Download Fitness to Practise Annual Report

1. About the EWC

About us

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales.

Established by the Education (Wales) Act 2014, practitioners across 13 different groups within the education workforce, from the foundation phase through to further education, youth work, and work-based learning, are legally required to register with the EWC. Our Register of Education Practitioners in Wales is the biggest public register of any profession in Wales, and the most wide-ranging register of education professionals in the world, with over 91,000 practitioners registered.

Our aims

• Contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning in Wales.
• Maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers, and others who support teaching and learning in Wales.
• Safeguard the interests of learners, parents/guardians, and the public, and maintain public trust and confidence in the education workforce.

Our functions

• Establish and maintain a Register of Education Practitioners.
• Maintain a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.
• Investigate and hear allegations that may call into question a registered practitioner's fitness to practise.
• Accredit and monitor programmes of school teacher ITE.
• Provide advice to Welsh Government and others.
• Monitor induction and hear induction appeals.
• Promote careers in the education workforce.
• Undertake specific work at the invitation of Welsh Government. 

2. The Register of education practitioners

As at 31 March 2025, there were 91,253 individual education practitioners registered with the EWC. However, some registrants are registered in more than one category. The table below shows the number who were eligible to work in each category on 31 March 2025.

3. The Code or Professional Conduct and Practice

All new registrants receive a copy of the Code upon registration (19,058 new applications in 2024/25) and all employers receive copies of the Code annually to disseminate to registered employees. In addition, over the Code has been viewed 13,278 times on the EWC’s website.

Our registrants commit to upholding the five key principles of personal and professional responsibility, professional integrity, collaborative working, professional knowledge and understanding, and professional learning.

The Code is intended to guide registrants’ judgements and decisions. It also informs learners, parents/guardians, employers, and the general public of the standards they can expect from a registrant.

Failure to comply with the Code may call a practitioner’s registration into question.

We deliver regular training sessions and presentations which focus on the Code, the use of social media, and professional ethics and responsibilities. We offer a suite of 12 good practice guides, designed to complement the Code and help guide registrants’ day to day professional judgments and decisions. We have also produced an online video which talks about the Code as well as other fitness to practise (FtP) topics. This video can be easily accessed by all stakeholders.

In line with legislation, the Code was reviewed and subject to public consultation during 2024/25. A revised Code will be available to registrants, learners, the public, and parents/guardians in September 2025.

4. About Fitness to Practise

We have a statutory duty to investigate and hear cases against registrants of alleged unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence, and/or convicted (at any time) of a relevant criminal offence.

Our Disciplinary Procedures and Rules 2024 set out the procedures we follow in undertaking our work in this area including our powers to impose Interim Suspension Orders (ISO) in specific circumstances.

As at 31 March 2025, we had 53 independent panel members who undertake all fitness to practise work. This pool of panel members is made up of registered practitioners from across the registrant groups, lay members, and retired practitioners. No member of Council has any involvement in fitness to practise cases, and they do not sit on panels. 

5. Referral of cases

The EWC receive referrals in one of following ways:

Police Referrals

Police forces can make direct referrals to the EWC under common law police disclosure (CLPD)..

Employers/Agents

Employers and private supply agencies have a statutory duty to refer a registrant to the EWC where:

• a registrant is dismissed, or leaves employment prior to a possible dismissal (for example, resignation or settlement agreement) (employers).
• an agency ceases to use the services of a registrant, or may have done so had the registrant not stopped providing those services (agents)

In both cases, the grounds for a referral are:

• misconduct; and/or
• professional incompetence; and/or
• conviction of a relevant offence

Complaints

Any individual or organisation can make a complaint about the alleged conduct or incompetence of a registrant.

DBS

The EWC receives direct referrals from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

EWC

The EWC is able to self-refer registrants where it becomes aware of information about a registrant and considers it is in the public interest to investigate.

6. What happens when a case is received?

Most referrals received are considered first by an Investigating Committee and the meetings are held in private/virtually.

