July 2006/28
Policy development
Consultation

Comments should be sent to HEFCE by Tuesday 31 October 2006

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HEFCE Single Equality Scheme: consultation

This document explains how we plan to meet our statutory duties to promote race, disability and gender equality. It brings together the Council's race, disability and gender equality schemes and sets out an equality action plan to address these issues.

Outcome of the consultation: Analysis of responses, and The HEFCE Equality Scheme

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To:	Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges
Of interest to those responsible for:	Equality and diversity management, Human resources management, Strategic planning
Reference:	2006/28
Publication date:	July 2006
Enquiries to:	e-mail equality@hefce.ac.uk tel 0117 931 7316

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Contents page, foreword and executive summary (read on-line)

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Respond online

Online response form (includes equal opportunities monitoring form for individual respondents)

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Contents

• Foreword
• Executive summary
• Our vision for equality in the higher education sector
• Navigation of the SES
• About HEFCE, our role and strategic aims
• Equality aims
• Our approach
• Responsibility for the SES
• Legislative context
• Background and summary of work already undertaken
• Partnership working
• Development of the SES
• Reviewing and updating this SES
• Consultation and involvement
• Impact assessment
• Our monitoring arrangements
• Our communications
• HEFCE as an employer
• HEFCE governance
• Reporting on and enforcing the SES
• Complaints against the Council

Annexes

• Annex A    Race Equality Scheme
• Annex B    Disability Equality Scheme
• Annex C    Gender Equality Scheme
• Annex D    Equality Action Plan
• Annex E    Consultation questions
• Equal opportunities monitoring form for individual respondents to the consultation (separate download on the web)
• List of abbreviations

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Foreword from Steve Egan, Acting Chief Executive of HEFCE

The HEFCE Single Equality Scheme is intended to respond to the spirit as well as the letter of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Equality Act 2006. It also aims to promote all other forms and strands of equality and human rights that might be relevant to our work. This goes beyond our statutory positive duties to promote race, gender and disability equality and extends to the legislation protecting against discrimination on the grounds of age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. The scheme aims to integrate equality and fair treatment issues into our core priorities and functions.

Leadership and commitment at all levels of the organisation are central to the success of the scheme. In everything we do, we will consider how we can ensure that we do not consciously or unconsciously discriminate against or disadvantage individuals or groups, and we will seek opportunities to promote equality and diversity wherever we can.

Higher education institutions are individually subject to the requirements of the legislation and it is not our intention to substitute the work they will need to do for themselves. Our scheme is designed to complement the work that is, and will be, taking place in the sector, and to offer support and guidance where this is useful and needed. But we recognise that the scheme is work in progress, to be consulted on and refined as necessary.

The underpinning and detail of the approach are described below. The practical steps to be taken are presented as an action plan, to alert those in the Council and in the higher education sector to the work that needs to be done if we are to address the challenges effectively and meet the requirements of the legislation. Equality must be positioned at the heart of what we are doing as a funding council, policy maker and employer.

I would like to thank all those who have helped us develop our scheme and to everyone who has committed to working with us as we begin to implement it.

Steve Egan
Acting Chief Executive

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Executive summary

Purpose

1.   This is HEFCE's first Single Equality Scheme. It sets out our approach to equality and diversity, both for ourselves as an employer of 260 staff, and as a major funder of higher education in England. It is called a 'single' equality scheme because it explains and responds to our statutory duties to promote equality in three areas of equality - race, disability and gender. The statutory duties are under the following legislation:

• Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• Disability Discrimination Act 2005
• Equality Act 2006.

The scheme also addresses other areas of equality, such as religion and belief, age, and sexual orientation.

Key points

2.   The Single Equality Scheme includes our race, disability and gender equality schemes (at Annexes A, B and C respectively) and an Equality Action Plan at Annex D, which lists our actions for all three schemes. The Race Equality Scheme at Annex A was originally produced in response to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. It was consulted on in May 2002 and revised fundamentally in 2004; this is largely unchanged from when it was published as HEFCE 2005/04. The gender and disability equality schemes are newly created in response to the legislation listed in paragraph 1.

3.   This is the first time we have brought together our work on race, gender and disability equality (as well as other forms of equality such as religion and belief and age). We are therefore seeking views on this document. While we welcome comment on any aspect of the document, questions on which we would particularly like input are listed at Annex E.

4.   Throughout the consultation period we are aiming to involve as many people as possible that might be directly affected by this scheme, as well as all higher education institutions in England. The final version of the scheme, which will have taken into account input from the consultation, will be published in December 2006.

Action required

5.   Comments should be sent to us by Tuesday 31 October 2006.