The JGA Group is dedicated to providing a fair and safe service to its customers and staff.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The JGA Group (JGA) recognises the value to its business of all staff, associates, and customers, and their rights to equal treatment.  JGA maintains a policy of open and equal opportunity for all and promotes its policy in all areas of JGA activity, including advertising and marketing.

All applicants for employment or learning and development programmes will be considered on their individual merits - irrespective of any irrelevant factor including sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, physical or mental disability status, health, race, colour, ethnic or national origins, religion or political beliefs.

We expect all clients and staff to be guided by this policy in every aspect of their involvement with JGA.

Strategy for the Implementation of the JGA Equal Opportunities Policy

The JGA Equal Opportunities Policy is disseminated to all employees/associates (for example, Head Office employees, self-employed tutors, NVQ assessors and internal verifiers) and trainees or candidates as part of their induction with JGA. It is also included in the Staff Handbook.

Issues are kept to the forefront as regular agenda items for office team meetings and the wider Team Forum events and included in staff training material.  The Policy is regularly reviewed.

Recruitment and Retention Policies include acting in accordance with the five Commitments for the award of the use of the Disability Symbol.

Training, guidance, and materials provided by JGA stress Equal Opportunities.  This means, amongst other things, that:

• Terminology is chosen with the intention of avoiding the exclusion or stereotyping of any person on any basis including age, race, religion, nationality, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

• Illustrations and names used in case studies reflect a mix of ethnic backgrounds and gender.

• Training materials are reviewed to ensure an absence of any implication that learners and job seekers are generally of any particular social class, sex, or ethnicity.

• Training locations are assessed for ease of access and use by disabled people.  Potential difficulties are anticipated when necessary by arranging an alternative location.

Assistance is available for those for whom English is not their first language.

Checks, regular monitoring and analysis of records provide the basis for appropriate action to eliminate any unlawful direct and indirect discrimination and to promote equality of opportunities and to ensure that the Equal Opportunities policy is adhered to.  Actions include: observation visits to training sessions, surveys carried out within the organisation which include monitoring and evaluating achievement rates of candidates in relation to their gender, race, and disability status so that action could be taken if appropriate.

Any comments or complaints arising under the JGA Equal Opportunities policy and its application should be addressed in writing to the JGA Managing Director, Jane Goodwin.  Any complaint will be dealt with within five working days of receipt.

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Health and Safety Policy

Introduction
The JGA Group is a training provider delivering training services for individuals and employers.  As such, it has responsibilities for its employees, learners and other customers.  These responsibilities are those imposed by the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Learning & Skills Council (LSC) Safe Learner Concept.

This Policy Statement provides an overview of the detailed information provided in the Health & Safety Policy and Procedures document.

Accountability and Organisation
The Managing Director has overall responsibility for Health & Safety and for ensuring that appropriate planning and provision of resources are available to meet requirements.  The Health and Safety Coordinator is the first-line contact in respect of Health and Safety issues.  All employees, associates and learners share in creating and operating in a safe environment. More specifically:

• Overall responsibility for Health and Safety matters rests with the Managing Director.
• Each manager is responsible for health and safety within their respective areas of the Company’s premises and, where their remit extends to oversight of offsite activities, the health and safety provisions obtaining in respect of those activities.
• All employees have a responsibility and statutory duty to take reasonable care of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
• All employees have a statutory duty to co-operate with the Company in enabling it to discharge its duties under the Act.
• A trained Health & Safety Coordinator shall supervise Health & Safety arrangements.
• A trained Health & Safety Consultant shall provide advice and a Health & Safety audit function.

Policy Statement
In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (“the Act”), the JGA Group has the maintenance of Health and Safety at Work as a declared objective.

