Diversity

Summary

The request sought data on staff ethnicity and diversity training within the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. The authority disclosed that specific 'people of colour' data is not held, but provided voluntary ethnicity statistics and details on mandatory and optional training programs.

Key Facts

• The Department does not hold specific data categorized as 'people of colour' for all employees.
• Ethnicity data is collected only on a voluntary basis.
• Out of 422 employees who volunteered ethnicity data, 11 are black, Asian, or mixed race in teaching environments.
• No black, Asian, or mixed race staff were reported in non-teaching environments among those who volunteered data.
• All employees are required to complete an 'Equality and Diversity Essentials' online module, but no specific refresher frequency is mandated.

Data Disclosed

• 422
• 11
• 0
• 2020-06-23
• 2020-07-21
• December 2018
• 1340241

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held or cannot be found after taking reasonable steps

Original Request

Please can you provide the data relating to all school staff - teachers, support staff in classrooms, others employed in a school setting such as lunchtime assistants, school administrators, cleaners etc. Please can you provide the data relating to staff working within the DESC but not in a school setting - eg Villa Marina, NSC, 1. How many members of staff are people of colour? 2. What diversity training is undertaken by members of staff? Does the training differ for teachers, support staff, those working with children etc? 3. How often is diversity training undertake and in what form?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 1340241 21 July 2020

Dear ###,

We write further to your request which was received on 23 June 2020 and which states:

"Please can you provide the data relating to all school staff - teachers, support staff in classrooms, others employed in a school setting such as lunchtime assistants, school administrators, cleaners etc. Please can you provide the data relating to staff working within the DESC but not in a school setting - e.g. Villa Marina, NSC, 1. How many members of staff are people of colour? 2. What diversity training is undertaken by members of staff? Does the training differ for teachers, support staff, those working with children etc.? 3. How often is diversity training undertake and in what form?" Our response to your request is as follows: Numbers of staff While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because we do not hold specific data categorised as people of colour for all employees within the Department. However we do hold data in relation to different categories of ethnicity, where the employee volunteers that information. There are 422 employees within the Department of Education, Sport and Culture who have voluntarily provided ethnicity data. From the data given voluntarily by employees, there are 11 black, Asian or mixed race people in a teaching environment and no black, Asian or mixed race people in a non-teaching environment. Diversity training

All Isle of Man Government employees are required to complete an Equality and Diversity Essentials online training module. Other diversity training that has taken place includes: • Equality Act training; • Inclusion and Equality training; • Seminars; • Head Teacher training; • Ongoing training through meetings, policy updates and discussions. It is not always possible for all employees to attend the same training session. In this instance, the employee who attends, e.g. Head Teacher, will share and distribute the information to all other employees within their area of work. Frequency of training Equality and Diversity Essentials online training commenced in December 2018 and all new and existing employees are required to complete the module. The Department has no specified minimum recommended refresher frequency for Equality and Diversity training. The Cabinet Office is currently reviewing existing training provision with regard to equality, diversity and inclusion with a view to broadening the range of training available. Both unconscious bias training and disability awareness training will be early key components of this provision. Please quote the reference number 1340241 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Coordinator