Your Needs

We recognise that everyone has different needs and circumstances and these are likely to influence and shape your experiences whether you are a student, OU staff member, or a member of the general public.  We encourage you to tell us about your needs so that we can support you more effectively and check that our policies and practices are working to advance equality for all.

Protected characteristics

We aim to anticipate and respond positively to your needs and circumstances which are ‘protected’ in our Equality Scheme and generally underpinned in equality law.

Protected characteristics include:

• Age
• Caring or dependency responsibilities
• Disability
• Gender (sex)
• Marriage and civil partnership status
• Political opinion
• Pregnancy and maternity (including adoption, fostering, IVF treatment, and paternity)
• Race (including caste, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
• Religion or belief (including no religion)
• Sexual orientation
• Socio-economic background
• Trade union membership status
• Transgender (gender identity)

Obtaining Support

For Students

We provide information for students about study support and further information is provided to registered students in the ‘Help centre’ available from Student Home.  Students wishing to discuss their needs should contact their Student Support Team. 

For Staff

Resources are available for OU staff via the University's intranet.  Staff should discuss their needs with their line manager so appropriate support measures can be put in place.

As part of its wellbeing programme the University offers all staff access to a free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This service is inclusive of counselling around any of the protected characteristics listed above.

If you would like to speak to someone regarding any form of discrimination or bullying and harassment either for yourself or on behalf of someone else you can speak to:

• the person about the behaviour and ask for it to stop
• your line manager or more senior manager
• your People Services Business Partner (via the People Hub)
• the equality diversitiy and inclusion team  on ext 52867
• your Trade Union representative

image: © istockphoto.com | AnsonLu