Download the Fitness to Practise Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2024 (PDF)

1. About the EWC

About us

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales.

Established by the Education (Wales) Act 2014, practitioners across eleven different groups within the education workforce, from the foundation phase through to further education, youth work, and work-based learning, are legally required to register with the EWC. Our Register of Education Practitioners in Wales is the biggest public register of any profession in Wales, and the most wide-ranging register of education professionals in the world, with over 90,000 practitioners registered.

Our aims

• Contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning in Wales.
• Maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers and others who support teaching and learning in Wales.
• Safeguard the interests of learners, parents/guardians, and the public, and maintain public trust and confidence in the education workforce.

Our functions

• Establish and maintain a Register of Education Practitioners.
• Maintain a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.
• Investigate and hear allegations that may call into question a registered practitioner's fitness to practise.
• Accredit and monitor programmes of school teacher ITE.
• Provide advice to Welsh Government and others.
• Monitor induction and hear induction appeals.
• Promote careers in the education workforce.
• Undertake specific work at the invitation of Welsh Government. 

2. The Register of education practitioners

As at 31 March 2024, there were 90,812 individual education practitioners registered with the EWC. However, some registrants are registered in more than one category,; the table below shows the number who were eligible to work in each category on 31 March 2024.

3. The Code or Professional Conduct and Practice

All new registrants receive a copy of the Code upon registration (17,605 new applications in 2023-24), all employers receive copies of the Code annually to disseminate to registered employees and, in addition, there have been over 5,500 views of the Code in year.

Our registrants commit to upholding the five key principles of Personal and Professional Responsibility, Professional Integrity, Collaborative Working, Professional Knowledge and Understanding, and Professional Learning.

The Code is intended to guide registrants’ judgements and decisions. It also informs learners, parents, guardians, employers and the general public of the standards they can expect from a registrant.

Failure to comply with the Code may call a practitioner’s registration into question.

We deliver regular training sessions and presentations which focus on the Code, the use of social media, and professional ethics and responsibilities. We offer a suite of 11 good practice guides, designed to complement the Code and help guide registrants’ day to day professional judgments and decisions. We have also produced a video which talks about the code as well as other fitness to practise (FtP) topics. 

4. About Fitness to Practise

We have a statutory duty to investigate and hear cases against registrants of alleged unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence and/or convicted (at any time) of a relevant criminal offence.

Our Disciplinary Procedures and Rules 2023 set out the procedures we follow in undertaking our work in this area including our powers to impose Interim Suspension Orders (ISO) in specific circumstances.

As at 31 March 2024, we had 60 independent panel members who undertake all fitness to practise work. This pool of panel members is made up of registered practitioners from across the registrant groups, lay members and retired practitioners. No member of Council has any involvement in fitness to practise cases, and they do not sit on panels. 

5. Referral of cases

The EWC receive referrals in one of following ways:

Police Referrals

Police forces can make direct referrals to the EWC under common law police disclosure (CLPD).

Employers/Agents

Employers and private supply agencies have a statutory duty to refer a registrant to the EWC where:

• a registrant is dismissed, or leaves employment prior to a possible dismissal (e.g. resignation or settlement agreement) (Employers)
• an agency cease to use the services of a registrant, or may have done so had the registrant not stopped working for them already

In both cases the grounds for a referral are:

• misconduct
• professional incompetence
• conviction of a relevant offence

Complaints

Any individual or organisation can make a complaint about the alleged conduct or incompetence of a registrant.

Disclosure and Barring Service

The EWC receives direct referrals from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

EWC

The EWC can self-refer registrants where it becomes aware of information about a registrant and considers it is in the public interest to do so.

6. What happens when a case is received?

Most referrals received are considered firstly by an Investigating Committee and the meetings are held in private.

The Investigating Committee includes a minimum of three panel members and is supported by an independent legal adviser who does not participate in the decision making process, but ensures the investigation is fair.

The Committee’s role is to decide whether or not it is likely the facts of the case will be proven, and then whether those findings might amount to unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence and/or a conviction of a relevant offence, if the case proceeds to a public hearing.

A public hearing is held when an Investigating Committee has decided that a registrant has a ‘case to answer’. The registrant is invited to attend and/or be represented at the hearing.

A Fitness to Practise Committee comprises a minimum of three panel members and the Committee is supported by an independent legal adviser. The Committee which sits at a hearing will not have had any previous knowledge of the case before it.

