Notes of the College Liaison Group meeting, 23 March
2016, College Development Network, Stirling
Attendance
Elaine Ballantyne
Marla Baird (MB)
Nancy Birney
Graeme Brewster (GB)
Fiona Clark
Patricia Currie
Helen Duncan
Clare Fraser
Shelagh Fraser
Brian Gilchrist
Susan Inglis
Dorothée Leslie
Suzanne Marshall (SM)
Freya Douglas (FD)
Barbara Lawson (BL)
Stephanie Millar (SFM)
Equality Officer
Equality and Inclusion Manager
Head of Equality & Inclusion
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Manager
Learning & Teaching Advisor
Senior Curriculum Manager Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality and Diversity Adviser
EDI Manager
Quality Officer
Assistant Principal
Equalities, Policy and Research
Manager
Director of Curriculum (HE)
Adviser
Programme Manager
Senior Policy Adviser
Senior Policy Adviser
South Lanarkshire College
Ayrshire College
Glasgow Clyde College
City of Glasgow College
Fife College
Glasgow Kelvin College
Perth College UHI
West College Scotland
West Lothian College
New College Lanarkshire
Edinburgh College
Dundee and Angus College
College Development Network
ECU
ECU
ECU
1. Welcome and apologies
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The group were welcomed to the meeting and CDN were thanked for hosting the meeting.
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Apologies were noted from Priscilla Marongwe (SRUC), Jo Aitken (SRUC), Claire Hall (Fife
College), David Killean (Borders College).
2. Notes of last meeting
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The notes from the meeting held on 7 October 2015 were approved with no outstanding
actions. They are on the ECU website.
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The summary note of the discussion on staff resourcing and structures for E&D in colleges
from the October meeting is now online under the CLG section of the ‘your equality networks’
page: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/get-involved/equality-networks/
3. Items for discussion
a.
Race Equality Network
FD presented the paper from ECU proposing a Scottish Race Equality Network for both colleges
and HEIs and asked for the groups’ views. The opportunity for sharing practice and learning on
race equality was welcomed but there were mixed views as to whether the proposed network was
the best way to take this forward. Views included:
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Some colleges felt that, because they are working across protected characteristics, a network
that focussed on only one had the potential to be limiting. While some felt that their colleges
might not be doing enough on race equality, and this network could support them to do more.
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Scotland has different race demographics across regions, which would need to be taken into
account. For example, some colleges in more urban areas may have higher proportions of BME
students, may have well established links with race networks and may be undertaking a
significant amount of race equality work already, while some colleges in less diverse areas may
have less knowledge about addressing race equality.
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Duplication of any work should be avoided. Consideration should be given to work already
carried out nationally, for example, by the Scottish Government on its race equality
framework, BEMIS or the STUC BME Forums. Having speakers from these organisations could
be helpful.
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The group agreed that it would be useful to scope the need for a network and its use for
colleges.
Action: ECU to consider holding a scoping event to enable colleges to determine whether they
would benefit from engaging with such a network.
b. LGBT+, with a focus on trans and non-binary issues
SFM presented a paper written by Gemma Tracey of ECU on its plans for updating its trans
guidance and asked for comment. ECU is keen for CLG input to the guidance, especially to provide
case study materials. Discussion included:
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Members confirmed that in the sector they engage for the most part with gender fluid or nonbinary individuals, though there appeared to be no standard policy on this, nor an agreed
definition being used, which would be welcomed in the guidance.
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Guidance on supporting non-sequential journeys using case studies was suggested.
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Members felt that including in the publication a policy and procedure template would be very
useful.
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Members suggested that trans should be built into existing frameworks, e.g. the needs
assessment process for students can be used as a framework for supporting trans students.
The ELS review changes should be mentioned in this context.
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Guidance on questions for online applications information was sought, including use of ‘Mx’.
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Issues of school systems differing to college systems and school to college transitions were
highlighted.
