The Equality Report Overview

This part of the report details the framework of Equality at the University of Sheffield followed by a staff focussed and student focussed report. University Council Statement on Equality of Opportunity and Diversity

The University of Sheffield is fully committed to eliminating all forms of unfair discrimination in all of its activities, and in respect of all students, staff, visitors, contractors, members of Council and other committees, and its governance arrangements and relationships with the wider community.

The University is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect equally, irrespective of any of the `Protected Characteristics´ as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics are age, disability including mental health, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The University's Policy on the Recruitment & Employment of Ex-Offenders will also be taken into account.

If you wish to view the full statement it is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/links/eo_statement

Excellence Through Inclusion The University of Sheffield has an Equality and Diversity Strategy called ‘Excellence Through Inclusion’ which outlines how we will work with and listen to people from across the University, to help build a culture of inclusion. At the University we recognise the potential for higher education to transform people’s lives and welcome a diverse range of students and staff to the University community. We embrace the challenge to make a positive difference to the culture of the University and beyond, where opportunities to excel are available to all, and will therefore continue to strive to create a University that is inclusive at all levels and in every system and process. Our vision for diversity remains as clear and consistent as always: to become a motivated and diverse University community, where staff and students demand the highest standards from each other and work together to maximise the benefits of difference.

Our Excellence Through Inclusion equality strategy enables us to continue to take a long term strategic approach to diversity and inclusion, whilst retaining the ability to deliver focussed actions to improve the experience and perceptions of specific diverse groups.

A copy of the full Excellence Through Inclusion Strategy is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/equality/eti_strategy.pdf

Equality & Diversity Board (EDB)

As a University, we believe that we can only achieve real long-term success by including – not excluding – all the people who contribute to the organisation, whether students, staff, suppliers or business partners. The Equality and Diversity Board´s role is to ensure that this value of excellence through inclusion is embedded throughout the University´s activities. Chaired by a serving or former Pro Vice Chancellor, the EDB champions its mission of excellence through inclusion by developing strategy, monitoring equality and diversity matters in the University, evaluating action and progress made in key areas of business activity across the organisation, and providing support and guidance where needed to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unfair discrimination.

Terms of reference, membership and further details are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/links/edb

Corporate Social Responsibility

A sub-group was formed in 2009 to ensure that the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility are embedded in the University strategy and are taken into account in key decisions. The sub-group will ensure that good CSR practice influences and informs and is seen as the norm for University operations.

Specifically, the sub-group aims to:

• Advance understanding of CSR within the University in terms of energy and environment, student relationships, relations with society at large, and human resource practices.

• Champion CSR projects and initiatives. • Advise on the management of the University’s environmental, social and economic

impacts and set aims, objectives and timescales to optimise them. • Lead on reporting of CSR impacts, communicating progress on managing those

impacts internally and to external stakeholders. • Identify and mitigate legislative and business risk from CSR impacts. • Maintain lines of communication with, and influence, relevant committees including

Health & Safety, Fairtrade Group and Equality & Diversity.

Further information is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/externalrelations/corporateresponsibility

Working Together

Making a difference

Acheieving excellence

The Equality Report

Foreword This report provides an overview of the equality action and initiatives that are taking place at the University of Sheffield. The Univeristy’s strategy is in part based on the guiding priciples of working together and focussing on people. Here at the University of Sheffield we believe all staff have a important role to play in delivering our academic strategy, so it is vital to create an environment where everyone can flourish and succeed.

We will continue to promote and develop a culture of excellence, innovation, inclusion, commitment and respect. We will encourage openness and transparency and we will develop a diverse community of highly motivated, fully engaged staff with a strong sense of belonging.

As you will see from the report our work is driven by the Equality and Diversity Board and supported by the University Equality and Diversity Strategy - ‘Excellence Through Inclusion’ - which outlines how we will work with and listen to people from across the University, to help build a culture of inclusion.

We will continue to embed equality throughout the University and we hope that this report highlights our ongoing commitment to inclusion and equality and the progress that continues to be made. Andrew Dodman Director of Human Resources

The University of Sheffield Staff Equality Annual Report 2011

Contents

Section 1 Engagement & Involvement

1.1 Faculty Action Plans 5 1.2 Staff Networks 5 1.3 Female Academic Progression Action Plan 6 1.4 Staff Wellbeing 6 1.5 Wider Activity:

1.5.1 Groups 7 1.5.2 Events 7 1.5.3 Awards 8

1.6 Future Action: 1.6.1 Equality Champions 9 1.6.2 Athena Swan 9 1.6.3 Children and Academia event 10

Section 2 Policy Framework

2.1 Equal Opportunities Policy and Code of Practice 10 2.2 Equality Web 11 2.3 Policies 11 2.4 Equality Impact Assessment 12 2.5 Equality Training 12 2.6 Two Ticks 13 2.7 Women Academic Returners Programme 13 2.8 Monitoring 14 2.9 Equal Pay Audit 14

