Human Resources Committee
Paper Title: Annual Equality & Diversity Compliance Report (Part 1)
Author: Abida Akram – Staff Development Advisor (Equality & Diversity)
1. Specific Decision
Required by Committee
To NOTE, DISCUSS and REFER to Council.
2. Relevance to University
Strategy
Directly relevant to the theme of “Investing in Staff”. Strategic Objectives met:
1.7 Embed equality and diversity principles in all our ways of working.
3. Executive Summary
This report is part one of the progress on annual E&D compliance in regards
to the Equality Act 2010. The more detailed part two will be presented at
February HRC. This paper outlines our achievements to date and identifies
any weaknesses in meeting the legal duties. Part 2 will comprise additional
statistical analysis, to evidence compliance, as well as outlining new E&D
objectives.
The University is required to publish an annual report on compliance with the
Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 and the specific duty on
publishing the E&D objectives every four years. The legal duty requires us to
pay due regard to the following:1. eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other
conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act.
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant
protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
3. foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected
characteristic and people who do not share it.
A draft ‘Part 2 detailed paper will be published by the end of January 2016
along with the background statistical summaries. Once approved by HRC in
February 2016 and full Council, It will be published by April 2016, thereby
meeting both legal deadlines.
An action plan will be formulated in order to deliver on the E&D objectives and
success will be dependent on partnership working with Schools, Departments
and the Student’s Union. It will supported by statistical analysis by the
Planning Department. This information will then be made available to other
committees and departments including Athena Swan.
Contained within core budgets of Planning and HR Departments
N/A
4.
Essential Background
Information
5.
Risks, Risk Mitigation
and Governance/
Accountability
6.
Implications for other
activities
7.
8.
Resource and Cost
Alternative Options
considered
9. Other Groups/Individuals
consulted.
10. Future Actions,
Timescales & Frequency
of Review by this
Committee.
11. Success Criteria (KPIs)
HR, Planning Dept, Academic Registry, Staff Support Groups.
Annual updates at HR Committee meetings. Part 2 of the annual compliance
report will be presented at February HRC.
Legal duties and deadlines met.
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Part One: Summary of Progress towards the Annual Compliance Report
In 2015 the University improved on monitoring and gathering data in line with the Equality
Act 2010 and is now conducting more detailed statistical analysis in order to better
demonstrate our compliance with our legal duties (to be reflected in part two of the report
in February 2016). The Planning department has recruited an additional Data Analyst and
an Athena SWAN Planning Officer, who provides gender data as required to
Schools/Depts. The analyses are then discussed at various committees/groups, such as
Learning and Teaching, Student Recruitment and HRC as required.
Some actions have already been identified and are being progressed currently, ie.
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Registry is looking at ensuring information on students with disabilities is
more robust so that disclosure and reasonable adjustments are effectively
recorded and made available for use at student appeals on degree outcomes.
This is a two year project requiring a number of stakeholders to come
together, agree and resource changes to any databases.
The E&D Adviser is working with the Students Union to set up a steering
group of Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) students to discuss support and
identify actions around improving degree outcomes.
Human Resources is providing staff data to the Planning Department so that
Staff Reward outcomes can be analysed in more detail and also to increase
gender information for Athena SWAN submissions.
Reports are provided to Student Disciplinary Committee on issues regarding
possible over-representation of BME and male students in respect of
offences committed.
The Race Charter report is on the agenda at this HRC meeting for discussion
and decision.
The Equal Pay report is on the agenda at this HRC for discussion and
decision as it is one of the areas we are required to monitor, improve and
publish information on.
The E&D Adviser is working with Students Union and Centre for Academic
Practice, to design and deliver E&D training to support culture change on
becoming more inclusive and representative generally as well as dealing with
complaints of sexual harassment more effectively.
The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) recommends that we monitor and publish the following
information in relation to staff and service delivery if we are to comply with the Equality Act
2010 (please note our compliance status):
Workforce Information:
Compliance
Evidence of impact analysis undertaken (e.g. EIA/EA) to establish how
these have furthered the aims of the general public equality duty
Some evidence but wider
application required. We do
not publish these due to
confidentiality issues.
