Equality Impact Assessment for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system in Tier 4 of Agricultural Reform Programme

Key Findings

Overall, the EQIA process suggested that the proposals are anticipated to have an overall positive impact. This is not expected to differ significantly for different equality groups.

A high level summary for the public sector equality duty questions is provided below:

Does the policy eliminate unlawful discrimination for each of the nine protected characteristics? Is not the discrimination justifiable? Can it be mitigated?

Yes, it could for each of the nine protected characteristics.

Tier 4, Complementary Support, applies to individuals within a wide range of agricultural and crofting businesses. The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system does not distinguish between people because of their age, disability, sex, pregnancy and childbirth, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or marriage and civil partnership or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It applies equally to all of them.

Age - Inclusion of all age groups in the system could potentially help levels of participation by all age groups of persons.

Disability - By being inclusive towards all individuals, it could potentially help levels of participation by disabled persons. CPD activities that are provided through the system can be used to support disabled people (eg through different formats, including easy read). It will be for a person to decide the activities that they want to undertake for their CPD and their format.

Sex - The CPD activities could help males and females improve their confidence and develop their knowledge and skills. This could be important in helping to eliminate discrimination, even if indirect or unintentional.

Pregnancy and maternity - CPD systems from a variety of professions include a dispensation or exemption for pregnancy, maternity and / or paternity leave, to those individuals who wish to apply for it. We intend to ensure that this policy is included within the CPD system. We recognise that women and men may want to continue with their CPD at this time and in such case they would be able to decide not to apply for an exemption.

We are aware that some women are unable to access training and also potentially CPD activities as a result of their caring commitments. We would consider accessibility for them in the design of CPD activities. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

The CPD system would enable pregnant and maternal women be able to choose when they undertake their learning activities as well as the types of activities that they undertake. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

Gender reassignment - The CPD system guidance and documentation for users would ensure that it is sensitive to transexual people who use it.

Sexual orientation - We would ensure that the guidance for the CPD system uses gender neutral language when discussing relationships and that it avoids any indirect discrimination through assumptions about people’s relationship or sexual orientation.

Race - CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and this will help to eliminate unlawful discrimination. They would take into account different ethnic identities and ensure that they do not exclude any.

Religion or belief - CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and this could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination in religion or belief. Reasonable adjustments would be made for individuals to allow them to participate in activities.

Marriage or civil partnership - CPD activities would be open to all persons regardless of their marital or partnership status.

Data will not be collected on this characteristic as it has no relevance to participation.

Does this policy advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?

Yes it could, for each of the nine protected characteristics.

Tier 4, “Complementary Support”, applies to individuals within a wide range of agricultural and crofting businesses. The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system would not distinguish between people because of their age, disability, sex, pregnancy and childbirth, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or marriage and civil partnership or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It applies equally to all of them and is inclusive of them. This could help to advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Age - A number of CPD activities would be provided through the system, though it would be up to participants to decide what is relevant to their personal and professional development and where to access these activities. These CPD activities – of which there a wide range that can be undertaken - could be used to promote good relations between younger and older people. For example, a mixture of different age groups is noted at the different events hosted by the Farm Advisory Service, a key provider of knowledge and learning and CPD.

Disability - Inclusion of disabled persons in the system could potentially help levels of participation by disabled persons.

CPD activities that are provided through the system could be used to support disabled people (eg through different formats, including easy read). It would be for a person to decide the activities that they want to undertake for their CPD and their format.

Sex - CPD activities could help to advance equality of opportunity. This may be particularly important where individuals have not previously had the opportunity to participate in CPD. They would be able to access the opportunity of CPD and CPD activities provided in the CPD system as well as from other means and therefore advance equality of opportunity.

Pregnancy and maternity - The CPD system could give pregnant and maternal women the ability to decide if they want to participate in it. It would be up to them whether they decide whether to participate. It could also enable them to choose when they undertake their learning activities. CPD activities could also help to be as inclusive as possible to them.

Gender reassignment - Equality of opportunity could be advanced through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons.

Sexual orientation - Equality of opportunity could also be advanced through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons.

Race - We will consider how we could encourage people from different races to fully participate and get the best out of the CPD system.

Religion or belief - We would consider how we could encourage individuals from different religions or beliefs to fully participate and get the best out of the CPD system.

Marriage or civil partnership - The CPD scheme would apply equally to all persons, irrespective of their marital or partnership status. CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons.

Does this policy foster good community relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not?

Yes, it could for each of the nine protected characteristics.

Tier 4, Complementary Support, applies to individuals within a wide range of agricultural and crofting businesses. The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system would not distinguish between people because of their age, disability, sex, pregnancy and childbirth, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief or marriage and civil partnership or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them and be inclusive of them. This could help foster good community relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Age - These CPD activities – of which there a wide range that can be undertaken - can be used to promote good relations between younger and older people. For example, a mixture of different age groups is noted at the different events hosted by the Farm Advisory Service, a key provider of knowledge and learning and CPD.

Disability - CPD activities could bring disabled people together with non-disabled people in a positive environment and to help promote relations between them. CPD is about identifying strengths and areas for personal development and could potentially be a very useful learning experience for non-disabled people to learn from disabled individuals about their challenges and how they manage their disability. It could also be positive for those with disabilities and have their voices heard.

Sex - The CPD system could help to promote good relations between men and women, for example through a wide variety of CPD activities provided through the CPD system or more broadly within the agriculture and crofting sectors. CPD activities would be expected to be available to both men and women.

Pregnancy and maternity - The CPD system could give pregnant and maternal women the ability to decide if they want to participate in it. It would be up to them whether they decide whether to participate. It could also enable them to choose when they undertake their learning activities. CPD activities could also help to be as inclusive as possible.

Gender reassignment - The CPD system could help to promote good relations with transexual people, for example through a wide variety of CPD activities provided through the CPD system or more broadly within the agriculture and crofting sectors. CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons regardless of their gender.

Sexual orientation - The CPD system could help to promote good relations with people with different sexual orientations, for example through a wide variety of CPD activities, provided through the CPD system or more broadly within the agriculture and crofting sectors. CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons regardless of their sexual orientation.

Race - The CPD scheme would not distinguish between people because of their race or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them and could therefore help to promote good race relations. Good race relations could be achieved through CPD activities which will be expected to be available to all persons regardless of their race. There is an opportunity to highlight the roles played by different relations in agriculture and crofting, for example within the seasonal workforce.

Religion or belief - There is the potential to promote relations of people of different religions and beliefs through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons. CPD activities could help to develop and promote positive relations between these groups.

Marriage or civil partnership - The CPD scheme would apply equally to all persons, irrespective of their marital or partnership status.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons.