under developed monitoring of the performance 1.1 To develop monitoring mechanisms and reports for

of different groups of learners. the performance of different groups of learners

2. Levels of performance of different equality groups. 2.1 Ethnicity: To increase the retention and success rate

of BME learners to 3% of the College headline figure

by 2011.

a) Increase the retention and success rate of Mixed or

Dual Heritage learners to 3% of the College headline.

b) Increase the retention of White British learners to 3%

of the College headline and analyse data to identify

possible socio-economic trends.

c) To increase the level of success for Indian learners to

3% of the College headline.

d) To investigate the ethnic makeup for the ‘other

ethnicity’ category to identify equality trends and

increase the level of success for ‘Other Ethnic’ learners

to that of the College headline.

2.2 Gender: To monitor the success rate performance

of male learners to match that of female learners.

3. Under developed EIAs. 3.1 To assess the impact of all College policies to ensure

that the College is equipped to challenge discrimination,

promote good equality & diversity practices and meet legal

responsibilities.

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Monitoring, Reporting, Reviewing and Evaluation

Key equality and diversity issues for the College EDIMs

4. Under representation of staff from different 4.1 Improve the representation of ethnic minorities, gender

backgrounds in relation to ethnic minority, gender and disability balance amongst staff to reflect the learner

and disability. profile.

Current Info Learner Staff

BME 25.67% 8.70%

Gender M/F 45.29%/54.71% 40%/60%

Disability - Y 9.03% 3.9%

Disability - Unknown 1.22% 4.9%

Targets:

BME NA 3% increase

Gender M/F NA 3% increase (M)

Disability - Unknown 1% decrease 3% decrease

4.2 Develop the profile of the Corporation to better reflect

the learner and staff profile.

5. Data gaps with missing data in relation to staff and 5.1 Reduce the number of ‘unknowns’ staff and learner

learner disability data. data for disability.

6. Lack of confidence of staff in embedding equality & 6.1 Support curriculum areas to develop mechanisms to

diversity into curriculum delivery. assess their curriculum content for equality and diversity.

6.2 Monitor lesson observations to capture issues, concerns

and good practice in embedding equality and diversity in

the curriculum.

d) CELEBRATION

There is a range of cross-college events linked to various aspects of equality and diversity. These are accessible for all

groups from the College community and incorporate all strands of equality, focusing around nationally recognised dates

for Equality & Diversity. We have an annual ‘One World’ week which particularly focuses on celebrating diversity and

includes showcase opportunities, competitions and demonstrations on key messages in a week-long event.

As well as raising awareness of equality & diversity issues, we also have pastoral support and tutorial programme

ensuring that learners feel that their diversity is celebrated and is a positive contribution to the College.

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13. Breach of Scheme and ComplaintsGenerally, breaches of this scheme will be dealt with in the same way that breaches of other College policies are dealt

with. Complaints in relation to equality and diversity or the Single Equality Scheme will be handled through the College

complaints and grievances procedure.

We are fully committed to meeting our legal obligations to promote equality. To demonstrate our ability to deliver this

commitment, we have established a number of systems, which encourage learners, staff and stakeholders to provide

timely information to enable us to follow up and address any issues and challenges that arise. These include the ‘have

your say’ cards, through the safeguarding policy, the complaints or grievance policy and through performance

management arrangements.

Learners can also raise issues through their course tutors or course representatives, Principal’s Question Time Live and

Online, Stay Safe Button on Moodle, Student forums, and through the student leadership team or student governor.

The College will seek to provide a supportive environment for incidents of harassment, bulling and discrimination. The

Bullying and Harassment Policy can also be used to report and investigate equality issues regarding bullying and

harassment. Any hate incident will follow the procedure as outlined in the Bullying and Harassment Policy.

Complaints will be monitored annually and reported to the Equality & Diversity Steering group. Specific monitoring will

also take place in relation to bullying and hate incidents.

14. Publishing the SchemeWe recognise that our Scheme is a public document that should be available to any interested stakeholder. We will

promote and publish our Single Equality Scheme by:

• placing it on our website, intranet and VLE for staff, learners and stakeholders;

• having copies available in reception areas and the LRC with further copies and alternative formats available by

request;

• making it available on request to all existing and potential members of the College community and interested

stakeholders;

• providing a summary in our prospectus and other corporate documentation, including our vision and key priorities.

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For further information please contact Nimisha Mistry on 0161 643 7560 Ext: 3312or alternatively email: [email protected]

Textfone: 0800 834 297Website: www.hopwood ac.uk

ROChDALE CAMPuSSt Mary’s Gate

Rochdale OL12 6RYt: 01706 3145 346f: 01706 641 246

MIDDLETON CAMPuSRochdale RoadMiddleton M24 6HXt: 0161 643 7560f: 0161 643 2114

If you would like a copy of this document in a different languageor in an alternative format such as audio, large print or braille,

please contact Nimisha Mistry.

hhc single equality scheme

Documents

scheme page

staff page

learners page

monitoring page

consultation page

evaluation page

accountability page

complaints page