The Investigating Committee includes a minimum of three independent panel members, including at least one practitioner currently registered with the EWC, and one lay person. The Investigating Committee is supported by an independent legal adviser who does not participate in the decision-making process, but ensures the investigation is fair.

The Investigating Committee’s role is to decide whether or not it is likely the facts of the case will be proven, and then whether those findings might amount to unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence and/or a conviction of a relevant offence, if the case proceeds to a public hearing.

A public hearing is held when an Investigating Committee has decided that a registrant has a ‘case to answer’. The registrant is invited to attend and/or be represented at the hearing.

A Fitness to Practise Committee comprises a minimum of three independent panel members, including at least one practitioner currently registered with the EWC, and one lay person. The Fitness to Practise Committee is supported by an independent legal adviser. The Fitness to Practise Committee which sits at a hearing will not have had any previous knowledge of the case before it.

Possible hearing outcomes are as follows:

• facts not proved
• facts proved but not unacceptable professional conduct/serious professional incompetence and/or a relevant offence
• facts proved – no order
• reprimand – recorded for two years on the Register
• conditional registration order – recorded on the Register for a period indicated by the committee - if no period is set, then this order will apply permanently
• suspension order – removed from the Register for the period specified by the committee (not exceeding two years) - conditions can be applied to a suspension order
• prohibition order – removed from the Register indefinitely - no application can be made for re-admission to the Register until at least two years has elapsed

Following the hearing of a case, should a fitness to practise committee impose a disciplinary order (other than an ISO) upon the registration of an education practitioner, a notice to that effect will appear on the EWC’s website. The notice will remain for a period of six months from the day it is published.

Any disciplinary order imposed will be recorded on the practitioner’s record on the EWC’s Register, and will be available publicly for the duration of the order

7. Summary of Fitness to Practise casework

This year, we concluded 76 fitness to practise cases (excluding ISOs). This included 53 fitness to practise hearings, 48 of which were virtual hearings, and 5 in person.

The majority of hearings are held virtually. However, in line with the approach of many other regulators, registrants are invited to confirm whether they wish their case to be heard in person. For an in-person hearing to be confirmed, the registrant must commit to attending or be represented in person at the hearing.

Notes on the data

A practitioner can be registered in one or more categories at any one time. For the purpose of this report, where a person is registered in more than one category, they are included under ‘multiple category registrant’.

7.1 Number of Fitness to Practise cases concluded by registrant group and year

Of the 76 cases referred to above:

• 53 cases were considered at fitness to practise hearings (not including ISO hearings)
• 10 cases were considered as ‘no case to answer’ (including two cases which were discontinued) by an Investigating Committee.
• 5 cases involved registrants who were DBS barred prior to the final decision being made by the EWC.

Additional note: two new categories of registration were added to the Register on 10 May 2024. To the end of 31 March 2025, no cases were received or concluded for either of these new groups.

7.2 Referral source

*Other includes complaints, referrals from the DBS, and other regulators

7.3 Outcomes of Fitness to Practise cases by year

Of the 27 cases concluded with no order::

• 9 were concluded at hearing stage
• 10 were considered as ‘no case to answer’ by an Investigating Committee
• 8 related to minor convictions and were closed as ‘no further action’

7.4 Types of behaviour – cases concluded 2023-24

7.5 Completion time for concluded cases in 2024/25

There are a number of factors which affect the timescales for concluding cases including:

• employment tribunal claims (which means the EWC will place its consideration of the case on hold until the tribunal is concluded)
• the registrant suffers from ill-health and medical evidence confirms they are not fit to participate, but they wish to do so
• requests for postponement of an investigation or hearing, or other issues raised by the registrant or their representative during their case preparation
• further concerns established during hearing preparation which require referral back to an investigating committee in the first instance

The EWC monitors its own timescales for concluding cases compared to other regulators/professional bodies and it continues to be a leader in this area

Of the 66 cases concluded within eight months, the average time taken from receipt to conclusion was 24 weeks (five and a half months).

