Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report 2013

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 1 Contents

1. Policy statement

2. Legislative compliance

3. Equality objectives

4. Overview of performance against the equality objectives

5. Ofsted

6. The EDI Group

7. The staffing profile

8. The learner profile

9. Actions of the EDI team in 2013

I. Policy review

II. Promoting EDI

III. Engaging learners

IV. Training and development

V. Investors in Diversity

VI. Fair Futures

10. Incidences of bullying and harassment

Appendix A Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 2 1. Policy statement

Central College has a clear statement which defines its commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) as follows:

At Central College Nottingham you have a right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect during your time with us as a learner, member of staff, visitor or service user. To achieve this, the college will ensure that you are not treated unfairly for reasons which cannot be legitimately justified. Central College Nottingham is proud of and values the contributions made by the rich diversity of all who work and learn here.

It is our aim to provide an inclusive working and learning environment where everyone in the College community is fully respected and supported.

2. Legislative compliance

The Equality Policy is legally compliant and serves to enable the institution to respond to the statutory duties set out in the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty 20111 to promote equality of opportunity and avoid discrimination by demonstrating a commitment to placing equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of every aspect of business and academic function. The Equality policy is reviewed annually.

3. Equality Objectives

Central’s objectives for 2013 were to:

1. Improve Student Retention and Success Rates for underachieving groups: o Raise the profile of EDI developments and activities across all college areas to encourage discussion and participation in EDI related topics. o Develop teaching resources to embed EDI into curriculum. o Engage staff and learners in EDI activities. o Target setting and monitoring of EDI data to ensure individual needs are met and achievement gaps are narrowed. o Identify achievement issues for learners at school level and set school targets to narrow achievement gaps.

2. Deliver Mandatory EDI Training to all staff. o Develop a range of training resources and materials to update the understanding of EDI concepts for ALL staff. o Ensure all staff understand their own and the college’s legislative duties.

3. Achieve recognition for the development in EDI through the achievement of Investors in Diversity.

1 Refer to Appendix A for guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 3 4. Overview of performance against the equality objectives

The objectives for 2013 have been met and the following summary highlights the activities and achievements which have contributed to the achievement of these objectives in 2013.

 Effective analysis of data has enabled Student Success Rates (SSR) relating to specific diverse groups of learners (age, gender, disability, ethnicity) to be identified, followed up, and where differential gaps occur, remedied. For example the actions taken in respect of Chinese learners have brought SSRs in line with National Averages.  Successful introduction of mandatory online EDI training has ensured that all staff receive information to develop their understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities with 100% of staff completing the training.  Delivery of face to face training to groups of learners, staff and governors, successfully raised levels of skills and knowledge with positive feedback in all instances.  Effective support to curriculum teams to engage learners more fully on equality issues, resulted in improved practices in a number of curriculum areas.  Development and implementation of a best practice guide for curriculum teams is starting to be effective in helping teaching staff improve EDI in the classroom.  Delivery of bespoke training to groups of students has broadened their knowledge and extended their experience with positive feedback.  High quality and accessible advice and guidance on EDI issues has been delivered through a range of channels including successful introduction of on-line resources.  There are good levels of engagement with learner representatives in EDI matters. This has resulted in learners improving their understanding of EDI and developing new personal skills outside of the classroom, for example chairing meetings.  There has been a high level of engagement by staff and students in EDI activities and visits culminating in feedback confirming that individual perceptions have changed as a result and knowledge has increased.  Effectiveness of the EDI group has improved as evidenced by attendance rates and the completion of the EDI action plan through joint ownership. The work of this group was found to be good by the National Centre for Diversity as part of the journey towards achieving Investors in Diversity.  Accessibility of college information has been improved via the introduction of easy reads (use of photo symbols). This has resulted in positive feedback from all users.  Levels of responsiveness to resolved learner issues and concerns by the EDI team has been good, for example revamping the prayer rooms and reviewing the refectory offer with relevant personnel in order to cater for a wider range of cultures and religious requirements.  There is a good level of legal compliance which has been achieved through the provision of advice, training and guidance for example the completion rates for Equality Analysis.  Finally, the achievements culminated in recognition as an Investor in Diversity in December 2013.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 4 2013 Annual EDI report. Page 5 5. Ofsted

Within 2013 the College had an Ofsted inspection. The report concluded in respect of EDI that:  managers analyse EDI data well and take action to tackle underperformance.