Section 3 Data Analysis by Protected Characteristic

3.1 Gender 15 3.2 Ethnicity 17 3.3 Disability 20 3.4 Age 22 3.5 Protected Characteristics 23

Section 4 Report Links

4.1 Workforce Information Report (2011) 23 4.2 Disability Report and Gender Report (2010) 23

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How to use this report This report provides evidence of current equality initiatives at the University of Sheffield and details of our current staffing profile. The report is divided into 4 sections. Section one covers details of our engagement both across the University and externally, section two covers our policies and initiatives and section 3 covers statistical reports based on analysis of data. This section also shows how equality has progressed in these areas over time, using historical data and highlights key information through illustrative tables and charts. Section 4 links to other related reports. A list of abbreviations and notes are provided below to clarify some of the terms used and how the data has been presented. Abbreviations and Notes Throughout the report the following abbreviations and themes are used: H/C = Headcount FTE = Full-Time Equivalent FTC = Fixed-Term Contract ART = Faculty of Arts and Humanities ENG = Faculty of Engineering MDH = Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health SCI = Faculty of Science SSC = Faculty of Social Sciences PSS = Professional and Support Services Academic = for the purpose of this report ‘Academic’ includes all clinical and non-clinical staff with both teaching and research responsibilities. Teaching staff without research responsibilities are included in ‘All Other Staff’. MEO = Minority Ethnic Origin All figures are based on 31 July data for each stated year or where appropriate for the academic year (1 August 10 to 31 July 11). For labelling purposes the year stated refers to the end of the academic year e.g. 2010/11 is referred to as 2011. Promotion statistics are shown by year, for the promotion round, e.g. Promotions (2010) references the promotions round carried out during autumn 2010, resulting, for successful candidates, in promotions with effect from 1 January 2011.

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Section 1 – Engagement & Involvement

Solutions to important problems depend increasingly upon collaboration: between staff and students, across disciplines and in partnership with others locally, nationally and internationally. We aim to build inclusive teams, maximising the benefits of difference and drawing on the skills and potential of the widest possible range of colleagues.

The University of Sheffield is committed to working with and involving people and this section refers to existing internal and external plans, and future action.

1.1 Faculty Equality Action Plans The department of Human Resources and academic faculties have worked closely together to develop equality and diversity actions specific to their own areas and local issues. Plans were developed using detailed equality data and analysis to identify areas and inform future direction and with the involvement of faculty staff. The faculties will report progress against their plans to the Equality and Diversity Board, as part of the review cycle. Further published action plans are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/eti 1.2 Staff Networks

The University welcomes and supports a number of staff networks. Staff networks are run by staff for staff and bring together people from all faculties, departments and services that identify with the group.

Staff networks fulfil various functions including providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development. Staff networks can also contribute to the development of University policies and working practices. The University of Sheffield recognises the value of self organised groups in creating an environment that respects the diversity of staff and enables them to derive maximum benefit and enjoyment from their involvement in the life of the University.

The networks create an opportunity for staff with personal interest or experience in one of these areas to meet and to share information, and provide peer support and networking.

6

They help the University to connect directly with the needs of these particular groups of staff, and to recognise the effect policies may have and the changes we need to make to improve staff experiences. However, the exact nature of each group will be largely set by its members, so each can be different.

Please follow the link below for information about the existing staff networks:

• Disabled Network • Harassment Network • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender (LGBT) Network • Women's Network

www.shef.ac.uk/hr/equality/involved/staffnetwork

1.3 Female Academic Progression Action Plan

The Female Academics Progression Action Plan was launched in April 2009 and reviewed and updated in March 2010 and April 2011. This plan brings together existing and planned action in the area of female academic progression under key themes. The plan was developed and has evolved through a series of focus groups with academic women, as annual lunches hosted by the Vice-Chancellor for female professors to plan further action at a University level.

The plan is informed and steered by a Steering Group comprising female academic members from each of the five academic faculties and the department of Human Resources. With the development of faculty equality plans, many of the actions in this plan are being integrated into faculties, whilst some over-arching actions (specifically mentoring and ‘female only’ development) have been retained at a centrally.

Further information is available at: http://hr.dept.shef.ac.uk/equality/fapap_april_2011.pdf 1.4 Staff Wellbeing

The University Staff Wellbeing Portal brings together resources and information about how the University promotes staff wellbeing.

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The portal offers sections on Policies, guidance and information, sources of support, looking after yourself, and Support for managers.

Further information is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing 1.5 Wider Activity The University of Sheffield is proud to be part of a number of external groups, to have delivered a number of high profile events and to have received a number of awards as detailed in section 1.5.3. 1.5.1 Groups The University Equality Team based in the department of Human Resources is an active member of a number of external groups including:

• The Russell Group Equality and Diversity network • North East Universities Equality and Diversity Group (Regional Equality Network) • LGB&T Council (The Russell Group forum on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) • LGBT Multi Agency Group, a network of organisations across Sheffield who come

together to discuss LGBT equality 1.5.2 Events during 2011

• Celebrated the centenary of International Women's Day on 8 March 2011 with a week of events highlighting the achievements of Sheffield women and included the highly successful ’Women of Steel’ event, hosted jointly with Sheffield City Council www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/iwd/schedule

• Once again proud to sponsor the high profile Sheffield Pride

annual event created to celebrate the LGBT community within Sheffield and throughout the world and were represented on the day by members of the University LGBT Staff Network

• The University celebrated LGBT history in February with a month of events including a Research Seminar on the provision of LGBT fiction to children in UK public libraries, a City wide networking event and a health seminar on discrimination affecting the quality of health and social care the LGBT community receives www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/involved/lgbtnetwork/history2011

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• The successful drama based training for residential mentors

on bullying and harassment, focussing specifically on LGBT related issues, was repeated as part of the induction process for all new mentors.

• The University launched Help u - the University’s free and

independent support line for advice www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/aboutus/news/stories/helpu

• University’s Advanced Research Manufacturing Centre

(AMRC) with Boeing hosted Yorkshire launch of Meg Munn MP’s pamphlet ‘Unlocking Potential’, on the under-representation of women in STEM.