To fulfil this objective, the management of the Company shall take all reasonable and practicable precautions to safeguard the Health, Safety and Welfare of employees, customers/learners and members of the general public who have access to or contact with premises or activities which are directly under the Company’s control.
In furtherance of the Policy, the Company undertakes, in so far as is reasonably practical, to:

• Provide and maintain premises, equipment and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health.
• Make arrangements for ensuring safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
• Implement the requirements of the LSC Safe Learner Concept to ensure learners understand the importance, principles and practices of Health & Safety.
• Identify and take steps to eliminate any risks or hazards which might compromise health or safety and, in particular, hazards that could be a risk to vulnerable learners with physical, hearing, sight or other impairments.
• Provide such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the Health and Safety at Work of employees, associates, customers/learners and visitors.
• Provide such protective equipment as is necessary for the Health and Safety at Work of employees and customers/learners.
• Encourage employees and learners to set high standards of Health and Safety by personal example.
• Regularly update employees and associates on the Policy through monthly Head Office Team Briefings, 6-monthly Company Team Forums, and circulars/newsletters.
• Monitor the effectiveness of Health and Safety provisions, in consultation with employees and associates at the aforesaid team meetings and Team Forums.
• Measure the performance in the Health & Safety area, so that achievement can be reviewed and action taken to improve performance against the standards set by the Health & Safety Act and the Learning & Skills Council (LSC). 
• Keep the Policy under regular review, ensuring, inter alia, that it continues to meet current legislative requirements, and duly publish any amendments that may result on a timely basis.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Policy requires employees, associates and (where applicable) customers and learners to:

• Take reasonable care of themselves and other persons who may be affected by their work or study, particularly bearing in mind those who may be more vulnerable.


• Cooperate towards providing a safe place and system of work.


• Neither interfere with nor misuse anything provided in the interests of Health and Safety at Work.


• Bring to the attention of management any faulty or defective equipment or plant etc, or any health or potential safety hazard of which they are aware.


• Report all accidents, injuries and dangerous occurrences (including “near misses”) and record same using the forms included in the Accident Book.


• Acknowledge and accept that failure to comply with the Policy may be considered a matter grave enough to warrant formal disciplinary action.

Updated: October 2007

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Disability Statement

General Information
This document contains information about the JGA Group's provision for clients and staff with disabilities.  This includes those who are hearing impaired, visually impaired, or dyslexic, those who have mental health difficulties or have unseen impairments such as epilepsy, and those who are temporarily disabled.

If you want to find out more or have any queries about the JGA provision, staff can contact their line manager and customers can contact their named Personal Adviser or course tutor or their other usual contact within JGA.  Information can be provided in a face-to-face meeting, by telephone, by email or by other written communication.  (We do not have minicom facilities.)  Information can also be made available in large print or on disk, and can be printed on different coloured paper for ease of access.  We can prepare an audiotape version, if appropriate.

We have been awarded the Job Centre Plus accreditation "Positive About Disabled People" and abide by its disability policy. For more information, please see the Job Centre Plus website.

Introduction
The JGA Group welcomes applications from people with disabilities to participate in programmes or to join us as an employee or associate.  We aim to ensure that their participation in any programme is as full and successful as that of any other person.

All parts of JGA adhere to our statement promoting equal opportunities and equal treatment for all applicants and customers.

JGA is building on its expertise in the support of customers and staff who may be hearing impaired, visually impaired, dyslexic, or have impaired mobility.

We are working towards making all of the premises we use accessible to wheelchair users.  If you have mobility difficulties, please contact us ahead of any first visit to discuss whether we need to make any alternative arrangements.

Applying
As part of the JGA commitment, if you identify yourself as a person with a disability on an application form or in discussion with an adviser, we will work with you to identify any special needs that you may have for participating in one of our programmes.  This will help you to make an informed decision about whether the facilities are appropriate.  Please be assured that disclosure of a disability will not prejudice your application.  With your permission, we could notify other members of staff or customers with whom you work regarding any particular ways in which they could best work with you.

What Support Is Available?
The text of training course handouts can be enlarged.

Handouts and forms can be printed on different coloured paper.

Parking space for customers and staff with mobility impairments will be reserved on request whenever possible.

All training venues and offices will have wheelchair-accessible toilets on the ground floor.

Hearing impaired customers may request copies of overhead slides and handouts to be available before training sessions.

Induction loops can be available if required. 

How Accessible Are Training Venues?
Training venues within the M25 are located relatively close to underground and mainline stations.  Other training venues have adequate car parking.  All training venues are located near bus routes.  Specific location information is provided before course commencement.

The premises JGA uses are diverse but generally are public-access community buildings.  This means that the training accommodation used by JGA is normally wheelchair accessible and on the ground floor. Where JGA is required to use rooms on other levels we will make every effort to ensure access for customers with mobility impairment. Please contact us ahead of any first visit to a location to ensure complete accessibility.  

