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Recruiting, training, employing, retaining and supporting the career aspirations of disabled staff in lifelong learning
Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning
| Date: | Tuesday 18 September 2007 |
| Venue: | Thistle Marble Arch, Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH |
| Ref: | C15-42/09/07 |
| Fee*: | £198 (includes lunch, tea/coffee and a copy of
the interim report) NB: NIACE does not charge VAT on conference and course fees |
[Overview] [Background & Aims] [Programme]
Overview
A conference for senior managers, Human Resources staff, CPD managers and teachers and other staff working in lifelong learning (HE, FE, ACL, VCS, sixth form colleges, work based learning and museums and libraries).
This conference will give participants an opportunity to engage with the most recent policy and research developments that affect provision from strategic to operational levels from senior managers through to learners and every member of staff working in the organisation.
This conference will launch the interim report and subsequent consultation period of the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning. NIACE has been leading on the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning. This conference will give delegates the opportunity to be the first to hear the interim findings and recommendations. Delegates will also receive a copy of the report.
The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) supports the Higher Education sector in its mission to realise the potential of all staff and students whatever their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age, to the benefit of those individuals, higher education institutions and society. The ECU was established in 2001 to promote equality for staff employed in the Higher Education sector. Its role was expanded in 2006 to cover equality and diversity issues for students as well as staff. The ECU will report on important developments for staff working in the Higher Education sector.
The sector skills council, Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) will report on recent developments that will affect the whole workforce, but most particularly on the workforce strategy, the new Occupational Standards for teachers, the management of staff data particularly that which refers to diversity and disability. These have important implications for disabled people.
Dealing with sickness and long-term absence is an issue that requires great sensitivity and understanding on behalf of both line managers and HR staff. The evidence submitted to NIACE suggests that disabled staff in particular are often left with feelings of harassment and discrimination, following absences from work. The Association of Colleges (AoC) will report on the issues for Human Resource Managers and what has been identified as real operational concerns in supporting disabled staff.
Ensuring effective management and leadership is one of the cornerstones of developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) will discuss strategies for both promoting good practice in employing and supporting disabled staff, but also initiatives to encourage disabled staff into leadership roles.
The Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning
The Commission aims to investigate and report on the experiences of disabled
staff in the lifelong learning sector. It will report its findings to the
public, the government, training providers, unions and lifelong learning
employers and staff.
Who are disabled staff?
By disabled staff, we are using a broad definition to include physical,
sensory and cognitive impairments, mental health difficulties, long-term health
conditions, learning disabilities and neurodiversity, learning differences or
difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. This will include that defined by
the Disability Discrimination Act, but also include wider social interpretations
of disability.
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Background
In policy terms, disabled staff appear to be largely invisible in the lifelong learning sectors. There is a belief that they are under-represented in teaching but there is little clear statistical data on this. While some data does exist about the numbers of staff who have disclosed a disability, the validity of this data is questionable. The public sector Disability Equality Duty applies to both staff and learners and so any solution to questions about disabled teachers and other staff is now part of a legal requirement. NIACE recognises that teachers and other staff with disabilities have not had as much attention as, for example, black staff. This commission is an attempt to put this right.
It is estimated that 20% of the workforce have a disability. However, trade union records and data from higher and further education institutions find that only about 3% of people working in the lifelong learning sectors have declared a disability. Similarly, the sector skills council Lifelong Learning UK estimates that only 2.3% of staff working in the FE sector in England have voluntarily disclosed a disability.
Without good data and information, it is impossible to know the extent to which disabled people are trained, recruited, retained and promoted within the lifelong learning sector. It is believed that many disabled people leave the sector due to their disabilities. This may be avoidable.
What are the issues for disabled staff?
Firstly, we believe that there are many disabled staff who are fully
integrated into the workforce, receiving the right support to be able to stay in
their jobs and have appropriate career development opportunities. There are
however many challenging issues faced by disabled staff, their colleagues and
employees. Evidence from the literature and anecdotal reports show that:
 | disabled people are bullied and harassed in the work place. This includes being forced to take disability-related leave as annual leave; being made to undertake tasks which are difficult because of their disability but not essential to their role. |
| there has been a loss of skilled and qualified people from the workforce, including those with specialist skills in scarce subjects. This loss may be through ill-health retirement, reduction of hours, reduced pay or downgraded work |
| skilled and qualified people leave the workforce, become economically disadvantaged and enter the welfare benefits system |
| disabled staff are largely invisible in senior positions in the lifelong learning system. There is clearly some inequity here, just as there is in relation to black staff |
| there are too few education staff to act as role models for disabled people to aspire to. |
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Programme
| 09:45 | Arrival and registration (tea/coffee available) |
| 10:00 | Welcome from Chair Alan Tuckett, Director – NIACE |
| 10:15 | Keynote address: Susan Pember, Director – Further Education and Learning and Skills Performance Group, Lifelong Learning Directorate, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) |
| 10:50 | Launch of the Interim Report of
the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning Leisha Fullick, Chair – the Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning |
| 11:30 | Mid-morning break (tea/coffee available) |
| 11:45 | Promoting positive leadership
and managing the career aspirations of disabled staff Lynne Sedgemore, Chief Executive – The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) |
| 12:20 | Discussion |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | How LLUK will promote
disability issues in the lifelong learning sectors David Hunter, Chief Executive – Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) |
| 14:45 | Supporting HR managers with
real operational concerns in managing disabled staff Nathan Lucas, Senior Employment Adviser – Association of Colleges (AoC) |
| 15:20 | Creating equality in the Higher
Education sector Amy Norton, Policy Officer – Equality and Diversity, HEFCE Katie Germer, Policy Officer – Widening Participation, HEFCE |
| 16:00 | Close of Conference (tea/coffee available) |
This programme is correct at the time of going to press. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the published programme in the event of one or more of the advertised speakers being unable to attend. Delegates will have no claim against NIACE in respect of such changes.
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Also in September 2007...
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