• University Involvement in nationwide research project on

behalf of the Equality Challenge Unit and The Open University, in relation to Black and Minority Ethnic Origin staff (BME) and non BME staff (both academic and other) in Higher Education that contributed to the Report on ‘The Experience of Black and Minority Ethnic Origin Staff in Higher Education in England’

• The University advertised a number of internal and external events including Black History Icons, Worlds Mental Health Day Arts Exhibition, Deaf Awareness Workshops, Gay Icons, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the month of Ramadan and many more

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/bulletin

1.5.3 Awards

• Department of Human Resources won the 2011 UHR Universities

Human Resources Talent Challenge Award for Excellence in HR in Higher Education for its Female Academic Progression work at the UHR 2011 Annual Conference

• Department of Human Resources was shortlisted for the HR

Excellence Awards 2011 for `Best Workplace Diversity Strategy’ – the only University nominated for any of the awards

• Mentoring programmes for women were shortlisted for an

Opportunity Now award in the Advancing Women in the Workplace category - the only University to be shortlisted for any of the awards.

• Ranked as one of only two Universities to feature in the top 50 in

the UK the Times’ list of the top 50 employers for women www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/aboutus/news/stories/times50

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• Proud to be included in the latest Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, the definitive national benchmarking exercise for showcasing Britain´s top employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) staff www.sheffield.ac.uk/equality/involved/lgbtnetwork/stonewall

The University is proud to be a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Two Ticks employer, Athena Swan Bronze awarded and recognised by Opportunity Now as an exemplar employer, Achieved Investor In People standard and received the NHS Stop Smoking Scheme award.

1.6 Future action 1.6.1 Equality Champions The University of Sheffield has begun the process of developing Departmental Equality Champions. This will enable the University to develop a two way communication channel between the staff in their department and the Equality and Diversity Team, enabling knowledge of local issues to be addressed and embedding the equality agenda, and ultimately helping our strategic vision of being one of the best universities in the world. Our purpose is to develop a network of people who can champion equality and diversity strategy/issues at a local level and provide feedback at faculty/university level, thereby increasing staff participation in equality and diversity action.

1.6.2 Athena Swan The University is committed to the progression of female academic staff, reflected in a University KPI to increase numbers of senior female academics. As part of this, we will renew our University wide Athena Swan bronze award, and work with STEM departments to prepare for departmental submissions at silver level.

Our existing Athena Swan bronze award submission can be found at: http://hr.dept.shef.ac.uk/equality/athena_swan_submission.pdf

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1.6.3 Children and Academia event

We are working with members of the Female Academic’s Progression Steering Group to host an event, and develop guidance and web pages, to support managers and supervisors of staff and students who have caring responsibilities. We will hold our event in May 2012.

Section 2 – Policy Framework

This section provides an overview of the University of Sheffield Council statement on Equality of Opportunity, the Equal Opportunities Policy and Code of Practice and other guidance, support and initiatives available.

2.1 Equal Opportunities Policy and Code of Practice

The University of Sheffield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The following statement relates to staff: The University of Sheffield, in accordance with the general intention of its Charter, confirms its commitment to a comprehensive policy of Equal Opportunities in employment in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and are given Equal Opportunities within the University. The aim of this policy is to ensure that no job applicant or employee should receive less favourable treatment on any grounds not relevant to good employment practice. The University is committed to a programme of action to make this policy fully effective. It is the University's policy as an employer to treat all people with dignity and respect, equally irrespective of any of the ‘Protected Characteristics’ as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics are age, disability including mental health, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The University's Policy on the Recruitment and Employment of Ex-Offenders will also be taken into account.

Full details of the policy and the code of practice are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/az/eopolicy

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2.2 Equality and Diversity Web

The University has dedicated Equality and Diversity web pages which include information on:

• Our Current focus and activities, • Strategy and Equality Board • Policies, Guidance and information • Support • Useful external links and Information • Training Opportunities • How to get involved • News/ Bulletin Board • Equality Act Implications and Guidance

Further information is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality 2.3 Policies

The University has dedicated Guidance and Support web pages which include information on:

• Contract Management • My job & my team • Academic Staff information • Staff Review and Development • Employee & Management Procedures

Including Grievance/Harassment • Leaving Employment • Honorary and Visiting Titles • Types of leave

Including: Maternity/Partner Leave • Work Life Balance

Including Flexible Working

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2.4 Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

The University is committed to assessing the impact of its proposed and existing policies and services in relation to different groups of people.

We have developed an equality impact assessment framework to guide this process.

All proposals to introduce a new policy or service, or to make a significant change to an existing policy or service, should be accompanied by an EIA. The responsibility for undertaking an EIA lays with the person proposing/developing/reviewing a policy or service and it should be done at the early stages.

The equality impact assessments we undertake ensure we meet our legal obligation to show due regard to equality, and to eliminate discrimination and identify positive opportunities to promote equality. We are currently reviewing our process to ensure greater engagement.

Further information on our existing process is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/equalityanddiversity/eia 2.5 Equality Training

The University Staff Development Programme contains a wide range of courses with an emphasis on Management Effectiveness and Personal Development, including Valuing Equality and Diversity (new), Recruitment and Selection training for Panel Chairs, and Women’s Development courses (inc. Mentoring).

Impact is an HR-led University-wide scheme for female academics. It is a six-month mentoring programme which runs each year commencing in January. The programme is aimed at helping women Lecturers develop their careers. Futures is an HR-led University-wide scheme for female academics who are interested in pursuing senior governance and leadership roles. It is six-month programme where participants are mentored by, and in some cases work shadow, one of the University´s senior leaders. The aim of the Futures programme is to increase the pool of female academics who are contributing to the governance and leadership of the University. This programme is aimed at female senior lecturers that have been in post for at least a couple of years, but is also open to newly promoted female readers, and female professors. We also undertake training as part of existing programmes – for example, briefing sessions for new lecturers are part of the Certificate in Learning and Teaching (CILT) programme – and undertake bespoke training where appropriate.

