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At Happy Children Nursery we are committed to equal opportunities, and make a clear policy statement to all our staff about our expectations with regards to equal opportunities. This policy acts as a reference point in the event of any parental dispute you may have as a service user. This policy is compliant with The Equality Act 2010.
Discrimination
It is our aim at Happy Children Nursery to treat everyone with fairness and consideration as it is unlawful to treat anyone less favourably or discriminate against them directly or indirectly. Our policy intends to prevent discrimination both to remain within the law, and to attract the best employees to our nursery.

The Equality Act 2010 provides a structure to prevent discrimination and promote equality, fairness and uniformity in employment, providing you as parents with a well-rounded workforce committed to caring for your children 38 weeks of the year.

We aim to offer all our employees and parents equal opportunities within Happy Children Nursery. Entry into employment with us is determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which is related to the duties of each particular position. In all cases, ability to perform the job is the primary consideration when we recruit key workers to provide quality childcare for children.
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act came into force in October 2010 and bought together all existing anti-discrimination legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1970 and The Disability Discrimination Act 1995). It identifies several 'protected characteristics' previously protected under separate equality legislation; Race, religion or beliefs, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marriage and maternity and also strengthens other characteristics that were not provided cover by aspects of equality law.
Monitoring Forms
In order to monitor the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policy and how well our nursery meets its legal requirements, we will use monitoring forms when we are recruiting in terms of nursery personnel.
Diversity
At Happy Children Nursery we welcome diversity amongst our parents and employees. In recruiting from a wide range of people, we hope to better understand your needs as service users and valued parents.
Features
Our equal opportunity policy covers our complete commitment to equal opportunities with our children and in the following areas; recruitment, training and promotion.

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Organic and child centred learning environment | Equal Opportunities Policy | Happy Children Nursery

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At Happy Children Nursery we are committed to equal opportunities, and make a clear policy statement to all our staff about our expectations with regards to equal opportunities. This policy acts as a reference point in the event of any parental dispute you may have as a service user.

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The Equality Act 2010 ("the Act") received Royal Assent on 08 April 2010 and will come into force in the Autumn. The Act has been a controversial one and with our new coalition Government it is likely changes will be made.

The Act is a product of the Government Equalities Office with the main aim of harmonisation of discrimination law under one heading and will replace the earlier existing legislation relating to discrimination. It will cover discrimination in relation to age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and gender assignment. These are known as the protected characteristics. It has 218 sections and 28 schedules. The bulk of the Act will come into force on 01 October 2010 with some areas being delayed to allow organisations in both public and private sectors to prepare for its implementation.

What however do Care Home owners need to be aware of? The two areas of greatest impact are likely to be employment and the provision of services to the public.

Employment legislation:

Much of the previous employment legislation is encompassed into the new Act. However there are a few important employment issues of which note should be taken and these are: 1) Discrimination by association is outlawed across all protected characteristics. For example a carer of a disabled person or an elderly relative will receive protection from discrimination due to their close link to the individual with the protected characteristic such as disability or age. 2) Any discrimination arising from a disability will be unlawful. Therefore if an individual knowingly treats a disabled person in a particular way which amounts to a detriment this will be discrimination unless the treatment can be justified. For example treating a disabled person less favourably because of their need to take disability related absence. 3) The Act will prevent employers asking job applicants questions about their health and whether they have a disability. However, employers will be able to ask questions aimed at addressing reasonable adjustments or to check that the applicant can fulfil a function that is intrinsic to the work concerned. Employers will also still be able to screen applicants about health after making a job offer. 4) There is a ban on discrimination based on perception. This will protect employees who experience discrimination because they are wrongly thought to have a protected characteristic. For example if a man were thought to be gay and was treated less favourably because of this perception but turned out to be heterosexual they would be protected. 5) Employees will be able bring a claim based on a combination of characteristics. This is called dual discrimination. However to be successful the claimant must show the discrimination was a result of the combination and they will not succeed where there is an exception or justification that applies to the treatment in respect of one of the elements. For example an Asian woman who is discriminated against because of both her race and sex will be able to combine the characteristics. 6) Employers at present will be permitted to take positive steps or action in the recruitment process. Employers will be able to choose a candidate from an under represented group in their workforce when they have the choice between two candidates who are equally suitable. However this is something the current Government is unlikely to bring into force so watch this space. 7) Employers with 250 employees or more will be encouraged on a voluntary basis to publish their pay statistics to show the gender pay gap (if any). This could become a compulsory requirement by 2013 but only if the Government feels that insufficient progress on reporting in this area has been made. This is also another controversial proposal which is unlikely under the current Government to be brought into force. However as the matter was not going to be compulsory until 2013 it is likely this will be left alone for the moment. 8) The Act will ban secrecy clauses in contracts of employment which means that employees will be able to openly discuss their wages with colleagues. 9) The Act also extends protection against third party harassment to all protected characteristics (save for pregnancy, maternity and marriage/civil partnerships) where the employer has failed to take such steps as would have been reasonably practicable to prevent the harassment.