7.6 The demographic of disciplinary cases concluded in 2024-25

Note:

• ‘FtP cases’ means fitness to practise cases.
• ‘Registered workforce’ is derived from the Register of Education Practitioners as at 31 March 2024.

Gender

Age

National identity

Ethnic group

Welsh Language

When a practitioner applies to join the Register, they are asked to confirm whether or not they are able to speak through the medium of Welsh. A response of ‘yes’ means that they are fluent, or fairly fluent in the language.

They are also asked to confirm whether they currently deliver, or are able to deliver education and training through the medium of Welsh.

In both cases, the responses are based on ‘self-declaration’.

Able to speak Welsh

Able to deliver education and training through the medium of Welsh

8. Interim Suspension Orders (ISO)

If the EWC is informed that a registered person has been accused of very serious misconduct, we have statutory powers to impose an Interim Suspension Order (ISO). An ISO will temporarily remove a registered person from the Register as ‘an emergency measure’ pending an investigation. This is to protect learners and the public while, for example, a police investigation is concluded.

An ISO can be in place for up to 18 months. Our Independent ISO committees also hold regular ISO reviews to make sure that no ISO is in place for longer than is necessary and proportionate. Those reviews are usually held at six month and 12-month intervals after an ISO is imposed. A review can also be held at any point where there is a change in the risk which led to the ISO being imposed.

All ISO committee hearings are held in private/virtually.

Number of ISO imposed

In addition to the 14 ISOs imposed during 2024/25:

• two recommendations to impose an ISO on a school teacher in 2024/25 were not approved
• two recommendations to impose an ISO on a school teacher in 2024/25 were withdrawn before reaching an ISO Committee

Of the 14 cases concluded in 2024/25, the average time taken from receipt to conclusion was six and a half weeks.

Since ISOs are an ‘emergency measure’, the cases are, by their nature and purpose, dealt with quickly.

9. Assessment of suitability for registration

Prospective registrants are asked to answer a number of questions about their previous history when applying for EWC registration. If an applicant answers ‘yes’ to any question in the declaration, their application will be assessed by the FtP team.
The onus is upon the applicant to demonstrate their suitability for registration with us.

Suitability assessment

Stage 1: Officers consider the declaration made to be relatively minor, and that which would not affect the applicant’s suitability for registration. Registration is granted.

Stage 2: The applicant is asked to provide more detailed information about the circumstances of their declaration and some testimonials/representations in support of their suitability for registration. If officers are content with the applicant’s response, registration is granted.

Stage 3: Officers decide to refer the application for independent scrutiny by a suitability committee at a private meeting. These referrals relate to declarations where officers are not content to grant registration at stage 2. The applicant is invited to attend the meeting

Suitability meeting

The suitability committee meeting is private/held virtually, and is an opportunity for the applicant to explain to the suitability committee why they consider they are suitable to be registered with the EWC.

The suitability committee consists of a minimum of three independent panel members, including at least one practitioner currently registered with the EWC, and one lay person. The committee is supported by an independent legal adviser.

Once it has heard from the applicant, the suitability committee retires to consider, in private, whether to grant registration or not. If registration is not granted, the applicant is not able to make any further applications in the same registration category/categories for a further 12 months, after which time they can reapply for registration

9.1. Number of suitability assessments following an applicant’s declaration being made by, by registrant group, and by year

9.2. Outcomes of suitability assessments following a declaration being made - by year

Note: Applications can be withdrawn/closed by both the EWC and the applicant. For example, where an applicant fails to respond to enquiries about the declaration they have made, we may discontinue our assessment. An applicant may also decide to withdraw their application at any time during the assessment process.

9.3 Type of declaration made - applicants for registration where a declaration has been made – assessment completed 2024-25

Other – includes:

• past or pending action by an employer or another regulatory body
• a failure to declare information
• making a declaration which did not meet the threshold for disclosure

9.4 The demographic of applicants for registration in 2023-2024

Gender

Age

National identity

Ethnic group

10. Induction Appeals

We are the appeals body for those Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in Wales who:

• fail their statutory Induction period
• have their statutory Induction period extended

and wish to appeal against those decisions, as made by the local authority involved.

