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Report on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan 2016/17Our action plans, supported by the related University policies, demonstrate the measures we are taking to progress our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Our work in this area is actively monitored by the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and University Council and is published annually, along with other equality monitoring information, as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty. Our action plan supports our overarching objective of embedding equality and diversity into everything we do.

The table below details our achievements against each action; in the main these are colour coded green which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the embedding of EDI into our processes. The list covers items specifically highlighted as actions. In addition, there are numerous day to day activities taking place across the University which cumulatively go towards supporting our objectives and help to change mind-sets and develop our EDI culture. The following are examples of the impact and scope of the EDI initiatives:

Inclusion of our Unconscious Bias training for staff as a case study in a HEFCE report entitled ‘Sector –leading and innovative practice in advancing equality and diversity’ published in April 2017.

An increase in our individual staff disability disclosures from 5% in 2008/09 to 7% in 2015/16 of the University’s workforce as compared with HE sector figures of 3.4% and 4.5% – indicating that we have an environment where staff feel confident and supported.

Working in partnership with the SU, we have raised awareness of mental health issues and other campaigns linked to protected characteristics. This enables us to demonstrate our duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty to ‘foster good relations between people from different groups’.

We have successfully renewed our commitment to the ‘MINDFUL EMPLOYER’ charter. We have hosted with Jobcentre Plus a successful consultation meeting on the recent disability green paper. This event gave us the

opportunity to share with local employers details of the support we put in place for applicants/staff at the University. The work we have undertaken under the ‘two ticks’ scheme has enabled us to migrate to ‘Disability Confident’ level 2.

Our current actions align to the University’s strategic plan. The objectives and related actions are grouped under the following broad: data (the key to moving most of the objectives forward) learning and teaching staff students

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our organisation and community

Data – To ensure that we have robust student and staff data sets capable of being split by protected characteristic to underpin decisions.

Action What will success look like? What did the University achieve?Key to colours: Green: AchievedAmber: Some progress short of full targetRed: No progress for reasons beyond control of EDI.

Target Date

Lead

Student dataPlanning and Intelligence Unit (PIU) aim to roll out student data sets to inform decision making to meet both E&D and WP objectives.

Having the ability to measure our access, progression and achievement performance against the sector.

Ability for faculty teams to track faculty performance.

Being in a position to implement target interventions.

Data sets are now available on the Planning and Intelligence Blackboard module. The Dashboards provide comprehensive data on all the equalities strands. AQD are embedding the requirement to reference course data into the annual evaluation and monitoring process.

Jan 17 PIU / SS / EDI

Staff at course level need to be able to more fully understand their course data and how to be able to use it. The introduction of the new course evaluation and monitoring process should help to achieve this. Recent work on the BME attainment gap has enabled us to able to identify areas where targeted interventions maybe appropriate.

Student Portal – development of a portal where all E&D data can be captured through the enrolment system.

Students will be able to amend or add equality data such as disability declarations or sexual orientation with ‘what if’ explanations embedded into the pages.

The University IT strategy has been reviewed and reclassified. This actionwill be incorporated into the implementation of the new student records system, the timing of which to be confirmed.

TBC SS

Capture extended equalities data for students including data around caring responsibilities.

No longer having to rely on students completing the survey. The survey has given us some information but the current means of collection is only giving us a 25% response rate.

As above. As above.

Staff data – Once sufficient data has been collected trends All applications for employment are anonymised for Mar 17 HR


Review equality data surrounding recruitment on a monthly basis to enable consideration to be given to measures to support positive action if appropriate.

or areas of concern should be easier to identify.

the sifting process, to ensure no gender or race bias at this stage of the recruitment process.

Our next step will be to analyse and undertake a trend identification and develop appropriate actions in response to this.

Learning and teaching- To promote inclusive teaching and learning practicesAction What will success look like? Target

DateLead

To support the Strategy 2016 - 2021 objective – ‘Be an inclusive learning community’.

Work with colleagues aligning WP and EDI requirements to identify inclusive strategies that will support our objectives in the access agreement. These could amongst other things include actions to address the BME attainment gap.

Following sector guidance the University has developed an ‘Inclusive Practice Strategy’ to support developments and initiatives in this area.

Mar 17 SS

The Careers & Employability Service continues to work with the Disability Service to ensure needs of disabled students are met.

To trial an online pack which will enable Disability Mentors to work with their students on Careers & Employability issues thus building on the relationships that have already been established. The best thing to come out of the arrangement would be the growth of employment confidence and the raising of career prospects for the students. It is also hoped that positive case studies and some good news stories would emerge.

The ‘pack’ has received positive feedback from both the Disability Mentors and students. The process helped to build self-confidence and also identified areas for improvement and appropriate signposting. It also created a solid framework for discussions about the future and transitioning into the work place.

Dec 16 C&E

Staff – To promote equality and diversity within our staff bodyAction What will success look like? Target

DateLead

Work with SMT to establish their engagement and commitment to the EDI agenda within Bucks to ensure that their visible

Acceptance of EDI considerations as the norm in our day to day practices.

