Interactive Training Courses on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Spurway Training our core expertise is in helping people better understand those different from themselves.  It is always true that we have more in common than that divides us.  But often the differences are important and have real impact on people’s lives and experiences.

We offer three highly interactive, half-day courses on equality, diversity and inclusion.  Elements of these can be combined into longer courses as needed.

Three Mottos for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity takes a wide variety of visible and invisible forms – many more than those protected by law (race, age, disability etc).  A staff team composed of people from many backgrounds and identities, with varied personalities, skills and perspectives, has many advantages.  But such differences can also be a source of tension, misunderstanding and even hostility.

In this interactive workshop, delegates will consider three models to guide our approach to working with diversity.  They provide touchstones to aid empathy, give valuable insight on our interactions and, taken together, can greatly improve equality & inclusion.

Through discussion of different case studies, we consider: why some people ignore or deny the discrimination that others experience; how to respond to misunderstandings or offence; and the impact of our inner narratives on our interactions.

Course topics:

  • Which aspects of diversity are protected by law and why?
  • Identifying unintentional discrimination and why it is often hidden from us
  • Separating intention from impact in communication
  • A communication technique for overcoming division and misunderstanding

Equality and Diversity in Service Delivery

It is vital for delegates to recognise why equality is not achieved by ‘treating everyone the same’. The Equality Act and its nine protected characteristics (race, disability, sexuality etc) are outlined, and we consider the characteristics that are absent from the list.  We then examine common causes of indirect discrimination, where lack of awareness of a certain group means they receive a service that does not meet their needs.  For example, the absence of a hearing loop is a barrier for some people with hearing impairments.  The barriers experienced by people without disabilities are often more subtle.  We invite participants to consider how their services might be experienced by diverse service users, to help identify barriers and consider ways of working towards equality of access.  The course is interactive and focuses on practical examples, as well as theory.

Learning Objectives – By the end of the course delegates will be able to:

  • Define ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’, and discuss the challenge of achieving full equality of access
  • Describe the Equality Act’s protected characteristics and what this means for service provision
  • Consider the experience of their organisation’s services from the perspective of diverse service users, and identify potential barriers to their support
  • Promote means of reducing and overcoming barriers to equal service delivery in their organisation

Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

This half-day training outlines the fundamentals of how to create a respectful, supportive and inclusive working environment for a diverse staff and volunteer group.  Initially we discuss and define the words ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ to come to a shared understanding about their meaning.  The Equality Act and its nine protected characteristics are briefly outlined and we consider the characteristics that are absent from the list.  The course is highly participative and focuses on realistic scenarios of behaviour that could result in some people feeling that the workplace is a hostile environment for them.  We discuss the type of language that can be excluding or offensive, and debate how to constructively respond.  Examples of indirect discrimination are also described, to give delegates a clear idea of what changes should be made to accommodate the needs of a diverse staff group.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define which aspects of diversity are protected by law and why they are covered
  2. Identify patterns of unintentional discrimination in the workplace and plan ways of overcoming them
  3. Consider scenarios of excluding behaviour and debate the merits of possible responses
  4. Describe the difference between intention and impact in communication

‘Really excellent from start to finish. Very illuminating and engaging. The scenarios provided a lot to discuss and think about’

Feedback from a delegate at Hymans Robertson

Equality and Diversity in Service Delivery

It is vital for delegates to recognise why equality is not achieved by ‘treating everyone the same’. The Equality Act and its nine protected characteristics (race, disability, sexuality etc) are outlined, and we consider the characteristics that are absent from the list.  We then examine common causes of indirect discrimination, where lack of awareness of a certain group means they receive a service that does not meet their needs.  For example, the absence of a hearing loop is a barrier for some people with hearing impairments.  The barriers experienced by people without disabilities are often more subtle.  We invite participants to consider how their services might be experienced by diverse service users, to help identify barriers and consider ways of working towards equality of access.  The course is interactive and focuses on practical examples, as well as theory.

Learning Objectives – By the end of the course delegates will be able to:

  • Define ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’, and discuss the challenge of achieving full equality of access
  • Describe the Equality Act’s protected characteristics and what this means for service provision
  • Consider the experience of their organisation’s services from the perspective of diverse service users, and identify potential barriers to their support
  • Promote means of reducing and overcoming barriers to equal service delivery in their organisation

Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

This half-day training outlines the fundamentals of how to create a respectful, supportive and inclusive working environment for a diverse staff and volunteer group.  Initially we discuss and define the words ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ to come to a shared understanding about their meaning.  The Equality Act and its nine protected characteristics are briefly outlined and we consider the characteristics that are absent from the list.  The course is highly participative and focuses on realistic scenarios of behaviour that could result in some people feeling that the workplace is a hostile environment for them.  We discuss the type of language that can be excluding or offensive, and debate how to constructively respond.  Examples of indirect discrimination are also described, to give delegates a clear idea of what changes should be made to accommodate the needs of a diverse staff group.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define which aspects of diversity are protected by law and why they are covered
  2. Identify patterns of unintentional discrimination in the workplace and plan ways of overcoming them
  3. Consider scenarios of excluding behaviour and debate the merits of possible responses
  4. Describe the difference between intention and impact in communication

Very useful, gained new knowledge about service delivery challenges and how to break down the barriers

The course was very thought provoking and it has made me look at how I can change my approach to EDI.

Feedback from delegates at Port of Leith Housing Association

Three Mottos for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity takes a wide variety of visible and invisible forms – many more than those protected by law (race, age, disability etc).  A staff team composed of people from many backgrounds and identities, with varied personalities, skills and perspectives, has many advantages.  But such differences can also be a source of tension, misunderstanding and even hostility.

In this interactive workshop, delegates will consider three models to guide our approach to working with diversity.  They provide touchstones to aid empathy, give valuable insight on our interactions and, taken together, can greatly improve equality & inclusion.

Through discussion of different case studies, we consider: why some people ignore or deny the discrimination that others experience; how to respond to misunderstandings or offence; and the impact of our inner narratives on our interactions.

Course topics:

  • Which aspects of diversity are protected by law and why?
  • Identifying unintentional discrimination and why it is often hidden from us
  • Separating intention from impact in communication
  • A communication technique for overcoming division and misunderstanding

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