The College has an action plan to ensure learners help with the planning of its provision.

> Read more about Disability Rights at the Disability Rights Commission website [Click here]

DES Action Plan

Disability Equality Scheme

Background and Disability Legislation
Introduction to the College
The Current Position of the College
The Development of the Disability Equality Scheme and the Involvement of Disabled People.
Impact Assessments
Employment Duty
Accessibility of Buildings
Publishing, Monitoring and Review

1. Background and Legislation

Disability Legislation

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was designed to ensure that disabled people are treated more fairly, and brought in measures to eliminate discrimination against disabled people in employment and services. The Special Educational Needs Act 2001 amended the DDA 1995 to cover education. The Disability Discrimination Act (Amendment) 2005 introduced a new disability equality duty for the public sector. Now public authorities have a duty to build disability equality into the way they carry out their functions, from planning right through the evaluation.

General and Specific Duties for Public Authorities

The Requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (Amendment) May 2005 place both a general and specific duty on public authorities. The general duty requires that we:

Promote equality of opportunity between disabled and non-disabled people
Eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act
Eliminate disability-related harassment and bullying
Promote positive attitudes to disabled people
Encourage involvement and participation of disabled people in public life
Take steps to meet disabled peoples’ needs, even if this requires more favourable treatment.

The specific duties are:

To publish a Disability Equality Scheme by 4 December 2006, which will demonstrate how we intend to fulfil our general and specific duties
To involve disabled people in the development of the scheme
To include in the scheme a statement of:
1. The ways in which disabled people have been involved in the development of the scheme.
2. Our methods for impact assessments
3. The steps we take to fulfil the general duty – the action plan
4. Our arrangements for gathering information, in particular in reviewing the effectiveness of the action plan and in preparing subsequent Disability Equality Schemes.
5. Within three years of publishing the Disability Equality Scheme to take steps to implement the action plan and to use the information gathered to further improve access for disabled people.

2. Introduction to the College

Regent College is an independent specialist college offering day provision for learners aged 16 to 25 years. The college was established in 1999 by Shelton Care Ltd and operates from one building owned by Shelton Care

The college employs 2 full time and 6 part time tutors and the equivalent of 19 full time support staff. The college also has an IT Technician. A Speech and Language Therapist is provided for one day a week through a service level agreement with the local primary care trust. Advocacy is provided through ASIST.

The college also employs a Student Welfare Co-ordinator who is also a qualified learning disabilities nurse.

The College Senior Management Team consists of the Director for Client Services, the Principal, Quality Manager, Equality and Diversity Manager, Curriculum Manager and Student Support Manager.

The Disability Equality Scheme forms part of the college’s Equality of Opportunity, Race Equality and Disability Policy and Mission Statement and reflects all college policies and procedures to promote inclusion and equality.

With the new duties required by the Disability Discrimination Act (Amendment) 2005, the college has sought the involvement of learners, staff and directors to review the mission statement. The outcome was a revised Mission Statement which reflects the new focus on job skills and progression to paid and unpaid work to suit the changing needs of the learners.

The Mission Statement is:

‘Developing independence in an adult world through communication, vocational, social and life skills’

3. Current Position

Learners

At any one time the college will have 25 to 30 learners funded by the LSC. Currently 10 of these learners are provided for through a franchise arrangement with Stoke-on-Trent College. The age range of the learners is 16 to 25 years. All of the learners have complex and multiple disabilities. Over half of the learners have a diagnosis of autism or autistic-related difficulties.

Most of the learners live in the family home but many will move to residential care in the future.

The learners have a range of long term goals which include:

To access work either through supported employment or voluntary work
To move towards supported independent living

The Curriculum at Regent College

The Curriculum Framework has been modified to meet the changing needs of the learners as stated in the learner goals above. Through curriculum review, we have identified appropriate specific learning goals for each student with delivery of the Individual Learning Plan though a range of curriculum strands.

The college intends to build on successful practice to promote educational and social inclusion and develop widened access to vocational training and accredited Skills for Life programmes.

Learners whose long term goal is to access work can develop employability skills through a range of community venues. For example, we have close partnership working with:

The City Farm and college allotments where learners can develop vocational skills in gardening.
Barlaston Golf Course, where the learners develop their customer service and communication skills through providing refreshments to golfers.
Stoke-on-Trent College, where some learners can access Literacy and Numeracy courses from Entry to Level One
Newcastle-under-Lyme College which is providing an accredited basic IT course.
A range of local employers who are providing appropriate placements.

The employability skills curriculum is underpinned by the Work Experience and Support Policy.

The college is working towards embedding literacy and numeracy into the daily living skills and the vocational curriculum to enable equality of opportunity to our disabled learners.

Learners whose long-term goal is independent living can develop daily living skills through a range of modules including independent Daily Living Skills, Recreational and Creative Skills, Moving On and Community Awareness.

All learners access a range of enrichment activities, for example, swimming, horse riding, music and dance. Again, partnership working is important to us for this development work. Enrichment activities are carefully planned to enable the ongoing development of communication and interpersonal skills.

All students have access to a personal tutor and are supported by specialist staff and learning support assistants. Where specialist staff are not available, we use partnerships and local networks to ensure that needs are met.

Quality Assurance Processes

The college has a Quality and Curriculum group which meets termly.

Quality Indicators have been developed for the monitoring of learner progress against individual learning plans.

All learners have an individual learning plan which reflects their aspirations, interests and long term goals

All sessions are evaluated by the tutor and learners’ goals are tracked and monitored to ensure ongoing progress and achievement.

