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LGBTQ+ Policy

Introduction

Goddard Veterinary Nursing College (GNVC) is committed to providing equal opportunities to individuals within the college and the group overall.
This policy relates to a number of GVNC policies, including the Equality and Diversity Policy. It sets out in more detail GVNC’s approach to LGBTQ+ learners and issues in line with the Equality Act 2010.

It covers all members of GVNC including staff and learners. It is the responsibility of all staff and students to uphold the College policy on equality.

We aim to:

  • To provide an inclusive environment in which LGBTQ+ learners and staff are valued and respected
  • To promote understanding of and support the needs of LGBTQ+ learners and staff
  • To utilise LGBTQ+ awareness and issues through the provision of inclusive learning
  • To monitor and challenge homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) behaviour including verbal and non-verbal.

We will achieve these aims by:

  • Ensuring that GVNC policies and practices are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ people and clearly state that HBT language and behaviour are unacceptable
  • By providing LGBT awareness training to all GVNC staff including issues faced by transgender and non-binary people
  • By providing guidance to all staff and learners on the importance of inclusive language for LGBTQ+ people and respect for individual choices of pronoun or titles
  • Ensuring all college communications, documentation, and learning materials use gender-inclusive language as standard practice
  • Reviewing digital and online learning resources to ensure they represent and include diverse LGBTQ+ identities and experiences positively
  • Embedding LGBTQ+ topics that naturally occur within the Level 2 and Level 3 syllabus where applicable
  • Provision of safeguarding to include LGBTQ+ support networks and groups
  • Signposting learners to internal and external LGBTQ+ mental health and wellbeing services, and ensuring staff are trained to support and refer appropriately
  • Promoting awareness of multiple identities to ensure the needs of LGBTQ+ learners who also belong to other protected or minoritised groups are acknowledged and addressed
  • Reaffirming that trans and non-binary learners and staff are fully supported, including respect for chosen names, pronouns, gender markers, and access to facilities that align with their gender identity
  • Updating the GVNC application form to align with current legal guidance and inclusive best practice. This includes:
    • Offering learners the option to record both their sex assigned at birth (if legally required) and their gender identity;
    • Including space for preferred name and pronouns;
    • Clarifying that this information is used solely to ensure appropriate support, safeguarding, and inclusive provision.
    • Reflecting the most recent updates to equality legislation, including recognition of trans and non-binary identities, and ensuring that all data handling complies with GDPR, confidentiality, and safeguarding requirements.1
  • Including LGBTQ+ questions to raise awareness for learners within tutorials and progress reviews
  • By nominating a member of staff2 as GVNC’s LGBTQ+ and EDI Lead to monitor implementation of this policy and provide training, advice and support to learners and GVNC staff
  • Celebrating the contributions of LGBTQ+ people within GVNC at events such as LGBT History Month.

The College will measure, review and reinforce the effectiveness of the policy through:

  • Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)
  • Self-Assessment Report (SAR)
  • Funded learners – QA of ILRs (Individual Learner Reviews) and ILPs (Individual Learning Plans)
  • Learner progression data
  • Staff and student surveys
  • Success data analysis
  • Collecting and disseminating examples of good practice

The principles and aims of this policy complement and are supported by other GVNC policies. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis.

1 In line with updates to UK legislation, GVNC recognises that learners may identify with a gender different from the one assigned at birth. Our policies and procedures aim to support learners in their identity while meeting any legal obligations for regulatory data collection. Information provided will be handled sensitively and in line with GDPR.

2 EDI Lead is Vicki Nielsen.