Race Equality Charter Mark
Action Plan
April 2015-April 2018
Introduction
The action plan sets out the activities the university will undertake to address the issues identified in the Race Equality Charter Mark submission. The implementation of the action plan will be supervised by the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group and reported quarterly to the Principal’s Executive Team, and published on the university website.
The action plan will support and underpin the university’s commitment to promoting race equality by strengthening the work already occurring and provide a strategic framework for further activities and interventions which will positively impact the experiences of BME staff and students at the university.
Actions
Actions have been listed under the following themes. Based on an examination of the data and our consultation activities, within each theme the priority actions are highlighted in bold:
1. Create a more inclusive culture
2. Increase the proportion of BME staff a senior levels
3. Improve recruitment and selection practice & how it is perceived
4. Improve the representation of BME staff within our governance structures
5. Challenge inappropriate behaviour, language and banter
6. Review relevant policies & procedures
7. Address the under-representation of students from particular ethnic groups at certain levels& within certain faculties
8. Address the attainment gap & embed inclusivity into curriculum & pedagogy
9. Ensure broad ownership & necessary support for relevant aspects of the implementation of the action plan.
Responsibility/accountability
Overall responsibility (R) and accountability (A) for each action are indicated in the 7th column – this column should not be read across.
Timeframes
For planning purposes, the timeframe used in the plan are organised to coincide roughly with our financial year (Aug-July) and the academic year (Sept-Aug) so some actions continue beyond the April 2018 deadline for renewal.
Glossary of terms
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ALI – Academic Learning Institute
ASC – Academic Staff Committee
A&S – Arts & Sciences
ASSG – Athena SWAN Steering Group
BHM – Black History Month
DISG - Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group
ECRs – Early Career Researchers
EMA – Ethnic Minority Association – for students
ePET – Extended Principal’s Team
FTC – Fixed Term Contract
HoA – Head of Administration
HoD – Heads of Directorate
HEI – Higher Education Institution
HR – Human Resources
IDA - Information Development & Analysis, in HR
IWD – International Women’s Day
KPI – Key Performance Indicator
LTA – Learning, teaching & assessment
N&M – Nursing & Midwifery
PDR – Performance Development Review
PG – Postgraduate
PGCAP – Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice
PGR – Postgraduate Research
REM – Race Equality Charter Mark
RDU – Researcher Development Unit
S/L – Senior Lecturer
SU – Students Union
UG - Undergraduate
VP – Vice Principal
WP – Widening Participation
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1. Create a more inclusive culture
No. / Page / Issue/area for action / Action / Delivery / Timescale / Responsibility/ Accountability / Success measure1.1 / 16
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75 / Minimise impact of unconscious bias on key decisions/ culture / Extend the provision of existing Unconscious Bias workshops to:
- all managers of staff, projects or services
- staff involved in recruitment & selection
- staff involved in the promotions process – ASC, its wider membership & local panels / - Continue with existing sessions twice/month
- Deliver 10 large conference style sessions
- HoD & Deans to make training mandatory for S/L & Grade 7 & above
- Monitor attendance & report to DISG
- Deliver 10 sessions/year thereafter for new starters / April -July 2015
Oct 2015-July 2016
From Oct 2015 on
October 2016 & annually thereafter
Oct 2016 on / Equalities Officer - R
HoD, Deans & Equalities Manager - A / 100% of targeted staff are trained by July 2016
In evaluations – 70% of staff understand the impact & know how to address
1.2 / 16
62 / Address awareness of inclusive working & management practice / Extend the provision of existing Inclusive Working workshops to:
- all managers of staff, projects or services
- staff involved in recruitment & selection
- staff involved in promotions / - Continue with small-scale monthly sessions
- HoD & Deans to encourage attendance for S/L & Grade 7 & above
- Work with training provider to devise method for up-scaling training to conference style
- Roll out 10 conference style sessions/year
