Equality and Diversity Policy
Introduction
BSix College is a community proud of its diversity and committed to promoting equity and respect.
The aim of this policy is to ensure that in carrying out its activities BSix College will:

Provide the framework within which staff and students can achieve the goals of equality and
 diversity.
Eliminate barriers to achievement for all staff and students as a central part of everyday practice.

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

Advance equality of opportunity, across all the activities of the College between different groups.
Purpose
This policy is underpinned by all three of BSix’s strategic aims.
• To raise achievement and standards
The College aims to achieve the full potential of all staff and students irrespective of ethnicity, gender, disability, age, social class and sexual orientation. Further the College aims to communicate this message to the wider community both in action and in deed in order to promote community cohesion.
• To enhance external relations
The College aims to work with all of its local communities in order to promote the inclusion and achievement of young people and to fulfil the objectives of the ‘Every Child
Matters’ agenda.
• To promote a positive and inspiring image
As above, the College aims to promote equality and diversity through the use of images and examples both internally to its own staff and students and externally to all its partners and stakeholders. The College embraces the legislation on the protected characteristics of Race,
Religion or Belief, Disability Discrimination, Sex (Gender) and Sexual Orientation, Gender
Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Equality and Age
Discrimination Act.
Key Principles
• The College actively seeks to prevent discrimination against any individual or group within the College and the wider community served by the College, on the grounds of racial/ethnic heritage, religious and political belief, socio-economic and marital status, physical attributes, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and trade union membership
• The College recognises the influence it has externally with many people and
organisations with whom it interacts and it intends that this influence shall be
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used to promote equality of opportunity
• The College recognises the concept of institutional discrimination and is committed to the elimination of its root causes
• The College fully supports the spirit and content of all relevant equality legislation.
• The College will aim to eliminate policies and practices which could lead, directly or
Indirectly, to discrimination
• The College will take positive action to create a supportive and relevant learning and working environment in which all have the opportunity to achieve to their potential
• The College will ensure that all college procedures treat individuals solely on the basis of their merit and abilities
• The College recognises that passive support for equal opportunity is not sufficient as inequalities created by indirect discrimination, victimisation, segregation, stereotyping affects everyone. Challenging inequality must be the responsibility of all members of the
College community.
• The promotion of equality and diversity is integral to the education and training the
College provides for its staff and students
Policy Statement
The College expects all students and staff to share the responsibility to:
• Promote equality and diversity in all of its forms in all dimensions of work and study at the College and wherever these take place
• Treat colleagues and visitors with respect
• Pay attention to, respect and value individual difference
• Use appropriate language which does not promote stereotypes or belittle people
• Be self-servicing and not to delegate menial tasks unnecessarily
• Contribute to making the College a safe, enjoyable and disciplined place to study and work
• Have high standards and expectations of performance and achievement for themselves and their peers and to promote an ethos of co-operation and sharing
BSix Staff Handbook
• Take part in a continuous programme of education in order to support and enhance their
skills, qualities and performance
• Challenge and be challenged about their own attitudes, assumptions and
behaviours
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• Confront and challenge behaviour and language which could be discriminatory
or harassing
• Take every opportunity to forge links with local communities, to be responsive to their
needs and to nurture reciprocal respect
In return, the College will actively promote equality and diversity in all aspects of its work and for all users of the College. Everyone who works or studies at the College is expected to respect and implement this policy at all times and in all places. In order to implement this expectation the College will:
• Provide education and training for staff and students in order to maintain respect for equality and diversity and to confront prejudice and discrimination
• Implement processes and procedures that confront discrimination, harassment and prejudice in all their forms
• Ensure that recruitment of staff and students is free of discrimination
• Ensure that there is comprehensive access to personal and educational opportunities for students and professional development for staff
• Ensure that staff and students with disabilities have access to all the buildings and services of the College
• Ensure that the provision of advice, information, career guidance, counselling, learning
and language support is appropriate to meet needs of all students and is accessible to
them
• Monitor and respond to the needs of equality and diversity in all areas
• Promote an atmosphere of safety, trust and confidence in which staff and students can
achieve the highest possible personal, educational and professional standards
• Provide access to open, reasonable and effective complaints procedures
• Regularly review all policies, procedures and processes in order to ensure that they do not discriminate directly or indirectly and that they do promote equality and diversity
• Ensure that all images are inclusive and reflect the communities it serves in a positive and inspiring way
Responsibilities and duties
Role of Equality and Diversity Group

Monitor the implementation plan arising from the Equality Impact and Investors in
Diversity (IiD) Assessments
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
To collect and review data relevant to diversity and equality matters relating to students or employees on a regular basis and recommend changes to policies and procedures as appropriate.