All learners have, at least, termly review, which teaching and learning, accessibility, progress, issues of concern etc can be discussed.

Regular observations of teaching and support staff are undertaken. The observation team consists of the Principal, the Quality Assurance Manager, the Equality and Diversity Manager and the Curriculum Manager.

The Principal leads on the SAR. All staff are involved in the process of self assessment.

The training needs of staff are identified through observations and appraisals.

A Structured Supervision Policy has just been agreed and is to be implemented as soon as possible.

Senior managers attend NATSPEC network meetings. The college actively seeks arrangements with other Independent Specialist Colleges in order to further improve professional practice.

Future Actions

The college intends to build on good practice and implement a process of audits of ILPS.

4. The Development of the Disability Equality Scheme

Regent College strives to enable disabled people to provide their views on provision. Disabled learners and agencies that represent them can provide their view on provision through:

Initial assessments when the view of learners, parents, carers, healthcare professionals, schools and Social Services is sought to inform the ILP.
Access to learner questionnaires in an accessible format and with advocacy through ASIST.
A multi-agency approach in the review process, which encourages parents and organisations who are involved with the learner are encourage to give their views on teaching and learning.
Access to one-to-one tutorials where they can talk about issues about their leaning and recreational activities.
Access to Learner Forums to allow learners to be actively involved in the planning of the college life.
A new Quality and Curriculum Group has been set up. Its aim is:

To provide support and advice to the Principal and Directors of Regent College on matters relating to Quality and Curriculum development.

In particular, the group will consider the college’s Self Assessment Report, Development Plan, Curriculum Framework and Equality and Diversity Plans, and in line with Quality Assurance procedures will receive regular reports on aspects of college policies.

Advice, guidance or recommendations made by the group will be considered by the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Directors.

However, the group is advisory, and has no authority over or responsibility for, the actions of the SMT or Directors.

Meetings

Meetings will take place on a termly basis at Regent College.

The meetings will be recorded. Papers and agenda for each meeting will be circulated 2 weeks in advance of the meeting. Minutes will be circulated within 2 weeks of the meeting taking place.

Membership

The group membership is intended to be representative of a range of educational, employment and community based groups with which Regent College has links.

Membership is by invitation.

The group comprises:

Regent College

Director of Client Services, Richmond Care Group
Principal of Regent College
Quality Assurance Manager
Curriculum Manager
Student Support Manager
Equality and Diversity Manager
Tutor
Learning Support

Stake Holders

Transition Social Worker
Head Teacher for Westwood College
Head of Skills for Life Faculty Stoke-on-Trent College
Principal for Strathmore College
Connexions, Staffordshire

Equality and Diversity will be a standing agenda item at the Quality and Curriculum Group.

The college acknowledges that more strategies for disabled peoples’ involvement needs to be developed.

5. Impact Assessments

Currently impact assessments are not undertaken.

Future Actions:

The college has appointed an Equality and Diversity Manger. The Equality and Diversity Manager is to attend Impact Assessment training in June.
All policies will be reviewed to identify any barriers and/or potential discrimination and the findings will be presented at the Quality and Curriculum Group.
Development of a pilot to enable the measurement of the impact of college polices on disabled learners and staff by undertaking:
1. Monitoring of success data for disabled learners in relation to disabled learners in similar kinds of Independent Specialist College provision
2. A study of potential disabled people who enquire about courses, but do not take up a place.
We aim to establish benchmarks for information gathering and develop action plans in response to data on:
1. Complaints from disabled learners and staff in relation to disability issues.
2. Grievances and disciplinary proceedings for disabled learners and staff
3. Analysis of withdrawal data in relation to disability issues.
4. Requests for reasonable adjustment for teaching and learning
5. Requests for alternative formats
6. Requests for reasonable adjustments for accessibility issues.

6. Employment Duty

Current Position

Monitoring of data of disabled staff from application, recruitment and progression to ensure that disabled employees have the same access to employment, training and progression as others.
Data is used to identify issues and barriers and to measure progress in this area.
Training in Recruitment and Selection and Absence Management is provided for all line managers. Both training programmes contain an element of DDA awareness and the requirement for ‘reasonable adjustments’.

Future Actions:

Ensure disabled members of staff are involved with the Quality and Curriculum Group
Equality and Diversity will be a standing agenda item at the Quality and Curriculum Group.
Make application forms available in alternative formats.
Analysis of data on recruitment selection, capability, disciplinary and dismissal in relation to disability issues.

7. Accessibility of College Buildings

The college is committed to providing excellent access to all areas of its building and aims to make the building fully accessible. Building work is currently being undertaken to enable full accessibility for disabled people.

The college has undertaken a disability audit of its building. A lift is currently being installed to enable learners to access the second and third floors. In addition, accommodation will be relocated in order to provide a self contained unit.

8. Publishing, Monitoring and Review

The DES will be published by:

A report to the Quality and Curriculum Forum and the LSC.
Circulation to all schools and organisations that represent disabled people in the locality.
Entry in local disability magazines and on the college website.

The DES Action Plan will be monitored and reviewed by:

The Quality and Curriculum Group on a termly basis
Annual report to the LSC
Formal meetings with the Senior Management Team
Disability Forums and focus groups for staff and students and local organisations that represent disabled people

The college will continue to involve disabled people in the review, development and implementation of the Action Plan and the Disability Equality Scheme by:

Specific questions on the Learner and Staff Surveys
Questionnaire to all learners
The Learner Forums and focus groups