All areas Engagement with DVC and PVC’s on equality

matters. Staff training either through attendance at

organised sessions or to meet specific requirements e.g. Equality Analysis process and

Ongoing EDI


leadership supports the embedding of equalities into our policies and procedures.

team briefings on specific equality issues such as transgender.

Casework – supporting staff with reasonable adjustments following disability and other protected characteristic disclosures. Advice around issues raised under the Dignity at Work policy.

Working with staff to encourage the development of staff network groups, through internal and external channels.

Specific areas: Estates team – accessibility issues Student Services – retention working group S&H development of a training package for

Service Users who support Post Qualifying Nursing and training to meet the NMC requirements of ongoing personal development.

To work with the Faculties and Directorates to embed EDI considerations into their individual plans.Individual actions are being discussed with areas as a follow up to the work areas are doing in translating the University Strategy into their individual plans. Possible ideas include a cross faculty approach to produce an EDI session that could be delivered to our students.

To see EDI considerations as second nature. Working with senior leads in these areas should act as a prompt to raise awareness of issues and identify positive actions.

Senior leads from the faculties are members of the EDI Committee thus ensuring that there is a clear link into the faculties at an appropriate level of influence. Recent work on the BME attainment gap has included these individuals.

Most directorates are represented on the EDI Committee, and where not links have been established to ensure equalities are embedded.

Ongoing EDI

Training – Unconscious Report progress on a regular basis and chase The system has been working well and is fully Ongoing EDI/HR/tt/file_convert/5aa957897f8b9a86188ca9ef/document.docx 12 May 17

Bias and Challenging behaviour online modules – ensure that all new entrants complete these modules as part of their induction programme.

up any non-completion via line managers probation reminders.

.

embedded in our processes with new entrants completing the training as part of their induction process. Line managers receive reminders at 8 and 16 weeks and then at the 6 month point if the training is not completed. This was submitted as a good practice case study to HEFCE and was included in the final report published in April 2017.

Consider what training might be appropriate and supported by SMT as follow up/refresher for those individuals who completed their initial training over 3 years ago.

A training programme endorsed and supported by senior managers.

The Challenging Behaviour and Understanding Bias modules were introduced over 3 years ago. During 2017/18 we will be procuring a new EDI E-Learning package – it is proposed to align the refresher training to the rollout of the new modules in 2018/19.

Our Equal Pay Audit was extended to cover other protected characteristics but the process will need revision to ensure compliance with the new gender pay gap regulations.

Having a plan and process in place to provide the information that will need to be published to meet the requirements of the new regulations.

Members of the HR department have attended sector training events on the Gender Pay Gap requirements which have to be published by March 18. HR and EDI are working closely on this exercise which will be shared with appropriate colleagues and committees prior to publication.

Mar 2017

HR/EDI

To continue to raise awareness of equality considerations that are been embedded in the REF so that staff understand that they can submit reduced outputs.

Ensuring that staff understand that equality circumstances can be taken into account in the number of outputs they would need to produce. This might encourage some staff to engage in this process who would otherwise have been deterred.

RED deliver regular briefings for new staff which include an outline of the REF and reference the fact that reduced outputs can be submitted without penalty where circumstances relating to equality considerations have constrained the number of required outputs. This reminder continues to be raised at other meetings and events throughout the year.

Ongoing EDI / RED

To prepare an action and resource plan to enable the University to work

To be in a position to engage successfully with these schemes.

The EDI Manager has been a member on the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU’s) Athena Swan Assessment panel. This has provided an insight into

Ongoing EDI


towards the achievement of the ECU’s charters – Athena Swan (AS).

the nature of work needed, to achieve the AS Charter. She has also joined the ECU’s Athena Swan Network which provides an invaluable source of support from other institutions. The ECU delivered their consultancy day on the Athena Swan process; this event was well attended.

Actions to support the ‘Mindful Employer’ charter and ‘Time to change’ campaigns with particular emphasis on lived experience.

Mental health issues will be less of a taboo and staff to feel better supported within an empathetic environment.

We have successfully renewed our ‘Mindful Employer’ Charter which will now run until 2020. ‘Disability day’ sessions are now running 3 times a year with good levels of engagement and feedback.

April 17 EDI / DS

Students – To promote equality and diversity amongst our student bodyAction What will success look like? Target

DateLead

To work with the Faculties and Directorates to embed EDI considerations into their individual plans. Individual actions are being discussed with areas as a follow up to the work areas are doing in translating the University Strategy into their individual plans. Ideas include BME attainment gap work and discussions with course team about where EDI considerations need to feature in support of their programmes. Links with the SU are also paramount in moving this

To see EDI considerations as second nature. Working with senior leads in these areas should act as a prompt to raise awareness of issues and identify positive actions.

Work in this area has included: Delivery of training to student groups across

both faculties – to cover issues around transgender, LGBT, disability and diversity as a whole.