 EDI training was taking place

 The EDI manager was supporting curriculum teams to engage learners more fully on equality issues on their courses

 Equality Analysis was carried out for policies and key business decisions

Further work was needed, (which was recognised by the team) on extending arrangements to subcontractors and systematically measuring and evaluating ‘the difference’ made by their input. To address these development areas the team have extended College EDI activities to subcontractors, including the training of subcontractor staff, and have introduced key measures for 2013-2014 to measure their input through Service Standards.

6. The EDI Group This cross college group shares responsibility for the delivery of the EDI Action Plan. The remit of this group is:  To ensure there is a comprehensive and effective suite of College Equality and Diversity Policies which comply with legislative requirements and are actively implemented across the College.

 To ensure that the whole College community owns and actively implements the Equality & Diversity Policy and action plan within the College’s strategic framework.

 To ensure that Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is at the forefront of the College’s strategic and operational planning.

 To create an environment where people understand and respect each other and where issues can be discussed and debated by students and staff in a constructive and mature way.

The EDI group has overseen and in turn members have taken responsibility for the successful delivery of the EDI Action Plan.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 6 7. Staffing profile The Corporation received the annual HR report in October 2013 which reported the following in respect of the staffing cadre. Gender profile

Disabled People Central remains positive about the employment disabled people and is a ‘two-ticks’ employer. 8% of staff have declared a disability which is the same as the percentage as the previous year.

Ethnicity profile 90.42% of the staff population have classified themselves as White British, White Irish, White Other European or White Other compared to 91.4% in 2012. Discounting the classification of ‘unknown’, the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staffing profile is currently 8.14% which is a slight improvement from last year (7.76%).

Age profile The age profile remains largely unchanged year on year despite changes in the workforce.

In conclusion all HR policies and practices reflect good practice in EDI and are legislatively compliant. An aim for Human Resources in their three year Development Plan is to extend the diversity of the workforce and the EDI team are engaged in supporting the team to achieve this aim. 8. Learner Profile Gender profile Gaps in Learner Responsive performance by gender identified in 2011-2012 have been closed and success rates of males increased in 2012-2013 and now match those of females

Starts Retention Achievement SSR

11/12 11/12 11/12 11/12 12/13 Nat 11/12 12/13 Nat 11/12 12/13 Nat 11/12 12/13 % % Av % % Av % % Av

1556 F 14593 0 90 89 91 95 96 93 85 85 85

1278 M 12545 2 89 90 91 90 94 92 80 84 84

The gender split has widened very slightly from 54% female to 46% male in 2011- 2012 to 55% female to 45% male in 2012-2013. . Learners who disclose mental or physical impairments, learning difficulties, or health conditions There has been a reduction of 4% of Learner Responsive learners who disclose a mental or physical impairment or learning difficulty when they enrol with the College from 21% to 17%. The pattern of overall numbers has been sporadic for the last

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 7 three years ranging from 3,805 in 2012-2011 5,662 in 2011-2012 to 4,924 in 2012- 2013. Success rates for learners who disclose learning difficulties, mental or physical impairments or health conditions are on a par with the National Average and at 85% are in line with the overall College success rate. Overall success for disabled learners rose by 6% from the previous year and as a result the achievement gap identified in 2011-2012 has been closed.

Ethnicity profile The ethnic diversity within the overall learner population has seen significant developments in terms of representation and success rates for a number of groups. There have again been increases in the representation of ethnic minority groups and the overall Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) population has increased to 24% of the total learner population (BAME is all groups excluding White British, White Irish and Not Provided). The table below shows the profile for the main non BAME Learner groups.

Ethnic Group Representation of Total Population by % Ethnic Group College Census 2011 Learners Nottingham 2012-2013 Population African 3.8% 3.24% Arab 0.3% 0.78% Bangladeshi 0.3% 0.34% Caribbean 2.4% 3.07% Chinese 0.5% 1.96% Indian 1.4% 3.24% Pakistani 2.8% 5.49% Success rates for Bangladeshi, Other and Race Not Provided learners are all above the college average for 2012-2013 and significantly above National Averages.

The success rate for Arab learners is below the college average, falling from 93% in 2011-2012 to 80% in 2012-2013 and is now 2% below the National Average, however this figure represents only 81 learners.

Success Rates for Pakistani, Other Mixed, Other White and Caribbean learners are below the college average.

When compared to National Averages, Caribbean learners perform slightly better than their peers and Other Mixed learners are on a par with their peers. However for Pakistani (837 learners) and Other White (1944) learners success rates fall 3% and 4% respectively below the National Average. In all cases, retention would appear to be the underlying cause.

There have been significant improvements in the success rates of Chinese learners from 73% in 2011-2012 to 86% in 2012-2013. This is now on a par with the college and National Average and has closed the achievement gap identified in 2011-2012.

