Confidentiality:

Agenda item:9

Paper Number:4

Meeting & Date:Corporation meeting, 6th March 2013

Title: Equality and Diversity policy review and annual report

Author:Sarah Knowles, Deputy Principal, Performance & Development

Paper: to includeoutcomes, context and key issues, and, as appropriate, implications e.g. impact on learner experience, equality and diversity, compliance and risk.

Risk number: 1.06;

Strategic Plan aim(s) and Quality Strategy key headings related to this paper:

  1. Impact on the Outcomes for Students
  2. The College welcomes students and staff from all backgrounds and communities and guarantees that everyone is treated fairly and with dignity and respect. This means recognising individual needs, providing a wide range of support for those who need it, and working towards the removal of barriers to safeguard both the learner experience and learner success.
  1. Outcomes, context and key issues (executive summary)
  2. This is the College’s seventh Equality and Diversity Annual Report. The Report charts the College’s work over the past year (2011/12) and provides information about what the College is doing to ensure it is accessible, provides an environment which ensures everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and is a fair and equal employer.

2.2.The College is legally required to produce this report and the level of detailed information included. This report meets the requirement to publish an annual update on compliance with the Equality Act (2010). This includes progress towards meeting the Equality Objectives and it also provides an update on policies that have been Equality Impact Assessed (Appendix 1).

2.3.This information will be made available on the College Website, and information can be provided in alternative formats where required.

  1. Recommendation(s)
  2. Members are asked tonote this report.
  1. Monitoring Performance and Information
  2. The monitoring of the College’s performance against agreed equality targets and measures, set at corporate level, is undertaken by the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Group (EDMG). This group ensures data is monitored in relation to enrolments, retention, achievement and success of learners. Data relating to behaviour, complaints and other areas where it is identified action may be needed in respect of identified protected characteristics, is also reviewed.

4.2.The Group is chaired by the Deputy Principal (Performance and Development) and includes representation from a range of staff across the College. The membership includes representatives from the senior management team, including curriculum, student support, additional learning support, quality, marketing and human resources. These members hold a variety of key positions in the College and are well placed to influence and drive change and improvement across the organisation. A broad range of qualitative and quantitative information is presented to the group for review, comment, and recommendations for action.

  1. Equality Objectives
  2. Equality Objectives were set for 2011/12 and are in place until 2013/14. These incorporate areas for improvement identified within the Self -Assessment and wider objectives to meet the requirements of the Equality Act. Monitoring of achievement of these targets takes place by the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Group and through the College’s Self-Assessment process. Equality Objectives 1, 2, 4 and 5 (raising learner achievement of specific groups) and Equality Objective 3 (promotion of equality and diversity) have been incorporated as Quality Improvement Targets for 2012/13.

5.2.Appendix A highlights the progress against the eight Equality Objectives. Of the eight objectives set, progress to date indicates two have been met, five have been partially met and one not met. Details of the progress made against Objectives have also been noted throughout the document for ease of reference and where additional detail has been supplied.

  1. Key Observations: Learners
  2. Detailed information about recruitment, retention, achievement and success of learners is discussed weekly by the College Leadership Group and Senior Management Team. This includes highly effective ongoing monitoring of at risk learners through Key Performance Indicators and bespoke reports. Further analysis and discussion takes place during weekly departmental meetings focusing on individual learners. Data relating to specific Equality Objectives are also reviewed by the Equality and Diversity Monitoring Group. Learners are encouraged to disclose additional support needs at enrolment stages and during their time at the College, through a range of opportunities.

6.2.Gender: Performance and Enrolment Data

6.2.a.Enrolment for 2011/12: The profile of males and females enrolling at the College 11/12 remained similar to that of 2010/11, with approximately 47% females enrolled on full time Further Education provision, compared to 53% males. For all provision, 54% of learners are female; compared to 46% male which is the same as last year.

6.2.b.Success Rates, Long Qualifications, All Levels for 2011/12: Table 2 indicates 3166 female learners enrolled onto further education long qualifications compared to 3110 male learners. Female learners however, report a higher success rate than males (84% compared to 80%). This gap in performance has narrowed compared to the previous year (85% compared to 79%). The most significant gap in success however, relates to 19+ male and female learners, 85% compared to 78% in favour of females. The gap in success between 16-18 learners is 83% to 81%,in favour of females and is a 2% improvement compared to the previous year(84% compared to 80% in favour of females). This demonstrates good progress against Equality Objective 3 (Reduce the success gap between males and females to 3%).

Table 2Success Rates: Long Qualifications, All Levels

6.3.Disability: Performance and Enrolment Data

6.3.a.Enrolment for 2011/12: The enrolment levels of learners with disabilities and/or learning difficulties has increased slightly at approximately 16% of the learner population compared to 15% in 2010/11.

