Equality and Diversity Policy

POLICY STATEMENT

Key Principles

For Lancashire Adult Learning, Equality and Diversity, including Race Equality, means:

• Putting into practice and promoting the entitlement everyone has to equal rights and the same opportunities
• Seeking to identify and eliminate all forms of discrimination, whether overt, covert or by omission
• Embracing diversity, and working to ensure equal access to our learning programmes and resources
• Encouraging, supporting and helping all learners and staff to reach their potential

This policy is written in two parts.

The first section sets out how the Service will aim to eliminate discrimination and promote good relations between people of different groups. It also sets out the responsibilities of staff, learners and others.

The second section outlines how the Service will discharge its specific duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Section One: Equality and Diversity Policy

How the Service will act on the Key Principles listed above

In supporting the Key Principles listed above, the Service will:

Work to ensure equality of access and resources for learners and for staff
Provide an environment which promotes equality of opportunity and is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any kind
Respect equally, support appropriately and reward fairly each learner and each employee
Enable staff to put equality of opportunity into practice
Develop systems to monitor and evaluate Equality and Diversity provision
Comply with all current equalities and data protection legislation in employment and provision of teaching and services
Responsibility for Equality and Diversity
Key responsibilities under this policy are set out below:

The Equality and Diversity Group is responsible for recommending policy and actions to the Senior Management Team and monitoring implementation of these

area/college principals have overall responsibility for interpreting the Policy in the context of their own Equality and Diversity policies, both for direct and sub-contracted delivery

area/College Equality and Diversity Managers are responsible for raising staff awareness of their responsibilities under Equal Opportunities legislation, and for monitoring associated procedures. They are responsible for ensuring that there is an appropriate response where learners or staff are disadvantaged in any way and that complaints of discrimination or offensive behaviour are dealt with promptly

Line Managers are responsible for ensuring their staff understand Equality and Diversity issues and know how to report any perceived discrimination, harassment, or inequality of opportunity

All managers are responsible for ensuring proactive dialogue about Equality and Diversity issues and practices with partner organisations, tutors and learners

Tutors are responsible for promoting equality of opportunity amongst learners, and ensuring that all instances of contravention of the policy are reported promptly to their line manager