Draft Public Sector Equality Duty - awaiting ratification from FGB

Thurston Community College - Public Sector Equality Statement 2021-22

Thurston Community College is committed to equality of opportunity for all.

We promote a whole College approach to equality and consider it important for students to learn about equality and human rights.

Our purpose is to inspire a love of learning, empower our College community with the knowledge and skills to help them make meaningful choices and contribute positively to the world in which we live.

To achieve excellence in all aspects of College life.

Through an ambitious curriculum supported by a range of opportunities we seek to ensure:

• Our students are successful learners who routinely create ‘beautiful’ work - work which comes from thoughtfulness, perseverance, skill and collaboration. 

• Our students are prepared to thrive in the ever changing and diverse world we live in.

• We nurture a sense of inclusion and wellbeing by supporting students (& staff) to take responsibility for their own personal journey.

• We foster an awareness of ‘difference’ and the need for understanding and equality in all that we do.

There are three main elements within the act and in carrying out our functions, as a College, we must have regard for the need to:

1)  Eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the act.
2) Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected 
    characteristic and people who do not share it.
3) Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a
    protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

This duty applies to all students, staff and others using the facilities. At all times we will give relevant and proportionate consideration to the PSED when considering our provision.

Protected characteristics under the Act are:

• Disability

• Gender reassignment

• Pregnancy and maternity

• Race

• Religion or belief

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

• Age (only applicable to staff, not students)

• Marriage and Civil Partnerships (only applicable to staff, not students)

NB: Age and marriage and civil partnership are not protected characteristics within the college’s provisions for student.

Our College will have due regard to advancing equality of opportunity including making a clear and consistent commitment to:

• Minimise or eliminate disadvantages suffered by person or persons who share a relevant protected characteristic.

• Take steps to meet the needs of a person or persons who share a protected characteristic that are different from the needs of others who do not share it.

• Encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate fully in public life

• Encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate fully in any college activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.

Thurston Community College welcome the opportunity to be transparent and accountable. 

We fulfil our duties by publishing our Disability Equality Policy and Accessibility Plan on the website.  This includes our Equality Objectives.

We aim to present the information in a format that is easy to read and can be accessed simply from the college website.  To support this, we publish a separate Public Sector Equality Statement annually.

Equality Information

We maintain confidentiality and work to the principles set out in the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) to protect personal data. We publish information in a way so that no student or staff member can be identified.

Staff

Students