Possible hearing outcomes are as follows:

• Facts not proved
• Facts proved but not unacceptable professional conduct/serious professional incompetence and/or a relevant offence
• Facts proved – no order
• Reprimand – recorded for two years on the Register
• Conditional Registration Order – recorded on the Register for a period indicated by the Committee. If no period set, then this Order will apply permanently
• Suspension Order – removed from the Register for the period specified by the Committee (not exceeding two years). Conditions can be applied to a Suspension Order
• Prohibition Order – removed from the Register. No application can be made for re-admission to the Register until at least two years has elapsed

Following the hearing of a case, should a Fitness to Practise Committee impose a disciplinary order (other than an interim suspension order) upon the registration of an education practitioner, a notice to that affect will appear on the EWC website. The notice will remain for a period of six months from the day it is published.

Any disciplinary order imposed will be recorded on the practitioner’s record on the EWC’s Register, and will be available publically for the duration of the order. 

7. Summary of Fitness to Practise casework

This year, we concluded 74 fitness to practise cases (excluding Interim Suspension Orders). This included 52 fitness to practise hearings, 49 of which were virtual hearings and three in person.

The majority of hearings are held virtually. However, In line with the approach of many other regulators, registrants are invited to confirm whether they wish their case to be heard virtually or ‘in-person’. For an ‘in-person’ hearing to be confirmed, the registrant must commit to attending or be represented ‘in-person’ at the hearing.

Notes on the data

A practitioner can be registered in one or more categories at any one time. For the purpose of this report, where a person is registered in more than one category, they are included under ‘Multiple category registrant ’.

7.1 Number of Fitness to Practise cases concluded by registrant group and year

Of the 74 cases referred to above:

• 52 cases were considered at fitness to practise hearings (not including ISO hearings), including one application which related to readmission to the Register following a Prohibition Order. This application was refused.
• 14 cases were considered as ‘no case to answer’ (including two cases which were discontinued) by an Investigating Committee.
• Three cases involved registrants who were DBS barred prior to the final decision being made by the EWC.

Additional note: four new categories of registration were added to the Register on 22 May 2023. To the end of 31 March 2024, no cases had been completed for any of these new groups.

7.2 Referral source

*Other includes complaints, referrals from the DBS, and other regulators

7.3 Outcomes of Fitness to Practise cases by year

Note - of the 28 cases concluded with no order:

• eight were concluded at hearing stage
• 12 were considered as ‘no case to answer’ by an Investigating Committee
• two were referred back to an Investigating Committee and discontinued
• six related to minor convictions and were closed as ‘no further action’

7.4 Types of behaviour – cases concluded 2023-24

Note: In 2023-24, one case was concluded which is not included in this table. This was an application for readmission to the Register following a Prohibition Order. The application was refused.

7.5 Completion time for concluded cases in 2023-24

There are a number of factors which affect the timescales for concluding cases, including:

• employment tribunal claims (the EWC will place its consideration of the case on hold until the tribunal is concluded)
• the registrant suffers from ill-health and medical evidence confirms they are not fit to participate, but wish to do so
• issues raised by the registrant or their representative during their case preparation
• further concerns established during hearing preparation which require referral back to an Investigating Committee in the first instance

The EWC monitors its own timescales for concluding cases compared to other regulators/professional bodies and it continues to be a leader in this area.

Of the 61 cases concluded within eight months, the average time taken from receipt to conclusion was 24 weeks (five and a half months).

7.6 The demographic of disciplinary cases concluded in 2023-24

Note:

• ‘Registered workforce’ is derived from the Register of Education Practitioners as at 31 March 2024.

Gender

Age

National identity

Ethnic group

Welsh Language

When a practitioner applies to join the Register, they are asked to confirm whether or not they are able to speak Welsh. A ‘yes’ response means that they are fluent, or fairly fluent in the language.

They are also asked to confirm whether they currently deliver, or are able to deliver education and training, through the medium of Welsh.

In both cases, the responses are based on ‘self-declaration’.

Able to speak Welsh

Able to deliver education and training through the medium of Welsh

8. Interim Suspension Orders (ISO)

If we are informed that a practitioner has been accused of very serious misconduct, we have statutory powers to impose an ISO. An ISO will temporarily remove a registered person from the Register as an emergency measure, pending an investigation. This is to protect learners and the public while, for example, a police investigation is concluded.

