Last updated: 3 June 2011
This Policy sets out the National Army Museum's (NAM's) intentions and obligations under UK employment and anti-discrimination legislation. As a public authority, the NAM is subject to a race, gender and disability equality duty and intends to show, where appropriate, the same commitment to promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender reassignment, age, family leave and working patterns.
The NAM is committed to equality and diversity, which is central to all aspects of its work as outlined in the NAM's Equality and Diversity, Access and Inclusion Policy and the NAM's Strategic Plan.
2.1 Race Relations Act 1976
The legislation regarding racial discrimination is set out in the Race Relations Act. The Race Relations Act makes it unlawful to treat a person less favourably than others on racial grounds. These cover grounds of race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), and national or ethnic origin.
The Race Relations Act (1976) provides protection from direct and indirect race discrimination in the fields of employment, education, training, housing, and the provision of goods, facilities and services.
2.2 Direct Discrimination
This occurs when a worker is treated less favourably than another in similar relevant circumstances on the grounds of his or her colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins or because of these attributes in someone to whom they are related or with whom they are in a relationship.
Direct discrimination may also occur where treatment of a worker on the above grounds results in dismissal, denial of opportunities within or for employment or training, or any other detriment.
2.3 Indirect Discrimination
This occurs when a condition or requirement is applied equally to workers of different racial groups and three conditions are jointly met:
2.4 Segregation
It is unlawful under the Race Relations Act to separate workers or deliberately place them in particular groups based on their colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins.
2.5 Victimisation
It is also unlawful under the Race Relations Act to effect or allow unfavourable treatment of a worker because they have asserted their rights under race equality laws or have assisted someone else to do so.
2.6 Racial Harassment
Racial harassment is unwanted conduct of a racial nature.
It is unlawful under the Race Relations Act to intentionally harass, alarm or distress through the use of threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, words or displays.
2.7 Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2003
The Regulations enhance the Race Relations Act by, for example, amending the definition of indirect discrimination and changing the way in which the burden of proof applies, as well as removing a number of exceptions from the legislation. These changes brought the Race Relations Act into line with the rest of UK anti-discrimination law to form part of a consistent legislative framework.
3.1 General Duty
3.1.1 Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (RRAA) amended the 1976 Act to eliminate institutional racism and it specifically prohibits race discrimination in all public functions (with only a few limited exceptions) and gives public authorities a new statutory duty to promote race equality (Race Equality Duty). The aim is to help public authorities to provide fair and accessible services, and to improve equal opportunities in employment.
When carrying out its functions, the NAM will have due regard to the need to:
3.1.2 Harassment and Bullying
Within the NAM's general duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different racial groups, all members of staff will have a right to protection from harassment, and a responsibility to ensure that the working environment is free from harassment and that the dignity of others is respected. As such, all members of staff are required to:
This will be overseen by the NAM's strategy and policies on Equal Opportunities and Harassment, Bullying, Victimisation and Fighting at Work, and supplemented by the provision of training in areas of equality and diversity.
Progress will be monitored by the Department of Human Resources through the collection and analysis of data on recruitment, employment and retention, career progression, training, performance management, and incidents of discipline and grievance.
3.1.3 Training
All training carried out by the NAM, or on its behalf, will embrace the principles of equal opportunities. Training opportunities are offered to all members of staff irrespective of gender, marital status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, age, pregnancy, trade union/staff association membership or activity, or permanent, part-time or fixed-term employment status.
The NAM is committed to ensuring that there are equal opportunities for all staff in the development of their careers, through performance management, training and developmental opportunities. To support this commitment, training is made equally available to ALL staff, through the completion of personal training and development plans.
In support of its Equality and Diversity Policies and to meet the general duty, the NAM recognises the importance that its entire workforce is properly trained, that staff awareness is raised and that staff are sensitive to equality and diversity issues. As such, the NAM provides mandatory training on equality and diversity as part of its induction programme. Feedback from the training is analysed to assess the training's quality, relevance and impact.
Equality and Diversity policies and the responsibility for ensuring that people, both within the Museum and in the wider community with whom they come into contact as part of their duties, are treated fairly and with respect will be a key component of training.
Equality and diversity training is periodically reviewed to ensure the content and delivery of the training meets the requirements of the NAM and its equality objectives.