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We have a range of E-Learning Courses:

• Challenging Behaviour: Dealing with bullying and harassment in the workplace

• Disability Confident • Equal Opportunities & Diversity Essentials • Equality Impact Assessment • Gender Matters • Managing Diversity • Sexual Orientation • The Diversity Challenge • Understanding Bias • Under Pressure

These courses are available to new and existing staff, as well as the Pansophix Useful Guides Library.

Further details of all equality training are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sd/staff/sdprog 2.6 Two Ticks

The University of Sheffield is committed to equal opportunities and has successfully applied for and achieved the disability Two Ticks symbol.

The disability symbol is a recognition given by Jobcentre Plus to employers based in Great Britain who have agreed to take action to meet five commitments regarding the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees.

2.7 Women Academic Returners Programme

The award winning Women Academic Returners´ Programme (WARP) continues to provide targeted support to returning women academics when returning to work after maternity or carers´ leave.

WARP was launched on 31 January 2006, and to date 71 places have been awarded to 65 women and since the scheme was introduced in January 2006, the turnover rate of maternity returners has decreased from 25% to 14% and the female staff who have taken part in the scheme have generated £1.8m in research capture since receiving WARP funding Further details are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/warp

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2.8 Monitoring

Our goal is for a fully inclusive University community, where staff and students demand the highest standards from each other, and work together to maximise the benefits of difference. We want to build a diverse, motivated and inclusive culture where people are able to be themselves and feel supported and valued.

By considering our workforce profile, we are able to reflect on our services, ensure we are getting things right in our policies, and identify any gaps for particular groups and develop targeted initiatives. Trend data also helps us to measure the impact of our initiatives and ongoing equality work.

We encourage all staff to update their equality information via the myJob staff system which enables disclosure of all protected characteristics. We also collect qualitative information through our many engagement routes and activities.

Further information is available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/monitoring 2.9 Equal Pay Audit

The University has now completed three full Equal Pay Reviews. These were carried out in 2003, 2006 and 2009. These reviews monitor the impact of reforms to pay structures at the University, particularly the Framework Agreement in 2005, and will continue to provide evidence for further reforms. For example, the forthcoming 2012 review will be the first to measure the immediate impact of the recent Professorial and Professorial Equivalent Pay Schemes.

Further details are available at: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/focus/equalpayreview

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Section 3 – Data Analysis by Protected Characteristic

3.1 Gender 3.1.1 Gender (2011)

3.1.4 Gender by Faculty (2011)

Faculty Female % Male % Grand Total Faculty of Arts and Humanities 151 53% 134 47% 285 Faculty of Engineering 228 26% 659 74% 887 Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health 693 61% 451 39% 1144 Faculty of Science 314 40% 479 60% 793 Faculty of Social Sciences 348 53% 313 47% 661 Professional & Support Services 1216 63% 705 37% 1921 Grand Total 2950 52% 2741 48% 5691

48%

52%

3.1.1 All Staff (2011)

Male (2741) Female (2950)

69%

31%

3.1.2 Academic Staff

Male (815) Female (366)

43%

57%

3.1.3 All Other Staff

Male (1926)

Female (2584)

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3.1.6 Recruitment Success Rates by Gender (2011) The recruitment success rates show the percentage of each eligible pool that is successful at each stage of the recruitment process. E.g. from all the female applicants, 9.9% were shortlisted and 32.3% of the women shortlisted were appointed. Of all the male applicants, 9.7% were shortlisted and of these 37.4% were appointed. Ideally the success rates between the groups compared should be equal at each stage of the recruitment process. 3.1.7 Recruitment by Gender

Recruitment Stage

Women Men Unknown

Applicants 14,098 12,786 1,998

Shortlisted 1,400 1,236 159

Appointed 452 462 138

5%

12% 15% 17% 17% 17% 15% 16% 17% 19% 20% 11

36

45

57 60 59 61 69

76 74 79

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1997 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Wom

en P

rofe

ssor

s

Year

3.1.5 Women Professors

Number

Percentage of Total Professors

17

3.2 Ethnicity 3.2.1 Ethnicity (2011)

9.9%

32.3%

9.7%

37.4%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Short-listed Appointed

Women

Men

3.1.8 Recruitment Success Rate (2011) - Gender

Recruitment Stage

Succ

ess

Rat

e

91.6%

8.4%

3.2.1 Total Staff (2011) - Ethnicity Known = 4675

Non-MEO

MEO

18

258

331 382 408 416 398

338 352 423

394

0

100

200

300

400

500

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Num

ber o

f MEO

Sta

ff

Year

3.2.2 Number of Staff of Minority Ethnic Origin (2002-2011)

5.9% 6.3% 7.0% 7.3% 7.6% 7.8%

7.1% 7.5%

9.0% 8.40%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

% o

f MEO

Sta

ff

Year

3.2.3 Percentage of Staff of Minority Ethnic Origin (2002-2011)

4.6%

17.2%

8.7%

6.7%

10.6%

5.3%

8.4%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

ART ENG MDH SCI SSC PSS UNI

3.2.4 % of MEO Staff by Faculty (2011)

