3. SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES  – Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy.

We promote a working environment in which diversity is recognised, valued and encouraged. We acknowledge the multicultural and diverse nature of the UK workforce and society in general. We are committed to principles of fairness and mutual respect where everyone accepts the concept of individual responsibility. These principles are embedded into SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES ’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy.

We recognise that discrimination in the workplace/provision of training in any form is unacceptable and in most cases unlawful. We view any breach seriously. We will investigate and potentially take appropriate action.

Definitions and Protected Characteristics

Diversity. The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Protected Characteristics. No learner, or anyone our organisation deals with, receives less favourable treatment because of their protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are:

• Age

• Disability

• Gender Reassignment

• Marriage and Civil Partnership

• Pregnancy and Maternity

• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)

• Religion or Belief

• Sex

• Sexual Orientation

SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES ’s Stance

In adhering with this stance SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES  ensures equality of treatment for all by aiming to:

• raise awareness of equality and diversity

• ensure that you are never discriminated against or receive less favourable treatment because of a protective characteristic

• acknowledge any issues that could be defined as discrimination, victimisation or harassment with

an appropriately sensitive and prompt investigation

• comply with SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES in making suitable reasonable adjustments

Your Responsibilities

Each and every one of us is a stakeholder in the success of this policy. We expect you to make a positive contribution towards maintaining an environment of equal opportunity throughout the organisation. Please make sure you observe this policy at all times. In particular, you have individual responsibility to adopt the following:

• Do not take unlawful discriminatory actions or decisions contrary to the spirit of this policy

• Do not discriminate against, harass, abuse or intimidate anyone on account of their protected

characteristics

• Do not place pressure on any other learners to act in a discriminatory manner

• Resist pressure to discriminate placed on you by others and report such approaches to an appropriate

member of staff

• Co-operate when we investigate, including providing evidence of conduct which may amount to

discrimination

• Co-operate with any measures introduced to develop or monitor equal opportunity

Discrimination is not just treating one person less favourably than another. It can take place because:

• someone associates with a person with a protected characteristic;

• someone is believed to possess a protected characteristic (even though they do not);

We expect you to treat, and be treated by, other learners and the people our organisation deals with

considerately and with respect.

Where You Encounter Discrimination.

• If you feel subject to discrimination of any kind as identified within this policy, make clear to the individual concerned that you find it unacceptable. Person-to-person discussion at an early stage may be enough to resolve your concern without involving anyone else. Alternatively, seek the help of a trusted colleague (e.g. a fellow learner or a trusted member of staff) and ask them to approach whoever has caused you offence.

• If discrimination continues, or you consider an instance to be particularly serious, you should consider who to highlight the issue with. For the majority of cases this will likely be the tutor or assessor. However we appreciate that this staff member may be implicated in your concern and therefore when this happens they should approach the tutor/assessors line manager or the designated internal verifier.

• The staff member approached will carry out a suitable documented investigation or where more appropriate will refer the issue to an appropriate individual responsible for this area within the company. In this instance it will be (ELIZABETH BORD OR CAROLINE FREEDMAN).

• The result of the investigation into alleged discrimination will be communicated to you with information including the action taken and outcome highlighted if applicable or appropriate.

• If you feel dissatisfied about the outcome of the investigation and you want to appeal then you will need to contact (ELIZABETH BORD OR CAROLINE FREEDMAN) within five working days of receiving the outcome, who will carry out a review of these concerns.
 

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Publication date. April 2020 Review date. April 2021 Author. C BROWER & L BORD

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR TRAINING PROVIDER PARTNERS

PROCEDURES

All learners will be provided with as much support as they individually need and we will be available to the learners for them to access support.  This includes email and telephone support and we will aim to reply within 48 hours of the initial query and will take into account any learning difficulties and try to help as much as we can.  If this query is a complaint the following processes will apply:

6. SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES  – Reasonable adjustment and special considerations policy.

Introduction

This policy is primarily for our learners who are undertaking or have completed an SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES qualification or unit. It is also for use by our staff to ensure they deal with all reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests in a consistent manner.

This policy outlines:

• our arrangements for making reasonable adjustments and special considerations in relation to our qualifications

• how learners qualify for reasonable adjustments and special considerations

• the reasonable adjustments we will permit and those where permission is required in advance before they are applied

• what special considerations will be given to learners

Our responsibility

It is important that all SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES staff involved in the management, assessment and quality assurance of SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES qualifications, including our learners, are fully aware of the contents of this policy.

