Equal opportunities and diversity policy
Introduction
This policy is aimed at our customers, including learners, who are delivering/enrolled on or have taken a Satrex approved qualification or unit, as well as our staff who will be carrying out various qualification development and delivery activities for Satrex.
It sets out our intention to deliver a service and range of qualifications that are fair, accessible and do not include any unnecessary barriers to entry.
Centre’s responsibility
We will ensore that our staff involved in the delivery of qualifications and learners are made fully aware of the contents of the policy (eg via their induction when first embarking on a qualification).
Review arrangements
We’ll review the policy annually as part of our self-evaluation arrangements and revise it as and when necessary in response to customer and learner feedback, changes in our practices, actions from the regulatory authorities or external agencies or changes in legislation.
If you would like to feedback any views please contact us via the details provided at the end of this policy.
Areas covered by the policy
• Our Staff
Satrex commits to incorporating specific and relevant duties in respect of implementing the equal opportunities policy into job descriptions and work objectives of all staff.
Satrex will provide equality training and guidance as appropriate to our staff; including as part of staffs’ induction training as well as further on-going courses as identifiedvia our internal staff performance review arrangements.
• Qualification Development
Satrex will ensure that there are no barriers to entry to units and qualifications we develop and deliver and/or offer for disabled people, for women or men, or people from different racial groups, other than those directly related to the integrity of units or qualifications. Should such barriers be identified they will be either removed and/or kept if they are indeed justified (eg due to legal requirements that may state users of a certain age can undertake a specific job role/qualification). All such outcomes, including how any barriers will be mitigated, will be recorded in accordance with our qualification and unit development arrangements.
We will also make every practical effort to ensure that materials, services and facilities are not only free from bias but will also support employees, approved centres and learners in maximising employment and personal development and achievement opportunities.
• Centres
Satrex expects its centres to enable candidates to have equal access to training and assessment for qualifications irrespective of their sex, marital status, age, religion, colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin or disability. Assessment must similarly be undertaken without discrimination. In essence centres must deliver our qualifications and units in accordance with relevant Equalities Legislation.
Centres are required to have in place a policy to ensure that such discrimination does not occur either directly, indirectly or as a result of pressure from other bodies. This policy should apply to all satellites and there should be arrangements in place to monitor its application and effectiveness.
Where complaints relating to issues of inequality cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the centre, learners must be made aware of their right to appeal to Satrex via the arrangements outlined in our Enquiries and Appeals Policy.
Monitoring the success and relevance of our arrangements
Satrex is committed to complying with all current and relevant legislation in relation to the development and delivery of our qualifications and, which at the time of writing includes, but is not limited to the Equality Act 2010.
As part of the learner registration and certification processes for qualifications and units Satrex will collect information on diversity, requests for special considerations, access arrangements and feedback from learners, centres and other stakeholders. We will also collect and monitor feedback from centres and learners gathered through our centre monitoring arrangements.
All relevant issues identified that suggests that our provision or services may have unnecessarily impacted on learners, or if there are any features of a unit/qualification that has disadvantaged a group of learners who share a particular characteristic, will be reported back to our Corporate Governance & Business Support Advisor who will be responsible for ensuring that relevant staff introduce, as appropriate, amendments to provision and/or services where necessary and in accordance with our documented procedures for developing and reviewing units and qualifications.
Details of any issues identified and changes made as a result of these will be stored within Satrex and made available to the qualification regulators upon request.