Notes of the College Liaison Group meeting, 23 March 2016, College Development Network, Stirling

Attendance

Elaine Ballantyne / Equality Officer / South Lanarkshire College
Marla Baird (MB) / Equality and Inclusion Manager / Ayrshire College
Nancy Birney / Head of Equality & Inclusion / Glasgow Clyde College
Graeme Brewster (GB) / Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager / City of Glasgow College
Fiona Clark / Learning & Teaching Advisor / Fife College
Patricia Currie / Senior Curriculum Manager - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion / Glasgow Kelvin College
Helen Duncan / Equality and Diversity Adviser / Perth College UHI
Clare Fraser / EDI Manager / West College Scotland
Shelagh Fraser / Quality Officer / West Lothian College
Brian Gilchrist / Assistant Principal / New College Lanarkshire
Susan Inglis / Equalities, Policy and Research Manager / Edinburgh College
Dorothée Leslie / Director of Curriculum (HE) / Dundee and Angus College
Suzanne Marshall (SM) / Adviser / College Development Network
Freya Douglas (FD) / Programme Manager / ECU
Barbara Lawson (BL) / Senior Policy Adviser / ECU
Stephanie Millar (SFM) / Senior Policy Adviser / ECU

1.Welcome and apologies

=The group were welcomed to the meeting and CDN were thanked for hosting the meeting.

=Apologies were noted from Priscilla Marongwe (SRUC), Jo Aitken (SRUC), Claire Hall (Fife College), David Killean (Borders College).

2.Notes of last meeting

=The notes from the meeting held on 7 October 2015 were approved with no outstanding actions. They are on the ECU website.

=The summary note of the discussion on staff resourcing and structures for E&D in colleges from the October meeting is now online under the CLG section of the ‘your equality networks’ page:

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3.Items for discussion

  1. Race Equality Network

FD presented the paper from ECU proposing a Scottish Race Equality Network for both colleges and HEIs and asked for the groups’ views. The opportunity for sharing practice and learning on race equality was welcomed but there were mixed views as to whether the proposed network was the best way to take this forward. Views included:

=Some colleges felt that, because they are working across protected characteristics, a network that focussed on only one had the potential to be limiting. While some felt that their colleges might not be doing enough on race equality, and this network could support them to do more.

=Scotland has different race demographics across regions, which would need to be taken into account. For example, some colleges in more urban areas may have higher proportions of BME students, may have well established links with race networks and may be undertaking a significant amount of race equality work already, while some colleges in less diverse areas may have less knowledge about addressing race equality.

=Duplication of any work should be avoided. Consideration should be given to work already carried out nationally, for example, by the Scottish Government on its race equality framework, BEMIS or the STUC BME Forums.Having speakers from these organisations could be helpful.

=The group agreed that it would be useful to scope the need for a network and its use for colleges.

Action: ECU to consider holding a scoping event to enable colleges to determine whether they would benefit from engaging with such a network.

  1. LGBT+, with a focus on trans and non-binary issues

SFM presented a paper written by Gemma Tracey of ECU on its plans for updating its trans guidance and asked for comment.ECU is keen for CLG input to the guidance, especially to provide case study materials. Discussion included:

=Members confirmed that in the sector they engage for the most part with gender fluid or non-binary individuals, though there appeared to be no standard policy on this, nor an agreed definition being used, which would be welcomed in the guidance.

=Guidance on supporting non-sequential journeys using case studies was suggested.

=Members felt that including in the publication a policy and procedure template would be very useful.

=Members suggested that trans should be built into existing frameworks, e.g. the needs assessment process for students can be used as a framework for supporting trans students. The ELS review changes should be mentioned in this context.

=Guidance on questions for online applications information was sought, including use of ‘Mx’.

=Issues of school systems differing to college systems and school to college transitions were highlighted.

=Members agreed that further work needed to be done with key Scottish organisations on emerging issues, such as LGBT Youth, Stonewall Scotland, Scottish Transgender Alliance, Equality Network and NUS Scotland, and that guidance needed to reflect the divide between urban and rural contexts, the age of accessing services being different in Scotland, as well as the legislation.

=Members offered examples of trans practice in key activities including application processes (Ayrshire, Glasgow Kelvin); school-college partnership procedures; Edinburgh College and Forth Valley college have developed a videoclip which offers staff guidance.

Action: CLG members to ask colleagues their views on the trans guidance needed and feedback to ECU.

Action: ECU to progress the guidance and ask CLG for examples of practice in due course.

  1. Corporate Parenting Duty

MB asked for other college’s practice regarding corporate parenting.There was a comprehensive discussion on where individual colleges were in relation to practice and developing their Corporate Parenting Plan.

=Glasgow Kelvin’s Corporate Parenting Plan is almost complete and has involved consultation with partners and covers articulation into HE.Currently it is considered as part of the college’s needs assessment and assesses a student’s health and wellbeing as well as learning needs. Staff are provided with training.

=New College Lanarkshire has published its corporate parenting plan on its website.

=SM suggested the group gets in touch with Andree Caruthers who has responsibility for care leavers at CDN or Robert Foster at Who Cares? Scotland.

  1. Prevent Duty

MB asked for other colleges’ practice regarding the Prevent Duty.

=NESCol has a position statement on its website.

=Forth Valley has embedded Prevent into its work and sections of its website into Protect, Prevent, Parent. A diagram connecting Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting has been developed.

=All agreed that equality and diversity is a key aspect of Preventbut there is a risk of stereotyping certain groups, for instance there is a need to ensure actions do not become Islamophobic.