To advise on the provision of appropriate training and awareness-raising in relation to all equal opportunities and diversity matters.
 produce an annual report based on performance indicators.
Once reviewed, this report will be placed on the college website and shared area.
The performance indicators will include:
• Students achievement, retention and enrolment data
• A breakdown of staff profiles
• Attendance reports at Equality and Diversity training events
• Complaints analysis
• Comments or suggestions from staff and other stakeholders
College Governors
• Oversee the development, implementation and monitoring of the Equality
and Diversity Policy
• Ensure that the College complies with its statutory obligations under the
relevant legislation
The Students’ Union
It is the responsibility of the members of the Students’ Union to:
 promote policy values
• Encourage representation from all students
• Ensure that student activities are accessible to all students.
The College Management Team
It is the responsibility of managers to:
• Ensure that the College complies with its statutory obligations with regards to equality
and diversity
• Develop strategies and set targets for implementing effective equality and diversity
Practices
• Ensure that students have equal access to educational services
• Ensure that staff have equal access to training and development opportunities
• Ensure that staff are appropriately trained on equality and diversity issues
• Ensure that all students are made aware of the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy
• Monitor data collected on equal opportunities at regular intervals
• Carry out the responsibilities of line managers with regard to equality and diversity
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Line Managers
It is the responsibility of managers to:
• Ensure that their department/service area complies with its equality and diversity policy
for staff and students
• Ensure that students and staff are made aware that substantiated acts of
discrimination will be treated as disciplinary offences and dealt with under the appropriate
college procedures
• Ensure that any allegations of discrimination are properly investigated and that appropriate
action is taken
• Ensure that sufficient records are kept to enable the effective monitoring of equality and
diversity issues
Employees
It is the responsibility of all college employees including managers to:
• Comply with the College’s statutory obligations with regard to equality and diversity
• Comply with the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy
• Undergo training on equality and diversity issues
• Maintain, where applicable, sufficient records to enable the effective monitoring of equal
opportunities issues
• Bring any allegations of discrimination to the attention of the appropriate manager, in
accordance with college procedures
• Ensure that schemes of work, lesson content and teaching resources demonstrate
sensitivity to issues of cultural diversity gender and disability
• Promote good race relations between people of different ethnic, age, gender and sexual
orientation groups
Students
It is the responsibility of all college students to:
• Comply with the College’s statutory obligations with regard to equality and diversity
• Comply with the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy
• Participate in awareness raising on equality and diversity issues
• Bring any allegations of discrimination to the attention of the appropriate manager, in accordance with college procedures.
• Respect and, develop good relationships, between people from different ethnic age, gender and sexual orientation groups
BSix Staff Handbook
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Glossary
Discrimination: For the purposes of this policy, Discrimination is defined as, ‘treated less favourably’, in accord with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, Human rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.
Harassment means unwanted touching or other physical contact, leering, coercion, isolation, non co-operation, verbal or written abuse, visual display or any other behaviour that undermines the victim’s confidence or threatens the victim’s security.
Nationality refers to the country in which an individual was born.
Age refers to a person’s chronological age and may be relevant in cases of retirement and statutory law etc
Ethnic are terms used to describe a group of people whose ancestors came from the same country or cultural group. They refer to an individual’s ancestry, which may not be the same as the individual’s nationality.
Gender identifies an individual’s sexual group; i.e., whether the individual is male or female.
Marital Status identifies whether an individual is married or single.
Family Status identifies whether an individual has children or does not have children.
Sexual orientation identifies an individual’s sexual preference; i.e. whether the individual is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual.
Gender re-assignment refers to a change in an individual’s sex, either from male to female, or female to male.
Disability means either the physical or mental impairment of an individual who is disabled.
The impairment may be minor or severe and it may be short or long term.
Religion refers to an individual’s faith or beliefs.
Trade union membership identifies whether the individual is, or is not, a member of a trade union.
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Sources of Guidance:
Equality Act 2010
Human Rights Act 1998
Equality & Human Rights Commission: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
Policy Review date November: 2013
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