HMIE inspects, reviews and reports across educational sectors and children's services and monitors standards nationally.
HM Inspectorate of Education is strongly committed to promoting disability equality in the way we go about performing our role within Scottish education. Scottish society reflects diversity and Scottish education should be accessible to all. No-one should be disadvantaged or excluded because of their disability. We will continue to identify and promote good practice that enables all learners to develop positive attitudes and actions about disability.
Two key areas are identified below. One looks at the internal workings of the organisation and relevant actions are coded I; the other looks at our external role as identified in the core function above. Relevant actions are coded E. Other policy areas may emerge later. A Diversity and Equality Group was established in June 2006 to take forward necessary guidance across the organisation and to promote and monitor action taken. It should therefore be assumed that the actions noted below have been worked out between the Diversity and Equality Group and the named HMIE teams. The group is representative of the organisation and includes stakeholders, is balanced in terms of gender and includes disabled people.
It should be assumed that actions outlined below will be included in our Corporate Plan and related tasks reflected in our Business Plan for 2007-2008 and beyond.
Key policy areas where the agency is currently taking forward disability equality and how the department is involving disabled people |
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Policy | Action | By whom | By when | Expected outcome |
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Human Resources ( HR) Policy. Current HR Strategy under review. Evidence gathered from recruitment exercises and Continuing Professional Development ( CPD) indicates a need to update some aspects of recruitment and selection staff knowledge of diversity issues. | Assess effectiveness of current Scottish Executive ( SE) practices for recruitment, selection, induction, management and retention of staff. Ensure that these take full account of disability equality. | HR team. Contact: Kevin Mills | December 2006 | Areas for improvement identified and procedures put in place to ensure best practice. |
Identify current diversity profile of organisation. I | December 2006 | Gaps identified. |
Ensure Equality and Diversity Group (E&D Group)) issues a regular feature of CPD. I | Phase 1 CPD completed by December 2006Phase 2 CPD complete by August 2007 | Increased staff understanding of equalities issues. |
Inspection and Reporting (I&R) Policy. I&R policy underpins core functions and purpose of organisation ie. to inspect and report on standards and performance in the education sector and services for children in Scotland and thereby to secure improvements for learners/young people. Current approaches under review. Current best practice in inspecting and reporting on disability issues will continue and we will look to further improvement in our focus and practice in this area. | Ensure inclusion of Equalities issues including disability equality in emerging changes to I&R policy and practice. E | Inspection and Reporting Steering Group ( IRSG) and task groups. Contact: Lesley Brown | October 2007 | Inspection and reporting procedures and practice identify and report on strengths and weaknesses in relation to disability issues and the outworking of changes to legislation in the education sector. This will lead to the identification and sharing of good practice across the education sector in Scotland. |
Arrangements for delivering the general duty to promote disability equality. |
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Policy | Action | By whom | By when | Expected outcome |
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1. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide pay due regard to the need to eliminate any unlawful discrimination against disabled people? | Ensure all staff are informed about unlawful discrimination and disability equality through effective CPD and appropriate HR policies. I | HR Team. | CPD programme in place. Phase 1 - awareness raising - by December 2006.Phase 2 - implementing changes by August 2007 | |
Inform key policy groups about changes and monitor impact of new policies. I | Communications Team. | June 2007 | |
Ensure that publications, including internal and external websites, are accessible. I , E | | | Key groups clear about expectations. E&D group clear about progress. |
Continue to ensure through inspection guidance and quality assurance systems that equality and diversity issues including disability equality issues are addressed within inspection reports as appropriate. | | | Employees and stakeholders report effective access to information. |
2. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide are able to pay due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between disabled and non-disabled persons? | Ensure all staff are informed about the need to promote disability equality through effective CPD and appropriate HR policies. Ensure training interventions are included in learning and development programmes. I Continue to report on issues relating to equality of opportunity for disabled people in published reports. | HR Team. | CPD programme in place. Phase 1 - awareness raising - by December 2006.Phase 2 - implementing changes by August 2007 | Equality issues visibly promoted within organisation.Inspection staff able to advise stakeholders on effective promotion. |
Include disability equality in corporate and business plans (process ongoing). I | Senior Management Group ( SMG) working with D&E Group. | February 2007 | 3 year plans in place with measurable outcomes for disability equality. . |
Consider specific tasks relating to improving equality for all learners E | | | Tasks identified. |
3. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that the policies you develop and/or the services you provide are able to pay due regard to the need to eliminate any harassment of disabled people, related to their disability? | Ensure all staff are informed about the need to pay due regard to eliminate any harassment of disabled people through effective CPD and appropriate HR policies. I During inspections and review, pay close attention to feedback from stakeholders and address any harassment issues highlighted. E HR Team. | Directorates: Assistant Chief Inspectors ( ACIs) and Managing Inspectors ( MIs) | CPD programme in place. Phase 1 - awareness raising - by December 2006. Phase 2 - implementing changes by August 2007. | Staff clear about action to take if evidence of harassment both internally and on inspections. |
4. What arrangements will you put in place to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people? | Ensure all staff are informed about the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people through effective CPD and appropriate HR policies. I | HR Team. | CPD programme in place. Phase 1 - awareness raising - by December 2006. Phase 2 - implementing changes by August 2007. | Positive staff attitudes toward disability via CPD and in staff surveys. |
Review current use of range of diversity images in publications and public banners and take steps to increase use of positive disability images as appropriate. | Communications team. | Ongoing | Use of positive disability images in publications. |
5. What action will you take to encourage the participation of disabled people in public life? | Continue to appoint and engage disabled staff in mainline activities. | HR Team.Directorates. | Ongoing | Increased involvement of disabled employees and stakeholder/partners in core activities. |
Continue to work with (disabled) partners/ stakeholders in inspections and reviews and in working groups as appropriate. | Ongoing |
Place disability duty on agendas of regular meetings between key personnel from HMIE and other public bodies (Education Authorities/ Colleges)Continue to include and develop discussions about disability and equalities in inspected services and published reports | Further Education ( FE) network. Directorate 4. District Inspector ( DI) network. Directorate 5. | Ongoing | A greater shared understanding and action about disability issues among and participation between main education bodies. |
6. How will you ensure that disabled people are involved in the development of your department's policies and activities? | Disabled people representing both the organisation and its stakeholders - parents and students - are on our Diversity and Equality Group. They, in turn will act as main links for focus groups. Membership will be kept under review to ensure that the Group continues to reflect the wide range of interests of HMIE. This will ensure that the diversity of disabilities is reflected in the focus groups. | Diversity and Equality Group. | Established June 2006 | Feedback from Diversity & Equality group shaping policies and actions. |
7. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that we are able to report on progress on an annual basis? | Work with Scottish Executive's HR colleagues to gather relevant data. | HR Team. | December 2007 | Annual report published. |
Use existing structures to gather information emerging from inspections and reviews. | Stats Team. |