The ‘Other’ learner cohort has improved from 74% in 2011-2012 to 87% in 2012- 2013, which is above the National Average and Other Asian learners improved from 75% to 83% within the same period, which is now only 1% below the National Average.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 8 Each School is setting targets for 2013-2014, according to the EDI issues in their curriculum area to address any imbalance in the learner profile.

In conclusion there are no significant issues in the delivery of EDI within the Curriculum and it can be demonstrated that issues, once identified, are addressed. The focus for 2014 is to further develop the skills of the workforce in EDI, particularly the skills base within curriculum teams.

9. Actions of the EDI Team during 2013

The focus for the EDI Team continues to be raising awareness of EDI matters, maintaining legislative compliance and using collaborative working strategies to engage and develop staff and learners to promote equality, challenge discrimination, and celebrate diversity. The EDI Team have been working to achieve this in a number of ways. i Policy Review The Corporation policy is up to date and is reviewed annually. Furthermore an Equality Policy has been developed, agreed and introduced for the Academy Trust. ‘Easy Read’ versions of college policies and procedures are in place to improve the accessibility of written materials using ‘Photo Symbols’ as communication tools. These have been well received by staff and learners ii Promoting EDI The EDI Team has adopted both a creative and hands on approach to the dissemination and embedding of the EDI message through learners and staff this includes the use of StaffNet and StudentNet where the EDI sections contain news updates, teaching and learning resources, links to websites and a wide variety of engaging activities for use in curriculum areas and for personal enrichment. Studentnet received 5,666 hits in 2013 whilst StaffNet received 3,603.

In addition to hard copy Diversity Calendars displayed at key service points, an online diversity calendar was also incorporated into the Teaching and Learning planning process. Feedback from academic staff show that a number of tutors were effectively using this tool to embed EDI into their lessons. The calendar also inspired staff and students to contact the EDI team with regard to future events and celebrations e.g. Naw Ruz.

Noticeboards have been refreshed to promote the EDI agenda and replicate the content of the electronic EDI sections in an accessible format. These are currently in use at West Bridgford, Maid Marian Way, London Road, Clifton, Beeston and Stapleford sites.

The ‘FairFutures’ Facebook page has developed to promote college, local, national and international equality and diversity related news to Facebook users. It currently has 87 likes. https://www.facebook.com/fairfutures

The Team attended ‘Freshers Fayre’ events to introduce themselves to learners and to promote the EDI message. This year the team approached this through fancy dress, and as

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 9 a result increased their level of initial engagement with learners which has in turn resulted in an increased number of EDI Learner representatives iii Engaging Learners

18 Learners Representatives volunteered to work with the EDI Team to ensure learners engage with EDI matters and to drive college developments from the learner perspective. Meetings are held bi-monthly and are minuted by learners.

The level of engagement with learners on EDI matters has been good throughout the year and the feedback from learners has shown that initiatives have had an impact and benefitted individuals. Feedback from the Learner representatives at the end of the year include

“ I have enjoyed trying to make a positive change and doing something good not just for myself but for everyone” “ I like having my voice heard and trying to improve the college” “I use this role outside of College to make sure everyone is treated fair” (sic)

One learner volunteered specifically as the LGBT representative and designed and promoted the “That’s So Gay” survey, directly facilitating a drive with academic and business support staff to challenge inappropriate language.

96 learners and staff engaged during the year in visits to the Synagogue, Kingdom Hall, Holocaust Centre, Hindu Temple, and Church. Feedback demonstrates that well over half attendees “will think differently about people you come across” and now better understand other people’s view. The impact of this is a clear endorsement of the College’s ‘Respect’ message, and improved awareness of ‘difference’ within the staff and student cohort. This is spread widely across the college as the attendees were from a range of curriculum areas including Childcare, Foundation Learning, Public Services and Business Administration. The work of the EDI team to challenge stereotypes and encourage learners to broaden their learning and life experiences has continued during 2013. Learners and staff attended EDI CHAT (Challenge Hate And Talk) sessions on Gay Marriage, at Maid Marian Way, West Bridgford and Beeston sites. Learners actively participated in these informal sessions and as a result these activities supported the development of communication and debating skills.

The EDI team also successfully facilitated student partnership working at events in order to engage learners more effectively in college life and broaden their experience of college and society. Examples include 10 International students who through the EDI team worked with learners on Workskills courses to make Chinese food for Lunar New Year.

Iv Training and Development

All staff have now completed on-line EDI training and as such a good level of assurance can be given that the College has trained its staff to understand and discharge their responsibilities in this area.