An ISO can be in place for up to 18 months. Our independent ISO committees also hold regular ISO reviews to make sure that no ISO is applied for longer than is necessary and is proportionate. Those reviews are held are after six months and 12 months, or at any point where there is a change in the situation.

All ISO committee meetings are held in private.

Number of Interim Suspension Orders (ISO) imposed

Of the nine cases concluded in 2023–2024, the average time taken from receipt to conclusion was six and a half weeks.

Since ISOs are an emergency measure, the cases are, by their nature and purpose, dealt with quickly.

9. Assessment of suitability for registration

Prospective registrants are asked to answer a number of questions about their previous history when applying for EWC registration. If an applicant answers yes to any question in the declaration, their application will be assessed by the fitness to practise team.

The responsibility is upon the applicant to demonstrate their suitability for registration with us.

Suitability assessment

Stage 1: Officers consider the declaration made to be relatively minor, and that which would not affect the applicant’s suitability for registration. Registration is granted.

Stage 2: The applicant is asked to provide more detailed information about the circumstances of their declaration and some testimonials/representations in support of their suitability for registration. If officers are content with the applicant’s response, registration is granted.

Stage 3: Officers decide to refer the application for independent scrutiny by a Suitability Committee at a private meeting. These referrals relate to declarations where officers are not content to grant registration at Stage 2.

Suitability meeting

The suitability meeting is private and an opportunity for the applicant to explain to the Committee why they consider they are suitable to be registered with us.

The Suitability Committee consists of a minimum of three panel members, including at least one member from the registrant category appropriate to the applicant, and one lay person. The Committee is supported by an independent legal adviser.

Once it has heard from the applicant, the Committee retires to consider, in private, whether to grant registration or not. If registration is not granted, the applicant is not able to make any further application in the same registration category/categories for a further 12 months, after which time they can reapply for registration.

9.1. Number of suitability assessments following an applicant’s declaration being made by, by registrant group, and by year

9.2. Outcomes of suitability assessments following a declaration being made - by year

Note: Applications can be withdrawn/closed by both the EWC and the applicant. For example, where an applicant fails to respond to enquiries about the declaration they have made, we may discontinue our assessment. An applicant may also decide to withdraw their application at any time during the assessment process.

9.3 Type of declaration made - applicants for registration where a declaration has been made – assessment completed 2023-24

Other – includes:

• past or pending action by an employer or another regulatory body
• a failure to declare information
• making a declaration which did not meet the threshold for disclosure

9.4 The demographic of applicants for registration in 2023-2024

Gender

Age

National identity

Ethnic group

10. Induction Appeals

We are the appeals body for those Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in Wales who:

• fail their statutory Induction period
• have their statutory Induction period extended

and wish to appeal against those decisions, as made by the local authority involved.

In 2023-2024 one induction appeal was considered by the EWC. That appeal was dismissed. 

11. Looking forward in 2024-25

• Enactment in May 2024 of the Education Workforce Council (Additional Categories of Registration) (Wales) Order 2024, will bring into regulation additional groups of education practitioners, namely senior leaders and principals in further education, and adult learning practitioners. We will then regulate 13 different registration categories within the education workforce in Wales.

We will:

• recruit additional panel members in order to maintain a complement that allows the effective administration of our casework.

• continue work on developing a range of online material and resources including a number of information videos which inform the public about this area of our work and to assist and support all parties involved in Fitness to Practise casework.

• begin work on reviewing our Code in line with the Welsh Government requirement to do so every three years. Our aim is to ensure it is relevant, accessible and meaningful to all categories of registrant including those who have joined the Register since May 2023.

continue to deliver training to a range of different audiences (38 sessions were completed in 2023-24) - current and future registrants, employers, agents and other key stakeholders about the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.

Download Strategic Equality Plan 2024-28

Download the Strategic Equality Plan 2024 28 - plan on a page

Introduction

This plan, covering the period 2024-28, sets out the Education Workforce Council’s (EWC) commitment to equality and diversity. It explains how we will work to promote these principles, both inside our organisation and, within our remit, across the wider education workforce in Wales. This new plan seeks to build upon progress achieved since the publication of our previous SEP in 2020, and is closely aligned with the vision and objectives outlined within our Strategic Plan 2024-27.

Reflecting our commitment to playing our part in the creation of a fairer Wales, this plan establishes a series of ambitious strategic equality objectives. Within the accompanying action plan, we set out clear steps, detailing how we aim to achieve them, and how our success will be measured.

