Questions & Answers:
1. Is the Moving to Inclusion Framework only designed for NGBs and large organisations? How does this Framework translate down into (grassroot) clubs?
The Moving to Inclusion Framework is versatile and has been designed to be bespoke for organisations of differing sizes, capabilities, and capacities. The Framework replaces the previous Equality Standard for Sport, which was made for NGBs and larger sporting organisations.
There are certainly elements of the Framework which would be relevant for grassroots clubs, and we would encourage them to engage and feedback on how it could be made more appropriate. There may be opportunity to explore a version that could be developed UK-wide for clubs in the future, so any feedback on this would be helpful, and very welcomed.
There are some already established toolkits which can be used by clubs to support them in developing their inclusive provision for specific groups who share protected characteristics. For example DSW have insport Club which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people, and LGBT+ Sport Cymru Charter supports best practice for the provision of LGB&T-friendly sport. These resources will support clubs in progressing through the Moving to Inclusion Framework if a version for clubs is developed.
2. How can partners engage and listen to the voices of those who aren’t included in the sport / organisation? How can they be included in the development of inclusivity in sport?
Ideally, the diagnostic tool would sit within a broader organisational governance structure that would provide scrutiny and challenge to your organisation’s self-assessment and scoring. This will also require your organisation to take ownership and accountability for your subsequent action plan and commitments within Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). It will be important for organisations to ensure they obtain the viewpoints of all participants, and those who do not currently participate who may want to get involved. The Framework should help direct organisations on the best way to approach this, and there is a supportive video included on the Hub to offer guidance.
The Sports Councils will continue to expand its toolkit over time to help inform practice; in the meantime, you can:
- register for CLIP and access a session on ‘How to get a better understanding of your users’ which might be helpful for this process.
- Contact Disability Sport Wales who also provide support in this area either through their insport NGB programme, or with resources (asking the question) and education and training (UK Disability Inclusion Training)
The Sports Councils welcome thoughts on developing supportive resources to improve and grow the Hub into a central place for EDI.
3. Do we have to do the Moving to Inclusion Framework and insport, or can we do one or the other?
Moving to Inclusion (like the Equality Standard) and insport are not one or the other things. Disability Sport Wales developed insport to act as a series of toolkits which would help partners better provide for their existing or new disabled members/staff/volunteers. insport NGB and insport 3rd Sector are toolkits which can be used if you have identified that disabled people are not as represented within your membership or organisation as they should be, or you would like them to be. DSW have mapped the Moving to Inclusion Framework against insport, so if you are working with them on insport NGB (and you therefore already have a Case Officer) they will be able to sign-post you to which areas of the Moving to Inclusion Framework your achievement of insport NGB/insport 3rd Sector aims links to.
You may engage with the Moving to Inclusion Framework without doing insport NGB or insport 3rd Sector, however insport is intended to support you in progressing through the Moving to Inclusion Framework where you need to know how to make changes for the better with disabled people as a foundation.
4. How do we know when we will be given a mentor?
A range of partners have been approached for year 1 based on priorities identified through Partnership Forms and their capacity, capability, and confidence to engage with the Moving to Inclusion Framework. These partners will be offered mentor support and will feed back on the process and approach to help shape how Sport Wales prioritise and work with partners in years 2 and 3 + of the Framework roll-out.
All partners and sporting organisations can access the Framework via a self-directed approach of which there will be lots of supportive resources to help them in a range of accessible formats. Data and insight gathered from organisations who engage with the Framework will help guide the Sports Councils to develop relevant and appropriate resources and sessions around the identified priority areas of EDI.
The partners confirmed for 1:1 and group mentor support are Bowls Wales, Swim Wales, Urdd, Disability Sport Wales, Table Tennis Wales, Cricket Wales, Welsh Cycling, Sport Partnership West, Tennis Wales, Welsh Boxing and Welsh Athletics.
If any partners who are not featured above would be keen for mentor support in year 2 (from April 24 onward) then they can [javascript protected email address]
We would encourage all partners who feel ready to engage with the Framework, who are not receiving mentor support in the first instance, to do so via the self-directed approach, and mentors will also be available for organisations to self-fund if they would like to explore this as an option. Mentors can step in and offer supportive check and challenge at any point in a partners Moving to Inclusion journey.
Don’t forget that many of our Partner Organisations also provide resources, help and support in the areas of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, so keep in contact with them too.
5. How can we (partners) achieve ‘Excellence in Inclusion’ and how will this be assessed?
The Sports Council Equality Group and Sport Structures who are project managing the Moving to Inclusion Framework are in discussions around the development of ‘Excellence in Inclusion’, which has now been renamed ‘Celebrating Inclusion’.
The process of ‘Celebrating Inclusion’ is still to be confirmed and the sports councils will be sharing details once the Framework has been launched.
What we can say is that ‘Celebrating Inclusion’ aims to do exactly what it says – recognise, share, and celebrate sector-leading initiatives and successes, so organisations have the opportunity to learn from each other through communities of practice.
