ED/15/16/07
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY DUAL ASSURANCE, Thursday 10 December 2015
Present: Mark Goodwin (Management Lead)
Bettina Rigg (Lay Lead)
Dorcas Cowan (Equality & Diversity Manager)
Helen Booker (Equality & Diversity Administrator)
Kate Lindsell (Assistant HR Director - Safety, Health & Wellbeing)
DISCUSSED:
1. Notes of last meeting (7 April 2015) and actions arising (ED/15/16/01)
Toolkit demonstration to Council: A demonstration of the new online Charter Toolkit was presented to Council in July and was very well received.
Development of a single training package: KL has discussed developing a single mandatory refresher training package to include health and safety, wellbeing, sustainability and equality and diversity with Jacqui Marshall and Gill Preston. This new online product is currently being developed by external provider MarshallACM and is on track to be launched in March 2016.
REM Submission: The final REM submission was sent to BR.
Meeting with incoming Welfare and Diversity VP: The E&D Team met with Naomi
Armstrong, the new incoming Welfare and Diversity VP, and Kate Hawkins (as current
Welfare and Diversity VP) for a handover meeting.
Action: HB to invite Naomi to a future meeting to focus on student issues.
Exeter Equalities Centre project: MG received a 6 month written report from the Exeter
Equalities Centre project.
Action: HB to invite representatives from Exeter Equalities Centre Project to the next meeting to provide an update.
2. Review Equality Objectives 2014 – 2018 (ED/15/16/02)
The objectives were reviewed and considered still appropriate - no amendments required.
Action: DC to add reviewing Dual Assurance Terms of Reference to the agenda for the next meeting.
3. E&D Action Plan ‘15/’16 (ED/15/16/03)
The new Action P lan for ‘15/’16 was considered with the following actions highlighted as key priorities for this year:
(Item 2) Working with Colleges and Professional services to deliver a devolved structure:
These actions focus on working with Colleges and Professional Services to enable them to address and resolve equality and diversity issues at a local level.
(Item 3) Developing an integrated E&D toolkit: Current content of the E&D website to be reviewed and a new online toolkit to be developed to act as a framework for all elements of
E&D and that enables Colleges/PS to implement E&D activity and address issues at a local level (supporting Item 2)
(Item 5) Improve staff and student engagement on E&D issues: The E&D team are continuing to work in partnership with the Guild and will be further developing the social

ED/15/16/07 media platforms we use e.g. the scope of the ‘Women in HE’ Twitter account has been broadened to ‘Inclusivity at Exeter’ to be inclusive of all characteristics.
(Item 18) Equality Analysis process: The Equality Analysis process has been reviewed and improvements made to streamline it to make it a less onerous process for both the customer, but also for the E&D team.
4. Mandatory Training Compliance Update (ED/15/16/04)
The report was considered and it was noted that whilst the overall compliance rate had improved to 91.5%, CLES were a concern with the lowest compliance rate amongst
Colleges of 84.8%.
Actions: MG to speak to CLES about improving their mandatory training compliance rate.
5. Accreditations Update (ED/15/16/05)
A summary paper of the status of recent accreditations was discussed and included:

Athena SWAN: With Physics and Astronomy & Engineering being successful with their applications for Bronze department awards in April 2015, all of our STEM/M departments now currently hold an Athena SWAN award. Psychology have submitted their silver application (in November) and the outcome should be known in March 2016.

JUNO: Physics and Astronomy have also been successful in their application to renew their Juno Practitioner Award (Institute of Physics).

Race Equality Charter Mark (REM): We received some very useful feedback on our REM submission from ECU as part of their pilot. This feedback will inform our future priorities in the area of race. The self-assessment team established as part of the pilot will continue to meet to guide and monitor progress in tackling the issues identified.
Membership of the self-assessment team will be reviewed to ensure it is both appropriate and effective.

Stonewall: We have s ubmitted our application to Stonewall’s annual Workplace Equality
Index, the results of which are expected January 2016.
 Positive About Disability (“Two Ticks”): Following a successful submission to the Job
Centre Plus in October, the University has been reaccredited as a Two Ticks employer.
6. Any other business
UUK & ECU ‘Equality and Diversity in HE’ Conference
Anne-Marie Baker attended this event and a summary of the key points of interest from the conference (ED/15/16/06) was discussed.
Arrangements during KLs maternity leave
AGREED ACTIONS:

HB to invite Naomi Armstrong to a future meeting to focus on student issues.
It was confirmed that Andrew Johnson will be managing the E&D team while Kate Lindsell is on maternity leave and will therefore attend E&D Dual Assurance meetings during that period.

HB to invite representatives from Exeter Equalities Centre Project to the next meeting to provide an update.

DC to add reviewing Dual Assurance Terms of Reference to the agenda for the next meeting.

ED/15/16/07

MG to speak to CLES about their E&D mandatory training compliance rate.
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday 16 February, 10.30 – 12.00
Helen Booker
Equality and Diversity Administrator