6.3.b.Success Rates, Long Qualifications, All Levels for 2011/12: The quality of provision provided to learners with complex disabilities and/or learning difficulties is judged ‘outstanding; (11/12 Self-Assessment) and high numbers of learners develop the skills and confidence they need to progress their education and to be more independent in life after learning. The success rate of all learners disclosing a disability or learning difficulty is 85% compared to 81% for other learners, and consistent with 10/11 (Table 3). 16-18 learners with a disability or learning difficulty report a 4% higher success rate than other learners (85% compared to 81%). Similarly 19+ learners with a disability or learning difficulty report a 3% higher success rate than other learners (85% compared to 82%). 470 learners received additional support from the College’s Additional Learning Support (ALS) service, and report excellence levels of success (95% retention; 95% achievement; 90% success). This compared to 87% retention; 94% achievement; 82% success 81% for other learners (Table 4).

6.3.c.These results continue to demonstrate good progress against Equality Objective 4 (Maintain high success and achievement rates for learners with a declared disability or for those receiving Additional Learning Support), reflecting the outstanding quality of provision provided to these learners, and the highly successful integration of Additional Learning Support into curriculum teams. The College also supports a number of students who have complex disabilities or learning difficulties, and they are supported to develop the skills and confidence they need to progress their education and to be more independent in life after learning.

Table 3Success Rates: Long Qualifications, All Levels

Table 4Success Rates: Learners in Receipt of Additional Learning Support

6.4.Ethnicity: Performance and Enrolment Data

6.4.a.Enrolment for 2011/12: The numbers of full-time learners enrolling at the College from ethnic minority groups reports 22%, and remains unchanged from the previous year.

6.4.b.Success Rates, Long Qualifications, All Levels for 2011/12: The success rate forlearners from ethic groups are consistent withwhite learners at 82% (Table 5). The majority of specific groups show improved levels of success compared with 2010/11 (except for those from an ethnic group at level 1 (1% decrease) and white learners at level 3 (3% decrease). Progress against Equality Objectives 1 and 2 (to raise success rates of 16-18 and 19+ age group learners from ethnic groups where performance has been low against white learners and/or the College average) continues to be good, although there are still concerns about some specific groups of learners at specific levels. The overall success rate for ethnic minority learners aged 16-18 is 84% compared to 81% for White learners, an increase of 3% compared to 10/11. There has also been an increase in success rates of 7% for those studying at level 2 and 5% at level 3, both due to an increase in retention. At 19+ success rates are 80% compared to 84% in favour of White learners, with ethnic minority learner success decreasing by 1% at all levels and 3% for both level 2 and 3. There are also some concerns about the success of some specific groups at specific levels, where results remain lower than those of white learners or the College average, including at 16-18 Black Caribbean Level 1 (76% success), Black Other All Levels (75% success) Mixed Level 1 (71% success) and Mixed Level 3 (79% success). At 19+ the specific groups include Pakistani Level 2 (74% success) and Pakistani Level 3 (56% success), Black Caribbean Level 2 (67% success) and Black Caribbean Level 3 (45% success), Black African Level 2 (73% success), Mixed Level 2 (54% success), Any Other Level 1 (78% success) and Any Other Level 2 (67% success). These groups will be subject to further monitoring and intervention over the next academic year. It should be noted however, that learner numbers in almost all cases are small.

Table 5Success Rates: Long Qualifications, All Levels

Table 6Success Rates: Long Qualifications, All Levels, 16-18 years

Table 7Success Rates: Long Qualifications, All Levels, 19+

  1. Learner Engagement
  2. Learner engagement is well developed throughout the College. Learners have been involved in a wide variety of discussions and decisions which relate to their learning experience, which have been conducted both by curriculum and wider support service teams. A variety of mechanisms and settings have been used including one to one, focus groups, breakout space discussions and via new technologies including Facebook/Twitter. Examples of engagement with learners in respect of equality and diversity specifically include learner involvement in the equality impact assessment of policies and procedures.

7.2.Learners also respond to a number of formal surveys throughout the year about their experiences within the College, including issues relating to equality and diversity. Response rates reflect the College’s population in relation to gender, ethnicity and disability, and there are no significant differences between feedback across these diverse groups. Responses to the First Impressions and On Course Survey for 2011/12 can be found below (Table 8, 9)

Table 8First Impressions Survey 2011/12

Question / Response
Rate / % Agree 2011/12 / % Agree 2010/11
My personal tutor is helpful / 3524 / 96% / 95%

Table 9On-Course Survey 2011/12

Question / Response
Rate / % Agree 2011/12 / % Agree 2010/11
The College staff are friendly and helpful / 3370 / 95% / 90%
I have been treated fairly while at College / 5105 / 97% / 88%
  1. Managing Learner Performance and Behaviour
  2. During 11/12, 259 cases of unsatisfactory learner behaviour were dealt with under the College’s procedures to manage learner performance and behavior, compared to 421 in the previous year. Of these, 29 cases related to bullying and harassment, compared to 38 in the previous year. All cases were handled sensitively under the guidance of the Student Support team and resolved to the satisfaction of all individuals involved. 6 learners were permanently excluded from the College due to the seriousness of their actions. The profile of learners involved indisciplinary casesis investigated by the Equality & Diversity Monitoring Group (EDMG). The profile of learners undergoing disciplinary procedures reflected the wider learner population and there were no concerns regarding protected characteristics. In addition, eight complaints (compared to 4 in the previous year) were received from members of staff relating to bullying and harassment. All of the complaints were resolved using the College’s formal procedures and/or through mediation. Almost all of the 8 cases were related to one particular team of staff and there have been no further issues this year.
  1. Complaints
  2. Levels of learner satisfaction are generally very high across all provision and a very small number of complaints were received across the year (71) to the end of 2011/12. This was a 15% decrease in complaints compared to 2010/11. A number of complaints (15, 21% of all complaints) relate to equality and diversity issues, e.g. behaviour management, speaking inappropriately to students, and issues around departmental admissions decisions. A range of intervention strategies were deployed to ensure that all cases were resolved quickly and to the satisfaction of the complainant. In addition, training and support was deployed in response to issues that had arisen due to a lack of understanding or experience on the part of some College employees.