Provision of Services The new legislation will make it unlawful to discriminate against, harass or victimize a person when providing a service or when exercising a public function. The service provider must not discriminate against a person requiring the service by not providing it nor must they discriminate against a person during the course of providing the service. The only protected characteristics that do not benefit from the protection are marriage/civil partnership and age so far as the person has not attained the age of 18.

The Act also imposes the duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to the provision of services and exercising public functions. The prohibition on harassment when providing services or exercising public functions does not cover sexual orientation or religion or belief which mirrors existing law. The practical effect is to extend current protection so that it is generally uniform in respect of the protected characteristics.

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equalities act 2010 - how does this affect care homes?

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Equalities Act 2010 - how does this affect Care Homes?

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The Equality Act 2010 ("the Act") received Royal Assent on 08 April 2010 and will come into force in the Autumn. The Act has been a controversial one and with our new coalition Government it is likely changes will be made.

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The Equality Act 2010 replaced nine major pieces of legislation and should make it easier for school leaders and governors to understand their legal responsibilities and tackle inequalities in education. Bill Bolloten explains

In his first annual report as chief inspector of education, published in November, Sir Michael Wilshaw wrote: "In the most effective schools, the headteacher and governors establish a clear vision, rooted in an unwavering commitment to ensure the success of every pupil. Equality of opportunity is at the heart of this vision, with an insistence that all pupils will do well."

Avoiding discrimination and promoting equality supports the agenda of improving the attainment and progress of all pupils, regardless of their circumstances and backgrounds.

The new Ofsted inspection framework makes clear that tackling inequalities and disadvantages should be reflected in every aspect of school life, and will be considered as part of all inspection judgements.

What is the Equality Act 2010?

The Equality Act 2010 replaced nine major Acts of Parliament, as well as almost a hundred sets of regulations, dealing with equality and discrimination. The Act provides a single, consolidated source of discrimination law, covering all the types of discrimination that are unlawful.

The new law should make it easier for school leaders and governors to understand their legal responsibilities and tackle inequalities in education.

In England and Wales the Act applies to all maintained and independent schools, as well as academies and free schools.

The Act covers all aspects of school life to do with how a school treats pupils and prospective pupils, parents and carers, employees, and members of the community. Everything a school does must be fair, non-discriminatory and not put individuals or groups of people at a disadvantage. In particular, a school must not discriminate, harass or victimise a pupil or potential pupil in relation to:

* Admissions.

* The way it provides education for pupils.

* How it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service.

* Excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment.

What actions and behaviours are unlawful under the Act?

The Act defines a number of types of unlawful behaviour, including:

* Direct discrimination.

* Indirect discrimination.

* Failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils or staff.

* Discrimination arising from disability.

* Harassment related to a protected characteristic.

* Victimisation of someone because they have made, or helped with, a complaint about discrimination.

Protected characteristics

The Act uses the term "protected characteristics" to refer to aspects of a person's identity. Treating a person less favourably because they have one or more of these characteristics would be unlawful. The protected characteristics are:

* Age.

* Disability.

* Gender reassignment.

* Marriage and civil partnership.

* Pregnancy and maternity.

* Race.

* Religion or belief.

* Sex.

* Sexual orientation.

The protected characteristics of age and marriage and civil partnership apply to schools as employers, but not in relation to their provision for pupils.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Since April 2011, schools have also been bound by a part of the Equality Act 2010 called the Public Sector Equality Duty (also known as the PSED or simply the "Equality Duty").

The Equality Duty replaces the previous three sets of duties on schools to promote disability, gender and race equality through having equality polices and action plans for these groups. Some schools chose to meet these previous duties by combining the three policies into a "single" equality policy.

There is now no requirement for schools to have equality policies, schemes and/or action plans. This has been made clear in the updated list of statutory policies for schools from the Department for Education (DfE).

The new Equality Duty has two parts: the "general" duty and "specific" duties.The general duty is the overarching legal requirement for schools and means they must consider how their policies, practices and day-to-day activities impact on pupils and staff. Schools are required to have "due regard" to the need to:

* Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

* Advance equality of opportunity.

* Foster good relations.

The two specific duties for schools aim to assist them to meet the general duty. These are:

* To publish information to show how they are complying with the Equality Duty. This must be updated at least annually.

* To prepare and publish one or more specific and measurable equality objectives at least every four years.

Schools should have complied with these duties from April 6, 2012.

What is meant by "due regard"?

Having due regard means that schools must consciously think about the three aims of the Equality Duty as part of decision-making, developing and reviewing policies and how they deliver services.

According to advice for school leaders and governors from the DfE: "The duty to have 'due regard' to equality considerations means that whenever significant decisions are being made or policies developed, thought must be given to the equality implications."

Publishing equality information: what is required?

As a minimum schools should publish information on:

* The diversity of the school population.

* How they are performing in relation to the three aims of the equality duty.

* The diversity of their workforce, although this only applies to schools with more than 150 employees.

Developing and publishing measurable objectives

Schools can set equality objectives to tackle any issues of discrimination, inequality and disadvantage.

