FE Providers’ Equality Network Newsletter

Issue 6 – March, 2012

Please email if you require a plain text newsletter equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk

In this issue:-

• Network events update (see right)

• Equality & Diversity Beacon Award successes! (p2)

• Equality news round-up (p3)

• The equality calendar 2012 (p4)

• Are you up to the equality challenge? (p5)

• Well-being or what? Peter Barnard asks the questions (p6-7)

The newsletter has a number of hyperlinks that give you the opportunity to find more information. Articles for future editions of the newsletter are always gratefully received.

Click here to view a summary of Pinnacle Equality Services.

This issue includes the usual popular features and we also take stock and summarise some of the main changes facing FE providers currently

Network Events Update

Thank you to everyone that attended and supported the “Driving LGBT Equality in FE” event in February. Experienced trainer Rikki Arundel delivered an informative and entertaining session at a fantastic York venue. Download the resources from the network site, click here. Weds, 7th March – Promoting Equality Through Drama (Rotherham College of Arts & Technology)

Last chance to book! View the invite here. This promises to be a great session. Featuring performances from Rotherham learners, and practical guidance on how to achieve similar impact. We will also provide guidance on working with other providers to develop equality drama projects. This event will also feature good practice presentations from FE providers and the launch of a new resource, the “Equality Timeline”.

Don’t forget we are already planning for our two summer network events – so keep talking to us and tell us where your priorities lie. This network is based on your needs!

For bookings and event resources please visit the network web-site: http://www.equalitynetwork.co.uk/

1.

Welcome to Issue No.6 and thank you for all of the positive comments we have received in recent months! Please feel free to circulate this resource among colleagues and contacts. An extra warm welcome to new members in recent weeks!

Beacon Success

4. Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk 01472 822510 2.

The AoC Beacon Awards highlight the breadth and quality of education in Colleges throughout the UK and increase understanding of Colleges’ contribution to UK educational skills policy and economic and social development.

In this issue we look at three awards that focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. To read details of all the winning submissions please click here. Well done everyone!

Entry to Vocational Studies – Cardiff and Vale College

Roger Marriott, Chief Assessor for the AoC Beacon Awards said, “Cardiff and Vale College is recommended for the successful support provided for young people experiencing significant deprivation through life-style and family breakdown. The College has fostered a successful multi-agency approach to overcome personal and life-style barriers to learning resulting in changed behaviour and good progression to further learning for vulnerable young people.”

Read the full article from the provider’s website by click here.

Inclusive Learning Award – West Cheshire College

Staff at West Cheshire College have received a top award for supporting young people with learning difficulties. Recent figures from The Office for National Statistics show that people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed if they have a disability. The college has been tackling this statistic at both its Chester and Ellesmere Port campuses with the LEAP2WORK scheme, which helps them find supported work experience or paid employment.

Read the full Chester First article by clicking here.

Engaging Vulnerable People - Ruskin College

The national award recognises the work done in co-ordination with partner organisations The Ley Community, Aspire, and Florence Park Children’s Centre in Oxford, and Crisis Skylight and Eaves Housing in London. Prof Mullender said: “With our partner organisations, we have been able to reach out to the hardest-to-reach groups, people for whom education actually means the most and who have had the least benefit from it in the past.”

Read the full article from the provider’s web-site by clicking here.

Sharing Success

Do you have an award or a success story that you would like to share with the network? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk

News round-up Equality e-learning for learners

Watch out for a fantastic offer that will be circulated this week. This will effectively give licence holders FREE access for the remainder of the 2012 academic year.

With a system like this we realise flexibility is key. This is why there is now FOUR delivery options:

1. Full course (45 mins) 2. Short course (30 mins) 3. Assessment only (20 mins) 4. Tutor-led activity (45 mins)

Full, no obligation trials now available. Annual licences from £599. Further information at: http://www.mypinnacle.co.uk/ Contact us:

Email: see below

Tel: 01472 822510

Mob: 07870 995589

Skype: ask-pinnacle

Guidance on the Equality Duty (updated) The guides provide an overview of the equality duty, including the general equality duty, the specific duties and who they apply to. They cover what public authorities should do to meet the duty. This includes steps that are legally required, as well as recommended actions. Click here for more (EHRC).

Church 'does not own marriage' The Church does not "own" marriage nor have the exclusive right to say who can marry, a government minister has said. Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said the government was entitled to introduce same-sex marriages as a "change for the better". Click here (BBC).

Birmingham teenager wins tribunal battle A teenage student from Birmingham has succeeded in a legal fight against a Chinese restaurant after claiming he had been sacked for being white. David O’Neill won a race discrimination battle against the Ocean Dragon in Birmingham’s Chinese quarter following a year-long fight for compensation. Click here for more (Birmingham Post).

Female leaders suffer ‘maternity penalty’ A key reason for the lack of women at the top of corporations is that they are penalised for prioritising childcare duties over work, according to a report by Mercer. The study revealed European data showing that only 29 per cent of senior managers across the continent are female, with the UK close to the average at 28 per cent. Click here for more (People Management).