The plan embraces our important role in reviewing and highlighting wider equality issues within the education workforce, and details our intention to work in close partnership with Welsh Government and other stakeholders to resolve these matters. It also reflects the goals set out within the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Action Plan and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, in which Welsh Government state that they want to make Wales an anti-racist nation by 2030 and the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe.

We believe that the objectives set out within this plan are ambitious, and reflect our distinct (and precisely defined) role and remit. However, where there are opportunities to do so, we will seek to surpass our stated equality objectives, proactively seeking opportunities to exceed expectations in order to contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equitable Wales.

About us

The EWC is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. We regulate education practitioners across schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning. We were established by the Education (Wales) Act 2014, and came into being on 1 April 2015.

Our principal aims under the Act are summarised below and detailed further in secondary legislation.

Regulate

Our core function is to regulate in the public interest. To do this, we first maintain a Register of Education Practitioners (the Register) eligible to practise in schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning. Secondly, we publish a Code of Professional Conduct and Practise which sets out the standards expected of those we register. Thirdly, we investigate and hear allegations of unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence, or relevant criminal offences. We also have a statutory responsibility to accredit programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and monitor their compliance with national criteria.

Support

We support our registrants to fulfil their role as regulated professionals and to uphold the five key principles of the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice by providing useful information, resources, and services designed to offer guidance and direction.

Promote

We actively promote careers in education across Wales through the Educators Wales website and advice service. Funded by Welsh Government and developed by the EWC, it offers a range of services which bring together career advice, training, and job opportunities within Welsh education.

Influence

We seek out opportunities to shape and influence education policy in Wales for the benefit of our registrants. Our statutory responsibility to provide independent advice, research analysis, and intelligence means that we can support workforce planning across Wales.

The legal context

We have a statutory duty to publish a strategic equality plan that outlines our commitment to tackling discrimination. This stems from the Equality Act 2010 which establishes a public sector equality duty covering the following protected characteristics:

• age
• gender reassignment
• sex
• race (including ethnic or national origin, colour, or nationality)
• disability
• pregnancy and maternity
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief (including lack of belief)
• marriage and civil partnership

The EWC is also bound by the general duty to carry out our public functions in such a way as to contribute to the development of fairness through:

• eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation, and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
• advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic, and those who do not
• fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic, and those who do not

The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out further specific duties with which the EWC must comply, relating to:

• objectives
• strategic equality plans
• engagement
• assessing impact
• equality information
• employment information
• pay differences
• staff training
• procurement
• annual reporting
• publishing
• Welsh Ministers’ reporting
• review
• accessibility

Our evidence base

To ensure this plan is effective and aligned with the diverse needs of our employees, registrants, and stakeholders, we have considered a wide range of evidence in developing our equality objectives.

Our approach to engagement involves a rolling programme of meetings with key stakeholders and interest groups, where equalities issues appropriate to our remit are amongst the matters that are discussed.

The development of this plan has therefore been informed by insights from a wide range of groups and individuals.

Internal engagement

• Council and staff planning sessions
• Employee forum
• All-staff meetings
• Performance and Development Review /Council members’ review process

Registrant engagement

• Accessibility survey
• Workforce surveys

Stakeholder engagement

• Using our programme of regular meetings (for example, unions representing our registrants, ITE partnerships (as part of the accreditation process), Welsh Government officials)
• Talking to representative groups, such as DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning) and the Black Leadership Group
• Evidence gathered by our promotion of careers team in their efforts to promote careers within the education workforce to individuals from diverse communities

We participate and/or engage with a range of equalities networks and groups:

• Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Wales Equality and Human Rights Exchange Network
• BAMEed Network Wales
• DARPL 
• South East Wales Equalities Network (SEWEN)
• Race Council Cymru
• Ethnic Minorities Youth Support Team (EYST) Wales
• FE Anti-racist Wales Steering Group
• Colegau Cymru Equality and Diversity group
• Welsh Islamic Cultural Association
• BAME Mental Health Service
• South Riverside Community Development Centre
• UK Government Policy Profession Unit

We also maintain informal professional relationships, and identify opportunities to collaborate with a range of other organisations that promote equalities. These include the EHRC, Show Racism the Red Card, Diverse Cymru, and Stonewall. Such engagement helps to ensure that the EWC is aware of a range of issues and perspectives relating to equalities.

