Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies have been in the news recently after US President Donald Trump cast doubt on their relevance and efficacy in his vision for 21st-century America. This is still being hotly debated across the pond, and the politics of this is not the subject of this article. However, in the UK, the principles of equality and diversity are protected under UK law, and educational institutions, including early years settings, have a legal obligation to uphold them and also to educate our children about them.
What Does The Law Say About EDI?
The Equality Act 2010 is the primary legislation that protects people from discrimination in the workplace and wider British society. It consolidates previous anti-discrimination laws into a single Act, making it easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It protects everyone from discrimination based on 9 protected characteristics, which are:
• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership status
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
When people apply for a job or start working, they are protected by law, and employers cannot legally treat people unfairly based on any of these protected characteristics. In essence, it makes sure that everyone gets a fair chance and is treated with respect, regardless of their background.
British Values
In the UK, we also have a set of principles called “British values,” which are fundamental principles promoted in the UK to encourage social cohesion and prevent extremism. While British values as a concept aren’t explicitly protected under UK law, many of the principles associated with them are upheld and protected by different laws and regulations, such as the Equality Act 2010. These values are intended to help us all understand and respect the diverse society we live in. The five fundamental British values are:
• Democracy – the right for everyone to have their voice heard and participate in decision-making processes
• The rule of law – the importance of laws that are applied fairly and consistently to maintain order and protect individual rights
• Individual liberty – the freedom for individuals to make choices and express themselves within the boundaries of the law
• Mutual respect – treating others with consideration and valuing diverse perspectives and backgrounds
• Tolerance – accepting and respecting people with different faiths and beliefs, and those without any faith
These values are promoted in schools and other institutions to help prepare our young people for life in modern Britain and to ensure they understand the importance of respect and tolerance.
The Role Of Early Years Settings
As early years settings, you play a crucial role in shaping the future of young children. Ensuring the principles of British values are upheld in your setting’s day-to-day running and your recruitment policy is crucial. This often starts with recruitment, so let’s look at how your recruitment policy is fundamental to helping you achieve this.
Understanding EDI In Recruitment
EDI in recruitment goes beyond avoiding discrimination; it’s about actively creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to join your team. That starts with understanding your own setting and the recruitment policy you already have. For example, how has it worked so far? Is your staff team representative of your wider local society or British society as a whole? In the past, unconscious biases, outdated hiring practices, and systemic barriers such as gender pay gaps have led to an underrepresentation of certain groups in early years settings. By embedding EDI principles into your hiring processes, you can build a team that reflects the communities you serve, ensuring children grow up in an environment that values inclusivity and representation.
Key Elements
To create a truly inclusive recruitment process, you should focus on the following key areas:
- Inclusive job adverts
The language and images you use in your job adverts can significantly affect who applies for the role. Using gender-neutral and bias-free wording, and a diverse range of people in images helps ensure that the roles appeal to a wide range of candidates. Additionally, stating that you have a clear commitment to EDI in your job posts can encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. This could be as simple as saying, “We welcome applications from diverse or underrepresented backgrounds.” - Widen your search
Traditional hiring methods often rely on personal networks or specific educational qualifications, which can inadvertently exclude some candidates. Partnering with organisations that support underrepresented groups such as community groups or advertising on a wide variety of platforms can help. This can mean using paper, digital, and visual media. You may also want to consider people who have a lot of experience but may have less traditional or alternative qualifications when recruiting. - Fair and transparent selection criteria
Defining clear, skills-based criteria for recruitment ensures you hire based on people’s ability rather than any preconceived notions of what you think people can/cannot do. Focus on people’s competency or potential rather than assessing candidates solely on a particular cultural ‘fit.’ - Bias-free recruitment processes
Unconscious bias can influence hiring decisions without you even realising it. That is the nature of unconscious bias. To guard against this, approach recruitment in a structured and consistent way. When selecting CVs, for example, blocking out people’s names can help prevent unconscious bias. Also, having structured interviews, where all candidates are asked the same set of standard questions, can help create a level playing field. Diverse interview panels also reduce individual biases, ensuring fair and objective evaluations of all candidates. - Ongoing monitoring and review
As with all policies, your EDI recruitment policy should be reviewed regularly to assess whether it is working and its impact on your recruitment of quality candidates. Collecting and reviewing your recruitment data can help you monitor your progress and identify areas for improvement.
The Benefits Of EDI Recruitment
An effective EDI recruitment policy can bring many benefits to your setting. Employees who feel valued and respected for who they are, are more engaged and productive.
These benefits include:
• An inclusive workplace where people feel a sense of belonging
• Increased job satisfaction
• Lower staff turnover
For the children you look after, early exposure to diversity helps them develop empathy, respect, and an inclusive mindset. Seeing role models from different backgrounds can also be inspiring and build self-esteem, reinforcing the idea that diversity is a strength and should be encouraged.
In the UK, we are proud of our EDI policies. Building an inclusive team starts with a robust and thoughtful EDI recruitment policy. What steps will you take today to build a more inclusive team?