In addition, the data collection of incident's that have occurred (eg discipline or grievance), along with periodic survey results and data from exit interviews in relation to equality and diversity will be analysed.
3.1.4 Promotion
The NAM has an internal promotion process in operation, which gives existing members of staff greater opportunities for their own development and management experience in working at a higher grade in both temporary and permanent appointments.
3.1.5 Occupational Welfare Service
The NAM funds the provision of an Occupational Welfare Service (OWS); a confidential advisory and professional support service to members of staff in both personal and work-related issues, including harassment and bullying, discrimination, illness and disability, injury, retirement, bereavement, relationships and addiction.
The OWS has a wide range of contacts with organisations that can provide help and support with a variety of issues including debt and financial problems, domestic matters and healthcare.
3.2 Specific Duties
Specific duties apply to public authorities to ensure better performance by them of the general duty. The specific duties cover obligations in respect of policy and service delivery and employment. A Race Equality Scheme (RES) and Action Plan, which is a timetabled and realistic plan, setting out the NAM's arrangements for meeting the general and specific duties, will be reviewed once every three years.
When developing its Race Equality Scheme, the NAM will consult its employees, service users and other stakeholders who have an interest in the way it carries out its functions.
The NAM's Race Equality Scheme will include:
The NAM, when meeting its duties, will:
3.2.1 Equality Impact Assessment
The NAM will review its functions, policies and activities as an ongoing process. This review will be used to develop Action Plans and as the starting point for Equality Impact Assessments to ensure compliance with the duties and to ensure equal treatment for the entire workforce and visitors/users. All new policies, relating to employment and non-employment issues will be equality-proofed as they are developed.
As policies are developed or reviewed, they will contain an ‘equality impact assessment statement', and will be placed on a forward review programme.
Policies will initially be screened to assess the potential impact of diversity issues to determine relevance and proportionality. If this screening shows that diversity issues are relevant to the policy, a full equality impact assessment will be undertaken to ensure that any adverse impact is identified and that it is fully justified, removed, minimised or managed. Any further action will inform future equality scheme action plans in consultation with staff, initially through the Equality and Access Group.
3.2.2 Procurement
It is a requirement of all contractors to notify the NAM of any prosecution or proceedings arising under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Contractors carrying out work at the NAM's premises are also required to comply with the reasonable direction of the NAM to enable it to fulfil its statutory duty to promote race equality. The condition provides advice to contractors on the types of behaviour expected of them whilst carrying out their obligations under NAM contracts such as encouraging the use of verbal and non-verbal language, which will not cause racial offence. The general contract condition described above applies to all contracts placed by the NAM. In addition, all the obligations are to be applied equally to subcontractors in carrying out their duties.
4.1 Equality and Access Group
The NAM's Access Group, established in 2005, has been re-confirmed as the Equality and Access Group and will consider all strands of equality alongside access issues.
The Equality and Access Group will review all elements of the Visitor/IT Audience Profile, the Staffing Profile, the Formal Education and Lifelong Learning Programmes, and the Visitor Experience (informed by visitor information and statistics produced as a result of surveys and MORI (or other) polls), as part of the development of the EAID Strategy, in order to assess the degree of success against the stated aims. These will be used to inform the Audience Development Strategy.
The Equality and Access Group's mandate is detailed in the NAM's Strategy for Equality and Diversity, Access and Inclusion (EDAI) (246KB)
4.2 Academy of Equality
In September 2008, the NAM commissioned and funded ‘The Academy of Equality' - experts in the field of equality and diversity - to provide a framework of support, training, coaching and guidance that would support the Museum in delivering its equality remit. The framework consisted of an audit of existing policies and activities, executive coaching to a new senior management team to reinforce equality at a strategic level, and outline the input and commitment required at this level to ensure delivery of equality, and training for key staff in the delivery of Equality Impact Assessments (EIA's). This has established the foundations of an in-house equality knowledge base to take the Museum forward in its aim to deliver equality and diversity.
5.1 The National Army Museum's Mission Statement is:
To interpret and communicate the objects in the Museum's care in ways that inspire, provide enjoyment and provoke questions from diverse audiences.
