Albion Awards

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Last updated: 23 June 2026
Policy owner: Responsible Officer
Review cycle: Annual, or earlier if required by legal, regulatory or operational change

1. Purpose

Albion Awards is committed to equality, diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect in all aspects of its work.

This policy explains how Albion Awards will promote equality of opportunity, prevent discrimination, support inclusive access to qualifications and ensure that learners, centres, staff, contractors, assessors, internal quality assurers, external quality assurers and other stakeholders are treated fairly.

Albion Awards is being developed as a specialist awarding organisation focused on professional qualifications in governance, risk, assurance, cyber governance, board practice and organisational resilience.

Albion Awards is currently preparing for Ofqual recognition. The qualifications, policies, records and platform workflows shown on this website are provided for development, demonstration and recognition-readiness purposes. Albion Awards is not yet recognised by Ofqual and does not currently offer Ofqual-regulated qualifications.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

  • learners;
  • prospective learners;
  • approved and applicant centres;
  • centre staff;
  • assessors;
  • internal quality assurers;
  • external quality assurers;
  • Albion Awards staff;
  • contractors and consultants;
  • governance board members;
  • committee members;
  • employers and professional partners;
  • website and platform users;
  • anyone involved in Albion Awards activity.

This policy applies to all Albion Awards activities, including:

  • qualification design;
  • assessment design;
  • centre approval;
  • centre monitoring;
  • learner registration;
  • assessment delivery;
  • quality assurance;
  • standardisation;
  • certification;
  • certificate verification;
  • complaints;
  • appeals;
  • malpractice and maladministration investigations;
  • reasonable adjustments;
  • special considerations;
  • recruitment, appointment and contracting;
  • governance and decision-making;
  • website and platform use.

3. Recognition Status

Albion Awards is preparing an application for recognition as an awarding organisation.

This policy is part of Albion Awards’ recognition-readiness framework and will be reviewed, approved and maintained as part of the organisation’s quality assurance and governance arrangements.

Albion Awards will not describe qualifications as Ofqual-regulated unless and until recognition and qualification regulation have been confirmed.

4. Policy Statement

Albion Awards will seek to ensure that no learner, centre, staff member, contractor, assessor, quality assurer, reviewer, applicant or stakeholder is treated unfairly because of a protected characteristic or any other irrelevant factor.

Albion Awards is committed to:

  • treating people with dignity, fairness and respect;
  • promoting equality of opportunity;
  • supporting inclusive access to qualifications and assessment;
  • preventing discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
  • removing or reducing unjustifiable barriers where reasonably possible;
  • designing qualifications and assessments that are fair, valid, reliable and accessible;
  • making reasonable adjustments where required;
  • considering special considerations where appropriate;
  • monitoring qualification and assessment activity for potential disadvantage;
  • responding to complaints, appeals and concerns fairly;
  • supporting centres to meet Albion Awards’ equality and inclusion expectations;
  • using evidence, feedback and monitoring to improve practice.

5. Protected Characteristics

Albion Awards will have regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010. These are:

  • age;
  • disability;
  • gender reassignment;
  • marriage and civil partnership;
  • pregnancy and maternity;
  • race;
  • religion or belief;
  • sex;
  • sexual orientation.

Albion Awards will also seek to avoid unfair treatment linked to other factors that may affect access, participation or achievement, including caring responsibilities, socio-economic disadvantage, language barriers, digital exclusion, geographical location, employment status or prior educational opportunity.

6. Our Principles

Albion Awards’ approach to equality, diversity and inclusion is based on the following principles.

Fairness

People should be treated fairly, consistently and respectfully.

Inclusion

Qualifications, assessments, systems and services should be designed to support access wherever reasonably possible.

Accessibility

Learners should be able to access assessment without unnecessary or unjustifiable barriers.

Validity and Standards

Adjustments and inclusive practice must support access while protecting the validity, reliability and integrity of qualifications and assessment decisions.

Evidence

Decisions should be based on evidence, documented clearly and capable of review.

Accountability

Roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes should be clear.

Continuous Improvement

Feedback, complaints, appeals, monitoring data and quality assurance evidence should be used to improve policy and practice.

7. Responsibilities

Governing Body

The Governing Body is responsible for oversight of Albion Awards’ equality, diversity and inclusion arrangements and for ensuring that equality risks are considered as part of governance, strategy and risk management.

Responsible Officer

The Responsible Officer is responsible for ensuring that Albion Awards maintains appropriate equality, diversity and inclusion arrangements and that these are considered in relation to qualification design, delivery, award and regulatory readiness.

Senior Leadership

Senior leadership is responsible for implementing this policy, allocating resources, monitoring risks and ensuring that equality and inclusion are considered in operational decisions.