Raising awareness of the different protected characteristics through information fairs and supporting staff with information to enable them to address EDI issues.

S&H staff and students delivered a very successful autism conference and are currently rolling out ‘Dementia Friends’ sessions.

Student casework –e.g. supporting a student through the gender transitioning process.

Student investigations where equalities issues are involved.

Ongoing EDI


agenda forward.To continue working in partnership with the SU to engage with our students on issues of diversity. Organise events to celebrate diversity and raise awareness of protected characteristics.

Calendared events to mark key annual dates- such as LGBT history month, International Woman’s Day, Time for change and interfaith week

Input into training sessions to support employability for students and staff development for SU employees

Additional support for student societies whose aims are directly related to protected characteristics.

This year we have specifically marked and, where possible, held the following events on both campuses:

Coming Out Day International Women’s Day Holocaust Memorial Day World Aids Day Interfaith Week Time to Talk 2 Wellbeing Fairs which have included

themes around mental health.

Support has been given to a number of student groups around unconscious bias and the effect this can have on the work place.

Support for SU societies e.g. Sharing Stonewall guidance and training opportunities.

Ongoing EDI

To promote the work of the DSA working group to ensure that students are not disadvantaged as a result of proposed changes to DSA. The first tranche of changes come into effect in September 16 and the impact of these changes will need to be monitored.

A robust plan to ensure continuity of reasonable adjustments. Focusing on the following project areas:

o access to IT and e-learningo library and learning resourceso inclusive L&To access to support and reasonable

adjustments

The ‘Inclusive Practice Strategy’ has been developed by key stakeholders. The strategy should support the University to provide appropriate reasonable adjustments to our disabled students.

Mar 2017

DS

To extend the collection of equality data in relation to student

Being able to identify possible trends in relation to certain complaints and disciplinaries; this would enable us to consider

Data has been collected, however, due to small numbers it would not be appropriate to publish disaggregated figures into the various protected

Mar 2017

SS


complaints and Disciplinaries to include academic matters.

whether any targeted action might be appropriate.

characteristics. There are no emerging trends, and the data will continue to be monitored.

Our organisation and communityAction What will success look like? Target

DateLead

Following on from the decision by the E&D Committee (as known at the time of the decision) to extend its remit to include ‘inclusion’ - to ensure that references to E&D are changed to EDI and to make it clear what we mean by ‘inclusion’.

All reference to E&D changed on web and in formal documents and publications when updated.

Guidance published about what we mean by inclusion and where necessary associated actions to support inclusion.

The web has been updated and formal documents have been amended as they come up for review.

The web page includes the definition of ‘Inclusion’ that the EDI committee agreed and this has also been embedded into the Diversity training which has been delivered as part of induction.

Jan 2017

EDI

Links with external organisations

Establishing and maintaining joint ventures sharing good practice and potentially saving costs.

Links continue to be developed with other organisations such Jobcentre Plus on disability matters, local police on LGBT matters and Hillingdon Mind. Existing links with ECU and other institutions have been strengthened through attendance at the ECU’s South East and Athena Swan networks and through the Higher Education Race Action Group (HERAG). Attendance at Stonewall HE briefings and other sector events have helped to develop valuable contacts.

Ongoing EDI

Engage with the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident scheme

This scheme has replaced the ‘Two Ticks’ accreditation and commitment to the scheme would enable us to use the Disability Confident kite-mark.

The University has been awarded Level 2 Disability Confident and we are now able to display the kite-mark on our web pages and in our recruitment campaigns. The scheme has 3 levels and we have been working with the local Jobcentre Plus to demonstrate our commitment to working towards the next level by hosting a consultation exercise on the recent disability green paper.

June 2017

EDI


Produce a Transgender policy and procedures and arrange awareness sessions

A robust policy in place with staff understanding how to support staff and students who transition.

A draft has been produced and comments received from a variety of individuals and groups (including trans individuals). This is being reviewed in the light of ECU revised guidance.

June 2017

EDI

Glossary

AQD – Academic Quality Directorate BME – Black Minority Ethnic C&E - Careers and Employability Disability Confident DMM – Design Media and Management DS - Disability Service DSA – Disabled Students’ Allowances DVC – Deputy Vice-Chancellor EDI – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Equality Analysis – process of considering impact on those individuals with a ‘protected characteristic’ HEFCE – Higher Education Funding Council England HR – Human Resources IT – Information Technology L&T – Learning and Teaching LGBT – Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans MINDFUL EMPLOYER – supporting employers to support mental wellbeing NMC - Nursing and Midwifery Council PIU - Planning and Intelligence Unit Protected characteristics – Under the Equality Act 2010 – Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and

Maternity, Race, Religion or belief (including lack of belief), Sex and Sexual Orientation. PVC - Pro Vice-Chancellor Reasonable Adjustments – measures to support disabled people. RED – Research Enterprise and Development REF – Research Excellence Framework S&H – Society and Health SMT – Senior Management Team SS – Student Services SU - Student’s Union WP – Widening Participation


Documents

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