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Members agreed that further work needed to be done with key Scottish organisations on
emerging issues, such as LGBT Youth, Stonewall Scotland, Scottish Transgender Alliance,
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Equality Network and NUS Scotland, and that guidance needed to reflect the divide between
urban and rural contexts, the age of accessing services being different in Scotland, as well as
the legislation.
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Members offered examples of trans practice in key activities including application processes
(Ayrshire, Glasgow Kelvin); school-college partnership procedures; Edinburgh College and
Forth Valley college have developed a videoclip which offers staff guidance.
Action: CLG members to ask colleagues their views on the trans guidance needed and feedback
to ECU.
Action: ECU to progress the guidance and ask CLG for examples of practice in due course.
c.
Corporate Parenting Duty
MB asked for other college’s practice regarding corporate parenting. There was a comprehensive
discussion on where individual colleges were in relation to practice and developing their Corporate
Parenting Plan.
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Glasgow Kelvin’s Corporate Parenting Plan is almost complete and has involved consultation
with partners and covers articulation into HE. Currently it is considered as part of the college’s
needs assessment and assesses a student’s health and wellbeing as well as learning needs.
Staff are provided with training.
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New College Lanarkshire has published its corporate parenting plan on its website.
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SM suggested the group gets in touch with Andree Caruthers who has responsibility for care
leavers at CDN or Robert Foster at Who Cares? Scotland.
d. Prevent Duty
MB asked for other colleges’ practice regarding the Prevent Duty.
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NESCol has a position statement on its website.
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Forth Valley has embedded Prevent into its work and sections of its website into Protect,
Prevent, Parent. A diagram connecting Safeguarding and Corporate Parenting has been
developed.
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All agreed that equality and diversity is a key aspect of Prevent but there is a risk of
stereotyping certain groups, for instance there is a need to ensure actions do not become
Islamophobic.
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There is a clear difference in approach to Prevent in Scotland, where it sits within the Equality
Unit in the Scottish Government, rather than within the Justice Department as in England. This
context creates a different approach.
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There was discussion about sources of development: Free JISC training, free RGU collaborative
online training; Bright Choices training (focuses on risk from specific nationalities). Police
Scotland have also developed training with college support.
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CDN are looking at a sector strategy for safeguarding.
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CLG members see a clear need for raising awareness of Prevent within curriculum delivery as it
is often only support staff who receive training.
Action: ECU to contact colleges for examples if it progresses with a Scottish briefing paper.
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e.
Extended Learning Support Review discussion
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SM spoke to this as an ELS advisory group member.
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The replacement for DSA funding is the Access and Inclusion Fund; plans will have to be in
place for colleges to indicate how they intend to administer the funds allocated by August
2017.
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There is an opportunity for links between this change and development of the next round of
individual college equality outcomes within the same time frame.
Action: SM to share SFC summary paper and presentation with the CLG.
f.
British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 and national strategy
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SFM presented update paper and asked for comments. The general view was that colleges are
waiting for the Scottish Government to produce its national policy before they develop their
own.
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The group asked if there is a tool/app for translating text or speech to BSL.
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GB shared a conference paper: Jemni M and Elghoul O (2007) An avatar based approach for
automatic interpretation of text to sign language 9th European Conference for the
Advancement of the Assistive Technologies in Europe, San Sebastian.
Action: SM to speak with CDN’s Digital Adviser Paul Scotland and feedback on any information
they have on a BSL avatar.
4. ECU briefing paper - project updates & upcoming opportunities
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The group was in favour of the June CLG meeting being used for an equality outcomes
workshop. They felt that a lessons learned approach would be of benefit, including how to
evaluate previous outcomes, how to set measures of success to better enable monitoring and
evaluation.
Action: ECU to proceed with planning an equality outcomes workshop for June.
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Members were reminded to book on to ECU’s Scotland conference 2016, which is on 26 April.