Additionally, the EDI Team have delivered face to face training to staff as part of a cross college Teaching and Learning Fairs, to staff on Teacher Training Programmes and on

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 10 CPD days . Academic participants have completed training on how to bring EDI to life into the classroom and examples of good practice have been shared with peers.

A number of training events have also been delivered to student groups to improve their knowledge and experience. The impact of this training has supported learners to make good progress on their course. For example 36 Level 3 Public Services students (Citizenship and Human Rights), 16 ESOL and EFL learners were looking to gain a better understanding of appropriate terminology and social cohesion and have gained this knowledge through these sessions.

The EDI team also delivered training to the majority of Governors. This training ensured that the Board was clear on its legislative duties.

The team have met with Curriculum teams in order to promote their services and to gather evidence of good EDI practice and/or explore any difficulties staff face. The team have developed a good understanding of recurring issues/themes in the classroom and from this identified specific training needs Advice on numerous topics was given in these sessions for example guidance on how to approach working with learners in full face veils. The result was of these actions have supported teachers to overcome either real or perceived barriers and receive advice on strategies to narrow EDI achievement gaps.

The team noted that Ofsted found that some teachers lacked the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour or comments. As such additional training sessions have been developed as part of the EDI training for 2013-2014 as follows:

 Black Coffee White Coffee – exploring language equality and inequality, and its impact on people and business.  That’s so Gay - why homophobic language is dangerous, both to the gay community and to everyone else.  Equality, Diversity and Human Rights - overview of the Equality Act 2010, and rights and responsibilities.  Disability Rights and Wrongs - access, legislation, social v medical models. language & etiquette, assumptions and reasinable adjustmens as equality of outcomes for all.  Embracing, not Embedding EDI - why EDI needs to be alive in the classroom, and how to use it effectively as a learning vehicle - regardless of curriculum subject!  ‘The Diversity Wheel’ – recognising, understanding and managing diversity, and how to work to remove barriers people face.  ‘Say ‘No’ to Bullying’ – recognise & manage the signs and effects of bullying.  ‘Mind the Gap’ – exploring and sharing strategies to narrow the achievement gap between groups of learners.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 11 The team has broadened its service outside of the College and into the local community, delivering workshops on Challenging Homophobia in June 2013 at George Spencer Academy. 146 students attended the training with positive feedback . The impact was noted by the Head of Year who said “Thank you for the two days you spent at George Spencer. The feedback from the staff and students has been amazing, they really enjoyed the workshops and rated them the best sessions of the two days.

V Investors in Diversity

The College achieved the Investors in Diversity Award (Stage 2) in December 2013 and this accreditation will last for two years. The National Centre for Diversity commended the College for its commitment to the Investors in Diversity journey during difficult times and noted the speed by which the award was achieved.

Vi Fair Futures

Fair Futures was developed by the EDI Team in response to Government priorities and published research highlighting both national and regional agendas for supporting young people who face the greatest labour market disadvantage. The programme provides College based placements during the first year to a) deliver and pilot and b) overcome barriers and perceptions that college staff may have about the abilities of learners with physical and learning disabilities and those who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The long-term aim is to use the lessons learnt from in-college placements to establish and sustain external placements with local employers, providing support packages to help both learner and employers work together equitably.

To date 10 level 3 students have signed up to the programme, and in preparation for their placements all have received 1:1 careers advice and guidance, and have accessed employability sessions, In addition 17 members of staff attended a CPD activity on Mentoring training in preparation for supporting learners on placement.

10. Incidences of bullying and harassment

The College has a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, which includes sexism, racism, homophobia and any other form of offensive behaviour, deliberate or not. Harassment and bullying policies exist for staff and students. Procedures for dealing with incidents and complaints are followed and outcomes recorded.

There are very few complaints about bullying, or equality and diversity issues. Where such issues do arise, the College responds swiftly and effectively to resolve them. Continuing to promote the Respect campaign and that bullying is not acceptable, is a key feature of the 2014-2017 action plan.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 12 Appendix A Guidance on the Public Sector Equality Duty

The Public Sector Equality Duty is made up of a General Equality Duty which is supported by Specific Duties.

The General Equality Duty requires public authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to:

 Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010.  Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it.  Foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not share it.

Public authorities, including Central College Nottingham, listed in Schedule 1 and 2 of The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 (the specific duties) are required to show functional transparency by:

 Preparing and publishing one or more equality objectives which can be achieved to do any of the things mentioned in the aims of the General Equality Duty, by 6 April 2012, and at least every four years thereafter.

 Ensuring that those equality objectives are specific and measurable.

 Publishing those equality objectives in such a manner that they are accessible to the public.

2013 Annual EDI report. Page 13