New WLGA guidance documents for schools and education departments on equalities

Local government has a key role to play in advancing equality and each service and department has a role to play. The task of education departments is particularly complex as they not only contribute to corporate Strategic Equality Plans, but also support each school to develop its own Strategic Equality Plan. Schools, like local authorities, are subject to the Equality Act 2010’s Public Sector Equality Duties and must demonstrate due regard to the need to:

1. eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
2. advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not
3. foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

WLGA has produced guidance documents for education departments and schools. They designed to be a practical toolkit of supportive information and reference material for use when plans are being written and policies and proposals are being assessed.