Government amends 'unenforceable' Equality Act compromise agreement provisions The Government has published an amendment to the provisions on compromise agreements in The Equality Act 2010, after employment lawyers said that the wording of the Act made the agreements made under it "unenforceable". Click here for more (Personnel Today).

Miller holds firm on Disability Living Allowance reform “There is widespread support for a fundamental reform of DLA," she told Disability Now. "I don’t think there is any question that most disability organisations think that reform is needed. The approach that we’ve taken from the start with this reform has been that of co-production.” The Government wants to cut expenditure on DLA by 20 per cent. Click here (Disability Now).

Rowan Atkinson: Miriam O'Reilly BBC ageism row an attack on “free expression” The Blackadder and Mr Bean star, 57, said O’Reilly’s successful age discrimination case against the public broadcaster amounted to an "attack on creative free expression". Click here for more (Telegraph).

On the box – did you see..? Panorama’s “Hunting the Internet Bullies?” A very powerful documentary focusing on cyber-bullying. Watch it here.

3.

Equality Pick ‘n’ Mix...

8th March, 2012 International Women’s Day Observed since the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. 21st March, 2012 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination On this day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration (in South Africa) against the apartheid "pass laws". The General Assembly called on the international community to redouble efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. 7th – 13th May, 2012 Deaf Awareness Week Supported by over one hundred deaf charities and organisations under the umbrella of the UK Council on Deafness, Deaf Awareness Week involves a UK wide series of national and local events. Purchase a full 12-month electronic equality calendar/ planner from Pinnacle for just £99.99+VAT: • multi-faith dates • detailed info on equality events • inspiring equality quotes • personalise with logo/website

Equality in 2012...

Embedding Equality Handbook

We have been over the moon with the response to this updated resource. Designed especially for FE staff, this resource helps us to embed equality in everything we do. All licence holders receive the personalised Diversity Calendar free as part of the package.

Click here to view a sample. Click here for a summary.

The 1-hour E&D toolkit update for staff has been very popular. This covers key equality principles, The Equality Act and Ofsted. Providers are taking advantage of the easy roll-out and free reporting. Why not ask for a free trial?

Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk 01472 822510 4.

Personalise with your logo and web address

6. Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk 01472 822510 5.

Are you up to the challenge? Pinnacle Partnership lead and Newsletter Editor, Alex Baghurst, looks at some common issues faced by FE providers in relation to Equality & Diversity

The other day someone asked me what the main changes FE providers were facing (in relation to E&D). Well, after a deep breath, I came up with five things that are demanding a lot of our attention at the moment. Please note we’ve stuck with fairly generic points as there are many different types of provider out there. Reduced resources and funds are an obvious concern so haven’t been covered again! We haven’t come up with the answers to all the issues because even we can’t do that in a newsletter! Hopefully it provides some useful reminders though. Of course, let us not these challenges may also represent opportunities...!

Increased

Autonomy

Changes in funding structures means more flexibility for the provider to deliver provision

relevant to the community. Chief Executive of The Skills Funding Agency, Geoff Russell, speaks

of a shift in accountability from Whitehall to communities and a more customer-driven system.

So, we could say the ultimate question has changed – from “what do I need to do to get this

person a qualification?” to “what can I do to get this person into work or on in work?”

The Equality Act

2010

Consolidating and, in some areas extending, previous legislation. The general equality duty

requires you to ELIMINATE, ADVANCE and FOSTER. Subtle changes in legal language bring

significant changes – “promote” is replaced with “advance” suggesting that our equality work is

expected to lead to results... The Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible

for ensuring compliance. Click here for more.

Proposed Common

Inspection

Framework 2012

Promises more focused inspections with fewer grades. Equality is covered in the three key

headlines (Outcomes for Learners, Quality of Teaching Learning & Assessment, Effectiveness of

Leadership and Management). Expect GREATER emphasis on impact for learners, LESS focus

on policies and procedures. The CIF also points to RISING importance of meeting the needs of

community and will look at the provider’s contribution to area priorities. Click here for more.

Narrowing the

Achievement Gap

Are you using your data to inform and improve your performance, for example:

Quantitative data (learner participation, retention, achievement)

Qualitative info (learner survey, complaints information)

Do you have unresolved problems around unknown data?

Do staff have access to accurate and timely data? (and do they use it to good effect)

A national strategy talks about: KNOWING the gaps, NARROWING the gaps, MINDING the

gaps, CELEBRATING gap busting.

Learner

Contributions

From 2013/14 24+ learners on L3/4 courses will be asked to contribute to tuition costs (and will

be offered a HE-style loans system to meet this). Click here for more.

Health & Well-being

4. Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk 01472 822510 6.

