Fair Work First at Dundee and Angus College

This statement outlines our approach and the actions we take to promote high-quality and fair work across D&A for all of our people.

Fair Work First

Fair Work First is the Scottish Government’s flagship policy aimed at driving high-quality and fair work across the labour market in Scotland.

The Scottish Government Fair Work criteria are outlined below, alongside D&A activity and practices to ensure that we deliver on the five key strands of the Fair Work agenda.

1. Effective Voice

D&A is committed to the Fair Work agenda and principles and has positive and productive relationships with its recognised unions (EIS, GMB and Unison). The College and recognised unions work together on joint solutions and approaches, based around the agreed principles and ways of working.

This includes approaches in respect of the adoption and promotion of health and safety and joint ways of working as unions/management. These approaches have supported greater engagement and communication between College and unions and supported excellent engagement through the COVID-19 pandemic and major savings plans. This has included the conduct of joint ‘lessons learned’ exercises after each of these savings plans to look at ways in which communication, outcomes, and arrangements at challenging times like these can be improved for the future.

Direct engagement and communication with staff is regular and open, ensuring that all staff have access to up-to-date information around College developments, opportunities, and challenges. This includes an open-door policy, and regular open briefings held by the Principal. To encourage engagement and transparency at briefing sessions, our unions are invited to attend every briefing and to openly contribute/comment as they wish.

The College has a consultation inbox open for all staff to seek information or ask questions on any subject. In addition to this, the College makes positive use of the anonymous conversations function within the Peachy Mondays survey platform. This facility supports staff to engage with the College on any topic or matter on a confidential basis and has been used very positively to address concerns or fears as part of savings plan exercises and as an addition to the biennial staff survey process.

2. Opportunity

We support continuous development and learning across the whole of D&A, providing comprehensive Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) opportunities for staff in all roles and supporting staff to engage actively in professional development that supports career development and engages them in the life and work of the College.

All teams across the College engage in CLPL activities each year and we fund and support around 1,500 attendances at structured CPLP events each academic year.

All staff benefit from structured induction and probation arrangements, and we fund a wide range of opportunities to support enhancement to formal qualifications that to develop teaching skills and qualifications and underpin a culture of growth and career progression.

Almost all D&A managers, senior leaders, and other promoted roles have been appointed through internal career progression routes supported by extensive professional, management, and leadership development activities.

We make active use of service design methodologies to engage and involve staff in major developments impacting the College and offer multiple opportunities for staff at all levels to join working groups, special interest groups, College committees and other developments. Two members of staff and two trade union nominated staff are full members of the Board of Management.

3. Security

Dundee and Angus College has been a Scottish Living Wage (SLW) employer since 2017, including payment of the Living Wage as a minimum for our Modern Apprentices.

We have clear workforce planning arrangements in place to underpin the efficient and sustainable operation of the College that is necessary to support security of employment, although it is recognised that this is challenging given current public funding levels and volatility in student numbers.

We have a small number of zero-hour contracts in place and use these only where there is legitimate need. We do operate a range of part-time temporary contract arrangements to support fluctuations in student numbers, engage in time limited project work, and provide cover for staff absences.  Across all non-permanent roles, however, we also have clear processes in place for staff to transfer to permanent employment after two years’ service.

All staff groups (irrespective of contractual status or working hours) have the same employment rights and terms and conditions of service (pro-rated where appropriate).

We have consistently low levels of staff turnover and have transparent arrangements underpinning staff recruitment and progression. The College does not operate ‘fire and rehire’ practices.

D&A is committed to addressing the gender pay gap and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Outcomes in respect of monitoring and action planning to reduce and eradicate the gender pay gap is summarised within our annual Gender Pay Gap reporting.

The fair work principles underpin our procurement arrangements and we work in partnership with our procurement provider Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) to deliver on these.

4. Fulfilment

The College operates a range of best practice Human Resource policies and procedures to underpin positive engagement, equalities, dignity, wellbeing, and job security for staff. This includes a comprehensive suite of family friendly and other supportive policies and procedures for our people.

All staffing related policies are subject to regular review by our Policy Review Group incorporating trade union representatives, and our People Strategy Group incorporates staff, managers, and union representatives in considering and making recommendations and suggestions around how the College can be a better and more fulfilling employer.

The College is a regular winner of employer awards, including recognition for individual services and activities, and as an employer of choice.

Our whole staff survey run every two years to provide a temperature check on engagement and fulfilment alongside specific feedback on areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

The survey is run through the independent Peachy Mondays platform ensuring that outcomes are fully confidential and providing access to an anonymous conversations function that supports detailed engagement with staff on a range of areas of interest / concern.

Our staff surveys achieve excellent response rates, with the spring 2024 survey generating the following outcomes.

• Engagement Index: 81 (up from 80)
• Happiness Index: 76 (unchanged)
• Learning and Growth: 65 (down from 72)
• Wellbeing and Mental Health: 57 (up from 56)
• Goals and Strategy: 53 (down from 67)

5. Respect

We have zero tolerance for bullying, abuse, or harassment and operate a range of clear equalities, dignity at work, and anti-bullying and harassment policies and procedures.

In addition to this we support a wide range of work and initiatives to ensure that everyone in our College community is treated fairly and equitably. This includes a broad range of staff and learner events and opportunities (including mandatory equalities training) under our RESPECT banner to support and deliver fair treatment for all.

As a whole D&A community we value diversity and advance equality of opportunity in all aspects of our activities. We aim to create an inclusive working and learning environment where all staff, learners and other stakeholders feel safe and welcome and can fulfil their potential.

Outcomes in respect of monitoring of equalities data and activities are reported through our Outcome Agreement and our Equalities Mainstreaming Report.

Conclusions

D&A is dedicated to promoting fair work practices and advancing the Fair Work First criteria. We believe that these practices align with our values as a College and are fundamental to creating a positive and inclusive environment for staff, learners, and other stakeholders. We recognise that this is an ongoing journey that requires balance between values, culture and day-to-day practice and are committed to ongoing reflection and enhancement to achieve the desired outcomes.

Further information or queries regarding Fair Work activities, arrangements or outcomes can be sought by contacting our People Team, peopleteam@dundeeandangus.ac.uk