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3.2.6 Recruitment Success Rates by Ethnicity (2011) The recruitment success rates show the percentage of each eligible pool that is successful at each stage of the recruitment process. E.g. from all the MEO applicants, 7.3% were shortlisted and 30.6% of the MEO applicants shortlisted were appointed. Of all the non-MEO applicants, 10.7% were shortlisted and of these 35.5% were appointed. Ideally the success rates between the groups compared should be equal at each stage of the recruitment process. 3.2.7 Recruitment by Ethnicity

Recruitment Stage

MEO Non-MEO Unknown

Applicants 6,837 19,639 2,406

Shortlisted 500 2,101 194

Appointed 153 746 153

185

209

3.2.5 MEO Staff by Nationality (2011)

UK

Non-UK

20

3.3 Disability

7.3%

30.6%

10.7%

35.5%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Short-listed Appointed

MEO

Non-MEO

3.2.8 Recruitment Success Rate (2011) - Ethnicity

Recruitment Stage

Succ

ess

Rat

e

3.3.1 Disability Type Number Of Staff

(2011) Blind/visually impaired person 2 Deaf/hearing impaired person 25 Mental health system user 7 Person with dyslexia 23 Person with learning difficulties 4 Wheelchair user/have a mobility impairment

10

Unseen disability (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma)

68

A disability not listed 34 Total staff with a declared disability 162 Total staff - disability status known 4490

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3.3.4 Recruitment Success Rates by Disability (2011) The recruitment success rates show the percentage of each eligible pool that is successful at each stage of the recruitment process. E.g. from all the applicants with a declared disability, 19.2% were shortlisted and 15.4% of the applicants with a declared disability that were shortlisted were appointed. Of all the applicants without a declared disability, 9.3% were shortlisted and of these 36.5% were appointed. Ideally the success rates between the groups compared should be equal at each stage of the recruitment process.

3.6%

96.4%

3.3.2 Staff Disability Status (2011) (Total Declared 4,490)

With (162)

Without (4328)

4.8% 4.6% 4.2%

3.8% 3.5% 3.6% 3.8%

3.3% 3.6%

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

% S

taff

wit

h a

Dec

lare

d D

isab

ility

Year

3.3.3 Percentage of Staff with a Declared Disability (2003- 2011)

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3.3.5 Recruitment by Disability

Recruitment Stage Declared Disability

Without Disability Unknown

Applicants 1,320 25,951 1,611

Shortlisted 253 2,412 130

Appointed 39 880 133

3.4 Age

19.2%

15.4%

9.3%

36.5%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Shortlisted Appointed

Declared Disability

Without Disability

Succ

sess

Rat

e

Recruitment Stage

3.5%

26.1%

28.2%

26.0%

16.0%

0.3%

3.7%

21.7% 26.0%

27.6%

19.3%

1.7%

4.4%

20.5%

25.7% 28.1%

19.5%

1.8%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

% o

f Tot

al S

taff

Age Range

3.4.1 Age Profile and External Benchmarks (2011) UoS

HE Ave.

Large Public Sector

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* Data source – external benchmarks for HE Average and Large Public Sector Average: HR Benchmarker 2010 – Workforce Performance Indicators (DLA Piper)

3.5 Other Protected Characteristics

The University has implemented systems to capture data on all the protected charactistics and encourages all staff to update their equality information via the myJob staff system which enables disclosure of all protected characteristics. However due to the relatively low numbers and confidentiality involved we are unable to provide further information at present.

Section 4 – Report Links Further information is available at:

4.1 Workforce Information Report: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/az/wis

4.2 Disability Report & Gender Report

www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/policies-index

This document is available in alternative formats on request from: Martin Ford Department of Human Resources The University Of Sheffield Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN Tel: 0114 2222480 Fax: 0114 2221624 Email:m.j.ford@sheffield.ac.uk Website: www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality

University of Sheffield

Student Equality Report

January 2012

2

University of Sheffield

Student Equality Report

Contents Page

1 Introduction 3

2 Widening Access 3

3 Inclusive Learning and Teaching 5

4 Student Mental Health Support 5

5 Supporting Disabled Students 6

6 LGBT Engagement and Support 8

7 Religion and Belief 8

8 Student Pregnancy and Maternity 9

9 Engagement 9

10 The Work of the Equality Action Group in Student Services 9

11 University Policy Framework on Equality 10

12 Student Equality Statistics 10

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1 Introduction

This report provides an overview of our action on student equality, with examples taken from all

aspects of the student experience. We hope that the range and depth of these activities

demonstrates the commitment of the University of Sheffield to the creation of a diverse and vibrant

learning community.

Our work on equality is overseen by an Equality and Diversity Board and supported by the University

Equality and Diversity Strategy ‘Excellence Through Inclusion’, which outlines how we will work with

students and staff to build a culture of inclusion. This is the first student equality report and future

updates will chart our progress towards this destination.

2 Widening Access

The University of Sheffield has a long-standing commitment to widening participation and fair access, not only to its own programmes of study, but also to higher education in general.

This strongly reflects the University’s Mission, Vision and Identity and the foundation on which the University was built:

The University of Sheffield has roots going back to 1828 and was founded formally in 1905 via penny donations from the local citizens. The aim was to bring higher education within reach of the children of the people working in the great industries of Sheffield, to give support to those industries and to serve as a centre for the study of diseases. The University is proud of its origins and continues to value the role it has come to play in its city and region.1

The University continues to play a key role within the city and the region and has a strong sense of civic responsibility. This is demonstrated, amongst other things, through the broad ranging initiatives we deliver collaboratively with schools, colleges and other local HE providers in order to widen participation to higher education.