If you are reading this newsletter you will be aware that we are in the business of doing things to create an environment where everyone can participate and excel. To achieve this we need to consider a number of things, and it’s not all about The Equality Act and protected characteristics. In the article below Peter Barnard, Pinnacle Associate, asks the questions and explores what Health and Well-Being actually means for FE providers.

Well-being or what? Article by Peter Barnard What is wellbeing? Is it some model dreamt up by HR? Or is it the latest health and safety threat? Is it happiness, or contentment? Wikipedia states it is ‘quality of life’. OK, so how much further does that take us? Maybe if the concept is so nebulous we should approach this from another angle? After all if it could be taken to mean so much, maybe it can encapsulate many things? I hear you say that all this might be expensive or difficult to provide. What about the cynical Chief Executive or Finance Director? What will win them over? If it is going to be expensive they probably won’t support it, and if it doesn’t produce any benefits they are likely to be cool about the concept. A big concept potentially, but let’s start by thinking small. Think about your workplace for a minute. If you are employed to perform great work – no giggling now, just keep with me on this – then surely the workplace should be the arena where that is made possible? Where you get the very best resources, management and support to deliver on your promise every day? As I write this I look out of the window and remember the recent snow and I can feel the cold draughts in the room. If I am comfortable at my work station – including being warm enough - surely I will work well today? I think we might all agree with the opposite that if it is so cold today at work that we only think about how to get or keep warm, then how productive will we be? I think you know the answer. So, perhaps the solution to today’s wellbeing mystery is that managers need to ensure their staff are warm enough at work. Are there enough heaters and are they working today? If they are not, what is the very thing you need your managers to do today? It won’t be the supply of free fruit or lettuce. It won’t be to encourage you to walk or join the gym. No, it will be to sort out the heating. That would be your key wellbeing need. If the manager delivers that for you, then you no longer have that particular barrier to effective working, and you will be delivering what you are employed to achieve (continued overleaf...)

Health and Well-being

5. Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk 01472 822510 7.

(...continued from previous page) What does this tell us? Firstly, ask what your staff need and see if you can help them to secure this. If you can’t, then be honest with them. Ignore their needs at your peril! Secondly, these needs may vary from group to group, so don’t try to offer a standard approach to all staff as it may not meet their individual needs. Thirdly, the most important things to your staff may not cost very much. Finally, if this sounds like good management, then you have hit the bull’s eye! Good managers help their staff to be employed in great jobs and then support them to deliver great results. Try it for yourself! Imagine being in a very bad job! And then being so cold at work that you can’t do your work because the boiler has broken and there is no maintenance contract and the maintenance team are not suitably qualified because that is too expensive. Sound unlikely? A friend of mine experienced that very situation at work last week. No work was done in the office until the boiler was sorted. Not a great use of her talents by her employer. Need some help with your health and well-being objectives? Just drop us a line or give us a call... How good is your Health and Wellbeing knowledge? Are you familiar with these...

Healthy FE

The Healthy FE Programme aims to improve the health and wellbeing of those who study

or work in the further education (FE) and skills sector. It isn’t about creating something

new: it’s about working with FE and skills sector providers to make the health and

wellbeing of staff and students an integral part of all aspects of FE life.

Click here for

more.

Public Health

Responsibility Deal

What we eat, how much we drink and how active we are is heavily shaped by our environment. Creating the right environment can encourage and empower people to take responsibility for their health and make healthy choices. The Public Health Responsibility Deal has been established to tap into the potential for businesses and other organisations to improve public health and tackle health inequalities through their influence over food, alcohol, physical activity and health in the workplace.

Click here for

more.

The Workwell

Movement

Coordinated by Business In The Community (BITC), this initiative aims to create the most

engaged workforce in the world. By working to prove the case, spread good practice and

provide practical support, their goal is to inspire employers to help their people flourish.

Click here for

more.

“Good Work”

During difficult economic times, the point of view that “any work is good work” tends to

hold sway for the very compelling reason that unemployment is damaging. Yet studies

have shown that “bad work” is even worse for physical and mental health than

unemployment. As employers, and as a society, we need to create a view on the kind of

work that we aspire to create, sustain and defend (The Work Foundation).

Click here for

more.

Happiness Index

Happiness index: how happy are you - and David Cameron?

How happy are we? 2011 research as part of the Prime Minister's call for a happiness

index shows we are content with our lives (The Guardian).

Click here for

more.

FE Providers’ Equality Network

Contact details - training and support: Email: equality@pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk Tel: 01472 822510 Web: http://pinnacletrainingsolutions.co.uk/index.php Contact details – FE Providers Equality Network: Booking queries, contact Annette via 01302 832831 or annettescott@doncastergta.co.uk Web: http://www.equalitynetwork.co.uk/index.php

Need some extra support in 2012?

If you need an extra pair of hands in the months ahead we would be happy to help. Whatever it is you need, just let us know. Here are a few of the things we have done recently:

• Bespoke equality update training for staff • Support in preparation for Ofsted visit • On-site E&D health-check • Auditing equality schemes, policies and other docs