- HoD & Deans to make training mandatory for S/L & Grade 7 & above
- Monitor attendance & report to DISG
- Deliver 10 sessions/year thereafter for new starters / April 2015 - July 2017
From Oct 2015 on
July –Sept 2017
Oct 2017-July 2018
From Oct 2017 on
October 2018 & annually thereafter
Oct 2018 on / Equalities Officer - R
HoD, Deans & Equalities Manager – A / 100% of targeted staff are trained by July 2017
In evaluations – 70% of staff are confident to deal with the issues
No. / Page / Issue/area for action / Action / Delivery / Timescale / Responsibility/ Accountability / Success measure
1.3 / 35 / Embed inclusive working/ awareness of unconscious bias within departmental practice / Develop a ‘post training’ toolkit to facilitate continued discussion & engagement at a local level around key messages shared at the Unconscious Bias & Inclusive Working workshops / - Work with training provider to develop tool-kit
- Pilot toolkit with 3 departments
- Launch tool-kit
- HoD & Deans to encourage engagement with the toolkit / April-May 2015
June-Sept 2015
Oct 2015 on
Oct 2015 on / Equalities Officer - R
HoD, Deans & Equalities Manager – A / 20 departs have evaluated the toolkit by Sept 2016 & have local activities in place locally
20 more by Sept 2017
10 more by April 2018
1.4 / 30
48 / Enhance essential management skills of Academic managers / Continue to offer & promote the ‘Top Tips for Managers’ workshops which cover: setting & managing expectations; quality conversations; managing performance; supporting parents & carers; & effective recruitment / - Continue to run portfolio of 5 workshops twice a year, more pending demand – open to all managers
- Deans to encourage S/L & above to attend / On-going
April 2015 on / Director HR – Operations (Health) – R & A
Deans – A / Courses are full
40% of places are filled by Academic staff
1.5 / 35 / Create opportunities for staff engagement & debate around race equality in the workplace / Hold an annual forum during BHM to share & celebrate best practice in integrating race equality into everyday working culture. There will be an expectation that all faculties & directorates will contribute / - Planning to commence
- Event organised annually in October / May 2016 & annually thereafter
October 2016 & annually thereafter / Equalities Manager & BME Staff Network – R
HoD & Deans – A / 60 staff attend
Input from variety of Academic & Professional services areas Website to share presentations/ innovative practice
New learning feeds into action plan
1.6 / 92 / Create opportunities for staff/student engagement & debate around race equality in academia / Continue to work with the Intersectional Feminist Society to run an event entitled ‘Black woman – White Uni’ which will celebrate the achievements of Black women in HE, raise awareness of the issues & identify solutions / - Support society with shaping, planning & delivery
- Host a workshop as part of the wider event to consider steps we can take to address under-representation of BME staff in HE (see action 2.16) / Now until October 2015
October 2015 / Student Equalities Officer - R
Equalities Manager – A / At least 100 attendees throughout the day, 20% of whom are staff
Learning identified & feeds into action plan
No. / Page / Issue/area for action / Action / Delivery / Timescale / Responsibility/ Accountability / Success measure
1.7 / 16 / Create climate to encourage BME staff to engage on race equality in the workplace / Review BME Staff Network & find ways to continue to promote & support it to expand its membership & visibility & take on its own projects / - Undertake light touch review with members to look at membership, engagement, visibility, workplan & resources
- Refresh / January – February 2016
March-April 2016 / Equalities Officer - R
Equalities Manager - A / Network (100) & Steering Group (30) membership & event attendance (10-15) increase by 20%
1.8 / 16
92 / Create visual reminders about our commitment to/& aspirations for the race equality agenda / Continue to take forward our Underpinning action to create visual displays that communicate the broad diversity of colleagues, encourage debate & challenge UB / - Initial meeting to devise framework for the project with faculty/directorate reps
- Devise toolkit with designers
- Share toolkit with departments
- Displays launched
- Evaluate
- Refine toolkit
- Share toolkit more widely with Deans/HoD / March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
Sept 2015
Sept-Dec 2015
Jan-March 2016
April 2016 / Equalities Officer & faculty/ directorate reps – R
HoD, Deans - A / Set of 6 branded displays in place for Sept 2015
10 more displays in place by Sept 2016