Our record of achievement in access and retention

The University of Sheffield has a strong track record of not only attracting but also retaining students from under-represented groups in higher education. Some of our key achievements are highlighted below:

An excellent record of recruiting students from low participation neighbourhoods, achieving an intake of 8.2% of young full-time first degree students in 2009/10 against a benchmark of 6.7%, placing us top in the Russell Group.

Excellent performance in attracting mature students with no previous HE background and from low participation neighbourhoods into full-time undergraduate study (17.6% intake against a benchmark of 12.6%) making us top in the Russell Group.

Excellent performance in attracting part time students with no previous HE experience & from low participation neighbourhoods: 6.3% in 2009/10 against a benchmark of 4.6% making us 2nd in the Russell Group.

1 See full Mission, Vision and Identity at: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/strategicplan/mvi

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An excellent record of recruiting students from state schools: 86% of registered students in 2009/10 against a HESA benchmark of 80.5%, (ranking 3rd in the Russell Group).

Exceeding the benchmark regarding continuation of young, full-time first degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods, with only a 3.9% non-continuation rate against a HESA benchmark of 5%, placing us 7th in the Russell Group and 14th in England.

A steady growth in the proportion of our students who are in receipt of the DSA (3.8% intake against a benchmark of 3.6%).

A strong regional reputation for working collaboratively with schools and colleges, delivering a broad range of short and long term interventions, targeting primary school pupils through to students about to enter university. We typically work with around 20000 participants each year on such programmes, engaging with over 100 schools and colleges.

A national reputation for delivering flagship programmes linked to social mobility in some of the most difficult to enter professions, including SOAMS (Medicine)2, PPP3 (Law, Accountancy, Architecture) and ADOPT4 (Dentistry).

Dedicated programmes for mature learners within the University’s Institute for Lifelong Learning, leading to progression onto full and part-time degrees.

Provision of targeted student support post-admission, to give them the best opportunity to progress through their programme of study and achieve a class of degree commensurate with their abilities. This support has led to us being ranked second in the sector in the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey 2011 and recognised as Outstanding Student Services Team 2010 by the Times Higher Leadership and Management Awards.

Significant contributions to local and regional schools and colleges through our involvement in governing bodies, with over 70 members of University staff actively engaged as governors.

Significant progress in our work targeting looked after children / care leavers. We have recently been re-awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark for our work with care leavers, said to be “exemplary” within the sector.

An excellent track record of working collaboratively with schools, colleges and other HE providers to the benefit of young people and prospective mature students in the region and further afield including Sheffield Hallam University and other Russell Group HEIs.

Our main focus for widening participation in the coming years will be on increasing our recruitment of students from the lowest socio-economic groups, which is the area where we have previously underperformed against benchmarks. We will also seek to continue to grow the number of students with disabilities entering the University, while maintaining our strong performance in recruitment of students from low participation neighbourhoods, mature students and students from black and other ethnic minority groups. Our plans for widening participation and fair access also include plans for further investment in disabled student support and outreach activities, student mental health support, care leaver support5 and support for employment. We will also be using recent research to inform a review of our use of contextual data in the admissions process, with a view to moving towards a more consistent, coherent approach to the use of contextual data across the University.

Finally, in order to increase our capacity to evaluate the impact of our activities, the University has committed resources to the development of a Widening Participation Research Unit. This will allow for quantitative and qualitative evaluation to be undertaken by research experts. A full version of the University’s 2012/13 Access Agreement can be found at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/lets/projects/strategy/wpaccess

2 Sheffield’s Outreach and Access to Medicine Scheme 3 Professions Progression Partnership 4 Access to Dental Occupations – Practice and Tutoring 5 For more information on our approach to care leaver support, see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/welfare/care

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3 Inclusive Learning and Teaching

An Inclusive Learning and Teaching (ILT) Project was launched in 2007 as one of the strategic learning and teaching priorities of the University of Sheffield and ran until July 2010. The distinctive approach of the Project was its scope, which was not limited to working with specific groups of

students but which had a vision of:

‘A University of Sheffield learning culture which enables all our students from whatever background to achieve their full potential’.

During the life of the project over 500 students were consulted; over 400 staff engaged in debates and conversations; over 1500 academic staff and teachers received ‘hints and tips’ for inclusive practice from students and 11 academic departments ran specific ILT projects.

The key outputs were:

A handbook of best practice for the use of all teaching staff Eleven department-based case studies A website, to support staff and students in assessing the effectiveness of the inclusive

learning and teaching environment in the university A series of ‘lessons learnt’ from the development of the project formulated as ‘Hints and

Tips' for an Inclusive Educational Environment A contribution to the development of a Students’ Charter now known as 'Our Commitment' A video. We invited students to a session in which we asked them to tell us things that were

barriers to their inclusion in learning. They identified some key areas for action which you can see in the video.

Learning from the project has since been taken up in the University’s new Learning and Teaching Strategy (2011-16) which provides a shared direction for learning and teaching in the institution. It reflects the University’s overall strategic objectives, one of which is “to nurture a community in which equality and diversity contribute positively to student and staff experiences”. The strategy is also shaped by our learning and teaching philosophy and values, amongst which is “the importance of diversity amongst our students and staff”. The University is therefore strongly committed to an inclusive approach to learning and teaching and each Faculty is required to reflect this commitment in its plans for learning and teaching and in its equality action plans. (The Learning and Teaching Strategy can be found at: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.91035!/file/TUOSLTS.pdf) 4 Student Mental Health Support The University has had a formal Student Mental Health Strategy since 2006 (see diagram below) based upon the recommendations of the 2003 report on Student Mental Health in HE from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The strategy is pursued on a collaborative basis, linking together the efforts of student support services such as the University Health Service, University Counselling Service, Disability and Dyslexia Support, Student Support and Guidance, Accommodation Services and Library Services, as well as the efforts of members of academic staff who provide direct support to students in the course of their studies. This collaborative approach has paid dividends in the form of a more ‘seamless’ service to students and a number of innovations in professional practice. The University’s approach was commended in a more recent update of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ report in 2011 and certain aspects of our work noted as nationally significant.

