Dear Colleagues,
Maybe a further reminder is that whatever policies, procedures and/or
processes that we formulate, from an institutional point of view, will
need to be implemented under the Equality and Diversity statutory
requirements, especially the RRAA General and Specific Duties.
Perhaps the hardest driving statutory requirements that we need to pay
the closest attention to are those of the burden of proof and vicarious
liability, on the institution.
If we continue to use the RRAA as a template for our institutional
responses to E&D requirements, anti-racist functioning (racial
harassment and bullying are forms of racism) will need to be
evidentially linked to all those institutional functions that are deemed
to be race equality relevant.
Staff and student needs, within those functions, will need to be
established and appropriately supported. Those of us who are setting up
groups of colleagues to advise and assist the institution with
anti-racist functioning, as part of implementing the institutional E&D
response, will need to be minded as to how best to do this, taking all
the staff, student and other partners' needs into account, as described
above.
Otherwise we might set up some very well intentioned structures, but
unless they are seen to embody the spirit of the E&D requirements,
especially the RRAA and seen to be so, especially by those who have
particular needs that have to be addressed accordingly, then we might
just be condoning unlawful institutional discriminatory practice,
unwittingly, but unlawfully nonetheless.
So some questions (for there are many that could be asked)that we might
ask ourselves and seek to answer adequately, as we set up the
Contacts/Champions Groups are:
1. What are the requirements that we should respond to, from an
institutional, therefore individual (Governors, all staff, students and
other partners') need point of view. Here we need to consider all the
E&D legislative requirements, to their appropriate depth, especially the
RRAA being the most demanding of them all)
2. What are the institutional and therefore individual,
responsibilities, accountabilities and consequences involved and how
should they be practically acknowledged.
3. Who (internally and/or externally) will need to be involved, why,
when and how, in setting up these structures and therefore how should
they be set up in order to reflect the required level of institutional
functioning.
4. What are the issues for and therefore the needs of, all those
involved,(especially of those we expect to be institutional contacts
and/or champions)and how should they be established and supported, in
order to ensure the most reasonable and practicable institutional
response. This raises the question of communication, consultation and
training. If training is necessary who should do it, why and therefore
how.
5. How does the institutional response chime with institutional E&D
policies and Action Plans under the common Vision, Mission, Aims and
Objectives.
As you can see, institutional anti- harassment/bullying functioning, in
its various forms, needs to be core to how our institutions respond to
E&D requirements, in order to ensure that good institutional practice
accrues to all who work and learn in or do business with our
institutions.
As such, it cannot happen in a vacuum and will need to be linked
appropriately, to all the other "bigger picture" areas of relevance,
within institutional practice. Otherwise it will, at best, raise false
expectations in those who might suffer unlawful institutional
discriminatory practice and at worst unwittingly make the institution
and certain individuals, potentially complicit in the commission of
those unlawful discriminatory acts.
Comments, suggestions etc are always welcome, as usual.
-----Original Message-----
From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Penny Alder
Sent: 07 September 2004 11:09
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: harassment and bullying policy/contacts
HE Administrators equal opportunities list
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>I would like to highlight that there is now a legal definition of
>harassment which was introduced in the Employment Equality Regulations
>under the Sexual Orientation/Religion/belief regulations.
thank you for the reminder, I am including this in our latest info re
Harassment and Bullying
Penny
Penny Alder
Equality and Diversity Advisor
Personnel Dept
The Surrey Institute of Art and Design University College
Falkner Road
Farnham
Surrey
GU9 7DS
Tel: 01252 892997
Fax: 01252 892680
email: [log in to unmask]
The views expressed in this email are those of the author and not
necessarily those of the Surrey Institute. This message may contain
confidential information and will be protected by copyright. If you
receive it in error please notify us, delete it and do not make use of
it,
or copy it. Any reply may be read by the recipient to whom you send it
and others within the Surrey Institute.
Although we aim to use efficient virus checking procedures the Surrey
Institute accepts no liability for viruses and recipients should use
their
own virus checking procedures.
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager at Trinity Development immediately on +44 (0)191 350 6538 quoting the name of the sender and the addressee and then delete it from your system. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Finally, the recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email.
|