Who Can Help Me?
For staff, the first person to contact is their line manager.  Customers should contact their Personal Adviser or Course Tutor where appointed.  In other cases, contact the JGA Head Office for advice.

The JGA Managing Director, Jane Goodwin, has specific experience of working with graduates with disabilities.

Monitoring and Complaints
JGA wants to make sure that the services it provides or arranges continue to be effective and appropriate.  We monitor this and also carry out access assessments of all venues.

JGA has a complaints procedure that can be used to raise matters in relation to disability issues under the Equal Opportunities policy.

Future Developments
We will continue with maintaining awareness of disability issues among our staff and associates and the learning community on JGA courses.  JGA is preparing handbooks for trainers and personal advisers that will include advice on good practice in working with learners with disabilities.

In line with the JGA Equal Opportunities policy, every effort will be made to make all the services and facilities described in this document available to all customers and staff, regardless of the programme of study or impairment.  Budgetary and other resource restraints make it impossible to guarantee that all services will be available without restriction.

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Environmental Policy

The JGA Group is a career management and adult training organisation based in Eastcote, Middlesex, where our NVQ Assessment Centre is also located.  In addition to training, the company also provides Information, Advice and Guidance.  Training is provided at the company’s offices, employer’s premises or other suitable low-cost premises.  Regular outreach workshops, to facilitate Distance Learning, take place at a number of shared, low-cost facilities.

The JGA Group Environmental Policy is based on a commitment to protect the environment by minimising the waste of renewable and non-renewable resources as part of a continuous improvement programme.

Throughout its activities, the JGA Group strives to minimise any adverse effect on the general environment by using public transport as the first choice for travel. JGA also recycles all paper and envelopes where possible and, through the effective use of ICT, reduces waste by use of efficient communications.  In this way, cost savings, increased operational efficiency and improved quality of customer service will be achieved, whilst also maintaining a healthy, safe and sustainable environment for our employees, learners and the community at large.

In pursuit of this policy JGA will:

• Make environmental protection and waste minimisation the responsibility of every employee, making it an integral part of their working life, supported by training whenever appropriate.

• Comply with all applicable environmental legislation.
  
  
• Continue to give prime consideration to re-cycling paper and other consumables.

• Encourage customers and suppliers to support the same aims by minimising waste and reducing energy consumption whenever possible.
  
• Ensure that management continuously monitor the recycling activities of all employees.  Regular reviews will be undertaken to assess progress against targets and also identify initiatives to maintain the drive for continuous improvements.

• Make this Environmental Policy available to all stakeholders, learners and staff by displaying it on the JGA website and on company notice boards.
  
• Review the Policy regularly and at least annually.

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Safeguarding

Background
The JGA Group is a private adult learning provider delivering a variety of programmes for employed and unemployed customers aged 19 and over.  JGA programmes include Skills for Life courses, where it is assessed that there is a greater likelihood of encountering vulnerable adults.  For this reason, all staff delivering such courses are required to be CRB checked at enhanced level for POVA.  Furthermore, JGA has assessed that the one-to-one nature of NVQ and Career Services delivery dictates that all JGA delivery staff in these areas are also CRB checked at enhanced level.  Finally, where required, Head Office staff responsible for administering programmes are required to be CRB checked at enhanced level.

Whilst JGA does not train any young people below the age of 19, we are delivering NVQs in Playwork and Child Care, Learning & Development, and our staff therefore have to visit child nurseries and other such establishments.  Because of the proximity of young children, all our staff must for this reason be CRB checked prior to contact taking place.

Policy Statement
The JGA Group is strongly committed to practices that protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect or significant harm.  Staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop awareness of the risks and issues involved in safeguarding.  JGA seeks to declare at every induction that we must all (staff and learners) have zero tolerance for abuse, bullying, neglect and violence. 

JGA also recognises that it has a responsibility to protect staff from unfounded allegations of abuse. 

JGA is committed to working with existing local safeguarding or adult safeguarding Boards and other Health & Social Care partnerships.

Definition
For the purposes of this policy and procedure, children are defined in the Children Act of 1989 as a person under the age of 18 years.  The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 defines a ‘vulnerable adult’ as a person aged 18 and over, and at least one of the following:

• Receiving a social care service.
• Receiving a heath service.
• Living in sheltered accommodation.
• Detained in custody or under a probation order.
• Requiring assistance in the conduct of his/her affairs.
• Receiving a service or participating in an activity targeted at older people, people with disabilities or physical/mental health conditions.