9.2.Analysis of complaints indicates that more females than males, and adult learners, were more likely to raise complaints. Of disability disclosures, three complaints related specifically to their disability and the remaining three complaints were unrelated. However, these were resolved to the satisfaction of the complainants.

  1. Key Observations: Staff
  2. The tables below (10,11,12) provide a range of details about the staff profile of the College. It is recognized that further work needs to be done to embrace the wider protected characteristics, and particularly data collection and activities relating to sexual orientation, transgender, religion and/or belief, pregnancy, maternity and paternity.

10.2.Profile:As at 31 December 2012, the College employed 827 staff, a decrease of 102 staff against the previous year (929). Some of this decrease is due to natural staff turnover and 16 staff leaving due to retirement, redundancies or dismissals. It should also be noted that a data cleanse of hourly paid staff records suggests more individuals have left than is actually the case.

10.3.Disability: Of the 827 employees, 4.47% (37 individuals) have declared a disability. This is an increase of 2.27% on the previous year (21 individuals), with the majority of these being full time and in business support staff.

Table 10Number of staff with a declared Disability

10.4.Gender: The majority of staff employed for all roles and levels are female, with 66% of staff female and 34% male. This is unchanged on the previous year (65% female, 35% male). The majority of staff employed are curriculum based staff, and females make up 59% of teaching staff, compared to 41% male. Although females are underrepresented in Construction and Engineering and over represented in Hairdressing and Care, thisreflects gender based enrolment. Females make up the majority of staff (87%) in the business support departments, although are underrepresented in estates.

Table 11Profile of Female and Male Staff

10.5.Ethnicity: The majority of staff are from a white background (74%), with 19% from an ethnic minority background. There has been a slight increase of recruitment of individuals from ethnic minority groups to 19% (a 6% increase from 13% in 10/11). 20% of both teaching and business support staff are also from a minority group. 7% of individuals have not declared their ethnic group.

Table 12Ethnic Profile of Staff

There has been a positive increase in the diversity of the staff profile which supports Equality Objective 7: ‘To increase the level of staff disclosure relating to protected characteristics and narrowing the gap between the learner and staff ethnic populations’. With 22% of the total learner population from an ethnic minority group, the staff population is now 3% below this. This does however remain below the diversity of the local populations (for example, 28% of residents at the time of the 2011 Census were from an ethnic minority in Watford).

10.6.Disciplinaries, Grievances and Performance Recovery Management: Over the past year 15 disciplinaries, grievances and performance recovery issues have been managed by the Human Resources service. The numbers are too small to provide further details for the purpose of this report. However, the profile of these incidents reflects the staff profile of the College, and there are not any patterns in relation to individuals or groups with protected characteristics, where disclosed.

10.7.Employee Engagement: Staff are invited to complete an annual staff survey about their experiences of employment at the College. The survey also includes questions relating to equality and diversity and dignity and respect in the work place. The results from this were positive, and 98% of respondents (364) agreed that people were helpful at the College, and 96% agreed that they were treated with respect by their colleagues.

10.8.Staff Training & Development: Good progress has been made on Equality Objective 8 (Provide staff development opportunities which equip staff with the knowledge and skills to embed equality and diversity in their job role). Over 11/12, 259 individuals (267 attendees) accessed training relating to equality and diversity. This included training sessions for specific disabilities and/or learning difficulties, such as autism, epilepsy, dyscalculia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, mental health awareness, and sign language training and tasters. It also included curriculum based workshop sessions on ‘Differentiation and Personalised Learning, Inclusion, and use of adaptive technology, e.g. use of Spirals and Dolphin. Employees also attended a range of Awarding Body and national organisation updates and conferences including the Association of Colleges Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Conference, ASDAN, Ascentis, NIACE Inclusive Learning Conference, and the Organisational STEM Lead Development Day.Directors have also been provided with additional guidance and support on completing equality impact assessments, and a wider circle of employees have taken part in carrying out equality impact assessments.

10.8.1During the staff development days in December 2012, 489 staff attended ‘Our Diverse Community’, mandatory diversity training. This focused on raising awareness of the diverse make up of the College and wider communities, supporting employees to be able to promote and embed activities to meet individual needs. Feedback has been very positive about the interactive nature of the sessions, and overall satisfaction was 96%. Online training has been developed to support staff unable to attend, and a supporting guide has been released to further embed the training.