Does your Local Authority Equality Policy exclude sex as a protected characteristic?

[bananaistheanswer]

Inspired by Jean Hatchet's posts on twitter, I checked mine and colour me shocked, it's been excluded.

Attached below is the list from the EA2010 with my LA's interpretation alongside - note the wording We believe our responsibility for equality is wider than those areas covered by the Equality Act 2010

So removing sex from the list of protected characteristics widens the scope of the EA2010?

So what's your LA equality policy like?

Updated - and posted te new versions online.

It isn't enough to update their docs if individual departments, orgs working with LAs etc have written their own policies in line with their LA. The LA eill need to put out an important memo to be acted on immediately making sure that all policies influenced by the incorrect LA policy are updated urgently and any current services acting on the policies are reevaluate in line with the change. This should especially go out to any services dealing with children or vulnerable people eg schools, health services etc.

And actually if they now realise that there are orgs going into schools, health, police etc and giving incorrect info that is legally actionable they should immediately suspend any more 'training' from this orgs until their own policies and training materials have been properly reviewed. This is a scandal and it's time LAs and everyone else involved realised that. And again if they do that they should put out urgent messages to all affected services making sure everyone who has undertaken this training is informed of the incorrect info they have been given so that neither the service or individual workers e.g. teachers are put at risk of legal or disciplinary action.

It may seem like a lot to ask and could cost a fair bit to everyone but it's their legal responsibility and their own fault for not paying proper attention to law and safeguarding in the first place.

I don't know if any action can be taken against the orgs who misled everyone and caused this loss of money and breaches of law in the first place, but they should lose contracts and never be hired by LA or govt again. They are lobby groups have deliberately spread propaganda affecting sevice users and that should be investigated - it should never be allowed to happen again.

South Hams has Sex (gender)
www.southhams.gov.uk/equality

Torridge (North Devon) has Gender
www.torridge.gov.uk/article/11398/Equality-and-Diversity

Plymouth has Gender
www.plymouth.gov.uk/communitiesandneighbourhoods/socialinclusionandcommunitycohesion/equalityanddiversity

Devon County Council Equality pages aren't working new.devon.gov.uk/equality/

Exeter has Gender
exeter.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-information/strategies-policies-and-plans/equality-and-diversity/

Teignbridge has Gender but lists Sex, Gender and Gender reassignment all in that category, which is confusing.
www.teignbridge.gov.uk/community-and-people/people/equality-and-diversity/the-equality-act/

West Devon has Sex (gender)
www.westdevon.gov.uk/equality

If anyone else wants to write to all of the above please do.

Torbay has Sex
www.torbay.gov.uk/council/policies/corporate/equalities/

Somerset has Sex
www.somerset.gov.uk/policies-and-plans/policies/equality/

Cornwall has Sex
www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and-living/equality-and-diversity/the-nine-protected-characteristics/

East Devon has Sex
eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-business/equality-and-diversity/equality-policy-and-strategy-2017-20/appendix-2-equality-act-2010-duties/

Mid Devon has Sex
www.middevon.gov.uk/your-council/equality-and-diversity/

I can't edit the Google sheet which is why I posted above, sorry.

I’ve written to Caerphilly LA. I’ve checked the LA from where I grew up (Blaenau Gwent) in case I needed to persuade my mother to write to them and they have sex, no mention of gender

Sex(gender) is plainly ploughing the field

Just noticed the Primary School we were looking at sending our DS too states "Gender" and nothing about Sex! And states next to Gender that they "Shall monitor on a termly basis the performance of different gender groups" - What am I even meant to make of that!

Ah! All the local catchment Primary School state Gender and not Sex but then also mention Gender reassignment too!

At least the local High School is seeing sense (and the law) in stating Sex and is very clear about their sex-segregation policy

Has it been picked up on that Ofsted doesn't even bloody follow the Equality Act?

Even in its Equality Performance Report it clearly conflates the two !

Fuming now!

Sent in my amendments via the local councillor on Friday, and got this reply today

The relevant officers have been contacted. I understand the page has been updated.

And it has.

Well done Timelady!

That's great well done

Brilliant to read TimeLady!

I think I may have peak-transed this new councillor on local elections day last month as I had an opportunity for a 121 chat then. He was very receptive and I sent him a couple of the Kirkup and Turner articles. So by making him aware, at this early stage, I'm hoping that going forward, he'll cast a more gender critical eye over council business, both at local and county level. He now knows that the council's legal department is not infallible.....

Timelady- what is your LA and I will update the spreasheet?

No worries I see that it is Richmondshire.

Sent an email to West Oxon council last week as they had 'gender' - have not had a reply, but checked their policy again today & it has been changed to 'sex'.

Result!

Worth checking Universities too - have just checked out Oxford Brookes & their Equality statement has gender, not sex.
Have tweeted them.

Meant to say, University of Oxford is correct (I just checked the ones near me, haven't gone further).

Wigan had gender. It has now been changed to sex.

University of Warwickshire is not right, I am not a student so unable to complain.

London South Bank is not correct - clearly has me down as my Gender being Female too. I am a student so I guess I can complain!

Nervous though knowing how active TAs appear to be within Unis currently!