Review arrangements

We will review the policy annually as part of our self-evaluation arrangements and revise it as necessary in response to learner feedback, changes in our practices, actions from the regulatory authorities or as a result to changes in legislation.

If you would like to feedback any views, please contact us via the details provided at the end of this policy.at info@scoliosisspinalfusionandcpdcourses.com

Arrangements not covered by this policy

Circumstances for both internal and external assessment not covered in this policy should be discussed with SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES before assessment takes place. Please contact us via info@scoliosisspinalfusionandcpdcourses.com

Appeals

If you wish to appeal against our decision to decline requests for reasonable adjustments or special consideration arrangements, please refer to our Appeals Policy.

Process for requesting reasonable adjustments and/or special considerations

If you wish to make a request, you should complete the Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration request form  (info@scoliosisspinalfusionandcpdcourses.com

 to request a form) and in doing so supply relevant supporting information:

• learner’s name and SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES registration number 

• nature of, and rationale for the request

• supporting information/evidence (e.g. medical evidence or a statement from the invigilator or any other appropriate information)

Requests for reasonable adjustments should be submitted a minimum of 20 working days before the assessment.

Requests for special consideration should be submitted as soon as possible after the assessment and a maximum of five working days after the assessment. Requests for special consideration may only be accepted after the results of assessment have been released in the following circumstances:

• application has been overlooked at the centre and the oversight is confirmed by the centre contact

• medical evidence comes to light about a learner’s condition, which demonstrates that the learner must have been affected by the condition at the time of the assessment, even though the problem revealed itself only after the assessment

• for onscreen assessments where results are immediately available

If the application for special consideration is successful, the learner’s performance will be reviewed based on the available evidence. It should be noted that a successful application of special consideration will not necessarily change a learner’s result.

How SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES will deal with requests

We will aim to respond to all requests within five working days of receipt. If we are unable to respond on the same day we will provide you with an estimated response date.

Definition of reasonable adjustments

A reasonable adjustment is any action that helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation. They are made to an assessment for a qualification to enable a disabled learner to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills and understanding of the levels of attainment required by the specification for that qualification.

Reasonable adjustments must not affect the integrity of what needs to be assessed, but may involve:

• changing usual assessment arrangements, for example allowing a learner extra time to complete the assessment activity

• adapting assessment materials, such as providing materials in Braille

• providing assistance during assessment, such as a sign language interpreter or a reader

• re-organising the assessment room, such as removing visual stimuli for an autistic learner

• changing the assessment method

• using assistive technology, such as screen reading or voice activated software or getting the learner to bring in their own assistance eg a carer/special educational helper of their own to help them

• providing the mechanism to have different coloured backgrounds to screens for onscreen assessments or asking for permission for copying to different coloured paper for paper-based assessments

• providing and allowing different coloured transparencies with which to view assessment papers

Reasonable adjustments are approved or set in place before the assessment activity takes place; they constitute an arrangement to give the learner access to the programme. The use of a reasonable adjustment will not be taken into consideration during the assessment of a learner’s work.

SCOLIOSIS AND SPINAL FUSION CPD COURSES is only required by law to do what is ‘reasonable’ in terms of giving access. 

What is reasonable will depend on the individual circumstances, cost implications and the practicality and effectiveness of the adjustment. Other factors, such as the need to maintain competence standards and health and safety, will also be taken into consideration.

Definition of special considerations

Special consideration can be applied after an assessment if there was a reason the learner may have been disadvantaged during the assessment.

For example, special consideration could apply to a learner who had temporarily experienced: 

• an illness or injury

• some other event outside of their control and which has had, or is likely to have had, a material effect on that learner’s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her level of attainment in an assessment

Special consideration should not give the learner an unfair advantage; neither should its use cause the user of the certificate to be misled regarding a learner’s achievements. The learner’s result must reflect his / her achievement in the assessment and not necessarily his / her potential ability.

Special consideration, if successful, may result in a small post-assessment adjustment to the mark of the learner. The size of the adjustment will depend on the circumstances and reflect the difficulty faced by the learner.

Learners should note that:

• where an assessment requires the learner to demonstrate practical competence or where criteria have to be met fully, or in the case of qualifications that confer a licence to practice, it may not be possible to apply special consideration

• in some circumstances, for example, for on-demand assessments, it may be more appropriate to offer the learner an opportunity to take the assessment at a later date.
 

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Publication date. April 2020 Review date. April 2021 Author.C BROWER & L BORD

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR TRAINING PROVIDER PARTNERS