Accountability and Responsibility
Lead responsibility for Safeguarding rests with the Managing Director.  For day-to-day activity, a Safeguarding Coordinator will provide general advice and training, monitor and manage concerns, allegations or disclosures, and liaise with safeguarding agencies.  Departmental managers will work in parallel to ensure that the reporting staff member(s) are appropriately supported, if needed.

Training 
The JGA Group has a duty to promote safeguarding issues and measures to staff in order to ensure that they:

• Analyse their own practice against established good practice, and assess risk to ensure that their practice is likely to protect them from false allegations.
• Recognise their responsibilities and report any concerns, suspected poor practice or possible abuse, and disclosures (Code of Behaviour).
• Follow guidelines for staff.
• Undertake regular internal training on safeguarding to maintain and improve awareness of current issues and legislation.  To this end, safeguarding must be a permanent agenda item at all staff and learner inductions, at all staff standardisation meetings, at weekly Head Office Management Meetings, at monthly Head Office Team Briefings, and at 6-monthly company-wide Team Forums.

Safeguarding Code of Behaviour

You must not:

• Spend excessive amounts of time alone with children or vulnerable adults away
  from others.
• Make unnecessary physical contact with children and vulnerable adults.
• Take children and vulnerable adults alone in a car, however short the journey, unless absolutely unavoidable.
• Meet children and vulnerable adults outside of the work environment
• Start an investigation or question anyone after a concern, allegation or disclosure has been raised.  This is the job of the authorities.
• Show favouritism to any one child or vulnerable adult, nor should they issue or threaten any form of physical punishment.
• Staff should never (even in fun):
  • Initiate or engage in sexually provocative conversation or activity.
  • Allow the use of inappropriate language to go unchallenged.
  • Do things of a personal nature for children and vulnerable adults that they can do themselves.
  • Allow any allegations made by a child or vulnerable adult go without being reported and addressed.
  • Trivialise or exaggerate child or vulnerable adult abuse issues.
  • Make promises to keep any disclosure confidential from relevant authorities.

You must:

• Respect children and vulnerable adults’ right to privacy, and encourage children and vulnerable adults to feel comfortable enough to report attitudes or behaviour that they do not like.
• Act with discretion with regards to their personal relationships.
• Be aware of the procedures for reporting concerns, allegations or disclosures, and should familiarise themselves with the contact details of the Safeguarding Coordinator.
• If a member of staff finds himself or herself the subject of inappropriate affection or attention from a child or vulnerable adult, they should make other members of their delivery team aware of this.
• If a member of staff has any concerns relating to the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult in their care, be it concerns about actions/behaviours of another staff member or concerns based on any conversation with the child or vulnerable adult (particularly where the child or vulnerable adult makes an allegation), they should report this to the Safeguarding Coordinator.

Procedure for Responding to a Concern, Allegation or Disclosure

• Do not make promises about confidentiality.
• Explain to the person at the outset that you will need to report the concern, allegation or disclosure and share the information with the Safeguarding Coordinator.
• The member of staff who has concerns about possible abuse or neglect must contact their Safeguarding Coordinator or, if not available, their Departmental Manager as soon as possible for advice and support.
• If the complainant is the child or vulnerable adult concerned, questions should be kept to a minimum and leading questions should be avoided.

Reporting
Information regarding a concern, allegation or disclosure is to be recorded on the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children Reporting Form (Annex A).  Completion of this form should be initiated as soon as possible by the person who has first-hand information.  Information can be progressively added as more information is gained.  The report should be brought to the attention of the Safeguarding Coordinator as soon as possible.  The Coordinator is responsible for advising the Managing Director and also passing information regarding the report to local or appropriate safeguarding agencies.

Immediately afterwards, if the reporter is a Delivery Team member, the reporter must inform their Departmental Manager that a “Safeguarding Report” has been made to the Coordinator and, without giving any detail of the concern or allegation, indicate whether the delivery team needs additional support or not.  The words “Safeguarding Report” are all that is required by the Departmental Manager;  confidentiality must be preserved wherever possible.

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