Promoting Equality and Diversity

East Sussex County Council has an Equality of Opportunity Policy which outlines the Council's general position on equal opportunities and includes policies which cover disabilities, living with health conditions, race and ethnicity, sex discrimination, age and harassment. These policies apply to the recruitment of foster carers and to the care of looked after children.

The Fostering Service wholeheartedly supports the principle of equality of opportunity and opposes all forms of discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition (including people living with HIV or AIDS), disability and age. It is in both the Service’s best interest and those who work with the service to ensure that the attributes, talents and skills available throughout the community are recognised and utilised in the interests of children in care. To this end, the overriding principle is that the foster carers recruited and approved are those best able to provide a stable and safe home for children in care.

Every possible step will be taken to ensure that foster carers and foster carer applicants are all treated equally and fairly and that all decisions, including those on recruitment, approval, training and development, are based solely on related standards, policies and regulations.

Managers of the fostering services are responsible for implementing the equal opportunities policy within their service areas. All staff and foster carers are, however, personally and individually responsible for ensuring that they read, understand and act in accordance with the principle of equality of opportunity as outlined in the policy.

People with disabilities often do not receive equal treatment or access to opportunities. This is not acceptable. The Fostering Service has an obligation to ensure that people with disabilities are treated fairly, and that their potential as carers can be realised. Although the needs of children always come first, the service will take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that people with disabilities can become foster carers.

Children with disabilities who are fostered must be given the same opportunities to develop and make the most of their talents as other children, commensurate with their physical and mental capacities. This includes access to school, leisure and recreation.

The Fostering Service has legal obligations under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to combat racism in all its forms. The service strongly support the Council's desire to promote communication and good relationships with racial, cultural, ethnic and religious groups in the development of policies and practice to meet the needs of black and minority ethnic children in care. This commitment includes recognising the impact of racism upon the development of children, and in particular their mental health needs. It addresses the requirement on the service to meet the religious, cultural and heritage needs of children in the care of East Sussex County Council. All staff and foster carers are expected to understand these issues and to incorporate them into their practice. Discriminatory attitudes and behaviours will be challenged and could result in disciplinary procedures or termination of approval of foster carers.

Foster Carers are expected to have the knowledge and skills to challenge racist views expressed by children in their care and to support them to see people as individuals. This is why Anti-Racist Approach to Fostering is one of the mandatory courses for all our foster carers. There is also an e-learning course on how to talk to children about racism to support you.

The Fostering Service recruits more female foster carers than male foster carers. The service recognises that men can sometimes experience discrimination when applying for roles traditionally held by women. Recruitment practices will ensure that all decisions related to the recruitment and approval of foster carers are made solely upon evidence of an individual’s capacity to provide a secure and stable home for children in care, regardless of their gender, although matching children to foster carers does take into account gender issues. Foster carers must ensure that foster children are not subject to sex discrimination in access to opportunities, including education, leisure, recreation, training and jobs.

There are many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual members of the LGBTQ+ foster carers providing care for looked after children and helping them to achieve their full potential. The Fostering Service welcomes applications from lesbian, gay and LGBT+ carers. The Service provides placements for lesbian and gay young people, some of whom are fully aware and expressive of their sexual orientation, and some who are not. Foster carers must have the capacity to care for children and to help them overcome the discrimination they face.

There is training available to East Sussex carers from Allsorts around supporting children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Please see the training brochure for more detail. There is also an e-learning course available to our carers.

The Fostering Service recognises that a major change in society is that people are living longer and are leading more active and healthier lives as they grow older. Against this background, the Service recognises the valuable role that older people can play in providing a home or respite care for our children. The capacity to meet the needs of children in care, not age, is the basis for decision making. Decisions are based on medicals, requirements and people's attributes, talents and skills in relation to the foster carer task.

Children we care for can also experience discrimination due to their age, particularly in relation to being heard and taking a meaningful part in decisions about their future. Foster carers are expected to recognise these potential barriers and to help foster children to overcome them.

1. All children/young people are given the opportunity to be cared for and educated. Where possible this is alongside their peers in order to develop each child to reach their full potential;
2. Children/young people are encouraged and supported to understand their rights and be well-informed about ways of challenging discrimination;
3. Foster carers are expected to identify local community resources that contribute to meeting the needs of children/young people - these are highlighted and promoted and where they do not meet required needs alternatives are sought and suitably identified regardless of geographical location;
4. Additional support accessed through supervision and training will be offered to foster carers who are finding difficulty in understanding diverse or complex situations for children.

The Fostering Service aims to create working relationships in which the dignity of all is respected and where  children we care for, foster carers and staff feel able and are encouraged to reach their full potential. Harassment is behaviour which is unwanted by the individual to whom it is directed. It undermines respect and dignity. The Service does not find sexual, racial or any other form of harassment acceptable and will take appropriate action to deal with it.

Crimes committed against someone because of their disability, transgender-identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation are hate crimes and should be reported to the police.

Hate crimes can include:

• Threatening behaviour;
• Assault;
• Robbery;
• Damage to property;
• Inciting others to commit hate crimes;
• Harassment;
• Online abuse.

You can report hate crime online.

In addition:

1. We encourage children to develop respect for themselves and for others;
2. We deliver services that recognise and build on the strengths of children and young people from all cultures, religions, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability and backgrounds; in ways that meet their needs and help them to achieve their full potential;
3. Foster carers should ensure every effort is made to ensure that homes are welcoming to all children and young people and others significant in their care and wellbeing. In addition to this, resources used to develop work with children and young people are chosen for their suitability, positive image and anti-oppressive nature;
4. Children and young people are offered opportunities to try out new experiences, which are not restricted by traditional gender options;
5. Foster carers should challenge attitudes, behaviour and language that are non-inclusive and discriminatory, in a positive way. This includes bullying, homophobic behaviour, racism, sexism, radicalisation and any other forms of discrimination (direct or indirect);
6. Children are supported and helped to treat others in a non-discriminatory way.