Race Equality Policy

Policy Statement

South Cheshire College is committed to ensuring that minority ethnic individuals are entitled to the same equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities as the majority population. The college seeks to ensure that, whatever the cultural heritage and origins of members of the college community, everyone is equally valued and treats others with respect. The college works to eliminate racism, whether overt, covert or by omission, and seeks to ensure that discrimination, whether direct or indirect, does not occur. It undertakes to treat all complaints with respect and empathy. It takes positive action to promote diversity within society and seeks to ensure that its learners and staff promote good practice.

Statutory Duties

Under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000), the college has three general duties. These are to:

Eliminate unlawful race discrimination.
Promote equality of opportunity.
Promote good relations between people from different racial groups.

It also has specific duties, namely to:

Prepare a written statement of its policy for promoting race equality.
Put in place arrangements for implementing the policy, publicising its contents and the results of its monitoring of its effectiveness.
Assess the impact of its policies on learners and staff.
Monitor, by reference to racial groups, the admission and progress of learners and the recruitment and career progress of staff.
Include within the policy an indication of its arrangements for publishing its statement and the results of its assessment and monitoring.

Meeting General and Specific Duties

South Cheshire College will seek to ensure that:

Stakeholders, including governors, staff, learners, employers (including work placement providers) and contractors, are aware of the college's 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 information, which assists them to plan, implement and monitor actions to carry out their responsibilities under the policy.
The college's publicity materials present appropriate and positive messages about minority ethnic groups.
Schemes of work, lesson content and teaching resources demonstrate sensitivity to issues of cultural diversity.
Ethnic minority learners have access to support and facilities.
Applicants for employment are drawn from a wide pool with positive action to encourage applications from under-represented groups.
Recruitment and promotion procedures are designed to eliminate cultural bias.

Monitoring Progress

To inform the setting of targets and the measurement of the college's progress in achieving them, the following information relating to ethnic origin will be collected and analysed:

FOR LEARNERS
- Ethnic profiles of learners
- Applications to and enrolments on programmes
- Attendance rates
- Retention rates
- Achievement rates
- Work placements
- Disciplinary action
- Complaints by learners
- Satisfaction surveys

FOR STAFF
- Ethnic profiles of staff by grade and type of work
- Job application rates
- Selection success rates
- Type of contract (permanent, temporary)
- Staff development applications
- Promotion application and success rates
- Disciplinary proceedings
- Grievances
- Satisfaction surveys

THE ANALYSES WILL BE USED TO:
- Monitor representation of learners and staff from different ethnic groups.
- Review any areas of under-representation and develop action plans to address issues as appropriate.
- Assess the findings in consultation with other colleges to identify good practice and inform action planning.

Publicising Policy and Progress

TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS
- The college's commitment to racial equality is highlighted in the prospectus, strategic plan and other relevant documents.
- Both the policy statement and annual reviews of progress are available on the college website.
- Monitoring information is included in an annual report.

TO LEARNERS
- The policy is on available online through Learnwise.
- The induction programme for learners highlights the college's commitment to racial equality, action to be taken by learners who suffer discrimination and the action to be taken against any perpetrators of discrimination.
- Personal tutors reinforce this information during tutorials or work based monitoring visits.

TO EMPLOYERS
- All work placement and work experience providers receive a summary of their responsibilities under the policy and are asked to signify their understanding and agreement to them.
- Work placement providers are offered training on equal opportunity issues.

TO STAFF
- The policy is available within the Staff Information System.
- The induction programme highlights the college's commitment to racial equality and the need to promote good practice. It also outlines action to be taken by staff who suffer discrimination and the action to be taken against any perpetrators of discrimination.
- Staff are updated on monitoring and progress through Faculty meetings.

Division of Responsibilities

Governors are responsible for ensuring that:

The membership of the governing body reflects the diversity of the communities served by the college.
They are aware of the governing body's statutory responsibilities in relation to race and ethnicity legislation.
They receive and respond to the ethnic monitoring information on learners and staff.

The Senior Management Team are responsible for ensuring that:

They are aware of the college's statutory duties in relation to race and ethnicity legislation.
The college's strategic plan includes a commitment to race equality.
All aspects of college policy and activity are sensitive to race and ethnicity issues.
The Principal and Directors will ensure, collectively and individually within the remit of their role and responsibilities that:
- The procedures for the recruitment and promotion of staff enshrine best practice in equal opportunities.
- The college's publicity materials present appropriate and positive messages about minority ethnic groups
- The College's admissions procedures do not present barriers to minority ethnic groups.
- The College Programme is diversified to meet the needs of under-represented groups and there are support systems in place to enhance retention and achievement within these groups.
- Learners and employees are encouraged and supported in reporting any instances of discrimination.

Heads of Faculty, Quality Managers and Heads of Curriculum Areas are responsible for ensuring that:

They are aware of the college's statutory duties in relation to race and ethnicity legislation.
Ethnic monitoring information is analysed, so that appropriate action can be taken if necessary to target under-represented groups and/or improved support systems put in place.
Learner induction programmes and tutorial programmes reflect the college's commitment to promote equality of opportunity.

Staff are responsible for ensuring that:

They are aware of the college's statutory duties in relation to race and ethnicity legislation.
Their schemes of work, lesson content and teaching resources demonstrate sensitivity to issues of cultural diversity.
They challenge inappropriate behaviour by either learners, work placement providers or other members of staff.

Review and Consultation

This policy will be reviewed biennially by the Equality Forum.

The Forum will also review the Action Plan to determine progress. Any recommendations for change will be passed to the Senior Management Team and from them to the Governing Body for approval.

JUNE 2008