Reducing Complexity, Minimising Burden, Maintaining Effectiveness
Equality and Diversity are important dimensions for all training providers - but especially so for those operating in the public sector or receiving government funding, where the need to meet all legislation is paramount - indeed the increased emphasis within the Inspection Frameworks for Schools, Learning and Skills, is testimony to how seriously performance in this area is now being taken. All those involved with management and/or have responsibility for the teaching and training of others, need to ensure their knowledge is current in order to comply with latest regulation and legislation. This is especially applicable in the current political climate where requirements are changing fast and implementation timescales are changing frequently.
There are also clear and similar implications for private and voluntary bodies who bid for tenders and other procurement opportunities from the public sector.
On 18th June 2010 the Government Equalities Office (GEO) withdrew its previously published timetable for implementation to enable the new Government to finalise its own legislative timetable. Further consultations on a range of issues are planned including the publication of draft Codes of Practice covering the new public sector duties, and enabling clauses, which will be laid before both the lower and upper houses over the lifetime of this parliamentary session. Whilst we are expecting some changes we anticipate that most of the more managerial elements of the Act arelikely to make it into law.
Public Sector Bodies and Organisations will clearly have to have a robust and transparent process in place to meet the requirements of the public sector duties. Single Equality Schemes and Impact Assessments have been found to be the most substantial and verifiable mechanisms to address and show compliance with such new duties.
This workshop focuses on Equality Impact Assessments.
For those wanting a comprehensive understanding of how to meet the latest legislative requirements we recommend our 3-day programme. See Modular Options below.
Equality Impact Assessments have been used successfully in the last decade by a large number of public bodies to address the equality duties on race, gender and disability.
Introducing and/or updating Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments, needs to be approached with great care. The size and complexity of the task can be daunting and it is imperative that an approach is adopted that is both effective and time-efficient. The overarching approach should be to “carefully consider” each impact assessment and respond in a way that is “reasonable, practical and proportionate”.
This workshop outlines what needs to be done - where, when and to how to make equality and diversity impact assessments effective. It illustrates approaches and provides both templates and solutions that minimise the burden and ensure efficiency.
IMPORTANT OPTIONS - Modular Programme
Our workshop on Equality Impact Assessments is the second day of our 3-day Equality and Diversity 2010/11 Programme
The day programme covers all the key requirements of the current and pending equality and diversity legislation and it is recommended that the programme is attended as a whole. It is recognised however, that not everyone will be able to attend on three consecutive days and indeed some people will only wish to cover specific issues. Consequently, each day of the programme can be attended in isolation. Days 2 and 3 begin with a recap on the core underlying legislation that was covered on Day 1. Where delegates are attending all three days, there is an option to join the programme at morning break, 10.45, on each day and miss the legislative review element. The 3-day programme attracts a price discount over booking single days. Booking options are thus:
- Full 3-day Programme
- Day 1 – Understanding and Implementing the Latest Legislation
- Day 2 – Equality Impact Assessments Made Easy
- Day 3 – Developing and Implementing a Single Equality Scheme
Links to these events can be found below
To help participants decide which option is most suitable for them it is also recommended that those who cannot answer most of the following questions, confidently and without recourse to reference materials, should attend the 3-day programme.
- What are the eight existing discrimination statutes?
- What is meant by the phrase "associated discrimination"?
- Outline two examples of the economic argument for equality and diversity?
- List three different issues associated with the prevailing demographic time bomb
- Where and why is Positive Discrimination allowed in employment (in one part of the UK?)
- What do you understand to be the intention behind the 2010 Equality Act?
- List six of the 13 proposals within the 2010 Equality Act
- What are the grounds for a GOQ or a GOR?
Those who have attended our previous workshops on Equality and Diversity Effective Implementation or our workshop on the Equality Act for Schools and Colleges should be able to attend days 2 and 3 in isolation.
For Whom
The workshop is designed to help participants to understand how to use Equality impact assessment tools to meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. It is especially suited to all those involved in strategic operational, and HR management roles within public sector and/or national/large regional organisations receiving government funding, including representatives from:
- Schools
- FE Colleges
- Independent Training Provider Organisations
- Infrastructure Organisations
- Public Sector Bodies
- All Bodies using or hoping to use Public Funding
Participants are encouraged to bring their Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment toolkits to the workshop to use as a base for discussion and review.