This Strategic Equality Plan and equality objectives have also been informed by a range of other sources of evidence including:

• data from our Register (covering registrant diversity)
• Welsh Government Anti-racist Wales Action Plan
• Welsh Government LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales
• EWC research (for Welsh Government) on increasing diversity within the school workforce in Wales
• fitness to practise (FtP) data
• census data
• Equality and Human Rights Monitor 2023: Is Wales Fairer?
• Education Support teacher wellbeing index

Our strategic equality objectives

Our approach to equality and diversity will be guided by the five strategic objectives set out below. The objectives are underpinned by a detailed action plan which sets out the specific activities that we will undertake to advance equality and diversity.

Objective 1: Build a diverse and inclusive EWC team

What is our aim?

We want to work towards the goal of assembling a diverse team[1] within the EWC that is more representative of the diverse population of Wales (across all the protected characteristics). We also want to ensure that all EWC employees are treated fairly and able to fulfil their potential within the organisation.

Why is this important to the EWC?

Developing a diverse team, and nurturing their talents, will ensure that our organisation is able to benefit from a range of different skills and perspectives, enhancing decision-making processes and aligning with our commitment to fairness and equality.

Our actions will focus on:

• monitoring our employment practices to ensure that the EWC is well positioned to recruit and retain a diverse workforce
• gathering (and actively monitoring) comprehensive and meaningful equality data regarding our employees
• encouraging greater disclosure rates (regarding protected characteristics) from staff and Council/panel members to gain a fuller understanding of the diversity of our workforce
• reviewing and improving recruitment processes for staff, Council, and committee/panel members[2] to ensure fairness to all under-represented groups

Objective 2: Monitor the gender pay gap and identify opportunities to reduce it

What is our aim?

We want to work towards eliminating the gender pay gap by ensuring the application of policies and practices relating to pay and progression that provide equal opportunity for all.

Why is this important to the EWC?

As a small organisation, the extent to which we are able to influence our overall gender pay gap is limited, with individual recruitment outcomes (for example, the appointment of a female to a senior position within the organisation), sometimes having significant impacts on the pay gap. However, we want to ensure that our employees are treated equally and fairly with respect to pay and conditions, regardless of their gender. It is therefore important that we closely monitor and understand the gender pay gap within the EWC, and take action to minimise it. 

Our actions will focus on:

• monitoring and publishing information relating to our gender pay gap
• improving our understanding of any links between gender and pay within the EWC
• ensuring that male and female staff have equal opportunities to progress within the EWC when opportunities arise

Objective 3: An inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated

What is our aim?

We want the EWC to be an inclusive organisation where employees feel safe, respected, and are supported to perform to the best of their ability, irrespective of any protected characteristic they may have.

Why is this important to the EWC?

Through ensuring that all employees feel valued and are treated fairly, we want to nurture a culture where staff can flourish and fulfil their potential. This, in turn, could assist in allowing us to attract and retain a more diverse workforce (in line with objective one).

Our actions will focus on:

• ensuring our offices are welcoming and accessible
• organising events that celebrate and raise awareness of different groups and issues relevant to the protected characteristics, to reinforce the importance of embracing diversity
• delivering an engaging and accessible programme of training on equality and diversity matters for all employees
• producing regular equalities newsletters to share information, encourage engagement, and celebrate diversity
• implementing a varied wellbeing programme and seeking to increase engagement with these activities by identifying any barriers to engagement
• providing opportunities for employees to provide feedback and empowering them to speak out in relation to any issues or concerns relating to equality and diversity

Objective 4: Deliver accessible services for registrants and stakeholders

What is our aim?

We want to ensure that all of our services are accessible for registrants and stakeholders, regardless of their diverse needs and abilities. We will strive to continuously improve the accessibility of our services, aligning with best practice and legal requirements.

Why is this important to the EWC?

We are required to ensure that we identify, mitigate, and (where possible) remove any barriers that our registrants and other stakeholders (including learners and parents/guardians) might face when interacting with us, or using our services.

Our actions will focus on:

• listening to registrants to ensure our services meet their diverse needs
• identifying any barriers faced by registrants and stakeholders when interacting with the EWC and taking steps to remove these, as appropriate and proportionate
• investigating opportunities to broaden the accessibility of our services
• identifying opportunities to bring our work to the attention of a wide range of audiences with diverse needs and characteristics

Objective 5: Help develop an education workforce that is representative of the diverse population of Wales

What is our aim?

