The Equality and Diversity Team are responsible for promoting a working and learning environment that values diversity, promotes inclusion, and is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all.

This involves developing and supporting the implementation of Joint Learning's Equality Scheme through involvement and consultation, data analysis of relevant statistics and policy development; designing and delivering training initiatives and awareness raising campaigns; and providing advice, support and guidance on equality and diversity related issues.

Equality and Diversity calendar 'celebrate'

Joint Learning's equality and diversity calendar 'celebrate' is a practical resource that includes details of all the main religious festivals and national and international days of celebration or memorial.  Please note this calendar does not cover all religions or international days so if you have any requests or ideas then please contact Martin Byrne on 01704 562696 to insert into the calendar.

The calendar has been developed as a practical resource and can help us to ensure that visits are not planned around when key sections of the workforce, learners or customer base may not be able to participate in visits.

To access the calendar please follow the link below:

Equality and Diversity Calendar

In this edition we have focused on the six major world faiths currently represented within our community Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. This is not to say that there are not many more faiths equally as important more information about these and other faiths and how they might affect cultural difference can found the website pages.

We are continually trying to improve the information we provide, therefore if you have any constructive feedback or suggestions please don't hesitate to contact us.

The Equality and Diversity Team

Tel: 01704 562696

Email: martin.byrne@jointlearning.co.uk or enquiries@jointlearning.co.uk

Equality and Diversity Issues

Dignity

Joint Learning will not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination or bullying by any members of its community.  Nobody is expected to tolerate what they genuinely and reasonably believe to be harassment, discrimination or bullying.

There are two key ways in which we ensure that the environment we wish to create becomes a reality.   The first is by charging managers and tutors with the responsibility for ensuring that staff and learners are neither harassed nor discriminated against.  The second is to foster an environment in which there is no tolerance of discriminatory, bullying or harassing behaviour from any member of staff or any learner.

Joint Learning has teamed up with Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) in the North West.  Founded in 2002 by NSPCC and National Children's Bureau, the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) brings together over 60 organisations into one network.  ABA looks to develop a consensus around how to stop and prevent bullying.  ABA aim to influence policy.  And work to develop and disseminate best practice.

ABA members come from the voluntary, statutory and private sectors and bring with them a wealth of expertise and experience.  Together, we're working to end fear, working to bring hope to thousands of children and young people affected by bullying every year.

http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/


What is harassment, discrimination and bullying?

Harassment

is unwanted conduct which has the effect (intentionally or unintentionally) of violating a person's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment which interferes with an individual's learning, working or social environment or induces stress, anxiety or sickness on the part of the harassed person.

Discrimination

takes place when an individual or a group of people are treated less favourably than other because of their race, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation or other factors unrelated to their ability or potential.

Bullying

can be defined as repeated or persistent actions, criticism or personal abuse, either in public or private which (intentionally or unintentionally) humiliates, denigrates, undermines, intimidates or injures the recipient.

Age

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of age, or perceived age where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity.

Current Legislation

  • The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 prohibits unjustified direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and vocational training, including the provision of courses for students and student services. 

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations came into force in October 2006, and makes it unlawful for you to be discriminated at work on the grounds of your age, or perceived age.

There is a wide range of other legislative provision which is related to age discrimination including:

Ageism is defined as, 'action that disadvantages an individual because of their age on the basis of assumptions, misconceptions or stereotyping about age and ability, and hinders the proper consideration of an individual's talents, skills, potential and experience'  It can be used to the detriment of people of any age and occurs throughout the whole employment lifecycle.

Discrimination

The Employment Directive defines age discrimination as follows:

Direct

Direct age discrimination can be said to have occurred when one person is treated less favourably than another on the ground of age alone.  In presenting this definition, the Directive seeks to prevent such discrimination in employment, self-employment and training.  It suggests circumstances when such difference in treatment could be objectively justified by an over-riding legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.

Indirect

Indirect age discrimination is said to occur where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put persons of a particular age at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons.  Again the Directive suggests that some indirect discrimination could be objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.

Harassment

Harassment is a form of age discrimination in the field of employment is defined as unwanted conduct that takes place with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Disability

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation due to a disability where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity.


Current Legislation

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places a positive duty on all public sector organisations to eliminate discrimination and actively promote disability equality.

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 was passed to end the discrimination that many disabled people face.

It aimed to protect disabled people in:

employment

access to goods, facilities and services

the management, buying or renting of land or property

education

With regards to employment, the DDA made it unlawful for an employer and therefore any of its staff to discriminate against a disabled person for a reason that relates to the persons disability, if that treatment cannot be justified.

This applied not only to recruitment but all areas of employment including the terms and conditions of employment, opportunities for promotion, transfer, training, dismissals, redundancies, and post employment (e.g. the provision of references).

For education providers, new duties came into effect in September 2002 under Part IV of the DDA amended by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA).

These require Joint Learning to ensure that it does not discriminate against disabled learners, prospective learners, and visiting learners in its service provision.

