Inclusion & Equality Policy at Mulberry Garden
Inclusion is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging. Inclusive early years practice is about anticipating, paying attention, responding to and reflecting on the needs and interests of all children. A commitment to inclusion should permeate all aspects of the design of educational programmes and the structuring of environments, as well as shaping every interaction with children, parents and other professionals (Birth to 5 Matters, 2021).
We take great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all staff, children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation has no place at Mulberry Garden.
A commitment to implementing our inclusion and equality policy is part of each employee’s job description. Should anyone believe that this policy is not being upheld, it is their duty to report the matter to the attention of Lucy Purnell at Mulberry Garden. Appropriate steps will then be taken to investigate the matter and if such concerns are well-founded, Mulberry Garden’s disciplinary policy will be followed.
The legal framework for this policy is based on:
● Special Education Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015
● Children and Families Act 2014
● Equality Act 2010
● Childcare Act 2006
● Children Act 2004
● Care Standards Act 2002
● Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
Mulberry Garden is committed to:
● Recruiting, selecting, training and promoting individuals on the basis of occupational skills requirements. In this respect, Mulberry Garden will ensure that no job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
● Creating a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.
● Providing a childcare place, wherever possible, for children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities or are deemed disadvantaged according to their individual circumstances.
● Making reasonable adjustments for children with special educational needs and disabilities. 1
● Striving to promote equal access to services and projects by taking practical steps (wherever possible and reasonable), such as ensuring access to people with additional needs and by producing materials in relevant languages and media for all children and their families.
● Providing a secure environment in which all families are listened to, children can flourish and all contributions are valued.
● Including and valuing the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality, inclusion and diversity.
● Providing positive non-stereotypical information.
● Continually improving knowledge and understanding of issues of equality, inclusion and diversity and training all staff about their rights and responsibilities under the inclusion and equality policy.
● Regularly reviewing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of inclusive practices to ensure they promote and value diversity and difference and that the policy is effective and practices are non-discriminatory.
● Making inclusion a thread which runs through the entirety of Mulberry Garden, e.g. by encouraging positive role models through the use of toys, imaginary play and activities, promoting non-stereotypical images and language, and challenging all discriminatory behaviour.
Admissions/service provision
Mulberry Garden is accessible to all children and families in the local community and further afield through a comprehensive and inclusive admissions policy.
Mulberry Garden will strive to ensure that all services and projects are accessible and relevant to all groups and individuals in the community within targeted age groups.
Recruitment
● Recruitment, promotion and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoids discrimination. Shortlisting will be done by more than one person, where possible. All members of the selection group are committed to the inclusive practice set out in this policy and will have received appropriate training in this regard.
● Vacancies are generally advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying.
● Application forms are distributed with a copy of the equal opportunities monitoring form. Application forms do not include questions that potentially discriminate on the grounds specified in the statement of intent.
● Mulberry Garden may ask questions (Under the Equality Act 2010) prior to offering someone employment in the following circumstances:
● To establish whether the applicant will be able to comply with a requirement to undergo an assessment , e.g. an interview or selection test.
● To establish whether the applicant will be able to carry out a function that is intrinsic to the work concerned.
● To monitor diversity in the range of people applying for work.
● To take positive action towards a particular group, e.g. offering a guaranteed interview scheme
● Requiring someone with a particular disability because of an occupational requirement for the role.
The national College for Teaching and Leadership provides further guidance specific to working with children, which Mulberry Garden follows:
Providers have a responsibility to ensure that practitioners have the health and physical capacity to teach and will not put children and young people at risk of harm. The activities that a practitioner must be able to perform are set out in the Education (Health Standards England) Regulations 2003. Providers are responsible for ensuring that only practitioners who have the capacity to teach remain on the staff team.
People with disabilities or chronic illnesses may have the capacity to teach, just as those without disabilities or medical conditions may be unsuitable to teach. Further information on training to teach with a disability is available from the DfE website.
Successful applicants offered a position may be asked to complete a fitness questionnaire prior to commencing the programme. Providers should not ask all-encompassing health questions, but should ensure that they only ask targeted and relevant health-related questions, which are necessary to ensure that a person is able to teach.
Staff
It is Mulberry Garden policy not to discriminate in the treatment of individuals. All staff are expected to cooperate with the implementation, monitoring and improvement of this and other policies. They are expected to challenge language, actions, behaviours and attitudes which are oppressive or discriminatory on the grounds specified in this policy and recognise and celebrate other cultures and traditions. All staff are expected to participate in equality and inclusion training. Staff will follow the ‘Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour’ policy where applicable to report any discriminatory behaviours observed.
Training
Mulberry Garden recognises the importance of training as a key factor in the implementation of an effective inclusion and equality policy. All new staff receive induction training including specific reference to the inclusion and equality policy. Mulberry Garden strives towards the provision of inclusion, equality and diversity training for all staff on an ongoing basis.
Early learning framework
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensure that all learning opportunities offered in Mulberry Garden encourage children to develop positive attitudes to people who are different from them. Our curriculum encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.
We do this by:
● Identifying a key person to each child who will ensure each child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs and continuously observe, assess and plan for their learning and development.
● Listening to children (verbally and non-verbally) and making children feel included, valued and good about themselves.
● Ensuring that we know what each child knows and “can do”, and have equal access to tailored early learning and play opportunities.
● Reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources.
● Avoiding stereotypical or derogatory images in the selection of materials.
● Acknowledging and celebrating a wide range of religions, beliefs and festivals.
● Creating an environment of mutual respect.
● Supporting children to talk about their feelings and those of others, manage emotions and develop empathy.
● Helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are unacceptable.
● Knowing children well, being able to meet their needs and know when they require further support.
● Ensuring that all early learning opportunities offered are inclusive of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
● Ensuring that children whose first language is not English have full access to our early learning opportunities and are supported in their learning.
● Working in partnership with all families to ensure they understand the policy and challenge any discriminatory comments made.
● Ensuring the medical, cultural and dietary needs of all children are met.
● Ensuring children learn about a range of food and cultural approaches to meal times and respect the differences among them.
Parent information and meetings
Information about Mulberry Garden, its activities, experiences and resources are shared with parents as well as information about their child’s development. This is given in a variety of ways according to individual needs (written, verbal and translated), to ensure that all parents can access the information they need.
Wherever possible, meetings are arranged to give all families opportunities to attend and share information about their child.
We consult with parents regularly about the running of Mulberry Garden and ask them to contribute their ideas.