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This document sets out Vale Training Services Ltd policy for ensuring equal opportunities in terms of access to qualifications and assessment. We pay particular reference to the Equality Act (2010) and how it is designed to tackle disadvantage and discrimination? Additionally Section 75 and Schedule 9 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 which came into force on the 1 January 2000. All previous pieces of legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act have been removed and updated with implementation of the Equality Act 2010.
Commitment
We support equal opportunities in education, training and employment and are
committed to ensuring that anyone who wants to gain one of our qualifications or awards
faces no unnecessary barriers in doing so.
Particular characteristics
For the purpose of this policy, we want to ensure we do not discriminate against learners
because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership,
pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and/or political
opinion.
Aims
To meet our commitment we will:
• offer qualifications and assessments that are based only on
occupational, technical, professional or statutory requirements and do not
unnecessarily discriminate against anyone on the basis of the particular
characteristics mentioned in this policy.
• ensure equality principles are embedded in the development process and
training of internal staff and consultants and will consult with relevant individuals
and organisations to ensure there are no unnecessary barriers to our
qualifications and awards.
• review all units, qualifications and assessments to ensure that they comply with
our equality policy.
• facilitate access to assessment by having in place clear arrangements for making
reasonable adjustments in relation to our qualifications and awards. These will
reflect the needs of individual learners and ensure the assessment remains valid,
reliable and consistent where adjustments are approved.
• ensure our staff are familiar with this policy and their own obligations to
equality law.
Putting this policy into practice
To put this policy into practice successfully we will:
• make it available to all staff, consultants and centres, and anyone who requests
it, and publicise it clearly on our website
• organise development activities for all staff and consultants involved in the
development and quality assurance of our qualifications and assessments
• review and improve the effectiveness of this policy on a regular basis.
• Where necessary certificating and registration bodies will be involved in making necessary reasonable adjustments to training and assessment provision using those bodies recognised procedures. What to do if you want to discuss access to assessment
If you are a candidate and you want to discuss access to assessment, please contact
the appropriate person (for example, Quality Assurance Co-ordinator). If you feel there has been a problem getting access to assessment or training and you believe your Vale Training Services has not dealt with properly, contact the centre Manager who will deal with the complaint formally:
Formally adopted August 2016
Reviewed July 2020
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