5.2 The National Army Museum's Purpose is:
To explain the impact that the British Army has had on the character of Britain, Europe and the world.
The NAM has an important role on behalf of the Nation as a repository of the history and heritage of the British Army, as well as supporting the Defence Purpose through its contribution to the Army's image in society, to the remembrance of those who served, and to the education of Servicemen and Servicewomen.
In addition, the NAM sees its wider education role in the community as important in contributing to the delivery of the National Curriculum and Life-Long Learning. Visitors are currently admitted to the NAM Chelsea, and all the exhibitions there, free of charge.
5.3 The National Army Museum's aim is:
To engage new audiences, via an interactive children's learning centre, the Kids‘ Zone, and a redesigned website offered to new audiences - including user groups who have traditionally viewed museums as remote and irrelevant - an immediate, accessible route to visiting the Museum.
The NAM Collections contain material from all parts of the world where the armies of Britain and the Commonwealth were raised, fought or stationed. Coverage is uneven both chronologically and geographically, with considerable strength on the Indian subcontinent, and notable weakness on central America and the Caribbean. Even so the pictorial collections in particular record the military service since the eighteenth century of men and women from many backgrounds, including China, large parts of Africa, South Asia, Australasia and North America.
The Museum will take care to ensure the heritage of diverse audiences is reflected in the collections and that these illustrate and augment themes (eg the contemporary and historical, the social and cultural context). The Museum recognises that the displays should incorporate objects that relate to people's social and cultural heritage, particularly in relation to target audiences. To this end, it will review how the collections reflect or relate to a diverse audience and propose any changes that may be needed to the Museum's Collecting policy (if appropriate).
The Museum will take care to ensure the heritage of diverse audiences is reflected in the collections and that these illustrate and augment themes (eg the contemporary and historical, the social and cultural context). The Museum recognises that the displays should incorporate objects that relate to people's social and cultural heritage, particularly in relation to target audiences.
In offering events and activities, the Museum will ensure that the NAM website, events programme and membership programmes reflect our goals in promoting and encouraging equality, diversity, access and inclusion, that organised and publicised events take place in accessible places, and that services and necessary facilities offered at these events are accessible to all visitors.
The NAM will review its collections, research, exhibitions and public programmes on a continuing basis with the aim of achieving diversity.
It will review how the collections reflect or relate to a diverse audience and propose any changes that may be needed to the Museum's Collecting policy (if appropriate).
The NAM is developing its strategy for outreach to a diverse audience on an ongoing basis.
Opportunities for the collection of high quality feedback and marketing data, in a suitable format, will be developed by the Equality and Access Group. Feedback questionnaires, visitor surveys, applications to use the Templer Study Centre and the website will be developed as on ongoing process, with due consideration for the sensitive nature of the data collection, thus increasing the NAM's capability for measuring success and improving its services.
Cultural diversity, including the diversity of the Museum's workforce, is overseen by the Director and Management Team and reviewed as part of the Museum's Strategic Plan.
11.1 Workforce Monitoring
The NAM will conduct ethnic monitoring of the workforce and publish annually the results of monitoring. It will also monitor and review its employment and recruitment activities.
The Department of Human Resources monitors, by reference to racial group, the numbers of:
In addition, the Department of Human Resources monitors the number of staff from each racial group who:
The NAM is committed to best practice in recruitment, and welcomes and encourages applications for employment from all sections of the community as supported by its Equality and Diversity Policies, particularly where certain groups are under-represented.
The NAM has an on-going commitment to improve the methods in which information is gathered on staff and applicants during the recruitment process, and ensures, where practicable, a diverse interview board panel.
The NAM's recruitment and selection process will be reviewed as an ongoing process to meet equality and diversity criteria.
12.1 Volunteers, Work Experience and Internship Placements
The NAM's strategy for the use of volunteers, work experience and internship placements is under review with the aim of developing opportunities to compliment, support and diversify its existing workforce.
It is intended that use of these schemes will increase the diversity of its workforce so that it is reflective of the communities it exists to provide a service to.
It is also intended that increased use of these schemes will provide further opportunities for existing members of staff to gain a range of management skills and experience to further enhance their career development.
