Equality & Diversity

Equality Manager: Judith Mulry

Merthyr Tydfil College is proud to be a member of the Global Village organising committee, (click to visit the website.)

About Us

The Single Equality Scheme aims to ensure that every person is treated with dignity and respect regardless of their age, gender (including gender reassignment) disability, family responsibility, marital, parental or partnership status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, trade union activity or any other irrelevant criteria. We wish to promote and sustain a culture where mutual trust and respect are the foundation of working relationships between staff and students.

The University is currently revising the Single Equality Scheme in the light of the new Equality legislation which is scheduled for agreement during the spring of 2010 with implementation from autumn 2010.

The college has Dignity at Work and Dignity at Study Policies the purpose of which is to assist in developing a culture in which unfair treatment, discrimination, bullying, harassment, victimisation and exclusion are known to be unacceptable. The policies also provide adequate procedures to deal with such incidents should they occur.

The College Inclusivity & Diversity Groups

The College has an Inclusivity and Diversity Steering Group (CiD) for staff and learners which covers all of the equality strands – disability, race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation and transgender.

The forums meet regularly and support the planning, development, implementation and review of the Single Equality Scheme. CiD takes an overall co-ordinating responsibility for equalities issues and offers a two way information exchange between Merthyr Tydfil College and the University of Glamorgan’s Equality and Diversity Steering Group.

The CiD learners’ group invites students to discuss challenges, make suggestions and offer solutions to issues raised. The learners inform the planning process and contribute to the college’s Single Equality Scheme actions plan.

The CiD learners’ group nominates a representative to attend the staff steering group ensuring that students’ suggestions are discussed and acted upon by college management.

Minutes of the meetings are available and new members are always welcome. If you would like to become a member of the CiD staff group, or if you have any suggestions or issues to raise then please chat to Judith Mulry.

Judith Mulry
Room 5.
Telephone number (01685) 726198 or
j.mulry@merthyr.ac.uk

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The Disability and Learning Coach Team (click here)
All our Learning Coaches are well qualified, many have post graduate and teaching qualifications and all regularly undertake relevant training as part of their Continuing Professional Development.

Dyslexia and Disability

Under the Disability Discrimination Act the College has a legal responsibility to all learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to provide reasonable adjustments enabling them to participate fully in college life. The Disability and Learning Coach team can offer learning support to learners with dyslexia and disabilities in an inclusive, non-discriminatory environment where learners are encouraged to fulfil their potential. The Disability and Learning Coach team currently offers one to one, in-class and small group support to learners.

The team has access to a variety of resource materials and specialist software including Lucid Adult Dyslexia Screening (LADS). The screening tool is available by appointment to learners and staff in a private and confidential setting. Advice and guidance is offered prior to and after screening and following discussion referrals may be made to an independent Educational Psychologist for diagnosis.

If you would like to chat about your learners’ support needs, please call into the Learning Zone and speak with one of the Learning Coaches.

14-19 Pathways

The Welsh Assembly Government’s 14 – 19 Learning Pathways includes an entitlement for all learners to have access to a Learning Coach. The college has a Learning Coach team which is undergoing training to achieve Recognised or Accredited Learning Coach status in association with the local 14-19 Network.

If you have a young learner between the ages of 14 and 16 years of age who is educated other than at school (EOTAS) the college is currently able to provide the Learning Coach entitlement.

The Learning Coach team is hoping to offer the entitlement to young people between 16 and 19 years of age from September 2010. If you have a learner you feel may need support in planning their learning pathway, then please contact the Learning Coach team based at the Learning Zone for more information (click here).

Jacqui Butler
Learning Zone.
Telephone number (01685) 726021 or
j.butler@merthyr.ac.uk

Equality Impact Assessments

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 requires that all new policies and functions and those under significant review are tested for relevance against the Act at least once every three years.

For existing policies and functions identified as having a high relevance to the Act, an impact assessment must be carried out. All new policies and those currently under review must also be impact assessed, please look at our impact assessment template and guidance notes (Click Here) and speak to Judith Mulry for advice.

Completing this form is similar to doing a risk assessment. It involves predicting and assessing what the implications of a policy, strategy or project will be on a wide range of people with different and varied needs. Don’t spend too long on the initial screening. At the question stage we are trying to assess obvious negative or positive impact or, importantly, gaps in our knowledge about possible impact.

New and revised policies and procedures will not be ratified unless an impact assessment has been conducted by the originator. For more information please speak to Judith Mulry.