Single Equality Scheme December 2009

The Department’s Single Equality Scheme (SES) has been updated and refreshed.

In this scheme, we say how we are making life better for children, young people and families who experience discrimination and disadvantage.

The December 2009 SES, like its December 2008 and December 2007 predecessors, is based on the Department’s Public Service Agreements (PSAs) and Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs).

What is new in the Single Equality Scheme update for December 2009?

• The DCSF response to feedback from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the 2008 Secretary of State Report on Progress towards Disability Equality
• The DCSF response to the Women and Work Commission’s 2009 recommendations on promoting gender equality
• Details of the work the department has undertaken on the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, 10 years on

What do you think about this the Single Equality Scheme?

We are interested to hear your views on how we could make the Single Equality Scheme even better. Please let us know your thoughts by contacting mailbox.edu@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

What was new in the Single Equality Scheme update for December 2008?

• human rights
• social class and equality of opportunity
• work towards ending violence against women
• work planned to address all the equality strands, including sexual identity, religion and belief, and, as an employer only, age, and the commitment to strengthen our priorities around these strands as the Single Equality Scheme develops.

Single Equality Scheme December 2007

Our equality priorities for 2008 are set out below.

The Department is responsible for leading activity across Government to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs) drive all aspects of our business and include a focus on equality and diversity.

Our performance framework for the period 2008-11 sets out our DSOs and Public Service Agreements (PSAs), and our equality priorities are part of that framework.

DSOs 1 and 2 are about securing the wellbeing of children and young people, and safeguarding the young and vulnerable.

To achieve these aims, we will focus on:

• improving services for disabled children and their families
• enhancing inclusion in sport and PE
• reducing bullying.

In meeting DSO 4 - to close the gap in educational achievement for children from disadvantaged backgrounds - we will focus on:

• the foundation stage:
  - closing the gap between the attainment of children from disadvantaged groups, and others, by addressing issues around the 16% lower than average take-up of early education / child care by certain communities
  - removing barriers and providing better access to childcare and other support for young disabled children
• ensuring equal access to schools
• raising the attainment of all children and closing gaps between those who are currently at risk of falling behind and their peers, including:
  - pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and other learners, by improving the implementation of the SEN framework and the quality of SEN support in schools
  - children and young people in care and other learners, by improving placement stability and providing more personalised support for their education.

In meeting our DSO 5  - to ensure young people are participating and achieving their potential to 18 and beyond - we will focus on:

• enhancing access, participation and attainment post-16 of disabled learners, learners from minority ethnic communities, and young women or men.

In meeting our DSO 6 - to keep children and young people on the path to success - we will focus on:

• reducing rates of exclusion from school
• ensuring equal access for disabled young people and for young women and men from minority ethnic communities to positive activities
• decreasing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training
• addressing youth crime.

In meeting our DSO 7 - to lead and manage the system - we will focus on getting our approaches right internally, and working with our partners to offer a model as well as guidance to the sector.

This means we will:

• support the development of diversity within the workforce working with children, young people and families
• discuss, monitor, and act on, equalities in:
  - our PSA board and performance management structures
  - all emerging policy, including the Children’s Plan
• develop understanding, capacity and compliance, on promoting equalities and assessing impact in the Department
• ensure our evidence collection and analysis responds to equalities priorities
• be an exemplar in:
  - our role as an employer
  - the way our external communications and our intranet promote access, challenge stereotypes and represent equalities
  - the use of procurement policy to promote equalities
  - how we involve and consult specific groups of children and young people in developing policy.

These are our top priorities. In some cases, they carry forward commitments made in our previous - and separate - race, disability and gender equality schemes. In other cases they are new commitments.

Delivering them will make a vital difference for some children, young people and families.

More detail on how we will achieve each of our equalities priorities is set out in our Single Equality Scheme Delivery Plan.

• These priorities do not represent all we will do. Progress on commitments made in previous equalities schemes is set out in separate Race, Disability and Gender Updates.

The Children's Plan

An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed on the Children’s Plan, and supporting EQUIAs on new policies on early years quality and play. Downloadable versions are available on the right hand side of this page.