In 2024/25, no induction appeals were received or concluded by the EWC.

11. Looking forward in 2025-26

We will:

recruit additional panel members in order to maintain a complement that allows the effective administration of our casework

continue work on developing a range of online material and resources including a number of information videos which inform the public about this area of our work and to assist and support all parties involved in FtP casework

re-publish our Code following review and public consultation in line with the Welsh Government requirement to do so every three years - our aim is to ensure it is relevant, accessible, and meaningful to all categories of registrant including those who have joined the Register since May 2023

continue to deliver training to a range of different audiences (46 sessions were completed in 2024/25) - current and future registrants, employers, agents, and other key stakeholders about the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice

Refreshed April 2025

Download the Strategic Equality Plan 2024-28

Download the Strategic Equality Plan 2024-28 plan on a page

Introduction

This plan, covering the period 2024-28, sets out the Education Workforce Council’s (EWC) commitment to equality and diversity. It explains how we will work to promote these principles, both inside our organisation and, within our remit, across the wider education workforce in Wales. This new plan seeks to build upon progress achieved since the publication of our previous Strategic Equality Plan (SEP) in 2020, and is closely aligned with the vision and objectives outlined within our Strategic Plan 2025-28.

Reflecting our commitment to playing our part in the creation of a fairer Wales, this plan establishes a series of ambitious strategic equality objectives. Within the action plan, we set out clear steps, detailing how we aim to achieve them, and how our success will be measured.

The plan embraces our important role in reviewing and highlighting wider equality issues within the education workforce, and details our intention to work in close partnership with Welsh Government and other stakeholders to resolve these matters. It also reflects the goals set out within the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ARWAP) and its 2024 update, and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, in which Welsh Government state that they want to make Wales an anti-racist nation by 2030 and the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe.

In line with Welsh Government’s objective of driving forward anti-racist leadership (set out within the updated ARWAP), the Chief Executive and all other senior management team members have measurable objectives relating to the delivery of the action plan within their annual objectives, reflecting our organisational values and commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

We believe that the objectives set out within this plan are ambitious and reflect our distinct (and precisely defined) role and remit. However, where there are opportunities to do so, we will seek to surpass our stated equality objectives, proactively seeking opportunities to exceed expectations in order to contribute to the creation of a fairer and more equitable Wales.

About us

The EWC is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. We regulate education practitioners across schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning. We were established by the Education (Wales) Act 2014, and came into being on 1 April 2015.

Our principal aims under the Act are summarised below and detailed further in secondary legislation.

Regulate

Our core function is to regulate in the public interest. To do this, we first maintain a Register of Education Practitioners (the Register), eligible to practise in schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning. Secondly, we publish a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code) which sets out the standards expected of those we register. Thirdly, we investigate and hear allegations of unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence, or relevant criminal offences. We also have a statutory responsibility to accredit programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and monitor their compliance with national criteria.

Support

We support our registrants to fulfil their role as regulated professionals and to uphold the five key principles of the Code by providing useful information, resources, and services designed to offer guidance and direction. 

Promote

One of our core functions is to promote careers in the education workforce, working to build a profession that reflects the diversity of Wales. We also promote careers in education across Wales through the Educators Wales website and advice service, which is funded by Welsh Government and developed by the EWC.

Influence

We seek out opportunities to shape and influence education policy in Wales for the benefit of our registrants. Our statutory responsibility to provide independent advice, research analysis, and intelligence means that we can support workforce planning across Wales.