12.2 Black and Minority Ethnic Employment
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) employment is evident in the Museum's Departments of Human Resources and Operations, but diversity is lacking in the Museum specialism areas of the NAM's Services and Collections (Curatorial) Departments. This is an industry-wide finding.
The recruitment of a diverse workforce is well recognised and a common theme across National Museums and Galleries with mixed success rates. The NAM's Assistant Director (Human Resources) is an active member of the Human Resources Forum, a sub-group of the National Museums Directors Conference.
This group looks proactively at ways of addressing this issue and of introducing the idea of a career in the heritage and cultural sector to a diverse range of people, with opportunities for work experience and support in obtaining a museum qualification.
12.3 Young Graduates in Museums and Galleries Scheme
The Young Graduates in Museums and Galleries (YGMG) (Global Graduates) is a government-backed scheme, which works closely with the nation's top museums and galleries to address the acknowledged lack of workforce diversity. Through this initiative, the doors of the most internationally revered cultural institutions will open to fresh talent from diverse backgrounds, who currently don't perceive that the sector provides routes to satisfying and valuable careers.
The NAM has met with the organisers of the scheme and is keen to explore establishing a relationship with Global Graduates, planning to trial the YGMG scheme - subject to funding - during the financial year 2009/2010.
12.4 Appointment of Trustees
The NAM aims to encourage a diverse Board of Trustees (NAM Council) in accordance with its aims to achieve diversity, and meet the needs of the community which it serves.
13.1 National Museum Directors Conference (NMDC) Human Resources Forum
The NAM is an active member of the NMDC HR Forum, and diversity is a standing agenda item for Forum meetings, with regular conferences being run on diversity.
Representatives of the Forum also sit on other cultural diversity groups on behalf of the Forum, the MA/MLA/DCMS Workforce Diversity Working Group and the London Mayor's Heritage Diversity Taskforce.
13.2 Schools
The NAM's Education Department's principal means of promotion to schools and other groups are as follows:
The Museum aims to develop continually its outreach strategy through the Education Department's remit and will develop this further in consultation with the Equality and Access Group and the Community Liaison, Equality and Access Officer once in post.
13.3 Colleges
Since June 2006 the NAM has been working with colleges that run Degree, HND or Foundation courses in pattern cutting, the history of fashion and construction, for the purpose of making the Museum's collection of uniform more accessible to students and at multiple NAM sites across London and the Home Counties, and where possible, further afield. This has been successful in widening the NAM's profile to a new audience, and in fulfilling its obligation, as a Museum and a centre for learning, to make its collection accessible.
Excellent partnerships have been formed with The Royal College of Art and the lecturers encourage their students to come to the NAM and its outstations to undertake research as part of their projects.
South Thames College, City and Islington and Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire College of Further Education are among several other colleges who plan to send students to the NAM's sites. In addition, members of staff make college visits to deliver lectures on the collection.
14.1 The Museum's Race Equality Scheme is a working document and will provide a framework for race equality. We welcome comments and suggestions from staff, visitors, community groups, stakeholders and any other interested parties. The plan will be reviewed annually and regular updates will be provided on the NAM's website.
Visitors to the Museum are openly encouraged to make comment and suggestions to how the museum and it's services and facilities are functioning, and how they can be improved. This is via a Visitor Comments box located at the front Reception Desk.
14.2 Staff/Management Forum
A Staff/Management Forum was established in 2006 to encourage the discussion of issues affecting staff and working procedures, as well as the plans for the Museum as a whole. This forum is representative of the staff through individuals from different parts of the Museum. Agendas are raised, informed by staff suggestions and recent developments or changes in NAM Policy and Procedures and resolved through open discussion.
14.3 Community Groups
Community groups are to be more heavily consulted in the development of the Museum's plans and policies through liaison with the NAM's (shortly to be appointed) Community Liaison Equality and Access Officer.
Sectors of the Community, not previously reached through the marketing information or by virtue of their under-representation are to be targeted and included in many aspects of the museums work to ensure inclusiveness, accessibility and equality in all that we do.
14.4 Focus Groups
The Museum arranges annual Focus Groups discussions and consultation with members of the public in order to gain feedback in relation to proposals for exhibitions, galleries and displays and plans for the Museum; encouraging open discussion and feedback this forum helps to inform the content, relevance and ensure representation where possible through the collections of all sectors of society.