STATEMENT
Southend Adult Community College is dedicated to ensuring you have the freedom to join in college life. Our college commits to doing all we can to provide you with a learning experience that is free from discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation. We aim to create an environment where you are treated with respect and dignity. We celebrate adults and young people, irrespective of their race, colour, disability, age, religion, belief, gender or sexual orientation. We continue to develop a culture that embraces and celebrates equality and diversity. We believe that equality means that everyone has a fair opportunity to participate in learning and our approach to diversity is that your differences will be respected and accepted. We are passionate about providing the support you need to participate fully in your learning journey within our college. Our courses aim to bring to life diversity and celebrate equality with energy and enthusiasm. We aim to provide an inclusive environment where everyone’s contribution, ideas and differences are valued individually and as a vibrant community. Our aim is for all of you to have an opportunity to learn and work freely, achieving your personal aspirations, enabling you to enter, progress and excel in the workplace and in life.
OBJECTIVES
We are committed to embedding equality and diversity through:
- Identifying and removing the potential barriers that may prevent current or future staff and learners from reaching their full potential while studying in or working for the College;
- Providing an environment which values and celebrates diversity and is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation of any kind;
- Working towards creating a positive and safe environment where staff and learners feel secure and the diversity of all is respected.
- The College’s workforce feels valued, respected and is reflective of the diverse communities it serves.
- Working in partnership to support the aims and vision of Southend Borough Council along with the objectives of the College to improve the quality of life, prosperity and opportunities for those living and working in the Borough.
- Celebrating the diversity of Southend and the Borough, contributing to an increasingly cohesiveplace where people from all communities respect and welcome each other.
Progress on how the College is meeting its equality responsibilities will be reported annually in the Self-Assessment Report and progress monitored monthly through the College’s monitoring and reporting tools.
THE EQUALITY ACT 2010
The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 came into force on 10 September 2011.
The specific duties help public bodies perform the Equality Duty better. They do this by requiring public bodies to be transparent about how they are responding to the Equality Duty – requiring them to publish relevant, proportionate information showing compliance with the Equality Duty, and to set equality objectives. The Government believes that public bodies should be accountable to their service users. Publishing information about decision-making and the equality data which underpins those decisions will open public bodies up to informed public scrutiny. It will give the public the information they need to challenge public bodies and hold them to account for their performance on equality. Moreover, knowing that such information will be published will help to focus the minds of decision-makers on giving proper consideration to equality issues.
Equality Act 2010 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/pdfs/ukpga_20100015_en.pdf