Report on Equality & Diversity (E&D) Objectives
Action Plan to July 2016
Our action plans supported by the related University policies demonstrate the measures we are taking to progress our commitment to Equality & Diversity. Our work in this area is actively monitored by the Equality & Diversity Committee and University Council and is published annually, along with other equality monitoring information as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty.All our objectives have the underlying aim of supporting our main theme of embedding equality and diversity into everything we do.
Our current objectives stem from the University’s strategic plan. The objectives and related actions are grouped under the following areas though there will continue to be much overlap:
- data (the key to moving most of the objectives forward)
- learning and teaching
- staff
- students
- our organisation and community
Data – To ensure that we have robust student and staff data sets capable of being split by protected characteristic to underpin decisions.
Action / What will success look like? / What did the University achieve? / Target Date / Lead
Student data
Planning and Intelligence Unit (PIU) aim to roll out student data sets to inform decision making to meet both E&D and WP objectives. /
- Having the ability to measure our access, progression and achievement performance against the sector.
- Ability for faculty teams to track faculty performance.
- Being in a position to implement target interventions.
Concern has been identified that more staff need to be made aware of the existence of the data and how to be able to use it – P&I have been asked to address this.
With the alignment of targets in the Access agreement and the need to address attainment gaps this area will be developed.
Student Portal – development of a portal where all E&D data can be captured through the enrolment system. /
- Students will be able to amend or add equality data such as disability declarations or sexual orientation with ‘what if’ explanations embedded into the pages.
Capture extended equalities data for students including data around caring responsibilities. /
- No longer having to rely on students completing the survey. The survey has given us some information but the current means of collection leaves open to question the robustness of the data.
Staff data –
Review equality data surrounding recruitment on a monthly basis to enable consideration to be given to measures to support positive action if appropriate. /
- Once sufficient data has been collected trends or areas of concern should be easier to identify.
See also Equal Pay Review below. / Mar 2016 / HR
Learning and teaching- To promote inclusive teaching and learning practices
Action / What will success look like? / Target Date / Lead
To embed the ‘two ticks’ disability criteria into the Bucks Temps processes /
- Positive work related experiences for disabled students.
The Careers & Employability Service continues to work with the Disability Service to ensure needs of disabled students are met. /
- To trial an online pack which will enable Disability Mentors to work with their students on Careers & Employability issues thus building on the relationships that have already been established. The best thing to come out of the arrangement would be the growth of employment confidence and the raising of career prospects for the students. It is also hoped that positive case studies and some good news stories would emerge.
Staff – To promote equality and diversity within our staff body
Action / What will success look like? / Target Date / Lead
To work with the Faculties and Directorates to embed E&D considerations into their individual plans /
- To see E&D considerations as second nature. Working with senior leads in these areas should act as a prompt to raise awareness of issues and identify positive actions.
- Staff training either through attendance at organised sessions or to meet specific requirements such as helping colleagues through the Equality Analysis process.
- Casework – supporting staff with reasonable adjustments following disability disclosure and other equality concerns, such as LGBT and BME issues.
- Working with staff to encourage the development of staff network groups, through internal and external channels.
Work in this area has included:-
- Estates team – accessibility issues
- Student Services – engagement with various projects e g. work on student retention.
- Working with S&H staff a training package for Service Users who support the Post Qualifying Nursing has been developed, along with training to meet the NMC requirements of ongoing personal development.
Training – Unconscious Bias and Challenging behaviour online modules – ensure that all new entrants complete these modules as part of their induction programme /
- Report progress on a regular basis and chase up any non-completion via line managers probation reminders.
Extend our Equal Pay Reviews to cover other protected characteristics /
- Our current pay reviews focuses on gender only and by extending to other areas it will enable us to identify areas for positive action.
To continue to raise awareness of equality considerations that are been embedded in the REF so that staff understand that they can submit reduced outputs. /
- Ensuring that staff understand that equality circumstances can be taken into account in the number of outputs they would need to produce. This might encourage some staff to engage in this process who would otherwise have been deterred.
To investigate engagement with the ECU’s charters – race and Athena Swan /
- To be in a position to engage successfully with these schemes.
Extension of mental health training for staff. /
- A new session to be rolled out in 2015/16 which should help staff to feel more positive and confident to engage in increasing mental wellbeing and awareness.
Actions to support the ‘Mindful Employer’ charter and ‘Time to change’ campaigns. /
- Mental health issues will be less of a taboo and staff to feel better supported within an empathetic environment.
Students – To promote equality and diversity amongst our student body
Action / What will success look like? / Target Date / Lead
To work with the Faculties and Directorates to embed E&D considerations into their individual plans /
- To see E&D considerations as second nature. Working with senior leads in these areas should act as a prompt to raise awareness of issues and identify positive actions.
- Delivery of training to student groups across both faculties – to cover issues around transgender, LGBT, disability and diversity as a whole. Raising awareness of the different protected characteristics through information fairs and supporting staff with information to enable them to address E&D issues.
- S&H staff and students delivered a very successful conference to mark World Mental Health Day and are currently rolling out ‘Dementia Friends’ sessions.
- Student casework –e.g. supporting a student through the transitioning process.
Working in partnership with the SU to engage with our students on issues of diversity. Organise events to celebrate diversity and raise awareness of protected characteristics. /
- Calendared events to mark key annual dates- such as LGBT history month, International Woman’s Day, Time for change and interfaith week
- Coming out day
- International Women’s Day
- Holocaust Memorial Day
- World Aids Day
- Interfaith Week
- Time to talk
- 2 Wellbeing Fairs have also been held where themes around mental health have also featured.
To promote the work of the DSA working group to ensure that students are not disadvantaged as a result of proposed changes to DSA. /
- A robust plan to ensure continuity of reasonable adjustments. Focusing on the following project areas:
- access to IT and e-learning
- library and learning resources
- inclusive L&T
- access to support and reasonable adjustments
To collect equality data in relation to student complaints and disciplinaries. /
- Being able to identify possible trends in relation to certain complaints and disciplinaries; this would enable us to consider whether any targeted action might be appropriate.
Our organisation and community
Action / What will success look like? / Target Date / Lead
Links with external organisations /
- Establishing and maintaining joint ventures sharing good practice and potentially saving costs.
To ensure an ongoing provision is made for a suitable space to be used as a breastfeeding room/ disability rest room. /
- Providing an environment in which both staff and students can feel comfortable and supported and being in compliance with the relevant guidance for staff.
S:\HR\_Pam\E&D Committee\Equality Objectives\Report on Equality Objectives July 2015 - April 2016.docx 11 May 2016