E&D statistics published
through the annual E&D
statistical report.
Details of information we have considered as part of the analysis
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Details of engagement that we undertook with people who we
considered have an interest in furthering the aims of the general public
equality duty.
Develop an equality profile of our staff at different grades/levels (e.g.
women as cleaners or professors).
Number of part/full- time by protected group (given that women usually
make up the majority of part-time staff),
Recruitment (& success rates of job applicants)
Training (take-up)
Performance assessments/reviews
Promotion (applications for promotion and success rates)
Redundancy
Leavers (& reason why , such as, other reasons for termination like
redundancy and retirement)
Grievances
Disciplinaries
Reported incidents of harassment.
Results of staff satisfaction surveys
Rates of return to work of women on maternity leave (allowing us to
check our rates compared to others in our sector)
Contract & Casual workers
Public office holders in our Board and/or committees.
An indication of likely representation of sexual orientation providing that
no-one can be identified as a result
An indication of likely representation of religion and belief, providing that
no-one can be identified as a result
An indication of any issues for transsexual staff, based on our
engagement with transsexual staff or voluntary groups,
Gender pay information (& pay gap for other protected groups)
Dismissals
Applications for flexible working and success rates
Yes. Through 10 staff
support Groups/Networks.
JNCC with Trade Unions.
The Staff Survey. Athena
SWAN work/surveys.
Yes (through the Athena
SWAN Charter and other
HR reports).
Yes as above. We have
also set up, supported and
consult with a Part-Time
and Flexible Staff group.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes – in process of
embedding.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes but not by E&D.
Yes but not by E&D.
Yes but only by gender and
by staff & student through
the annual CONFIDE
report.
Yes. (next planned 2016)
Yes. (Through Athena
SWAN)
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Length of service/time on pay grade
No.
Yes.
Held Locally. Need to
improve recording as often
agreed informally and
orally.
Yes.
Service Delivery Information:
Compliance
Evidence of analysis undertaken (e.g. EIA/EA) to establish how these
have furthered the aims of the general public equality duty
Very occasionally, as in a
tender, big capital project or
a restructuring. Not
published.
Not published due to
confidentiality issues.
Yes, through NSS.
(National Student Survey)
Outreach & widening
participation. Local surveys
for Athena SWAN. New
BME Student Steering
group.
Yes
Yes
Details of information we have considered as part of the analysis
Details of engagement that we undertook with people who we
considered have an interest in furthering the aims of the general public
equality duty.
Access
Attainment levels & exam results
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Satisfaction levels
Exclusions
Reports of bullying and harassment
Drop-out rates
The availability of and demand for child care support
Deferments
Conferring of qualifications
Complaints (broken down by protected group, with an indication of
reasons for complaints).
Publish Annually in an accessible formats & languages
Yes
No
Yes through CONFIDE.
No
Yes
No
No
An annual report to Senate
(by Registrar). Numbers too
small to conduct E&D
analysis.
Yes. Only on request so as
not to waste valuable
resources. (No requests
received over the past five
years.)
We are also expected to monitor by E&D characteristics in relation to the Research
Excellence Framework (REF), and any procurement policy/strategy as well as provide
information to HEFCE in regards to E&D on our staff and students annually as well as on
our governance structure.
Further improvement on are around representativeness at decision-making Committees,
equality analysis (or impact) of policies/strategies/ decisions made on staff/services
restructurings as well as on Performance & Development Reviews (PDRs) and exit
interviews. These will take time to embed and for impact to be assessed. We will,
eventually, be able to provide data and analysis by all nine protected characteristics. At
present, we can provide reports by age, disability, ethnicity and gender but with only very
limited information by sexual orientation, religion or belief and pregnancy and maternity.
As the statistical analysis is developed, further actions and objectives will be identified and
these will be presented to HRC at the February 2016 meeting in a detailed annual
compliance report part two. This will thereby be in compliance with the legal duty of
identifying objectives every four years and publishing them by April 2016.
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