The legal context

We have a statutory duty to publish a SEP that outlines our commitment to tackling discrimination. This stems from the Equality Act 2010 which establishes a public sector equality duty covering the following protected characteristics:

• age
• gender reassignment
• sex
• race (including ethnic or national origin, colour, or nationality)
• disability
• pregnancy and maternity
• sexual orientation
• religion or belief (including lack of belief)
• marriage and civil partnership

The EWC is also bound by the general duty to carry out our public functions in such a way as to contribute to the development of fairness through:

• eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation, and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act
• advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic, and those who do not
• fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic, and those who do not

The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 set out further specific duties with which the EWC must comply, relating to:

• objectives
• strategic equality plans
• engagement
• assessing impact
• equality information
• employment information
• pay differences
• staff training
• procurement
• annual reporting
• publishing
• Welsh Ministers’ reporting
• review
• accessibility

Our evidence base

To ensure this plan is effective and aligned with the diverse needs of our employees, registrants, and stakeholders, we have considered a wide range of evidence in developing our equality objectives.

Our approach to engagement involves a rolling programme of meetings with key stakeholders and interest groups, where equalities issues appropriate to our remit are amongst the matters that are discussed.

The development of this plan has therefore been informed by insights from a wide range of groups and individuals.

Internal engagement

• Council and staff planning sessions.
• Employee forum.
• All-staff meetings.
• Performance and development review /Council members’ review process.

Registrant engagement

• Accessibility survey.
• Workforce surveys.

Stakeholder engagement

• Using our programme of regular meetings (for example, with trade unions representing our registrants, ITE partnerships (as part of the accreditation process), and Welsh Government officials).
• Talking to representative groups such as DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning) and the Black Leadership Group.
• Evidence gathered by our promotion of careers team in their efforts to promote careers within the education workforce to individuals from diverse communities.

We participate and/or engage with a range of equalities networks and groups:

• Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
• Wales Equality and Human Rights Exchange Network
• BAMEed Network Wales
• DARPL
• South East Wales Equalities Network (SEWEN)
• Race Council Cymru
• Ethnic Minorities Youth Support Team (EYST) Wales
• FE Anti-racist Wales Steering Group
• Colegau Cymru Equality and Diversity group
• Welsh Islamic Cultural Association
• South BAME Mental Health Service
• Riverside Community Development Centre
• UK Government Policy Profession Unit

We also maintain informal professional relationships, and identify opportunities to collaborate with a range of other organisations that promote equalities. These include the EHRC, Show Racism the Red Card, Diverse Cymru, and Stonewall. Such engagement helps to ensure that the EWC is aware of a range of issues and perspectives relating to equalities.

This SEP and equality objectives have also been informed by a range of other sources of evidence including:

• internal data relating to the composition of our workforce, Council and panels
• HR data relating to recruitment
• data from our Register (covering registrant diversity)
• Welsh Government Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (and its 2024 refresh)
• Welsh Government LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales
• EWC research (for Welsh Government) on increasing diversity within the school workforce in Wales
• fitness to practise (FtP) data
• census data
• Equality and Human Rights Monitor 2023: Is Wales Fairer?
• Education Support teacher wellbeing index

Our strategic equality objectives

Our approach to equality and diversity will be guided by the five strategic objectives set out below. The objectives are underpinned by a detailed action plan which sets out the specific activities that we will undertake.

Objective 1: Build a diverse and inclusive EWC team

What is our aim?

We want to work towards the goal of assembling a team^[1] within the EWC that reflects the rich diversity of the population of Wales (across all the protected characteristics). We also want to ensure that all EWC employees are treated fairly and able to fulfil their potential within the organisation.

Why is this important to the EWC?

Developing a diverse team, and nurturing their talents, will ensure that our organisation is able to benefit from a range of different skills and perspectives, enhancing decision-making processes and aligning with our commitment to fairness and equality.

Our actions will focus on:

• monitoring our employment practices to ensure that the EWC is well positioned to recruit and retain a diverse workforce
• gathering (and actively monitoring) comprehensive and meaningful equality data regarding our employees, Council and panel members
• encouraging greater disclosure rates (regarding protected characteristics) from staff and Council/panel members to gain a fuller understanding of the diversity of our workforce
• improving recruitment processes for staff, Council, and committee/panel members^[2] to ensure fairness to all under-represented groups

Objective 2: Monitor the gender pay gap and identify opportunities to reduce it

What is our aim?