Quality and Assessment Teams

Quality and assessment personnel are responsible for ensuring that qualification design, assessment design, assessment review, standardisation, quality assurance and certification processes take account of equality, fairness, accessibility and potential disadvantage.

Centres

Approved and applicant centres are responsible for complying with this policy and any related Albion Awards requirements. Centres must ensure that learners are treated fairly, that reasonable adjustment and special consideration requests are managed appropriately, and that equality concerns are reported to Albion Awards where relevant.

Assessors, IQAs and EQAs

Assessors, internal quality assurers and external quality assurers must apply assessment and quality assurance requirements fairly and consistently, avoid bias, report concerns and take part in relevant standardisation or training activity.

Staff and Contractors

All staff and contractors must act in accordance with this policy, treat people with respect, complete relevant training where required, and report equality, diversity or inclusion concerns.

8. Qualification Design and Review

Albion Awards will consider equality, diversity and inclusion during qualification design and review.

This may include reviewing:

  • qualification purpose;
  • target learner groups;
  • entry requirements;
  • learning outcomes;
  • assessment criteria;
  • assessment methods;
  • language and terminology;
  • evidence requirements;
  • digital or practical access requirements;
  • grading arrangements;
  • centre delivery expectations;
  • potential barriers for learners with protected characteristics;
  • reasonable adjustment implications;
  • potential bias or unjustifiable disadvantage.

Albion Awards will seek to ensure that qualifications are fit for purpose, accessible where reasonably possible, and designed to minimise bias while maintaining valid assessment standards.

9. Assessment Design and Delivery

Albion Awards will seek to ensure that assessments are designed and delivered in a way that is fair, valid, reliable and inclusive.

Assessment materials should:

  • use clear and appropriate language;
  • avoid unnecessary cultural, gender, disability, age or other bias;
  • assess only what is required by the learning outcomes and assessment criteria;
  • avoid unnecessary barriers unrelated to the competence being assessed;
  • include appropriate instructions for learners and assessors;
  • support reasonable adjustments where appropriate;
  • be reviewed before approval and release;
  • be monitored through quality assurance activity.

Where a particular assessment feature may disadvantage a group of learners, Albion Awards will consider whether the feature is necessary, justifiable and proportionate.

10. Reasonable Adjustments

Albion Awards will make reasonable adjustments where required to reduce or remove disadvantage experienced by disabled learners or learners with additional needs.

Reasonable adjustments may include, where appropriate:

  • additional time;
  • rest breaks;
  • modified assessment materials;
  • assistive technology;
  • alternative formats;
  • reader, scribe or practical assistant support;
  • separate room arrangements;
  • adapted delivery arrangements;
  • other approved adjustments relevant to the learner’s needs.

Reasonable adjustments must not compromise the validity, reliability or integrity of the assessment. They must not give a learner an unfair advantage, but should remove unnecessary disadvantage where possible.

Further details are provided in the Albion Awards Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy.

11. Special Considerations

Albion Awards may consider special consideration requests where a learner has been affected by temporary illness, injury, bereavement, adverse circumstances or other events beyond their control at or near the time of assessment.

Special considerations will be considered fairly, consistently and based on evidence. They will not be used to compensate for lack of competence or to undermine qualification standards.

Further details are provided in the Albion Awards Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy.

12. Centre Approval and Monitoring

Albion Awards will consider equality, diversity and inclusion as part of centre approval and centre monitoring.

Applicant and approved centres may be required to show that they have:

  • suitable equality and diversity arrangements;
  • accessible learner information;
  • fair recruitment and enrolment arrangements;
  • processes for reasonable adjustments and special considerations;
  • appropriate learner support arrangements;
  • suitable assessment environments;
  • staff awareness of equality and inclusion expectations;
  • arrangements for reporting complaints, appeals, malpractice and access concerns;
  • internal quality assurance processes that support fair assessment.

Centre compliance with equality and inclusion expectations may be reviewed through approval, onboarding, external quality assurance, sampling, centre monitoring and action planning.

13. Recruitment, Appointment and Contracting

Albion Awards will seek to ensure that recruitment, appointment and contracting processes are fair, transparent and based on relevant skills, experience, competence and role requirements.

This applies to:

  • staff;
  • contractors;
  • assessors;
  • IQAs;
  • EQAs;
  • committee members;
  • reviewers;
  • consultants;
  • governance roles.

Albion Awards will seek to avoid discrimination, bias and unnecessary barriers in selection and appointment processes.

14. Training and Awareness

Albion Awards will provide or require appropriate equality, diversity and inclusion awareness for relevant staff, contractors, centres, assessors, IQAs, EQAs and reviewers.

Training and awareness activity may cover:

  • equality law and protected characteristics;
  • inclusive qualification design;
  • bias in assessment;
  • reasonable adjustments;
  • special considerations;
  • accessible communication;
  • complaints and appeals;
  • malpractice and discrimination concerns;
  • responsibilities of centres and assessment personnel.

