HEFCES Involving Disabled People Strategy

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HEFCES Involving Disabled People Strategy
Steve Egan Deputy Chief Executive
Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) 24 February 2009
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Mission Statement

• Working in partnership, we promote and
• fund high-quality, cost-effective teaching and
• research, meeting the diverse needs of
• students, the economy and society.

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Context
A world class higher education sector
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HEFCEs Strategic Plan 2006-11
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(No Transcript)
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Role of HEFCE

• A Funder
• Regulator
• Buffer Body
• A Broker
• Public Policy Instrument/Advisor

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Core Principles of HEFCEs Disability Equality
Scheme

• Involvement
• Reporting on progress
• Impact Assessment
• Evidence based approach
• Commitment to the social model

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How did we involve disabled people in the scheme?

• Jan 2004- Worked with the DRC to jointly set up a
  HE stakeholder group to discuss the new public
  sector duty
• Feb 2004- Joined the DRC public sector reference
  group to represent the interests of HE sector
• Oct 2005- OPM worked with HEFCE teams to up-skill
  them on the new duties and produce team action
  plans
• Feb 2006- Established a working group with LSC
  and DfES to ensure a joined up approach to
  disability equality
• Mar 2006- Met with the head of the Disabled
  Students Campaign of the NUS to get feedback on
  our Scheme

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Contd

• Mar- May 2006- Consulted with reps of HE
  organisations such as HEA as well as groups for
  and of disabled people to discuss key issues for
  HE and future involvement
• May 2006- Consulted on the scheme with the
  Councils recognised trade union
• May 2006- Held workshops with disabled members of
  staff and students from HEIs to set our
  priorities for impact assessment and in giving
  general feedback
• June 2006- Approval of final Scheme by the HEFCE
  Board
• July 2006- Published final scheme on the website

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HEFCEs Equality Scheme Structure
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Some examples actions in the HEFCE Equality
Scheme

• All projects funded through student retention
  grant programme to include a specific focus on
  disabled students.
• Provide strategic sector support for meeting the
  needs of disabled students based on the results
  of our disability policy review as it relates to
  disabled students.
• All procurement documentation (e.g. invitations
  to tender and contracts) and guidance to staff to
  reflect the equality duties and our commitment to
  gender and disability equality and human rights.

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Involving you
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HEFCES New Involving Disabled People Strategy
Why?

• statutory duty under the Disability
  Discrimination Act 2005
• to promote and safeguard the needs and interests
  of disabled people by involving them across the
  breadth of our work

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HEFCES New Involving Disabled People Strategy
Who?

• Over 140 people expressed interest and were
  accepted onto the scheme
• Includes
• disabled people
• people with experience of supporting disabled
  people in the higher education sector

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HEFCES New Involving Disabled People Strategy
How will we involve you?

• formal and informal consultations
• Impact assessments
• project or policy steering groups

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What does it involve?

• Initial expression of interest You tell us about
  your experience/ interest in our strategic aims
• Respond to formal consultations on our policies
• Be a part of ensuring that the HE sector is
  taking disabled peoples needs into all of its
  policy development
• One year renewable commitment

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Todays Aims

• A chance to network
• Learn more about HEFCE
• Give us your ideas on how it is going
• Give us feedback for going forward

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How to find out more

• web-site www.hefce.ac.uk
• monthly e-newsletter
• Council Briefing
• e-mail hefce_at_hefce.ac.uk
• electronic mailing list admin-hefce
• HEFCE equality scheme http//hefce/lgm/divers/sch
  eme/