=There is a clear difference in approach to Prevent in Scotland,where itsits within the Equality Unit in the Scottish Government, rather than within the Justice Department as in England. This context creates a different approach.

=There was discussion about sources of development: Free JISC training, free RGU collaborative online training; Bright Choices training (focuses on risk from specific nationalities).Police Scotland have also developed training with college support.

=CDN are looking at a sector strategy for safeguarding.

=CLG members see aclear need for raising awareness of Prevent within curriculum delivery as it is often only support staff who receive training.

Action: ECU to contact colleges for examples if it progresses with a Scottish briefing paper.

  1. Extended Learning Support Review discussion

=SM spoke to this as an ELS advisory group member.

=The replacement for DSA funding is the Access and Inclusion Fund; plans will have to be in place for colleges to indicate how they intend to administer the funds allocated by August 2017.

=There is an opportunity for links between this change and development of the next round of individual college equality outcomes within the same time frame.

Action: SM to share SFC summary paper and presentation with the CLG.

  1. British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 and national strategy

=SFM presented update paper and asked for comments. The general view was that colleges are waiting for the Scottish Government to produce its national policy before they develop their own.

=The group asked if there is a tool/app for translating text or speech to BSL.

=GB shared a conference paper: Jemni M and Elghoul O (2007) An avatar based approach for automatic interpretation of text to sign language 9th European Conference for the Advancement of the Assistive Technologies in Europe, San Sebastian.

Action: SM to speak with CDN’s Digital Adviser Paul Scotland and feedback on any information they have on a BSLavatar.

4. ECU briefing paper - project updates & upcoming opportunities

=The group was in favour of the June CLG meeting being used for an equality outcomes workshop. They felt that a lessons learned approach would be of benefit, including how to evaluate previous outcomes, how to set measures of success to better enable monitoring and evaluation.

Action: ECU to proceed with planning an equality outcomes workshop for June.

=Members were reminded to book on to ECU’s Scotland conference 2016, which is on 26 April.

Action: Members to book on and share the weblink with colleagues.

=ECU has almost completed its involvement with the SQA on development of the PDA. CDN will undertake a mapping exercise with the current PDA Inclusiveness to identify transition arrangements now that the award content has been finalised. Once this has been completed and approved by last stakeholders and the Qualification Design Team (QDT), it shouldundergo validation in the next few months.

=The staff equality project is now progressing, with the advisory group having had its first meeting. ECU is looking for participants to sit on its working groups. The data group will take place on the 21st April (not the 6 or7 as stated in the ECU briefing paper) and we’d like members of the CLG to be part of this.

Action: Shelagh Fraser of West Lothian to provide contact information for the UNISON lead on the FE committee to SFM.

=Group members involved in ECU’s Attracting Diversity project shared their areas of focus and experience of the project so far. The group was reminded that the dates of the next cross-institution meetings have moved to 26th and 27th May.

=FD updated the group on the Scottish National Equality Improvement Project (SNEIP), which ECU has been involved with. She is attending a sounding board meeting in April and will feed in the college sector’s views on priorities for the next phase of the project, which included support on equality impact assessment and increasing disclosure through a national campaign.

5. College Development Network update – Suzanne Marshall, CDN

Suzanne referenced the latest E&D newsletter which included useful updates.

=CDN has a new project just starting, which is a framework for supporting professional learning, including the curriculum, which has ED&I embedded. This will refresh QELTM and provide an online train the trainer facility. It aims to complete by the end of July.

6. Member updates

Members summarised their priority activities and developments which included:

College / Activity
City of Glasgow / =EDI staff badge/champion promotion.
=Online staff CPD module.
=Equality outcomes framework review.
Dundee and Angus / =Roll out of Prevent and Corporate Parenting Plan.
=Staff development and E&D includes updating EDI staff CPD modules activity to increase staff awareness of all PCs and a June staff event.
=Developing student induction materials.
Edinburgh / =Self-Evaluation process: learner on writing to promote discussion on E&D.
=Working on video material to advance E&D in teaching practice.
=LGBT charter mark submission preparation.
=ECU Attracting Diversity programme.
Fife / =Work in the curriculum and with the college EDI strategy group.
Glasgow Clyde / =EDI EO Interim report for Glasgow regional work.
=Supporting new appointee for cross-college inclusiveness work.
Glasgow Kelvin / =Corporate Parenting Plan.
=Gender Action Plan activity.
=Prevent.
New College Lanarkshire / =Students on HE Law programme participated in developing an information publication on Scots Law, and engaged successfully with the CROWN Office and Police Scotland culminating in an event at Parliament.
=Guide to embedding EDI in the curriculum.
Perth / =Post Mainstreaming report activity; one to one meetings with every partner college in UHI.
=Staff conference June, key case studies.
South Lanarkshire / =Focus on staff support.
=Aiming for IiP Platinum.
=LGB Youth activity.
=Maintaining leaders in Diversity status.
=Staff monitoring.

Action: Dorothée Leslieto share the reflective tool they have been using at Dundee and Angus to map elements of college activity/evidence to their equality outcomes.

7. Dates of future meetings, hosted by CDN:

–15 June

–5 October

=BL said this was to be her last CLG as she was leaving ECU. She thanked the group for their support and contributions over the last 4 years. The group thanked her for all her hard work for ECU and wished her well.

8. AOCB

=Members requested that ECU ask members to agree to share email addresses so that the group can communicate and share information in between CLG meetings.

=Members expressed an interest in a Drop Box facility to be able to easily share and access documents, such as were highlighted in today’s discussions.

Action: ECU to ask members to advise if they are happy to share email addresses with the group for a CLG mailing list.

Action: ECU to progress a Dropbox, in partnership with CDN, as required.

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