Policy overview

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Equality Inclusion & Diversity is the golden thread across our whole service offer. It is an agenda in which we all have a role, and which is a significant priority across the service and organisation. It is fundamental in enabling us to achieve our goals and aspirations.

Our commitment is to:

• ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of our collective agenda and that we continue to develop innovative and effective ways of engaging groups and individuals with protected characteristics in schools’ development, adult provision, outdoor activities and employment programmes
• apply this practice and innovation in our approach in becoming highly regarded as an inclusive service provider that promotes and secures diversity as a meaningful and positive impact in support of this agenda
• act as a strategic lead and service area champion for all matters related to equality and diversity to ensure that all strategies and plans fully reflect this commitment.

We welcome and value all learners and staff regardless of individual differences in age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We aim to make learning more inclusive, widen participation, eliminate discrimination, and promote equality of opportunity.

The Hampshire Achieves Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy sets out our commitment to equality and social inclusion for Hampshire Learns (ACL), Young Peoples’ Learning, Apprenticeships and Secure & Specialist programmes, delivered by Hampshire Achieves and/or sub-contracted Hampshire Learns partner providers.

The Equality Act

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society and sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.

For further information on the Equality act, see the Government Equalities Office website.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced Advice and guidance guides which describe your rights as a service user.

Other equality legislation

Hampshire County Council has its own Inclusion Strategy, Inclusion Strategy Easy Read version and Action Plan, which have been developed under the aims of the Public Sector Equality Duty to:

• ensure that services are inclusive and diverse, proactively increasing understanding between and within communities
• attract and retain a diverse workforce, with equal opportunities for career progression
• ensure zero tolerance of harassment, discrimination, bullying and abuse, dealing effectively with incidents when they occur

There is a short animation which provides an overview of these and a link to our equality definitions.

We also recognise that people may experience different forms of, and sometimes multiple/intersectional disadvantage depending on their gender, age, race, disability, nationality, religion or belief, sexual orientation or marital or civil partnership status.

Further information on the requirements of equality legislation can be found on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website and our HCC website pages.

Hampshire Achieves (including all partner adult and family learning providers) must consider how the whole of their organisation can implement safer working practices, environments, and policies.

A safer learning environment is more than safer recruitment of staff. It is also more than protecting children and vulnerable adults from harm. These are both vitally important but should be seen as part of an overall strategy and processes to promote an ethos of well-being, safety, and security; which applies to all learners and staff.

Learning providers have responsibilities to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. Our Safeguarding resources on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) set out our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in Hampshire and includes a range of safeguarding guidance for all staff at centres who come into contact with children and families in their everyday work.

All providers have a duty to safeguard their learners. Prevent is about keeping students safe and within the law. The Prevent Duty is not about preventing students from having political and religious views and concerns, or act on them in non-extremist ways.

General Health and Safety Policy Statement

The primary duty of care for health and safety of learners and staff is the responsibility of the provider organisation contracted with Hampshire Achieves to deliver adult and family learning through a funding agreement (‘The Provider’).

Hampshire Achieves will work in partnership with all relevant stakeholders and providers through its appropriate departments to promote and secure the concept of the ‘safe learner’ in respect of health and safety on funded programmes.

Hampshire County Council, through Hampshire Achieves, will ensure that health and safety will be facilitated by providers as follows:

• the inclusion of a safety element in all Skills and Participation contract documents, which places the primary duty of care with the provider
• All providers to take such precaution as is reasonably practical to provide and maintain safe and healthy working/learning conditions for learners and staff

All providers to maintain:

• Proof of risk assessment
• A regular update and audit of safety related documentation
• A monitoring programme of compliance, based on a variety of risk factors
• proof of completion of the safety criteria within the provider performance review process
• the recording and quality assurance of all relevant accidents to learners
• promotion of provider responsibility and continuous improvement
• regular communication on health and safety issues with learners

All providers will have their own health and safety policies, and these should include practical steps that will achieve the objectives of this policy statement by providing and maintaining high standards of health and safety for learners and staff, as far as is reasonably practicable.