Model Access and Inclusion Policy

							Implementing Equality and Diversity
   Policies in Children’s Centres
               Implementing Equality and Diversity Policies in Children’s
Centres


Policy Context:

XXX Children’s Centre staff are committed to promoting equality and valuing
diversity by providing services which are accessible and relevant to children and
families of all backgrounds and cultures within the local community in order to make
a difference in their lives. We respect and celebrate difference, and will promote the
principles of understanding, and respect for others. No one will be discriminated
against including children and their families, staff members or visitors to the centre
on the grounds of social circumstances or background, gender, race, colour, ethnic
origin, disability, sexuality, age, or religion.

This policy represents a guide for Children’s Centres in implementing Kent County
Council’s Equality and Diversity policy (available online at www.kent.gov.uk/council-
and-democracy/priorities-policies-and-plans/policies/equality-diversity-policy.htm)


Aim
XXX Children’s Centre will:

    Provide services which are accessible to all children and families within the
     local community and which meet diverse needs;
    Provide a secure environment in which all our children can flourish and in which
     all contributions are valued;
    Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of
     equality and diversity, and work with them in assessing service needs and
     provision;
    Promote equality and diversity through our materials, displays and resources;
    Listen and respond to the views of the community through consultation and
     participation;
    Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse
     ethnic and cultural groups and people with disabilities;
    Improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory
     practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity;
    Make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the centre; and
    Monitor take up of services to ensure they do not discriminate or exclude.

The legal framework for this policy is:

     Race Relations Act 1976;
     Race Relations Amendment Act 2000;
     Sex Discrimination Act 1986;
     The Children Act 1989;
     Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination Act 2001;
     The Disability Discrimination Act 1995;
     UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1998
     The Children Act 2004
     The Equality Act 2006
                Access
We aim to encourage children and families from all backgrounds within our
catchment area to take part in the activities on offer at the centre, and we monitor the
uptake of our services to ensure that they are accessible and relevant to different
community groups. In pursuit of this aim we take the following specific actions:

    We advertise our service widely
    We reflect the diversity of members of our society in our publicity and
     promotional materials.
    We provide information in clear, concise language, whether in spoken or written
     form.
    We ensure that all parents are made aware of our equal opportunities policy,
     through our parent/carers handbook (where applicable) and we will consult with
     parents/carers when there are any policy reviews.
    We will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, religion or social
     background, such as being a member of a travelling community or an asylum
     seeker, nor will we discriminate against children, young people and their
     families on account of their sexual orientation and age ranges.
    We will not discriminate against a child with a disability or refuse a child entry to
     the Children’s Centre because of any disability. Help and advice will be sought
     when necessary to aid a smooth integration (see SEN and Inclusion Policy).
    We will monitor and regularly review the uptake of services by equality strands
     in order to ensure that services are being accessed by those who need it.
    We will work closely with the parent/main carer of the child with disabilities to
     ensure they can participate successfully in the services offered by the centre
     and in the curriculum offered.
    We will take action against any discriminatory behaviour by staff or parents. We
     operate the corporate Dignity at Work standards and expect our staff and clients
     to be treated with respect and care.
    Displaying openly racist insignia, distribution of racist material, name calling, or
     threatening behaviour are unacceptable on or around the premises and will be
     dealt with in the strongest manner.
    This policy represents a guide for Children’s Centres in implementing Kent
     County Council’s Equality and Diversity policy (available online at
     www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/priorities-policies-and-
     plans/policies/equality-diversity-policy.htm)

Employment
As all Children’s Centre staff are employed by Kent County Council, the Children’s
Centre follows KCC‘s policy on equal and fair treatment in employment. This means
we adhere to the following standards:

 Aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse community of Kent
 Provide fair access to learning and development opportunities, encourage and
  support staff in fulfilling their potential
 Provide a safe and accessible working environment that values and respects the
  identity and culture of each individual and that is free from discrimination,
  harassment and victimisation
 Involve and communicate effectively with members of staff and staff groups
 Provide fair and transparent pay and reward systems.
                We will also regularly review our workforce profile by equality strands
in order to ensure consistency and fairness.

