EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT:
SCREENING
Name of policy to be
assessed:
Department :
What equality groups
have been considered in
undertaking this EIA?
Bullying & Harassment Policy and Procedure
Learner Services and Human Resources
College Wide policy for Staff and Learners
Race
Age
Is this a proposed, new or
reviewed policy?
Reviewed
Manager Responsible:
Kris Skelton
Sexual Orientation
Date:
3rd September 2010
Gender
Gender Identity
Disability
Religion or Belief
1. Briefly describe the aims and purpose of the policy?
Socio-Economic
Status
This policy aims to provide guidelines and procedures to be followed in the event of
bullying or harassment and suspected bullying and harassment incidents. It recognises
that bullying behaviour is a serious matter, and any incident will therefore be acted upon
promptly and appropriately. We recognise that bullying behaviour can involve complex
issues and interpretations of events so that each case will be dealt with on an individual
basis.
This policy also aims to raise awareness and create an ethos of collective responsibility
where bullying behaviour is unacceptable, and fear of reprisal is removed. This will be
achieved by whole college cross curricula activities, involving all those in the college
community – learners, staff, governors and parents/carers/guardians and other agencies
where appropriate.
2. Who is intended to benefit from this policy and in what way?
All Staff, Learners, Visitors and Partners will benefit from this policy as it applies to all
Stakeholders of the college. The college will also benefit from having a consistent and
robust mechanism for dealing with bullying and harassment.
3. What outcomes are wanted from this policy?
To promote a shared understanding of what bullying is, its potential impact on the
people involved and the need to address it whenever and wherever it occurs.
Develop and maintain a framework for ensuring that all staff and learners are aware of
and have access to effective, appropriate pro-active and reactive information, services
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and support in relation to bullying and harassment.
Develop and maintain structures which enable key stakeholders and partners to
contribute to the development of anti-bullying in the College.
4. What factors / forces could contribute / detract from achieving
the outcomes?
5. Who implements the policy, and who is responsible for the
policy?
6. What evidence or data has been collected and used to
determine the impact on equality groups? Have any data
gaps been identified?
Develop robust systems for monitoring the effectiveness of anti-bullying work across the
college, identifying issues and gaps in provision and facilitating a multi-agency approach
to addressing them.
Staff not following the policy and procedure, lack of awareness rising of the policy with
staff and learners.
The Director for Learner Services and Director for Human Resources are responsible for
the Policy.
All staff, learners and visitors are responsible for implementing this policy.
Legal framework, National Data, survey information, complaints data, consultation with
learners, SMT, key partners EG Rochdale Safeguarding Board and Rochdale Multi
Agency Race Hate Forum (MARHF).
Data used from end of year surveys and compared on annual basis. Workshops also
held with learners to discuss how effectively the college tackles discrimination and
harassment of different equality groups and visits have taken place with all curriculum
teams.
7. Has previous consultation indicated any possible concerns or
issues in relation to equality and diversity?
Headline college level data from End of year surveys:
Questions
08/09 Data
09/10 Data
Do you feel you are learning in a safe
95% Yes
96.9% Yes
environment?
5% No
3.1% No
Do you feel you are treated fairly and
90.7% Yes
88.9% Yes
equally?
9.3% No
11.1% No
Do you think the College takes bullying,
No Data
86.1% Yes
discrimination and harassment seriously?
13.9% No
Yes
No
Please explain
The % of people who feel they are treated fairly and equally has
reduced. Consultation feedback shows that more needs to be
done on awareness raising on bullying and harassment. This
means that training is needed for 2010/2011 for both staff and
learners.
Further monitoring on this will be undertaken by the Equality &
Diversity Manager.
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8. Is there an opportunity to promote equality of opportunity or
Yes
No
community relations more effectively by altering the policy, or
by working with others?
Please explain
The policy already covers all equality and vulnerable groups and
positively promotes tackling prejudice based bullying.
The policy remit has been extended to cover both staff and
learners to ensure the college applies its practices equally to all
stakeholders.
The policy also covers stakeholder and visitors.
9. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
No
impact on ethnic or racial groups?
Please explain
The policy meets equality legislation requirement for the College to
meet the public sector equality duty. As part of this, the college is
required to promote equality of opportunity, tackle discrimination
and harassment and promote good relation between different
groups of people. This policy meets all there of these objectives.
The policy also includes monitoring on all equality groups, looked
after children and other vulnerabilities which will allow the college
to plan future action based on any incidents, reporting and
monitoring.
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
staff and learners from different ethnic groups. However it will also
be important to ensure that work on ‘mainstream’ bullying
continues alongside this.
What existing evidence do you have for this?
Please explain
The policy includes an Equality & Diversity Statement.
The policy has also been written to meet legislation on equality and diversity, the
Education Act, Every Child Matters, Safe to Learn Guidance and Safeguarding
legislation.
The policy should be read alongside the safeguarding policy, Single Equality Scheme
and the disciplinary procedure.
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes racist bullying, hate crime and hate incidents.
10. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
impact on people due to gender?
No
Please explain
As Question 9
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
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staff and learners from different sexes. However it will also be
important to ensure that work on ‘mainstream’ bullying continues
alongside this.
What existing evidence do you have for this?
Please explain
As Question 9
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes sexist and sexual bullying, hate crime and hate incidents.
11. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
No
impact on people due to disability?
Please explain
As Question 9
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
staff and learners of different abilities. However it will also be
important to ensure that work on ‘mainstream’ bullying continues
alongside this.
What existing evidence do you have for this?
Please explain
As Question 9
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes disablist bullying, hate crime and hate incidents and safeguarding
of vulnerable learners.
12. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
impact on people due to their age?
No
Please explain
The policy meets equality legislation requirement for the College to
meet the public sector equality duty. As part of this, the college is
required to promote equality of opportunity, tackle discrimination
and harassment and promote good relation between different
groups of people. This policy meets all there of these objectives.
The policy also includes monitoring on all equality groups, looked
after children and other vulnerabilities which will allow the college
to plan future action based on any incidents, reporting and
monitoring.
What existing evidence do you have for this?
Please explain
The policy includes an Equality & Diversity Statement.
The policy has also been written to meet legislation on equality and diversity, the
Education Act, Every Child Matters, Safe to Learn Guidance and Safeguarding
legislation.
The policy should be read alongside the safeguarding policy, Single Equality Scheme
and the disciplinary procedure.
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13. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
No
impact on people due to sexual orientation?
Please explain
As Question 9
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
staff and learners from different sexual orientations. However it will
also be important to ensure that work on ‘mainstream’ bullying
continues alongside this.
What existing evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you
have for this?
Please explain
As Question 9
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes homophobic and sexual bullying, hate crime and hate incidents.
14. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
No
impact on people due to their religious belief?
Please explain
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
staff and learners from different religious groups or belief systems.
However it will also be important to ensure that work on
‘mainstream’ bullying continues alongside this.
What existing evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you
have for this?
Please explain
As Question 9
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes racist bullying, hate crime and hate incidents.
15. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
No
impact on people due to socio–economic status?
What existing evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you
have for this?
Please explain
As question 12
16. Are there concerns that the policy could have a differential
Yes
impact on people due to them being transgender or
transsexual?
What existing evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you
have for this?
No
Please explain
As question 12
Please explain
Work on prejudice driven bullying should have a positive impact on
transgendered staff and learners. However it will also be important
to ensure that work on ‘mainstream’ bullying continues alongside
this.
Please explain
As Question 9
The Policy also contains sections on types of harassment, bullying and prejudice based
bullying which includes transphobic bullying, hate crime and hate incidents.
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17. Could the differential impact identified in Questions 9-16
Yes
No
Please explain for each equality heading (Qs 9– 16)
All differential impact outlined above could potential be adverse if
there are competing equality groups but the adverse impact is
minimised as the policy aims to further advance equality and
opportunities for them groups to meet the general and specific
legislative requirements of equality legislation (tackle
discrimination and harassment).
Yes
No
Please explain for each equality heading (Qs 9 – 16)
AS question 17 – the impacts are positive in order to meet the
equality legal duties. Therefore the impacts can be objectively
justified on the grounds of equality and diversity.
amount to there being the potential for adverse impact in this
policy?
18. Can this adverse impact be objectively justified on the
grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group?
Or any other reason? (what are the grounds for objective
justification)
Over or under representation of any groups will be monitored and
reported on to the E&D steering group on an annual basis.
19. Should the policy proceed to a full impact assessment?
Yes
20. Date on which the Full EIA to be completed by.
Date: N/A
No
Please explain
N/A
EIA ACTION / IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Key Findings
Actions / Recommendations
Resources
Awareness raising of the policy and procedures
with staff and learners.
Learner services to make learners aware
during induction and group tutorials.
Posters displayed across college.
Links to reports bullying and harassment are
promoted, encouraged and advertised across
the college.
E&D training programme being put together.
Bullying information training sessions
available from September 2010 to ensure
staff know the policy and are aware of their
roles and responsibilities.
Learners will also receive information via
Posters, websites,
booklets, tutorial
programmes
Stay safe and
One World focus
weeks
Training
resources
Staff time
Tutorial Time
Training and information needed for staff and
learners on bullying and harassment.
Completion
Date
September 2010
and ongoing
September 2010
and ongoing
Lead Officer
Kris Skelton
Caroline Street
Nimisha Mistry
Kris Skelton
Sheila Farrell
Fiona Fragale
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tutorials along side safeguarding.
Training and information to cover all areas of
equality and safeguarding legislation.
Effective mechanism for reporting on the
findings of any bullying and harassment
incidents.
Report put together on key data on bullying
and harassment to be used internally and
with key partners and stakeholders.
Staff Time and
use of database.
Ongoing
Kris Skelton &
Nimisha Mistry
Ensure equality and safeguarding issues are
considered in all mainstream work e.g. physical/
emotional/cultural / accessibility
Ensure that mainstream work continues
Alongside specific work on prejudice driven
Bullying and equality & diversity.
Staff
SAR
Survey Data
November 2010
and ongoing
College
Management
Team
Ensure the impact of the policy is reported on
and monitored by the E&D Steering group.
Staff
Annual
Nimisha Mistry
Kris Skelton
Caroline Street
Signature 1 - Policy Lead:
Ensure any under or over representation of
equality groups are highlighted and relevant
actions put in place as part of the reporting
and monitoring process. .
Kris Skelton
Signature 2 - (E&D Manager):
N.Mistry
Date: 03/09/2010
Date: 03/09/2010
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