Information Sharing Policy

Racial Equality Policy

July 2012

1 Racial Equality Policy

The Community Link Children’s Centre believes that the community which we serve, and the society in which we live, is enriched by ethnic diversity, different cultures and faiths.

The Community Link Children’s Centre strives to ensure that the culture and ethos of the centre are such that, whatever the heritage and origins of members of the centre community, everyone is equally valued and treats one another with respect.

The Community Link Children’s Centre understands that attitudes towards self and others begin to develop before the age of three, and that an early year’s environment, in support of emotional security, must incorporate work on children’s awareness of racial difference. We know that the way children feel about themselves is learned, and that we play an important role in modelling and supporting anti-discrimination.

We recognise:

 The inclusive nature of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and the opportunities presented for encouraging respect and developing understanding of diversity;  The importance of celebrating festivals from diverse faiths, especially those of the children in our care;  That the majority of groups include, Travellers, Refugees, Asylum-seekers and less visible minority groups e.g. Irish, polish;  The important contribution immigrants and their descendants have made to Britain;  The importance of strong home/school and the wider community links;  Our duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to promote race equality actively.

 To treat staff, children and Centre users with respect and value their beliefs and culture.

 To develop an ethos that promotes racial equality and develops understanding and tolerance.

2  To challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about different religions and cultures.

 To manage racial equality issues openly and promptly

 To ensure Centre policies and procedures do not discriminate and address issues of race equality.

Implementation of policy:

 The Centre Manager will be responsible for promoting race equality in the Centre and ensure that every aspect of the Centre is managed fairly to ensure no racial discrimination.

 The Centre Manager will ensure that all staff members and Centre users understand their roles and responsibilities in promoting race equality by sharing this policy and procedures during the staff induction process.

 The Centre Manager is responsible for ensuring training and development needs of staff are met as part of the arrangements for performance management.

Staff Recruitment and Career Development:

 The Community Link Children’s Centre will follow Luton Borough Council recruitment procedures and will adhere to the Race Relations Code of Practice in Employment and Equality Legislation.

 The Community Link children’s Centre will ensure that the recruitment process is monitored by the Governors Board to ensure that discriminatory practices are not evident.

 Staff at the Centre will receive training to enable them to effectively foster racial harmony and equality and manage racial equality issues sensitively and effectively.

3 Centre Users and Visitors who have English as an Additional Language:

 The Centre values bilingual learners and recognises that they can enhance the development of all children and adults at the Centre.

 Bilingual learners will be identified at the earliest opportunity and receive support to help them develop.

 The Centre will celebrate different cultures and religions through resources, displays and special events in the Centre.

 The Centre will ensure that it has resources and equipment which provide community languages and dual language texts, in order to enable children and Centre users to continue to develop their literacy in their first language.

 The Centre will use skills and knowledge of parents and local communities in producing resources for use with bilingual learners.

 The Centre will aim to provide interpretation and translation for children and families requiring support. Volunteers from within the community will be encouraged to help with this provision

Parents will:

1. Be made aware of the centres Race Equality Policy, and will be expected to uphold the ethos of the Centre.

2. Be informed of any racist incident involving their child and be expected to work with the centre to resolve the incident.

Monitoring of Racist Incidents:

Definition of a Racist Incident

‘Any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’

4 An expression of racism in whatever form can be considered to be a racist incident. Examples of racist behaviour include; physical harassment, verbal harassment, verbal abuse or threats, racist jokes, ridicule of a person’s speech, appearance, background or culture, non co-operation or disrespect to another person on racial grounds.

 Racist incident must be reported to the Centre Manager immediately and recorded on a Racist Incident Log Record Sheet.

 The Centre Manager will monitor all reports and take action as appropriate.

 The Centre Manager will call the police if the incident is deemed of a very serious nature.

 The Centre Manager will decide if the perpetrator of the racial discrimination will decide on actions to be taken and may include temporary or permanent exclusion from the Centre.

 Should the perpetrator of racial discrimination be a staff member of The Community Link Children Centre, the process set out in Luton Borough Council Disciplinary Procedure 2011 will be followed.

Monitoring by Ethnicity:

The Community Link children’s Centre recognises ethnic monitoring as essential to ensure that no ethnic group is being disadvantaged, and that monitoring leads to action planning. In partnership with Luton Lifelong Learning Department, The Community Link Children’s Centre has strategies in place to ensure workforce monitoring.

We will monitor:

 Admissions  Attainment  Attendance  Racist incidents and actions taken  Selection and Recruitment of staff  Governing Body representation and retention  Parents attending consultation meetings

5 References:

 Luton Borough Council Safer Recruitment and Selection Policy and Code of Practice

 Race Relations code of practice (Amendments) Act 2000

 Equality Act 2010

 Luton Borough Council Disciplinary Procedures 2011

 Early Years Foundation Stage

Policies and guidance to be read in conjunction with The Community Link Children’s Centre Race Equality Policy:

 The Community Link Children’s Centre Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy 2012

 The Community Link Safeguarding Children Policy 2012

 Luton Borough Council Hate Crimes Policy 2010

 Anti-discriminatory practice statement

 The Community Link Children’s Centre Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy 2012