Exemplar toolkits are provided for those looking to introduce impact assessments for the first time or wishing to evaluate different approaches.
Aims and Objectives
By attending this workshop participants will understand or understand better:
- How to implement effective Equality and Diversity Impact Assessments
- The Stages and Process that need to be followed
- The importance of action planning, monitoring and review
- The underpinning legislation that drives the need for EDIAs
Content
The workshop is split into 5 distinct but related sections
1 Review of the prevailing legal situation/expectations
- Snapshot of the existing equality law framework
- Steady shift in the burden of proof
- Vicarious liability
- Content and parliamentary passage of the Equality Bill, April 2009.
- Implications for public sector organisations
- Implications for stakeholders
- Expectations - Ofsted Inspection and similar scrutiny regimes
Please note that the first 90 minutes of the workshop provides a summary overview of the key underpinning legislation. Delegates who have attended our workshop on Understanding and Implementing the Latest Legislation, our 2-day workshop on Single Equality Schemes or are attending this event as part of our 3-day programme on Equality and Diversity 2010/11 may wish to miss this part and arrive at 10.45 for core content.
2 What should good Impact Assessment toolkits or staged process guidancecomprise?- Aims – governance/management/implementation
- Existing data and intelligence
- New sources of data and intelligence
- Fast track assessments
- In depth assessments – positive/neutral/adverse
- Consultation and Involvement strategies/processes
- Action Planning – Joining up to Single Equality or Diversity Specific Schemes
- Publication
- Monitoring and Review
- Quality Assurance
- Links to Single Equality Schemes
3 Working through and engaging with each of the processes?
This session looks in more detail at each of the above key stages and processes and how they work in practice.
The session includes
- a user-friendly Equality Impact Assessment tool to use for, and within, a Single Equality Scheme
- case studies showing how the Impact Assessment tool can either "fast track" policies and procedures (employment or service delivery) OR subject them to a more detailed journey through consultative and subsequent decision-making stages
- an illustration of how to use an EqualityImpact Assessment Tool to identify areas for improvement in employment or service delivery
4 Contextualisation
Session 4 explores individual examples, situations and issues faced by participants and considers how the recommended principles and approaches could be applied. In doing so, this session uses live situations to help participants contextualise the techniques better and understand how to apply them in actual situations they have encountered.
5 Sources of further help/signposting to other support
Many organisations approaching Impact Assessments for the first time are likely to find that others have met the same or similar situations before. Using the experiences of others can often provide a fast and effective range of ways to assess impact. This session highlights some of the options available for tapping into such resources.
Delivery Style
The workshop delivery style is lively, participative and sensitive to your needs. Throughout the day a range of activities will be undertaken, including:-
- Formal tutorials
- Templates Checklists and Guidance
- One-to-one Interviews
- Group Workshops
- Open Plenary Debates
- Problem Solving and Sharing
- Open “Surgery” on your policies and practice
Related Equality and Diversity Workshops
- E&D Limiting Grades: Meeting the E&D requirements of the 2009 CIF
- E&D Limiting Grades: Narrowing Gaps in Learner Achievement
- E&D Limiting Grades: Embedding E&D at Curriculum Level & Assessing Impact
- Equality and Diversity: Developing and Implementing a Single Equality Scheme TWO DAYS
- Equality and Diversity: Meeting The Challenges of the Equality Act (3 days)
- Equality and Diversity: Part 1 - Understanding The Latest Legislation
- Equality and Diversity: Part 2 - Impact Assessments - Made Easy
- Equality and Diversity: Part 3 - Developing and Implementing a Single Equality Scheme
- The Equality Act 2010 - Understanding the Implications for Schools and Colleges
Certificates of Professional Development.
Formal Certificates of Development will be issued, by post, to participants who complete this workshop. These certificates will detail the key learning aims and the face-to-face learning hours undertaken, enabling participants to update their CPD records and logs accordingly. The workshop also allows time, during the day, for participants to reflect on and record their personal learning development and consider how best to apply the knowledge gained on return to work. This element of the programme is designed to maximise the benefits from attending and enable participants to make better review judgments when recording their CPD activities.