EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY
Friends of Evington Equality and Diversity Policy 1.0
| Ratified No |
| Status Draft |
| Issued |
| Approved By Trustees No |
| Consultation None |
| Equality Impact Assessment Completed No |
| Distribution All individual members and group members’ representative of the charity |
| Implementation Date |
| Planned Review Date May 2022 |
| Version 1.0 |
| Author Helen Pettman (Previously secretary, now Chair of Friends of Evington) |
| Friends of Evington’s Safeguarding officer: Previously Mr. Paul Archdeacon |
| Policy Validity Statement Policy users should ensure that they are consulting the currently valid version of the documentation. This document will be reviewed one year from its issue date. |
Approval
The policy will remain valid, including during its period of review. However, the policy must be reviewed next year and afterwards at least once in every 3 year period.
Contents
Status form ………………………………………… Page 1
Introduction ………………………………………Page 2
Purpose of Policy………………………………. Page 2
Definitions………………………………………….Page 3 and 4
Aims and Objectives……………………………Page 4
Policy Implementation………………………… Page 5
Review Form …………………………………………Page 6
2. INTRODUCTION
This policy sets out how Friends of Evington will fulfil its statutory duties and responsibilities effectively both within its own organisation and for the affiliated groups and members that help with Friends of Evington’s charitable vision and objectives.
VISION: To inspire a healthy community in Evington through bringing environmental and educational projects to life, providing solutions that benefit local people and protect the planet.
OBJECTIVES:
TO PROMOTE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC THE CONSERVATION PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE EVINGTON SUBURB OF LEICESTER AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
TO PROMOTE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE INHABITANTS OF EVINGTON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE, INFIRMITY OR DISABLEMENT, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES OR FOR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THE CONDITION OF LIFE OF THE SAID INHABITANTS.
3. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY
The purpose of this policy is to ensure all staff volunteers and anyone who comes into contact with the Friends of Evington is not discriminated against according to their race, gender, sexuality, faith or belief, disability, life style or culture. In addition this policy aims to comply with anti discrimination legislation. The Friends of Evington supports equal opportunities in all areas of our work.
4. DEFINITIONS
Equal Opportunities ensures that policies, procedures and practice within the Organisation do not discriminate against its employees, volunteers and stakeholders. It is about treating people fairly and equally regardless of whom they are, their background or their lifestyle.
Diversity ensures that all people are valued as individuals and are able to maximise their potential and contribution to the Friends of Evington and to the community. It recognises that people from different backgrounds can bring fresh ideas and a different approach, which can make the way we work and learn more fun, more creative, more efficient and more innovative.
Direct discrimination, as defined in law, occurs when an individual is dealt with less favourably than other people on the grounds of race, ethnic or national origin, disability, gender, actual or perceived religion or belief or sexual orientation.
However in terms of this policy the definition is taken to be wider and includes, for example, colour, nationality, marital status or caring responsibility, age, mental health, political, class, HIV status, employment status, unrelated criminal convictions, union activities.
Indirect discrimination occurs when a provision, criterion or practice puts people of a particular group at a disadvantage and is not justified in relation to the job, for example a rule about clothing that disproportionately disadvantages a racial group cannot be justified.
Victimisation means that if a person has made or is making an accusation of discrimination in good faith, it is unlawful to discriminate against them for having done so, or because they intend to do so or it is suspected that they intend to do so. People must be able to act against unlawful discrimination without fear of reprisals.
Harassment means unwanted conduct based on race, sex or age etc. which has the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the person. Harassment can be sexual, racial, directed against people with disabilities or indeed related to any characteristic exhibited by the individual.
Positive Action refers to measures taken to assist employees, or learners who have been under-represented in specific areas, to reach a level of workplace knowledge and competencies that is comparable with ‘representative’ employees. These measures could take the form of additional training or providing the job application form in other languages to encourage applicants from these communities. ‘Positive discrimination’ at the point of selection for work is not permissible.
5. Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the Equality and Diversity Policy are:
- To encourage, promote and celebrate diversity in all our activities and services
- To ensure equal access to volunteer opportunities
- To ensure compliance with legislation on discrimination and equality including Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Employment Rights Act 1996, Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, Employment Act 2002, Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2003, Religion or Belief Regulations 2003, Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003 and Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.
- To promote equal opportunities in other areas not currently covered by legislation.
- To create environments free from harassment and discrimination.
- To maximise the use of resources in the best interests of staff, volunteers and service users.
- To confront and challenge discrimination where and whenever it arises, whether it be between colleagues, or in any other area relating to the Friends of Evington’s work.
- To make a willingness to accept and implement this policy to be a necessary qualification for any position in the Organisation.
- To ensure, through positive action and so far as is practicable, that all the Friends of Evington services are accessible to all people.
- To ensure that advancement within the Friends of Evington is determined by objective criteria and personal merit.
6. Policy Implementation:
The Friends of Evington strives to ensure that our trustees and volunteers reflect the wider community.
Appropriate information will be provided to enable trustees and volunteer members to perform their jobs effectively.
Grievances
- Any staff member or volunteer who feels they have been a victim of discrimination or unfairly treated in a way contrary to the intention of this policy should raise the issue through the Friends of Evington’s established Complaints Procedure.
- Any service user who feels he/she has been unfairly treated in a way contrary to the intention of this policy should make a complaint through the Friends of Evington’s nominated trustee, who must report any such complaint to the Friends of Evington committee. If the complaint is about the nominated this should be made through another trustee.
- Any job applicant who believes that he/she has been treated unfairly and contrary to the intention of this policy should raise the issue with the nominated trustee or the Chair of the Friends of Evington. Incidents of victimisation or harassment will be dealt with in accordance with the Organisation’s Harassment Procedure. Where incidents of victimisation and harassment are proven, the issue will be dealt with under the Organisation’s Disciplinary Procedure.
- The Friends of Evington will not treat lightly or ignore grievances from members of disadvantaged groups on the assumption that they are over-sensitive about discrimination.
- Any member of any Committee or working group of the Friends of
Evington found in breach of this policy will be counselled on his/her actions and may, where necessary, be asked to leave Friends of Evington.
- Any service user found in breach of this policy will, where appropriate, be counselled on his/her actions and may, where necessary, be referred back to their organisation or refused future services from the Friends of Evington.
Where it appears that there may have been or there is a breach of the policy, the Friends of Evington will investigate the circumstances and action will be taken to counter any proven breach of policy.
If it is found that the policy is excluding or discouraging the development of trustees, staff or volunteers or restricting service users, the nominated trustee should take positive action to re-adjust the policy.
7. Review Form
| Equality and Diversity Adviser: | Vacant |
| Telephone: |
| Monitoring Arrangements: | |
| Date of local review(s): | |
| Other information: |
End of Equality and Diversity Policy
Friends of Evington 