Further regulations, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 aim to make the law more inclusive and introduced certain key amendments, including:

change of burden of proof fromemployee to employer

specific prohibition of harassment based on disability

Most recently, a new Disability Discrimination Bill was given royal assent in April 2005 and has now become the Disability Discrimination Act (2005)

This Act, which extends the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), will amongst other things:

make it easier for mental health service users, people with cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis to claim their rights under the DDA

address institutional discrimination through a duty to promote disability equality for the public sector.

Race

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation due to race where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity

Current Legislation

The Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 places a positive duty on all public sector organisations to eliminate discrimination and actively promote race equality.

Race Relations Amendment Act 2000

All racial groups are protected from unlawful racial discrimination by the Race Relations Act (1976) and the Race Relations Amendment Act

Religion or belief

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation due to religion or belief where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity.

Current Legislation

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 protect people from discrimination on the grounds of all religions and beliefs.

Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 protect people from discrimination on the grounds of all religions and beliefs.

Definitions

Religion or belief is defined as being any religion, any religious belief or similar philosophical belief.  It does not include any philosophical or political belief unless it is similar to religious belief.

Discrimination

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 defines discrimination in the following terms:

Please note that the word Festival is used for the various differing holidays, holy day, celebrations, etc.

Direct Discrimination

Occurs when one person (A) treats another person (B) less favourably than s/he would treat other persons, and the reason is B's religion or belief.

Indirect Discrimination

Occurs if one person (A) applies a provision, criterion or practice, which s/he to other persons not of B's religion or belief, but which puts B at a disadvantage when compared with those others, and which cannot be shown to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Harassment

On grounds of religion or belief arises if a person engages in unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating another person's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.  Conduct will have that effect only if having regard to all the circumstances, including the perception of the complainant, it should be reasonably considered as having that effect.

Victimisation

Arises when a person is treated less favourably because he has brought proceedings against the discriminator, given evidence in proceedings, done anything under the regulations, or alleged that the discriminator has committed an act which amounted to a contravention of the regulations.

Sexual orientation

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity

Current Legislation

  • The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 protects you whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual.  It also protects those who are believed to be of a particular sexual orientation, whether or not they are.

Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 protects you whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual.  It also protects those who are believed to be of a particular sexual orientation, whether or not they are.

Definitions

Sexual orientation refers to a person's sexuality, whether a person is attracted to people of their own sex, the opposite sex or both sexes.

Discrimination

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 define discrimination in the following terms:

Direct Discrimination

Occurs if a person treats another person less favourably on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Indirect discrimination

May occur when a 'provision, criterion, or practice' is applied which puts persons of a particular sexual orientation at a disadvantage when compared with other persons.

Harassment

Occurs where, on the grounds of sexual orientation, a person engages in unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of another person, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that other person.

Victimisation

Occurs when a person treats another person less favourably, because that person has done one of the protected acts, i.e. bringing proceedings, giving evidence or doing anything else under or by reference to the Regulations.

Trans

Joint Learning is committed to providing a positive working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, or victimisation where all staff and learners are treated with respect and dignity.

Current Legislation

  • The Gender Recognition Act became law in 2004.  The Act means that people who have taken decisive steps to live fully and permanently in their acquired gender are afforded all the same rights and responsibilities appropriate to that gender.

  • The Gender Equality Duty 2007 places a positive duty on all public sector organisations to eliminate discrimination and actively promote gender equality.

  • Gender equality means the fair and equal treatment of men, women and transgender people. By transgender we include people to choose to live in the opposite gender and those who have gone through or are going through a gender re-assignment procedure.

The Gender Recognition Act 2004

The Gender Recognition Act became law in 2004.  The Act means that people who have taken decisive steps to live fully and permanently in their acquired gender are afforded all the same rights and responsibilities appropriate to that gender.

Discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment has always been illegal under the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations (1999) (GRR), but this Act also provides legal recognition for transsexual people.

Definitions

Trans

Trans is an umbrella term which includes, but is not restricted to, transgender and transsexual people whose gender identity differs from their biological sex.

Discrimination

Discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment has always been illegal under the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations (1999) (GRR), but the Gender Recognition Act 2004 also provides legal recognition for transsexual people.

Direct Discrimination

This arises when a person of one sex is treated less favourably than a person of another sex, and the sex of that person is the reason for the unfavourable treatment.

Indirect Discrimination

A person discriminates against a woman if he applies to her a provision, criterion or practice which he applies or would apply equally to a man but

  • which is such that it would be to the detriment of a considerably larger proportion of women than of men, and

  • which he cannot show to be justified irrespective of the sex of the person to whom it is applied, and

  • which is to her detriment.

Harassment

Sexual harassment is defined as occurring where and any forms of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature occurs, with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, in particular when creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Victimisation

It is also unlawful to victimise a person because he/she:

  • brought proceedings under the Act, or the Equal Pay Act 1970 Amendment Regulations (2004), or

  • given evidence or information in connection with proceedings under either Act, or

  • done anything (in relation to either Act) to the discriminator or any other person, or

  • has made allegations of a contravention of either Act.


External Equality and Diversity Links

General links

Age related links

Disability related links

Race related links

Religion and belief related links

Sexual Orientation related links

Transgender related links