City of. Equality. and VERSION 3

Transcription

1 City of bath college Equality and Diversity guide VERSION 3

2 We must become the change we want to see. Mahatma Gandhi

3 Welcome At City of Bath College we are committed to maintaining a respectful community where all of our students and staff can learn, develop and grow within a dignified and safe place. This means making sure that: Everybody is supported to achieve to the best of their ability Everybody enjoys their time at College Nobody is treated less favourably on the grounds of their race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, age, health status, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, gender identity, political or religious beliefs

4 This guide aims to: Help you to be aware of what the law states regarding Equality & Diversity Inform you of City of Bath College policies regarding Equality & Diversity Help you to consider your attitude towards other people At City of Bath College we positively promote equality and welcome diversity and by reading this booklet we hope you will know more about Equality and Diversity and what it means to you.

5 Equality & Diversity at City of Bath College means: We respect everybody at the College and don t treat people unfairly We follow and support the law that says we cannot treat people unfairly We offer services to support our learners to be the best that they can be We celebrate the diversity of our community

6 Equality and Diversity - What is it? You may have heard these words before but what do they actually mean? Equality Equality means being equal. To us this means that everybody who comes to City of Bath College, no matter how different they are, has the right to equal levels of respect and access to our services. Sometimes this means treating people differently to give them equal chance to achieve to their full potential. Diversity Diversity means difference. City of Bath College has a diverse range of people from different backgrounds working and studying here. We celebrate and learn from each other s differences and we believe the College community is enriched by this.

7 We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. Anne Frank

8 What about the rest? There are a lot of words that you may hear people use when they are talking about Equality and Diversity. Here is a list of some of them and what they mean. Ageism: Treating people unfairly because of their age. Belief: The conviction of or confidence in the truth of something. Culture: The way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time. Disability: The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disability can also be understood as an unequal relationship within a society in which the needs of people with impairments are often given little or no consideration. This is called the Social model of Disability. Discrimination: Treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, religion, sex, etc. Ethnicity/Race: A person s skin colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin. Gender: The social condition of being male or female. Whether something is considered masculine or feminine. Gender Reassignment: A process which involves a person expressing their gender in a way that differs from the physical sex they were born with. This may include medical procedures, but does not have to. Harassment/Bullying: Unwanted behaviour that annoys or upsets someone. Homophobia: A fear or dislike of people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual.

9 Learning Difficulty: A condition which affects a person s ability to learn things. LGBT: A shortened term referring to people who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. Minority Ethnic: A national or racial group living in a country or area which contains a larger group of people of a different race or nationality. Prejudice: An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge. Protected Characteristic: These are the grounds upon which discrimination is unlawful. Racism: The belief that people s qualities are influenced by their race and that the members of other races are not as good as the members of your own, or the resulting unfair treatment of members of other races. Religion: Something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience. A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural basis. Sex: Whether a person is male or female. Sexism: (Actions based on) the belief that the members of one sex are less intelligent, able, skilful, etc. than the members of the other sex, especially that women are less able than men. Sexual Orientation: The attraction a person feels towards one sex or another or both. This can determine who they are attracted to or form intimate relationships with. Stereotyping: A fixed idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong.

10 What the law says about Equality and Diversity In the past there have been many Acts of Parliament written to challenge discrimination and prejudice. In 2010 a new Act was passed that drew together all of the previous laws. This is the Equality Act 2010 and includes the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) No person should be treated unfairly on the basis of one or more of the following protected characteristics: Age Disability Gender reassignment Pregnancy and maternity Race (nationality, national origin, skin colour, ethnicity) Religion or belief (and philosophical belief or non-belief) Sex Sexual orientation Marriage or Civil Partnerships (only under employer regulations)

11 The Act includes seven different types of discrimination: Direct discrimination Harassment by a third party Associative discrimination Indirect discrimination Discrimination by perception Harassment Victimisation For more information on The Act and these types of discrimination see; The Public Sector Equality Duty A public authority must make sure they are trying to; Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct this is prohibited by or under the Act Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it

12 Considering the Acts, City of Bath College has: An Equality Policy and Action Plan A policy understanding and setting out our responsibilities in relation to the Act and Public Sector Equality Duty. The Action Plan sets targets on how the College will work towards Eliminating discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct this is prohibited by or under the Act, Advancing equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it, Fostering good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. A Equality and Diversity Committee made up of staff, students, outside agencies and Governors to discuss current College practice and promote further Equality and Diversity issues. Staff development and training to understand and promote the importance of equality and diversity in their work. The Student Code of Conduct an agreement that each person must agree to follow in order to become a student at the College. Bullying and Harassment policy a policy to protect staff and students from any form of bullying or harassment whilst at College. Partnerships with relevant organisations to promote equality and student success.

13 At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable. Christopher Reeve

14 How do you fit in? We want everybody to be able to enjoy and achieve during their time here. We can do this by working together and promoting a respectful environment for all staff and students. We ask that you support and encourage your peers regardless of your differing backgrounds to help develop a diverse and happy learning community. If for any reason you feel you have not been treated in a fair or respectful way by another student or a member of staff at the College, please let someone know. Find a friend or a member of staff who you feel comfortable talking to and explain what is happening. Ask them to pass this on to the student mentor in the Student Participation Team located in The Crib or to the Director of Student Experience. Alternatively if you are a member of staff please contact your line manager or the Human Resources Department. If you are a staff member please see the Equality and Diversity site on the staff portal for information.

15 Activity Have a go at completing this wordsearch. Think about the words that are used and what they mean to you. DIVERSITY EQUALITY LAW RELIGION HOMOPHOBIA DISABILITY SEX LGBT PREJUDICE RACE OPPORTUNITY CELEBRATION CULTURE BULLYING T Y H R E W B O N K F D H H U B T G R C V K L K H E I L U R G I R G I H A B U O S S L R Y L N P S D X N Z Z M Y A P E Z X U W Y U L O N B O T B W L N X T Q T J T I M T P I I H I M K R J I E Q T Q Y H S L K G S K O M L R S A G I O R I Y I D V P H A P E R J O B E T R O E O P K U A X B H K I V Y I N H J O D Q P K E Q E A I W V T O X M T E U Y L W T W D T Q V H J L Z X I X E A E R U T L U C F D Q X C L C L U Z R A C E E S G N I Y L L U B I K Q N T S

16 Useful contacts, websites and addresses Within College Rob Heyes - Student Participation & Well Being Co-ordinator Room ML15 inside The Crib heyesr@citybathcoll.ac.uk Joanna Campbell - Student Mentor Room ML14 inside The Crib campbellj@citybathcoll.ac.uk Lynne Scragg - Director of Student Experience Room M003 scraggl@citybathcoll.ac.uk Adrian McConnaughie - Multi faith Chaplain Room ML15 inside The Crib mcconnaughiea@citybathcoll.ac.uk College Counselling Service For bookings contact Scarlett Mosnier in the Student Participation Team on or duffyt@citybathcoll.ac.uk Learning Skills Ground floor Macaulay

17 Outside College Local Bath and North East Somerset Council S.A.R.I A charity providing information and support about racist incidents Black Families Education Support Group Equality Banes Bristol Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Forum Nationwide Equal Opportunities and Human Rights Human Rights Act Government Equalities Office Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual For further information If you are a student: refer to the you matter site on Moodle If you are a staff member: refer to the Equality and Diversity site on the staff portal.

18 NOTES

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20 It s good to be different