Schools - risk assessment guidance: equality impact assessment
Equality impact assessment for risk assessment guidance on fostering a positive, inclusive and safe environment and violent, aggressive and dangerous behaviour.
Background
The guidance documents are part of a suite of policies to improve positive relationships and behaviour in schools. They seek through guidance, to support schools to foster a positive, inclusive and safe school environment through their approaches to positive relationships and behaviour. In particular, they provide 1) clarity to all members of a school community – staff, parents and children and young people – on how to embed consistency of practice for setting and upholding of expectations of behaviour, including the use of consequences as part of relationships and behaviour policies, and 2) provides clarity to local authorities and educational settings on appropriately using risk assessment processes to mitigate or minimise violent, aggressive, and dangerous behaviours exhibited by children and young people at school
The guidance documents seek to respond to key findings within the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023, and are part of a national strategic approach to improving relationships and behaviour, expressed through the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan 2024-27, developed by SAGRABIS and jointly owned with COSLA.
The Impact Assessment process confirmed that a full EQIA was required, as these are new guidance documents, within an ongoing national approach to relationships and behaviour in schools.