We aim to minimise the gender pay gap by ensuring the continued fair and equitable application of policies relating to pay and progression, providing equal opportunities for all.

Why is this important to the EWC?

As a small organisation, the extent to which we are able to influence our overall gender pay gap is limited, with individual recruitment outcomes sometimes having significant impacts on the pay gap. However, we want to ensure that our employees are treated equally and fairly in respect of pay and conditions, regardless of their gender. It is therefore important that we closely monitor and understand the gender pay gap within the EWC, and take action to minimise it.

Our actions will focus on:

• monitoring and publishing information relating to our gender pay gap
• improving our understanding of any links between gender and pay within the EWC
• ensuring that all staff have equal opportunities to progress within the EWC when opportunities arise, regardless of their gender

Objective 3: An inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated

What is our aim?

We want the EWC to be an inclusive organisation where employees feel safe, respected, and are supported to perform to the best of their ability, irrespective of any protected characteristic they may have.

Why is this important to the EWC?

Through ensuring that all employees feel valued and are treated fairly, we want to nurture a culture where staff can flourish and fulfil their potential. This, in turn, could assist in allowing us to attract and retain a more diverse workforce (in line with objective one).

Our actions will focus on:

• ensuring our offices are welcoming and accessible
• continuing to develop and promote anti-racist practices as part of our organisational culture
• organising events that celebrate and raise awareness of different groups and issues relevant to the protected characteristics, to reinforce the importance of embracing diversity
• delivering an engaging and accessible programme of training on equality and diversity matters for all employees
• producing regular equalities newsletters to share information, encourage engagement, and celebrate diversity
• implementing a varied wellbeing programme and seeking to increase engagement with these activities by identifying any barriers to engagement
• providing opportunities for employees to provide feedback and empowering them to speak out in relation to any issues or concerns relating to equality and diversity

Objective 4: Deliver accessible services for registrants and stakeholders

What is our aim?

We want to ensure that all of our services are accessible for registrants and stakeholders, irrespective of their diverse needs and abilities. We will strive to continuously improve the accessibility of our services, aligning with best practice and legal requirements.

Why is this important to the EWC?

We are required to ensure that we identify, mitigate, and (where possible) remove any barriers that our registrants and other stakeholders (including learners and parents/guardians) might face when interacting with us, or using our services.

Our actions will focus on:

• listening to registrants to ensure our services meet their diverse needs
• identifying any barriers faced by registrants and stakeholders when interacting with the EWC and taking steps to remove these, as appropriate and proportionate
• identifying opportunities to broaden the accessibility of our services and making improvements, as appropriate and proportionate
• identifying opportunities to bring our work to the attention of a wide range of audiences with diverse needs and characteristics and taking steps to ensure equitable access to our services, as appropriate and proportionate

Objective 5: Help develop an education workforce that is representative of the diverse population of Wales

What is our aim?

We want to see an education workforce in Wales that reflects the diversity of the wider population of Wales.

Why is this important to the EWC?

We believe that the education workforce should mirror the richness of society, encompassing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. It is therefore essential to ensure fair and equitable career opportunities and to break down any barriers that may be preventing people from diverse backgrounds working within the registered education professions.

Our responsibilities include promoting careers in the education professions and advising Welsh Government on matters related to the education workforce, and teaching and learning. In addition, we are identified within Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan as a key partner/lead on increasing the ethnic diversity of the education workforce. We are also aware of the aims of other key plans and strategies for promoting diversity, including the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales.

We believe that building a more diverse education workforce will play a key role in fostering social cohesion by enabling learners and young people to grow and develop in an environment where there are visible, diverse role models. A more diverse workforce will also allow learners and young people to be exposed to a wider range of perspectives, enriching their educational experience, and preparing them to be informed global citizens.

Our actions will focus on:

• using the unique data from our Register to monitor the diversity of registered education professionals in Wales
• ensuring the Register provides the fullest possible data regarding workforce ethnicity (as well as in relation to age, disability, and sex)
• using our platform to highlight issues relating to diversity within the workforce
• fulfilling our statutory function to promote careers in education - working with registrants and stakeholders to engage a diverse audience, with a particular emphasis on increasing ethnic diversity
• promoting the Educators Wales website and advisory service and engaging, face to face, with individuals from diverse communities across Wales
• investigating opportunities to glean insight into diverse groups and communities, to identify any barriers preventing them from exploring careers in education

How will we know if we’re making progress?

Monitoring arrangements

Our five equality objectives will be subject to detailed monitoring and we will regularly report on our progress, principally through our Annual Equality Report, which will be published on our website. A range of qualitative and quantitative metrics will be used to evaluate our progress in achieving each objective, and progress will be subject to the scrutiny of the senior management team at monthly meetings. The Executive Committee and EWC Council will also provide oversight of our progress, and will receive quarterly reports on the implementation of the action plan.

Publishing equality information

As well as the Annual Equality Report, we will publish a range of additional equality data on our website, including:

• annual education workforce statistics reports, providing important data on the composition of the education workforce in Wales, and other discrete analyses
• equality data on applicants for registration and registrants who have been subject to FtP procedures, as part of the FtP Annual Report
• a gender pay analysis, reporting salary information of our employees by gender

Staying on track

To underpin our commitment to equality and diversity, all relevant policies and processes (including those relating to procurement) will be kept up to date, taking account of any changes in law, reviews of national incentives/plans or, of internal or external circumstances. We will also periodically review our monitoring and reporting processes, and implement any necessary improvements.

Equality impact assessments

As required by the Equality Act 2010, Integrated Impact Assessments (IIAs), incorporating an equality impact assessment, will form an important part of the development and approval process for any new (or reviewed) policy. This will help to guide internal processes, ensuring that decision making is evidence-based and has specific regard to equalities.

Policies and procedures subject to these assessments will be continuously monitored for their impact on equalities. Any significant findings from this ongoing evaluation will be incorporated into the IIA, ensuring it reflects the most relevant and up-to-date information.

For new or amended HR policies, an IIA will be submitted (alongside the policy) to the employee forum as part of the whole-staff consultation process. The senior management team will also consider the assessment as part of the adoption process. A repository of completed IIAs is retained centrally.

In order to ensure that equality information is used meaningfully and appropriately to guide decision making, we will periodically review our IIA processes and guidance and make amendments, as necessary, to enhance effectiveness.

Equality training and development

We will provide regular training for all EWC staff in relation to equality and diversity and our approach to anti-racism. This will include the provision of an overview of the Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty for all new members of staff when they are appointed, as part of the induction process. This will be complemented by regular all-staff training sessions covering matters relating to the different protected characteristics.

Training on equalities related matters will also be provided for Council and committee/panel members^[3]. This training will cover the equality duty and their respective roles in setting the strategic direction of the EWC, monitoring its performance, and ensuring that strong governance arrangements are in operation.

^[1] Including our staff, Council, and committee/panel members

^[2] Including members of the FtP committee, ITE accreditation board, and our Quality Mark for Youth Work (QMYW) assessors

^[3] Including members of the FtP committee, ITE accreditation board, and our QMYW assessors.

Introducing ‘Sgwrsio with the EWC’ – our all new podcast.

Join us as we engage in lively discussion, sharing experiences, ideas, and perspectives on the ever-evolving landscape of the education workforce in Wales.

In each episode, we will be joined by a variety of guests to delve deeper into topics that matter to you. From innovation, to professional development, policy changes, to the future of education, we aim to provide thought-provoking insights and practical takeaways to help you in your day to day practice.

Make sure you don’t miss an episode - listen now below.