Objectives might be linked to challenges the school is already responding to in the school improvement plan, or can address issues and concerns identified through consultation with pupils, staff and parents.

Some of the challenges that equality objectives can address include:

* Narrowing gaps in attainment between groups of pupils, for example girls and boys.

* Improving school attendance of pupils from particular groups.

* Increasing the participation of particular groups in school activities.

* Reducing prejudice-related bullying and the use of derogatory language.

* Improving knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable pupils to appreciate and value difference and diversity, for example increasing understanding between pupils from different faith communities.

* Improving the participation and engagement of different groups of parents and communities.

Specific and measurable explained

It is a statutory requirement that equality objectives are "specific and measurable". This is to make sure that objectives are not vague or flimsy statements, but reflect achievable and measurable improvements that the school wishes to make.

Objectives should be clearly focused and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Including a time framework, that indicates when an objective will have been in part or wholly achieved, will also enable success to be measurable.

Equality objectives should be clearly relevant to the groups with protected characteristics named in the Equality Act, but may refer also to groups disadvantaged by social and economic factors.

Here are three examples of objective statements that aim to address equality priorities, but would not meet the requirement to be "specific and measurable".

* To train staff on how to respond effectively to prejudice-related bullying.

* To increase the percentage of boys in key stage 2 achieving Level 4-plus in mathematics.

* To narrow the gap in attendance rates between Gypsy Roma Traveller children and other children in the school.

Here are the same objective statements that have modified to make them "specific and measurable".

* By July 2013, 90 per cent of the staff will feel confident in responding effectively to prejudice-related bullying, as shown by the annual staff survey.

* By the end of the 2012/13 school year, the percentage of boys in key stage 2 achieving Level 4-plus in mathematics will increase from 68 to 73 per cent, and to 80 per cent by the end of 2013/14.

* The attendance rates of Gypsy Roma Traveller pupils will improve year-on-year to meet a target of 90 per cent attendance by the end of 2015/16.

How many equality objectives should a school publish?

There is no requirement for schools to publish a set number of equality objectives. The approach should be proportionate, with larger schools likely to have more objectives than smaller ones. However, given the wide range of equality issues in schools, it is likely that many schools will wish to publish more than one objective.DfE advice for school leaders and governing bodies states that a school "should set as many objectives as it believes are appropriate to its size and circumstances; the objectives should fit the school's needs and be achievable".

How should schools publish equality information and objectives?

It is up to schools themselves to decide on the format they will adopt for publishing equality information and objectives. For most schools, setting up an equalities page on their website will be the best approach.

Schools may also find it useful to publish some information on the following with each objective:

* Why objectives have been chosen, including any relevant consultation and engagement.

* A short description of what is going to be done to achieve each objective.

What should schools do after publishing equality objectives?

Schools should keep their equality objectives under review. Developing an action plan can help map activities that will be needed to achieve an objective. There is no requirement, however, to publish an action plan.

It is also good practice to publish some information on the progress that is being made towards meeting the equality objectives the school has set itself.

The role of school governing bodies

Governing bodies are the "responsible body" for ensuring that the school meets the requirements of equality legislation. Essentially this means that they should:

* Ensure the school takes all reasonable steps to ensure that its employees do not carry out unlawful discriminatory actions or behaviour.

* Support and guide the school to have "due regard" for equality in all its functions.

* Ensure the school complies with the Equality Duty and meets the two "specific duties" for schools.

Further information

* Updated list of statutory policies for schools from the Department for Education (DfE): http://bit.ly/UqOeYY

* Non-statutory advice from the Department for Education to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the Act: http://bit.ly/VtVdRS

* Public Sector Equality Duty Guidance for Schools in England: A practical guide from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that illustrates how the Equality Duty can help schools to raise attainment, tackle bullying and improve behaviour. It includes a series of practical case studies and FAQs: http://bit.ly/RkuOuv

* A short guide that provides young people with information on the Equality Act. It explains what they can do if they think the law is not being followed properly: http://bit.ly/UwNGD0

* Bill Bolloten is an independent education consultant, specialising in work with schools and local authorities on equalities. Bill provides training for schools and governing bodies, and has developed a toolkit to help them meet their duties under the Equality Act 2010. Bill can be contacted at billboll1@mac.com. He tweets at @SchoolEquality.

* For more primary education best practice and advisory articles from Headteacher Update, click here.

This material is protected by MA Education Limited copyright.
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What does the Equality Act mean for schools?

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The Equality Act 2010 replaced nine major pieces of legislation and should make it easier for school leaders and governors to understand their legal responsibilities and tackle inequalities in education.

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How we are committed to providing inclusive services which embrace diversity and promote equality within our workforce and our membership.

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Equality and diversity - King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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The WRES requires NHS organisations to demonstrate progress against nine race equality indicators. The report aims to show any differences in how white staff and BME staff are treated, to help the Trust taken action, where needed, to address this. From 2016, the report is accompanied by an improvement plan which gives more detail about how progress will be made.

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