You can develop and celebrate inclusion in other ways as well whilst we confirm the approach we will be taking by:
- Becoming a Disability Confident Committed, Employer or Leader
- Signing up to the LGBT+ Sport Cymru Charter
- Making progress towards and achieving the insport standards
- Gaining Welsh Language support
- Engaging with Sport Wales National Partners on how to develop specific areas of EDI
6. What funding support is available to partners, especially those who are of small-medium size and capacity?
The budget for the Moving to Inclusion Framework will be used for mentoring support for partners, the development of supportive resources, webinars and workshops, development of the online Hub, 'Celebrating Inclusion' assessments, as well as learning and sharing events and forums.
Several mentors have been recruited to guide a number of partners in year 1 through the Framework and diagnostic tool. This process will continue each year with the aim of providing mentor support to all our partners over the next few years.
7. How do we know if we are being inclusive as an organisation?
The Framework is designed for partners to complete a cycle of self-reflection and continual improvement to create change and increase inclusivity. This tool will help organisations continuously reflect upon who they are currently engaging and where the gaps may be in their sporting community.
We encourage all our partners to utilise the Moving to Inclusion Framework as a way to check and challenge themselves by seeking both internal and external feedback and gathering a holistic view of their organisations position with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Support to develop your practice in these areas will be provided by the mentors and equality partners.
Organisations will be able to demonstrate inclusivity that is truly embedded through assessment via ‘Celebrating Inclusion’. Once organisations can score themselves the maximum amount in each of the pillars, then organisations will know they have embedded a culture of inclusion in their organisation of which they can continue to maintain, develop and reflect upon.
8. It would be great if we could see a visual collective overview of the progress we and other partners have made across Wales and/or the UK around inclusion, will this be included in the Framework?
The Moving to Inclusion Framework absolutely encourages collaboration where collective groups can come together to share good practice and learning, in order to support each other throughout their journey to inclusion. This is also something which is available through other partner organisations including Sported, StreetGames and Disability Sport Wales.
Although there isn’t currently a visual available on the Moving to Inclusion Hub detailing the current overall position of partners in Wales and across the UK against the pillars of the Framework, this is something the Sports Council Equality Group will discuss and see if there is potential to develop. The Moving to Inclusion Hub will be continually reviewed and any feedback on how we can develop it further and make it more engaging will be most welcome.
9. How can organisations work across borders to evolve and develop Equality, Diversity and Inclusion when going through the Framework?
The UK Sports Councils encourage sports to reach out to their partners independently to collaborate on the Framework. The UK Sports Councils will be creating group workshops and there will be learning opportunities which can be accessed by any partner across the UK. This means several cross-border organisations can attend and trial different aspects of the Framework together. This compliments other similar models established within Wales and the UK where significant learning is shared through group discussions, networking, Lead Officer sessions, conferences, and workshops. If NGBs across the UK would like to work together, we would encourage them to reach out to their respective sports council to discuss this further.
Data and analytics from the diagnostic tool will show emerging themes and patterns. This will give the sports councils opportunity to create targeted support to groups of organisations who would benefit from working together, such as those who govern similar sports, have similar goals, or have identified the same targeted areas of priority.
The Sports Councils will continually develop their support to partners across borders once the Framework has been launched and we would welcome thoughts from organisations on how they would like to work together.
10. What role do Sport Wales see the National Partner organisations playing in the new Moving to Inclusion Framework alongside the mentors?
Identified equality partners across the UK sports councils will be featured on the Moving to Inclusion Hub detailing their area of specialism along with links to their websites, and any supportive tools that organisations can connect and engage with. These equality partners, who are the lead agencies for communities sharing protected characteristics, will be able to offer opportunities for learning and collaboration with other sporting organisations by sharing expertise and allowing access to their valuable resources.
As an example, if an organisation identifies disabled people as a priority area of focus, they are encouraged to connect with Disability Sport Wales and insport. insport is a toolkit which offers a framework of aims intended to support the sector with strengthening disability inclusion and the inclusion of disabled people within their organisation and programmes. You can read more about the insport programme here.
The Moving to Inclusion Framework has not been developed to compete with other tools, standards, or frameworks partners may already be engaging with. It has been developed to compliment and work alongside them, especially as partners identify specific priority areas across the 5 pillars that will form part of their continuous improvement plan.
Lead partners for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Wales are being invited to meet the Moving to Inclusion mentors to discuss their specialisms and how they will collaborate and extend their support to the sector once the Framework has been launched. For National Partners, the Moving to Inclusion Framework be a supportive tool for them to engage with for their own inclusive development, as well as a structure through which they will lend their support to others.
11. What is the timeline to launch the diagnostic tool and Framework?
The sports councils are aiming to launch the Framework and self-diagnostic tool via the Moving to Inclusion Hub in September 2023. There is a helpful video on the Hub that specifically focuses on the self-diagnostic tool and the different approaches organisations can take to score themselves accurately and appropriately ensuring all perspectives are considered.
Once the Framework is live, partners will be notified with a link accessing the Moving to Inclusion Hub.
12. Is the Moving to Inclusion Framework mandatory for Welsh NGBs and partners?
The Moving to Inclusion Framework is not mandatory for Welsh NGBs and partners. As part of the Capability Framework review the Moving to Inclusion Framework will be considered, however, at this time, it is unlikely it will form part of this.
Sport Wales recognises there are a number of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion tools and frameworks available that partners may want to engage with, therefore making this a mandatory option is something we are not considering currently.
You can access the recording of one of the partner briefings by clicking on the following link: Moving to Inclusion Framework Partner Briefing