15. Communication and Accessibility

Albion Awards will seek to communicate clearly and accessibly.

This includes:

  • using plain and professional language;
  • providing clear learner and centre information;
  • reviewing website accessibility;
  • providing alternative formats where reasonably possible;
  • avoiding unnecessary jargon;
  • ensuring forms and processes are understandable;
  • providing clear contact routes for support.

Where a person needs information in a different format, Albion Awards will consider the request and respond reasonably.

16. Monitoring and Evidence

Albion Awards will monitor equality, diversity and inclusion through appropriate evidence sources.

This may include:

  • learner feedback;
  • centre feedback;
  • complaints;
  • appeals;
  • reasonable adjustment requests;
  • special consideration requests;
  • EQA findings;
  • assessment outcomes;
  • standardisation records;
  • centre monitoring records;
  • qualification review records;
  • malpractice and maladministration records;
  • website accessibility feedback;
  • stakeholder comments.

Where Albion Awards collects equality monitoring information, it will do so lawfully, proportionately and transparently, and in accordance with data protection requirements.

17. Data Protection and Confidentiality

Some equality, disability, health or accessibility information may be sensitive personal information.

Albion Awards will handle such information securely and confidentially. Access will be restricted to authorised personnel who need the information for a legitimate purpose, such as considering a reasonable adjustment, investigating a complaint or monitoring potential disadvantage.

Equality monitoring information will be used responsibly and, where possible, reported in anonymised or aggregated form.

Further details are provided in the Albion Awards Privacy Notice and Data Protection and Records Retention Policy.

18. Complaints, Concerns and Appeals

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, discriminated against, disadvantaged or excluded may raise a concern with Albion Awards.

Depending on the issue, the matter may be handled under one or more of the following:

  • Complaints Policy and Procedure;
  • Appeals Policy and Procedure;
  • Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy;
  • Malpractice and Maladministration Policy;
  • Centre Agreement;
  • internal HR or contractor procedures.

Albion Awards will take equality-related complaints seriously and will consider whether corrective action, centre action, qualification review, assessment review or policy improvement is required.

19. Harassment, Victimisation and Bullying

Albion Awards will not tolerate harassment, victimisation, bullying or discriminatory behaviour by staff, contractors, centres, assessors, quality assurers, learners, reviewers or other stakeholders.

Examples may include:

  • offensive comments or behaviour;
  • unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic;
  • intimidation or humiliation;
  • exclusion or unfair treatment;
  • retaliation against someone who raises a concern;
  • discriminatory assumptions or stereotyping;
  • inappropriate online or written communication.

Concerns should be reported to Albion Awards and will be reviewed under the relevant procedure.

20. Managing Bias and Conflicts of Interest

Albion Awards will seek to reduce bias in decision-making by using:

  • role-based responsibilities;
  • documented criteria;
  • assessment review;
  • standardisation;
  • internal and external quality assurance;
  • conflict of interest declarations;
  • approval workflows;
  • audit trails;
  • evidence-based decisions;
  • escalation routes.

Where a conflict of interest could affect fairness, objectivity or independence, it must be declared and managed in accordance with the Albion Awards Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure.

21. Breaches of This Policy

A breach of this policy may result in action under relevant procedures.

This may include:

  • staff or contractor action;
  • centre action plan;
  • centre sanctions;
  • assessment review;
  • EQA escalation;
  • investigation under malpractice or maladministration procedures;
  • withdrawal of approval for individuals or centres;
  • policy or process review.

Albion Awards will act proportionately, fairly and based on evidence.

22. Review and Continuous Improvement

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, or earlier where required due to:

  • changes in law or regulation;
  • Ofqual recognition requirements;
  • qualification review findings;
  • complaints or appeals;
  • EQA findings;
  • centre feedback;
  • learner feedback;
  • accessibility concerns;
  • incidents or identified risks;
  • organisational change.

Review outcomes may lead to changes in policies, procedures, training, qualification design, assessment design, centre requirements or platform workflows.

23. Related Policies and Documents

This policy should be read alongside:

  • Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy;
  • Access to Assessment Policy;
  • Complaints Policy and Procedure;
  • Appeals Policy and Procedure;
  • Malpractice and Maladministration Policy;
  • Assessment Policy;
  • Centre Approval Policy;
  • Centre Handbook;
  • Internal Quality Assurance Policy;
  • External Quality Assurance Procedure;
  • Standardisation Procedure;
  • Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedure;
  • Privacy Notice;
  • Data Protection and Records Retention Policy;
  • Accessibility Statement.

24. Contact

For questions about this policy or to raise an equality, diversity or inclusion concern, contact:

Albion Awards
United Kingdom
Email: info@AlbionAwards.org.uk