We want to see an education workforce in Wales that reflects the diversity of the wider population of Wales.

Why is this important to the EWC?

We believe that the education workforce should mirror the richness of society, encompassing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. It is therefore essential to ensure fair and equitable career opportunities and to break down any barriers that may be preventing people from diverse backgrounds working within the registered education professions.

Our responsibilities include promoting careers in the education professions and advising Welsh Government on matters related to the education workforce, and teaching and learning. In addition, we are identified within Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan as a key partner/lead on increasing the ethnic diversity of the education workforce. We are also aware of the aims of other key plans and strategies for promoting diversity, including the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales.

We believe that building a more diverse education workforce will play a key role in fostering social cohesion by enabling learners and young people to grow and develop in an environment where there are visible, diverse role models. A more diverse workforce will also allow learners and young people to be exposed to a wider range of perspectives, enriching their educational experience, and preparing them to be informed global citizens.

Our actions will focus on:

• using the unique data from our Register to monitor the diversity of registered education professionals in Wales
• ensuring the Register provides the fullest possible data regarding workforce ethnicity (as well as in relation to age, disability, and sex)
• using our platform to highlight issues relating to diversity within the workforce
• working with registrants and stakeholders to promote careers in education to a diverse audience (with a particular emphasis on increasing ethnic diversity), promoting the Educators Wales website and advisory service as a means of supporting this work
• playing a contributing role, through Educators Wales, to the recruitment of a more diverse workforce

How will we know if we’re making progress?

Monitoring arrangements

Our five equality objectives will be subject to detailed monitoring and reporting processes, principally through the publication of our Annual Equality Report, which will be published on our website. A range of qualitative and quantitative metrics will be used to evaluate our progress in achieving each objective, and progress will be subject to the scrutiny of the senior management team at monthly meetings. The Executive Committee and EWC Council will also provide oversight of our progress, and will receive quarterly reports on the implementation of the action plan.

Publishing equality information

As well as the Annual Equality Report, we will publish a range of additional equality data on our website, including:

• annual education workforce statistics reports, providing important data on the composition of the education workforce in Wales, and other discrete analyses
• equality data on applicants for registration and registrants who have been subject to FtP procedures, as part of the FtP Annual Report
• a gender pay analysis, reporting salary information of our employees by gender

Staying on track

To underpin our commitment to equality and diversity, all relevant policies and processes (including those relating to procurement) will be kept up to date, taking account of any changes in law, or, of internal or external circumstances. We will also periodically review our monitoring and reporting processes, and implement any necessary improvements.

Equality impact assessments

As required by the Equality Act 2010, Equality lmpact Assessments (EqlAs) will form an important part of the development and approval process for any new (or reviewed) policy. This will help to guide internal processes, ensuring that decision making is evidence-based and has specific regard to equalities.

EqlAs will also outline the nature of any ongoing evaluation that policies, procedures, and practice may be subject to. For new or amended HR policies, an EqlA will be submitted (alongside the policy) to the employee forum as part of the whole-staff consultation process. The senior management team will also consider the assessment as part of the adoption process. A repository of completed EqlAs is retained centrally.

In order to ensure that equality information is used meaningfully and appropriately to guide decision making, we will periodically review the effectiveness of our EqIA processes and guidance.

Equality training and development

We will provide regular training for all EWC staff in relation to equality and diversity. This will include the provision of an overview of the Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty for all new members of staff when they are appointed, as part of the induction process. This will be complemented by regular all-staff training sessions covering matters relating to the different protected characteristics.

Training on equalities related matters will also be provided for Council and committee/panel members[3]. This training will cover the equality duty and their respective roles in setting the strategic direction of the EWC, reviewing its performance, and ensuring that strong governance arrangements are in operation.

Strategic Equality Action Plan 2024-28

[1] Including our staff, Council, and committee/panel members.

[2]Including members of the FtP committee, ITE accreditation board, and our Quality Mark for Youth Work (QMYW) assessors.

[3]Including members of the FtP committee, ITE accreditation board, and our Quality Mark for Youth Work (QMYW) assessors.

[4]The EWC is not required to publish a gender pay analysis, due to the relatively small size of our organisation. However, we are required in legislation to have an equality objective on addressing any gender pay difference we have identified.

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