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Demand for mental health support in HE has increased dramatically in recent years, in the number of students declaring a mental health disability when joining the University, in the numbers of students using services and in the levels of severity of psychological distress that some students experience. The University has both invested in staff and developed different ways of working in order to accommodate these changes and continues to do so.

Examples of current developments in student mental health support are given below:

Mental Health Support Planning. Following on from our 2010 report on the needs of students with complex mental health difficulties, we are now experimenting with a new mental health support planning process. For students with particularly severe and complex difficulties, who have great difficulty with engagement in university life, this offers the prospect of an integrated multi-service support plan. This is intended to increase the chances of full engagement and reduce the likelihood of crises which often impact upon staff and other students.

The ‘Well-Connected’ project. In early 2011 we won £60k from JISC6 to fund a project on digital communication and student mental health, now known for short as ‘Well Connected’. The project centres upon the creation of a student mental health website, containing a set of self help resources on the most prevalent psychological difficulties faced by students and an online ‘self-check’ process. We are also making great efforts to engage students in the co-creation of material for the site.

The Big White Wall. We are piloting the use of the Big White Wall, a 24/7/365 online resource which offers (under the aegis of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust) a range of resources including self-help materials, online forums, art therapy and contact with trained counsellors. We are focusing this resource upon students who may need more support than services are normally able to provide. The success of this pilot project will be evaluated at the end of the academic year. We were the first university to adopt this approach.

More information on our student mental health strategy and the main student support services can

be found at: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssd/wellbeing

6 Joint Information Systems Committee

STUDENT MENTAL

HEALTH STRATEGY

Promoting

mental health

and well being

Supporting students

with a mental

health disability

Well resourced

and integrated

services

A clear process

for dealing

with crisis and

risk.

Good links with

external

agencies

Building

awareness

Developing a

mental health

network

Data on

need and

resources

Training for

key front-

line staff

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5 Supporting Disabled Students

Support for disabled students in the University centres upon the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS), which has grown in both size and importance, as the University has recruited steadily increasing numbers of students declaring a disability and as the excellence of the service has encouraged greater numbers of students to register for support. A well-developed but constantly evolving system of provision exists for disabled students (for details see www.sheffield.ac.uk/disability). The DDSS promotes a student centred approach to the provision of support and achieves this through close liaison with other support services, academic departments and external agencies. Currently the University has around 2000 students who have declared a disability, with some 1600 actively supported by DDSS. Numbers of students supported by the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (2011)

Disability type Number of

Students

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 22

Blind/partially sighted 34

Deaf/hearing impairment 37

Wheelchair mobility 43

In process of acquiring medical evidence 52

Unseen disability 79

Disability not listed 99

2 or more disabilities 159

Mental health difficulty 216

Specific Learning Disability 827

The DDSS has worked hard to meet the rising expectations of students and in this year’s i-Barometer student satisfaction survey it achieved an excellent 95% rating. It has also established good working relationships with the Students’ Union and its Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Forum. Recent Achievements and Areas for Development: A steady stream of service developments has meant that the University can provide a high-level of service to disabled students and the staff supporting them. Significant recent developments have included:

The development of a strong Support Worker Service within DDSS, now providing support to some 415 students.

The creation of a network of Disability Liaison Officers in academic and professional services departments, as a means of developing effective working relationships with staff supporting students.

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The introduction, in a collaboration between our Student Services Department, our Library Services and Corporate Information and Computing Services, of a range of assistive software packages for students. We intend to continue to invest in this area.

The development of a very effective provision for the fast-growing numbers of students declaring a mental health disability and strong collaboration with other services in the creation and implementation of a student mental health strategy.

The introduction of a Disability Transition Officer post, to develop a range of transition activities aimed particularly at improving the transition between school/college and university. This builds on a successful Aim Higher project to develop disability outreach and is a feature of the University’s 2012/13 Access Agreement.

Key strategic priorities for the development of disability support in the near future will include:

Reviewing our approach to the management of demand for disability support services, in the context of increasing numbers of students using services.

Working closely with Faculties to develop their strategies for disabled student support.

6 LGBT Engagement and Support

"Higher Education provides an important space where LGBT students are able to 'be themselves' and establish an independent adult identity away from the childhood contexts of school and family life". (Equality Challenge Unit Report 2009: "The experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff and students in higher education")

With this understanding in mind, the University has worked closely with the Students’ Union and its

LGBT group to develop responsive support services and sources of information which will enable

LGBT students to negotiate this important transition. A new set of web pages (see:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/welfare/supporting-lgbt-students/index ) detail the numerous sources

of support open to students, on financial issues, health, psychological well-being, gender change,

freedom from harassment and so on.

7 Religion and Belief

The University has a strong and energetic Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Service, which provides support to

students for whom faith is an important aspect of their university experience (see:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssd/chaplains). The Students’ Union has a Faiths Forum, providing an arena

in which many faiths can engage together.

In 2010 we began to collect data on student religious identity. As part of registration students have

been asked (on a voluntary and confidential basis) whether they would identify them selves with one

of a range of religious groups, with the option to express affiliation to atheism, agnosticism and

humanism. They were then asked how strongly they felt about this attachment.

