Management Information Sheet

Would you like help developing a Single Equality Scheme for your school? If yes, book yourself on one of the workshops running in the autumn term. Who is the workshop aimed at? Headteachers, Governors or other senior staff members responsible for policy development within your school. Do I have to have a Single Equality Scheme in place? Answer - Please read text below*

A Single Equality toolkit and scheme template have been developed by Children's Services to assist schools in producing a Single Equality Scheme for their school.

Workshops on using the toolkit to develop a scheme will be held directly after the autumn term Area Headteacher Meetings (see dates and venues below).

The workshops will include the following objectives:

To understand the school's responsibility in respect of the Public Sector Duties and equality legislation

To feel confident in developing and implementing a Single Equality Scheme and action plan by:

		Data collection and analysis
		Involving and consulting your stakeholders
		Communicating your scheme
		Ongoing review and involvement and
		Introduction to Impact assessments

Area	Venue	Date	Time
North	The Old Rectory Hotel, Crostwick, Norwich	Wednesday 4 November 2009	1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
South	Barnham Broom Hotel, Barnham Broom, Norwich	Wednesday 11 November 2009	1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
West	West Norfolk PDC, King's Lynn	Friday 13 November 2009	1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
East	Masonic Royal Assembly Rooms, Gt Yarmouth	Monday 16 November 2009	1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
Central	Easton College, Norwich	Friday 20 November 2009	1.00 pm to 3.00 pm

Facilitators:

Debbie Moore and Rachel Williams, Equalities and Diversity Officers, Children's Services, Human Resources

For those attending the Area Headteacher Meetings prior to the workshop lunch will be provided.

If you would like to attend one of the above workshops or have any questions please email your name, job title and school to mailbox: csequalities&diversity@norfolk.gov.uk at least 14 days prior to the workshop date. Please state in your email if you have any special requirements e.g. access, sensory or dietary.

*Schools have duties to promote race, disability and gender equality and a duty to promote community cohesion. Schools must also eliminate discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, age or religion and belief. The duties cover staff, learners and people using the services of the school such as parents.

There are no current legal duties on schools to produce a Single Equality Scheme. However, the government has promised a forthcoming Single Equality Act. Taking a single equality approach recognises that people often share more than one aspect of their identity in relation to race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion and belief.

If you choose not to produce a Single Equality Scheme, then as a minimum you must have in place a three year race equality policy and action plan, accessibility plan, disability equality scheme and action plan, gender equality scheme and action plan, equal opportunities policy that covers sexual orientation, age and religion or belief and a strategy for promoting community cohesion (in the form of a policy, plan, or working group for example).

Incorporating the above policies, schemes and plans into one over arching Single Equality Scheme will help create a single, more streamlined and coherent document for promoting equality and diversity within your school.