Equality and Diversity
At Ayrshire College, we value diversity and believe that everyone has the right to learn, work and socialise in a welcoming, safe and inclusive space.
We welcome the duties placed upon us by the Equality Act through our Public sector Equality Duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who are more likely to experience discrimination and those who are not.
We believe that we can only do this by working together to bring our College values to life, creating a strong community and sense of belonging built upon mutual respect where individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, can achieve.
Our campuses are registered as Keep Safe spaces and Third-Party Reporting Centers.
We recently were awarded the LGBT Youth Scotland Foundations Charter Mark.
The College has achieved several accreditations, including Disability Confident Employer, Going Further for Student Carers, and has a Student Mental Health Agreement in place.
We are fully committed to the well-being and inclusion of all our students and staff by placing equality and diversity at the heart of everything we do, making Ayrshire College a place where everyone can thrive.
Report and Support
Ayrshire College does not tolerate bullying, harassment or hate crime.
This includes racism, homophobia, transphobia or biphobia, ageism and gender-based violence, in any of its forms.
Report and Support is an online reporting tool which enables a student or staff member of Ayrshire College to report an incident(s) related to bullying, discrimination, or harassment; hate crime; racism; and gender-based violence (for example, domestic abuse, sexual violence and sexual harassment).
Students and staff at the college, can use our Report and Support online reporting tool to tell us about any incident of bullying, harassment or hate they experience or witness.
Support for students to complete a Report and Support report is available through the Info Hub (info@ayrshire.ac.uk) and through the Student Association (studentassociation@ayrshire.ac.uk)
If you would like more information about Report and Support, please get in touch with our Equality and Diversity Performance Lead on equalityandinclusion@ayrshire.ac.uk.
Please note that Report and Support is not for use in emergencies. If you or someone you know is at risk of imminent harm, please let a staff member know immediately or call 999.
Support at Ayrshire College
Staff and Students at Ayrshire College can receive support for the following and more:
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Hate Crime
Ayrshire College condemns hate crime in all its forms and is committed to being a safe and inclusive place. Any acts motivated by prejudice or hate against a person because of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity is unacceptable. This is a community that thrives on respect and lives its Values of Respectful, Open and Honest, Innovative and Supportive
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Discrimination
There is no place for discrimination at Ayrshire College. If you feel you are being discriminated against because of for example your age, disability or sexuality, then, tell us so that we can help you. We believe unlawful discrimination is never okay.
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Bullying
At Ayrshire College, bullying or harassment of any kind is unacceptable. If you are being bullied or harassed on the basis of, for example, your race, religion or belief (including no belief), or gender identity, then let us know. It's more than banter. It's bullying.
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Harassment
At Ayrshire College, bullying or harassment of any kind is unacceptable. If you are being bullied or harassed on the basis of, for example, your race, religion or belief (including no belief), or gender identity, then let us know.
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Gender Based Violence
Ayrshire College is fully committed to promoting gender equality and as such, endorses a position that recognises GBV is an equality issue. This is a position borne from our adoption of the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe strategy.
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Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome words, conduct or behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, embarrassing, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the victim. Sexual harassment may be verbal, non-verbal or physical.
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Honour Based Violence
Honour-based violence (HBV) is based on the perception of family members or the community that you have brought shame upon them, or given them a bad name, and they threaten to hurt you because of this. This can include domestic violence, forced marriage, sexual assault, rape and psychological abuse. Many young people experiencing HBV think it’s their fault but it’s important to remember that nobody has the right to hurt you because you have taken decisions or actions that they may not agree with. Because HBV often happens in families and communities, it is important to get support outside of the family to help keep you safe.
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Stalking
Stalking is illegal and can include being followed or constantly contacted by another person, like being sent unwanted emails or gifts. It consists of a pattern of persistent and unwanted attention that makes someone feel vulnerable, scared, anxious or harassed.
Your Mental Health and Wellbeing
Student Engagement and Wellbeing
Each campus has a team of Student Engagement and Wellbeing Advisors who are able to support Ayrshire College students with a variety of queries or concerns. When you become an Ayrshire College student, your Student Engagement and Wellbeing Advisor will become known to you. If you are unsure of who they are and would like some support, email info@ayrshire.ac.uk
College Liaison Officers
Ayrshire College has College Liaison Officers who are based at the College full-time and provide advice, guidance and support to students and staff. You can contact them directly or through the Information Hub.
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Frank Lynch - Police Liaison Officer
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Anne Kennedy - Alcohol and Drugs Liaison Officer
Human Resources
Ayrshire College staff can contact a Human Resources Advisor for support. The College has three HR Advisors who are based at our Ayr Campus.
All general enquiries can be made via the HR team mailbox on HR@ayrshire.ac.uk.
S Word – Pathways of Hope/Ayrshire College Suicide Prevention
The S Word- Pathways of Hope is an Ayrshire College suicide prevention campaign. It aims to encourage a more open conversation about suicide and through this, ensure that those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts are supported and enabled to reach out for help.
Information and support
Hate crime can feel like a very personal attack on you. Sometimes, we don't even recognise it has happened to us or we dismiss it as something to be ignored. You can use Report and Support to access support from the College or anonymously tell us of a potential issue here.
If you are in danger and need immediate help, you can:
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call 999 and ask to speak to the Police
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if deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired: text (SMS) 999 (emergency), contact BSL, or text 18001 (non-emergency)
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if you are on campus, you can seek assistance from the Info Hub which is typically located near the entrance or in the middle of each main campus building
Good to know:
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you can report hate crime at any local police station
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sometimes victims or witnesses of hate crime do not feel comfortable reporting the incident to the police. They might be more comfortable reporting it to someone they know. Police Scotland works in partnership with a number of organisations and groups, to take reports, known as Third Party Reporting centres. Ayrshire College is a Third Party Reporting centre. This means, we have a number of staff who are trained and can support you to submit a report to Police Scotland. More information here: Report Hate Crime to Police Scotland - Police Scotland
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Ayrshire College is a registered Keep Safe place for those who have a disability and are requiring a safe location as a result of being targeted because of their disability. More information here: About Keep Safe (iammescotland.co.uk)