Training
As all Children’s Centre staff are employed by Kent County Council, the Children’s
Centre follows KCC‘s policy on equal and fair access to training. We will also ensure
that:
       Staff are trained to the required professional standards in order to ensure
         excellent service delivery for children young people and their families.
       All learning and development that staff undertake include equality and
         diversity considerations are embedded within them.
       Staff will receive updates and developments in the area of equality and
         diversity in order to ensure that staff are skilled, competent and confident in
         expediting their duties

For more information, see the KCC Equality and Diversity Strategy at:
www.kent.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/priorities-policies-and-
plans/policies/equality-and-diversity.htm

Early learning and play
    The Early Years Foundation Stage encourages children to develop positive
       attitudes about themselves as well as to people who are different from
       themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and begin to
       develop the skills of critical thinking. Through the activities and support
       offered by the centre, we will promote positive, non-stereotyping images about
       diverse racial groups, people with disabilities or special educational needs,
       older people, religious backgrounds and lifestyle choices in order to help
       children to value other people’s ideas and contributions.
    We will do all that we are able to ensure that all children are able to participate
       in the activities offered by the centre and are able to overcome and barriers to
       participation, which may relate to sensory or physical impairment, learning
       difficulties or emotional or social development, or may relate to factors in their
       environment. For more information, please see our SEN and Inclusion
       Policy.

Valuing diversity in families
    We welcome the diversity of family lifestyles and work with all families.
    We encourage children to contribute stories of their everyday life to the
      Children’s Centre, through photo albums of our families, projects and general
      discussions etc.
    We encourage parents/carers to take part in the life of the Children’s Centre
      and to contribute fully, e.g. through news letters, topic letters, social and fund
      raising events.
                     For families who speak languages in addition to English, we
       will do our best to develop a means to ensure their full inclusion.

Food
   We work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure that the medical,
     cultural and dietary needs of children are met.
   We help children to learn about a range of food, and of cultural approaches to
     mealtimes and eating, and to respect the differences among them
   For further information, please see our Food and Drink Policy.

Partnership with Parents and Carers
    The Children’s Centre aims to create a warm and friendly environment where
      parents/carers feel able to communicate and voice their opinions freely.
    We work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure that information is
      communicated clearly both verbally and in written form, through news letters,
      notices and leaflets.
    We communicate verbally on a daily basis with parents and carers and
      encourage them to become involved in social events throughout the year
      and/or to be involved in our Parents’/Carers’ forum.
    Any changes in policy are communicated in written format
    We operate an open door policy and we welcome and value the views and
      opinions of our parents/carers.

Policy Implementation

      All staff are responsible for the implementation of this policy and conducting
       regular reviews. The Centre Manager will ensure that all elements of this
       policy are adhered to within the Centre.

      All staff are made aware of this policy as part of their induction, reviews, and
       training.
      This policy is linked to all Centre policies, but has particular relevance to the
       following policies: Food and Drink, Partnership with Parents and Carers, Play,
       and SEN/Inclusion Policy.


Arrangements for complaint

Any family who feels they have been unfairly treated or discriminated against by XXX
Children’s Centre has the right to make a complaint and have their complaint heard
and acted upon accordingly.

Our policy for handling complaints is defined in the XXX Children’s Centres
Complaints Policy.


Arrangements for Review:
This draft model policy has been written in consultation with a group of Children’s
Centre Managers and was released on 01/04/2010.

To submit your comments about this policy, please use our feedback form at:
www.clusterweb.org.uk/chc/chc_documents.cfm.


Document Properties
This Policy has been written by:     CFE Policy with support from CFE Directorate Equalities
                                     Lead
Title                                Model Equalities and Diversity Policy

Version History
November 2009             v1                   First Release – draft for consultation
April 2010                v2                   Second release – final version