National Star Foundation is committed to enabling people with disabilities to realise their potential through personalised learning, transition and lifestyle services. At National Star College we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for our learners and staff.

We aim to create an environment where individuals are treated fairly, equally and with respect and are not discriminated again on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation. We recognise that everyone is different and treat these differences with equal value. We will challenge inequality and aim to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

We value:

• Equality
• Diversity
• Individuality
• Self Determination

And we believe in:

• Respect
• Integrity
• Perseverance
• Continuous Improvement

We:

• Deliver our services openly and fairly, in ways that suit each individual
• Invest in a skilled and diverse workforce
• Challenge discrimination in all its forms

We have:

• Published information in relation to age, gender, disability and ethnicity of our work force and our learners
• Published our key equality objectives
• Published our annual equality plan and progress against it, as part of our organisation quality improvement plan
• Monitored and analysed the progress and achievement and of our learners in relation to different groups and characteristics.
• Collated data on protected characteristics of our work force to better meet individual needs and minimise disadvantages
• Established SPECTRUM, a cross college equalities forum, in order to foster good relations between different groups

We will:

• Publish our progress against our equality plan each year
• Monitor training and staff development in relation to protected characteristics and different groups to better meet individual needs and minimise disadvantage

We have an Equality and Diversity Policy and all staff receive annual development in equality and diversity. There is an active staff and student equality group "Spectrum" which meets regularly. We undertake monitoring and use the data to inform our decision making, strategy and objectives. We have identified 8 key equality objectives and further information in respect of our equality action plan will be published shortly.

For more information:

Rachel Burke
College Equality Champion
Head of Human Resources
National Star College
01242 527631
rburke@natstar.ac.uk

Leonie Smith
College Equality Champion
Sales and Marketing Assistant
National Star College
01242 527631
lsmith@natstar.ac.uk

David Finch
College Equality Champion
Director of College Development
National Star College
01242 527631
dfinch@natstar.ac.uk

Jane Griffiths
College Equality Champion
Project Manager
National Star College
01242 527631
jgriffiths@natstar.ac.uk