Specific sectors- in housing, at school or college and on transport
In housing
The Equality Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against, harass or victimise someone when buying, selling, letting or managing premises.
The Act mainly brings together what was in previous law. In addition, it enables Parliament to require landlords of rented residential housing to make reasonable adjustments to common parts such as hallways, for disabled tenants.
At school or college
The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against, harass or victimise pupils or students at schools, colleges and universities.
The Act mainly brings together what was in previous law. It also bans discrimination against pregnant schoolgirls;
In addition, the Act requires schools and local authorities to provide equipment to help disabled school pupils.
On transport
The Act contains particular rules for making various forms of transport (such as taxis, buses and trains) accessible to disabled people
The Act mainly brings together what was in previous law. In addition it:
- requires drivers of taxis and minicabs to help passengers who are wheelchair users, unless they are physically unable to help;
- limits local authorities’ ability to refuse to licence a taxi if it is wheelchair accessible.
Tell us what you think should happen to these measures and why, being specific where possible
- Should we scrap them altogether?
- Could their purpose be achieved in a non-regulatory way (eg through a voluntary code?) How?
- Could they be reformed, simplified or merged? How?
- Can we reduce their bureaucracy through better implementation? How?
- Can we make their enforcement less burdensome? How?
- Should they be left as they are?
I don’t agree that private schools are allowed to discriminate against those with disabilities including those with dyslexia ? Please make a law that they can’t do this – a good school should be able to deal with all types of child …League tables mean they only want the children most physically and mentally able and that shouldn’t be allowed….Comment Tags: Private schools
Uncovering our broken education system. Broken by the CRBs
If you want to help Britain PLC – you need talented people
If you want talented people – you need the best education
If you want the best education – you need to inspire and spread knowledge to the kids in education with real world experience
Real world experience comes from people in industry.
If you want industry experienced people to engage with education – you need to make it fast & easy.
Simple ?
You’d like to think so. Sadly the last part of this equation is broken – it’s called CRB.
Here’s my experience…
4-5 years ago I was contacted by the local council to become an Ambassador for Industry to go in and give talks at schools – something I was keen to support.
I had to attend an annoying meeting mostly to go through some admin – mainly fill in a CRB check. I was to be called an Enterprise Ambassador & deliver school talks on this subject.
I delivered a few to local schools around Leamington. (probably spent less time doing the talks than the admin meeting!)
About 18 months later I was asked to go to another school to do another talk – this time they asked for it to be call Entrepreneur Ambassador – made little difference to me so I agreed. Next thing I knew I was I invited to another meeting on how to talk in schools & complete another CRB check.
I said no way – it’s a waste of my time – I’ve got a CRB. ‘arh, but it’s for a different role I was told’. I said tell those who make the decisions to accept the CRB I have or I don’t do the talk. They said – ok your are not doing the talks. So for the last few years I’ve done no talks be because my CRB has the wrong title! So I assumed. (Email attached)
Last Autumn I went in to help a student in a local school – I was spotted by a senior teacher who said ‘we loved your talk, it was inspirational – we’d love to invite you back.’ So I said, ‘so ask me’, She said that when they’d asked the council for me, the council said they would be charging for my attendance. Sadly they had no budget for this and had to decline. She was then told ‘do not contact Mr Oliver directly as you will be in breach of contract!’.
I asked this teacher to put this writing, but when she looked a little deeper she discovered the council dept in question had been closed in recent cut backs.
I hope to do a talk soon with the school in question.
The CRB’s are doing a lot of damage in allowing adults to support & inspire children’s education & development and it needs reform or removal.
I brought this up recently at the Westminster Forum. (22nd March)
“STEMNET’s head of communications Teresa Sutton assured Oliver that this was due to be altered.”
(Text Deleted)
So a few days later I decided to sign up via STEMNET and see what the experience was like.
I got the attached email the next day. Saying I had to attend the talk and register for a new CRB.
Today (18 April 12) I got the call…
Linda – (07539 720152.)
She said – unless I attend a need meeting and do a new CRB I can’t join StemNET Ambassador programme. Clearly I told her that wasn’t going to happen.
In a time when sadly costs must be reduced – I feel the CRB system needs to be so drastically overhauled – it would improve volunteers helping the next generation and save money.
Quick win – people only need 1 CRB check! not multiple for different reasons, organisations etc. (Linda mentioned – she has 4 !)
But even better –
Rather than people ‘opting in’ to be checked and have cost and the hurdle. Why not simply have a central database that schools can Query on known sex offenders. To avoid and protect people’s civil liberties (even when they are sex offenders) – this can only be queried with information on the personals Passport. Therefore when you go into a school – you give your passport over. The “scan” it and it checks. Job done.
Right now – that’s more secure than the current system – frankly I have a CRB check, but I don’t carry anything around on me – and I’ve been into schools. Occasionally someone asks – have you got a CRB check & I say yes. They do not ask to see it. That’s not secure!
BTW – CRB’s were introduced after the Ian Huntley –‘Soham murders’. Ian Huntley would have been issued CRB approval prior to the murders.
I sincerely hope this will be taken VERY seriously.
Best Regards,
Dr Philip Oliver.Comment Tags: CRBs, engagement, industry, school, scrap
Get rid of the daft rule that stops the unemployed from going to univeristy or college to undertake courses which would imporve their chances of getting into employment, because they would loose their housing benefit and also their benefits if they undertake it full time. Extend the waving of fees to include full time courses for people on benefits and low income as well, to encourage them to get re-trained. And allow them access to loans to buy books if part/full without loss benefits as well!
Housing for the Disable Family’s currently are not to be sold to Family member’s because of Occupational Therapy needs and limited stock it is unfair their is no incentive their for Family’s to get a job because we have been told that even if the Housing association would offer to sell the house to us the Occupational Therapy will go out of their way to put a stop to the Sale. I do work and also have a Daughter with severe learning Difficulty’s and a Wife with Epilepsy and a 3 year old with Autism I try my best but I feel the current legislation Discriminates against working family with Disable Family members. Please quote me if I am WrongComment Tags: Housing for the Disable Family’s