In our most recent 2011 survey, 80% of students responded, making the data extremely robust. Over

15,000 students (c. 54%) expressed a faith affiliation, over 7,000 (c. 46%) of whom declared that it

was either important or very important to them in their lives.

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This data reinforces the need for an active Multifaith Chaplaincy Service and other multifaith

activities. It also adds to our understanding of the roots of student sense of belonging and

community. Finally, the data has already helped us plan for future developments.

Prominent amongst these has been our project to establish the feasibility of appointing a Muslim

Chaplain. We have around 1700 Muslim students in the University, according to this data, and a high

proportion feel that their faith occupies an important place in their lives. It is important that we

provide faith support to this group and we are now planning to appoint a Muslim Chaplain in 2012,

adding to our two existing Muslim Faith Advisers.

Finally, the Multifaith Chaplaincy has successfully facilitated, as part of a national project supported

by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) a number of Religious Literacy events

for staff, which aim to promote understanding of faith issues in the institution as a whole. These

events have been very well received.

8 Student Pregnancy and Maternity

Under the new Equality Act 2010, provisions on pregnancy and maternity were extended to students

for the first time.

Using guidance from the Equality Challenge Unit and working closely with the Students’ Union

Women’s Officer, we have developed new policy guidelines in this area and created new web pages

which will provide information to both staff and students.

The web pages can be found at: http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/welfare/studentpregnancy/index

9 Engagement

In all equality matters we try to work collaboratively with student representative groups and

numerous examples of such collaborations have been given in this report. An important strand of

this is our relationship with the Students’ Union, whose officers sit on many university committees,

including those covering Learning and Teaching, Student Support and Equality and Diversity. More

informally, many developments in matters affecting student life feature collaboration with students,

though groups such as the LGBT committee, the Disabled and Dyslexic Students Forum and Mental

Health Matters.

10 The Work of the Equality Action Group in Student Services

The Student Services Department is responsible for activities which cover a very wide range of the

student experience – Recruitment and Admissions, Learning and Teaching, Student Support and

Well-Being, and Careers and Employability. It is therefore of the greatest importance that the

department has a sound process for managing its responsibilities for equality and diversity.

This process centres on the Equality Action Group (EAG) which was established in 2006. The EAG is

made up of senior managers and specialists from across the department and has played a number of

critical roles in our approach to student equality and diversity. It has enabled us to respond in a

coherent and proactive way to the changing legal framework on equality; provided a vehicle through

which we have been able to contribute to the development of the University’s strategy ‘Excellence

through Inclusion’; led the implementation of successive waves of impact assessments and service

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development initiatives, designed to improve our processes and procedures and aided the

integration of equality into the departmental planning process. The EAG was recently reviewed and

our commitment to the group and to its leadership role on equality was reaffirmed.

11 University Policy Framework on Equality

The University’s policy and strategy framework is set out in Section 2 of the Staff Equality Report and

on the University’s web pages on equality. (See: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality)

12 Statistics

The statistics given below cover student gender, ethnicity and disability status. Apart from religion

and belief (referred to above) we do not yet collect data from students on the remaining protected

characteristics. This may change in due course as it is the subject currently of consultation by the

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

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Student Equality Statistics

Figures refer to the student populations for academic year 2010/11 (FT and PT) and taken from the published data submitted to HESA (Student HESA Return 2011 – students have been active for all or part of the academic session).

All figures are based on disclosed information, including: o Ethnicity, which is known for 90.3% of students o Disability status, which is known for 100% of students o Gender, which is known for 100% of students

Summary

2010/11 2009/10 Headcount Percentage Headcount Percentage

Total in students in 2010/11 28,359 - 27,574 - Undergraduate Students 18,515 65.29% 18,680 67.74%

Postgraduate Taught 6,453 22.75% 5,595 20.29% Postgraduate Research 3,391 11.96% 3,299 11.96%

Total Male 13,887 48.97% 13,430 48.71% Total Female 14,472 51.03% 14,144 51.29% Declaring a Disability

UG 1,400 7.56% 1,397 7.48% PGT 336 5.21% 306 5.47% PGR 213 6.28% 189 5.73% TOTAL 1,949 6.87% 1,892 6.86% UK Domicile Students - BME UG (15,145) 1,948 12.86% 2,033 13.03% PGT (2,945) 489 16.60% 489 17.51% PGR (1,812) 323 17.83% 314 18.19% TOTAL (19,902) 2760 13.87% 2,836 14.09% OS Domicile Students – BME

UG (1002) 696 69.46% 677 59.49% PGT (3249) 2,713 83.50% 2,101 82.81% PGR (1447) 1,068 73.81% 1,034 72.06% TOTAL (20125) 4,477 78.57% 3,812 74.60% Disability

6.87% (1,949) of the university students have declared a disability. 1,400 of students are undergraduates, 336 are on taught postgraduate programmes and 213 are engaged in postgraduate research.

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Ethnicity

13.87% (2,760) of the UK domiciled students (FT and PT) are of minority ethnic origin. 1,948 are on undergraduate programmes, 489 on taught postgraduate programmes and 323 are engaged in postgraduate research.

There has been an increase of 0.22% in BME from UK domiciled student between intakes 2009/10 and 2010/11.

Gender (Female/Male)

51.03% (14,472) of the university’s students are female and 48.97% (13,887) male. On undergraduate programmes the split is 51.03%/48.22% (9,587/8,928), on taught postgraduate programmes 53.00%/47.00% (3,420/3,033) and in postgraduate research 43.20%/56.80% (1,465/1,926).