1.9 / 16
93 / Embed consideration of race/equality into the roles of all staff / Work with faculties & directorates to more fully build consideration of equalities/race into the PDR process so that all staff are required to pay due consideration to these issues in their day to day roles / - Review best practice
- Guidance & support prepared
- Discuss with Deans/HoD
- Included in PDR documentation / Jan 2016
Feb-April 2016
April 2016
July 2016 / HoD, Deans, Equalities Manager – R & A / Criteria introduced in 5 areas by July 2016
A review of completed PDRs shows that 70% have provided relevant evidence
2. Increase the proportion of BME staff at senior levels
No. / Page / Issue/area for action / Action / Delivery / Timescale / Responsibility/ Accountability / Success measure2.1 / 23
55 / Support the career progression of BME Academic staff / Undertake an evaluation of the existing B-MEntor scheme / - Undertake evaluation with participating HEIs
- Findings feed in to scheme development
- Conduct scheme publicity, training & matching / June-July 2015
August-Sept 2015
Nov 2015-Feb 2016 / Equalities Officer - R
Equalities Manager – A / Increase our mentor & mentee participation in the scheme from 5 & 3 (2014) to 10 & 10 by March 2016
2.2 / 23
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126 / Support the career progression of BME Academic staff / Explore with BME S/Ls ways to improve representation at Professor level whether to extend the B-MEntor programme to this cohort / - Hold focus groups
- Findings feed into to scheme development &/or wider action plan / Oct-Nov 2015
Jan 2016 on / Equalities Officer – R
Equalities Manager - A / S/L make up at least 15% of future mentee participants &/or other interventions in place to improve progression
2.3 / 24
55
75 / Provide positive role models as part of the promotions process / Ensure that BME staff who have been successful at promotion are represented as speakers at faculty promotions events / - Approach Deans to plan events & provide framework
- Monitor that these are happening in line with the framework & provide support as required / Sept-Oct 2016
Oct 2016-Feb 2017 & annually thereafter / Deans – R & A / All 8 faculties host events & feedback from attendees is positive
BME speakers feature at all events
2.4 / 24
55
75 / Continue to address any concerns with the central promotions process / Monitor & review data from the promotions round on an annual basis by ethnicity areas of concern to feed into the review of the promotions process / - Collect data
- Analyse & identify findings
- Make recommendations
- Report considered by DISG / July 2015 & annually
Sept 2015 & annually
Sept 2015 & annually
October 2015 & annually thereafter / Director HR Policy – R & A / Any issues in the data are identified & adjustments made to the process
2.5 / 55
75 / Address issues of transparency of local promotions process / Review local promotions processes to ensure consistency between faculties where possible, greater clarity about the purpose of this stage & where differences exist, to make these explicit. / - Review faculty processes & their purpose
- Identify any areas of inconsistency/best practice & share
- Ensure promotions webpages provide transparent information about the processes & their justification / Sept 2016 – Feb 2017
(broad timeframe as will depend on local arrangements) / Deans – R
VPs Health & Arts & Sciences - A / BME Network assess that webpages for 2016 promotions round provide transparent information on this matter
No. / Page / Issue/area for action / Action / Delivery / Timescale / Responsibility/ Accountability / Success measure
2.6 / 55
75 / Address issues of transparency of local promotions process / Collect & act on application & success rate data by protected characteristic for local promotions processes / - Local panels to collect data annually on applications & outcomes
- Equalities data to be drawn from HR database
- Outcomes shared with the DISG / July 2017 & thereafter
Sept 2017
October 2017 & thereafter / Deans – R & A
Head of IDA - R / Data is collected & analysed by race & acted upon as necessary
Report on outcomes shared with the DISG
2.7 / 42
55 / Support the career progression of BME Professional Services staff / Extend by way of a pilot, the cross-institution B-MEntor mentoring scheme to Professional Services staff / - Review best practice & consult with BME Network members
- Agree remit, target audience & framework
- Launch & publicise
- Induction/training
- Match pairs
- Evaluation & further roll out / July - Aug 2015
Sept 2015
Nov-Dec 2015
Jan 2016
End Feb 2016
Nov-Dec 2016 / Equalities Officer – R