Equal Opportunities Policy

1 Responsibility for implementation and maintenance of Equal
   Opportunities Policy

The Director and Senior Staff have overall responsibility for the
implementation of the Policy.

• ensuring that centre procedures relating to recruitment, appointment,
and promotion promote Equal Opportunities

• monitoring of personnel policies to ensure no direct or indirect
discrimination takes place.

• ensuring that centre procedures relating to the admission of candidates
promote equal opportunities

• monitoring the ethnicity of the student population

• monitoring the progress of candidates to ensure no direct or indirect
discrimination takes place.

• ensuring that appropriate staff development and training opportunities
exist to enable staff to implement the Policy.

• ensuring staff are aware of the centre’s Equal Opportunities Statement
and Policy. Policy for candidates and staff with disabilities as appropriate

2 Equal Opportunities Meetings

An Equal Opportunities meeting, chaired by a member of Senior Staff,
will meet twice a year, subject to any business, to develop and oversee the application of the Equal Opportunities Policy and to promote effective operation.
An annual report will be made on the working of the Equal Opportunities Policy. The report will include:
• the outcome of the relevant year's monitoring in relation to the goals.

• specific measures adopted to promote equal opportunities.

• summary of any cases of complaint of grievance with respect to equal
Opportunities.

• recommendations for the following year's priorities.

3 Publication of the Statement and Policy

Copies of this Statement and Policy will be distributed to all existing staff, to
new employees of the centre, be available to candidates and on the
centre’s website.

4 Personnel Procedures for Staff

According to the nature of the promotion, the needs of the post and/or the
achievements of the individual employee will be the determining factors in
relation to promotion. Factors not relevant to these needs/achievements will
not be considered in promotion decisions.
.
4.1 Special Leave and flexible employment practices

Employees requiring special leave to meet family, cultural or religious
obligations will be given sympathetic consideration within the normal terms of
employment.
Consideration will be given to flexible working arrangements (e.g. for
employees whose personal circumstances change).
The centre recognises the special needs of those with responsibilities as
carers for close family members (e.g. parent/child/partner) and will normally
have regard to these.

4.2 Staff with disabilities

Where reasonable, consideration will be given to adapting the working
environment and/or providing special aids (in conjunction with the
Disablement Advisory Service) to enable an employee with a disability to perform a job or a recently disabled employee to continue working. All reasonable efforts will be made to enable an individual to continue working following illness or onset of disability.

4.3 Training and career development

The centre will endeavour to take positive action to provide training to extend
opportunities for employment and promotion to those with special needs. Members of staff may approach their immediate line manager at any convenient time to discuss their personal career development. In addition, those covered by formal appraisal procedures may use the appraisal meeting as an opportunity for discussion about personal career development.

4.4 Equal Opportunities training

Regular training will be provided to staff responsible for activities which may impact on equal opportunities Equal opportunities training will be an essential
component of supervisory and managerial programmes.
In particular, guidance will be given on:
• assumptions about characteristics e.g. race, gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, and age which might affect judgements.
• different priorities, skills and experience which specific groups might
offer and which may be undervalued.
• special needs and circumstances for which the College provides.

5 Candidate administration

5.1 Candidates with special needs

The centre will endeavour to provide for candidates with special needs.
All students who declare a disability, medical condition or other special need
on their application form and who have the potential to meet the entrance
requirement will be provided with information about the services and be invited to the centre to discuss their requirements.
The centre will make appropriate arrangements for the assessment of
candiates with special needs or disability and for meeting their requirements
where it is reasonable to do so.

6  Publicity and Marketing

The marketing and publicity activities should be sensitive to diversity and individuals. Marketing materials and publicity should challenge stereotypes and promote
positive role models. All publicity should be able to be made available in
appropriate media.

7  Use of non-discriminatory language

The centre will seek to use non-discriminatory language and images in all its
internal /external documents and publications / correspondence.

8  Complaints and Grievances

The centre will give a proper hearing to complaints or grievances from any candidate or member of staff who alleges that he or she has been unfairly Victimised or discriminated against.

9 Responsibility of Centre Staff

It is the responsibility of all members of staff to observe this Policy and must
seek advice from their direct report where they are unsure of the policy guidelines.
Disciplinary procedures may be invoked in the case of any breach of centre
policy on equal opportunities by a centre employee.

10 Responsibility of Candidates

Candidates are responsible for behaving in a manner compliant with the Equal
Opportunities Policy and treating staff and other candidates with respect and
dignity.

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