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/events/progressing-equality-and-diversity-in-scottish-further-andhigher-education-3/
Action: Members to book on and share the weblink with colleagues.
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ECU has almost completed its involvement with the SQA on development of the PDA. CDN will
undertake a mapping exercise with the current PDA Inclusiveness to identify transition
arrangements now that the award content has been finalised. Once this has been completed
and approved by last stakeholders and the Qualification Design Team (QDT), it should undergo
validation in the next few months.
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The staff equality project is now progressing, with the advisory group having had its first
meeting. ECU is looking for participants to sit on its working groups. The data group will take
place on the 21st April (not the 6 or 7 as stated in the ECU briefing paper) and we’d like
members of the CLG to be part of this.
Action: Shelagh Fraser of West Lothian to provide contact information for the UNISON lead on
the FE committee to SFM.
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Group members involved in ECU’s Attracting Diversity project shared their areas of focus and
experience of the project so far. The group was reminded that the dates of the next crossinstitution meetings have moved to 26th and 27th May.
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FD updated the group on the Scottish National Equality Improvement Project (SNEIP), which
ECU has been involved with. She is attending a sounding board meeting in April and will feed in
the college sector’s views on priorities for the next phase of the project, which included
support on equality impact assessment and increasing disclosure through a national campaign.
5. College Development Network update – Suzanne Marshall, CDN
Suzanne referenced the latest E&D newsletter which included useful updates.
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CDN has a new project just starting, which is a framework for supporting professional learning,
including the curriculum, which has ED&I embedded. This will refresh QELTM and provide an
online train the trainer facility. It aims to complete by the end of July.
6. Member updates
Members summarised their priority activities and developments which included:
College
Activity
City of Glasgow
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EDI staff badge/champion promotion.
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Online staff CPD module.
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Equality outcomes framework review.
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Roll out of Prevent and Corporate Parenting Plan.
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Staff development and E&D includes updating EDI staff CPD modules
activity to increase staff awareness of all PCs and a June staff event.
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Developing student induction materials.
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Self-Evaluation process: learner on writing to promote discussion on
E&D.
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Working on video material to advance E&D in teaching practice.
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LGBT charter mark submission preparation.
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ECU Attracting Diversity programme.
Fife
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Work in the curriculum and with the college EDI strategy group.
Glasgow Clyde
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EDI EO Interim report for Glasgow regional work.
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Supporting new appointee for cross-college inclusiveness work.
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Corporate Parenting Plan.
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Gender Action Plan activity.
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Prevent.
Dundee and
Angus
Edinburgh
Glasgow Kelvin
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New College
Lanarkshire
Perth
South
Lanarkshire
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Students on HE Law programme participated in developing an
information publication on Scots Law, and engaged successfully with the
CROWN Office and Police Scotland culminating in an event at
Parliament.
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Guide to embedding EDI in the curriculum.
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Post Mainstreaming report activity; one to one meetings with every
partner college in UHI.
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Staff conference June, key case studies.
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Focus on staff support.
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Aiming for IiP Platinum.
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LGB Youth activity.
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Maintaining leaders in Diversity status.
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Staff monitoring.
Action: Dorothée Leslie to share the reflective tool they have been using at Dundee and Angus
to map elements of college activity/evidence to their equality outcomes.
7. Dates of future meetings, hosted by CDN:
– 15 June
– 5 October
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BL said this was to be her last CLG as she was leaving ECU. She thanked the group for their
support and contributions over the last 4 years. The group thanked her for all her hard work
for ECU and wished her well.
8. AOCB
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Members requested that ECU ask members to agree to share email addresses so that the
group can communicate and share information in between CLG meetings.
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Members expressed an interest in a Drop Box facility to be able to easily share and access
documents, such as were highlighted in today’s discussions.
Action: ECU to ask members to advise if they are happy to share email addresses with the group
for a CLG mailing list.
Action: ECU to progress a Dropbox, in partnership with CDN, as required.
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