Equality and Diversity Policy

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY POLICY STATEMENT

This document sets out the policy for Be Ready to Parent to follow as well as establishing its commitment to promoting equal opportunities, valuing diversity, combating discrimination and thereby ensuring that its services are as accessible as possible.

 

 

Scope:

This policy applies to all Be Ready to Parents staff, trainers, volunteers and students. It sets out a number of specific objectives in relation to service delivery and ongoing policy development.

 

 

Objectives:

Be Ready to Parent recognises that in society certain groups and individuals have suffered and continue to suffer direct and indirect discrimination and victimisation.  In terms of good practice and provision of services it is actively committed to oppose any discrimination on the basis of gender, marital status, responsibility for children or dependants, gender reassignment, race, colour, ethnic/national origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, political beliefs, disability, age, sexual orientation, offending background, or any other factor which could lead to the experience of discrimination.

 

 

Application:

Day-to-day implementation of the policy will be the responsibility of Dr Ella Rachamim supported by Jan Harrison and Philip Hendy

 

 

Compliance:

Breaches of this policy will be treated very seriously. All staff, trainers and volunteers are urged to familiarise themselves with its contents to avoid inadvertent problems.

 

 

Legal Context:

A variety of UK laws and European directives provide protection to an increasing number of groups to ensure that they are not discriminated against in relation to employment, provision of services and access to services.

 

Areas where discrimination is legislated against include age, gender, gender identity, disability, ethnicity and race, religion and belief, and sexual orientation. Some of the relevant legislation is listed below:

 

–       The Disability Discrimination Act 1995;

–       The Equal Pay Act 1970;

–       The Fixed-Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002;

–       Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974;

–       The Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002;

–       The Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended);

–       The Sex Discrimination Act 1975;

–       Human Rights Act 1998;

–       The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003;

–       The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003;

–       The Gender Recognition Act 2005;

–       The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

 

Be Ready to Parent will ensure that its practices fully meet the requirements of the relevant legislation. It will also seek to ensure that all services provided by Be Ready to Parent are available and accessible to all staff, trainers, volunteers and students without undue discrimination.

 

This overall policy is underpinned by a range of other policies, including:

–       Complaints Policy;

–       Safeguarding and Protecting Vulnerable Adults;

–       Plagiarism Policy;

–       Health & Safety Policy

–       Centre Contingency Policy

 

 

Health and Safety:

In addition, staff, trainers and students who highlight health and safety problems are offered legal protection to ensure that they are not discriminated against because they are asserting their rights in these areas.

 

 

Our Commitment

Be Ready to Parent is committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity, ensuring accessibility and respecting human rights.

 

It will strive to:

 

–       Take pro-active steps to address discrimination, abuse and harassment;

–       Ensure that everyone directly associated with Be Ready to Parent – staff, trainers, volunteers and students – are aware of its commitment in these areas and how this policy affects them;

–       Ensure that there are clear procedures to ensure compliance with relevant legal requirements.

–       Ensure that the accessibility of its buildings, services and information is routinely reviewed and improved where possible;

–       Ensure that staff, trainers, volunteers and students receive appropriate support, training and advice to assist them to deal sensitively with challenging discriminatory behaviour or practices and with supporting those experiencing discrimination;

–       Continue to develop internal working arrangements and structures that will assist in the promotion of anti-discriminatory practices, and the sharing of effective practice to this end;

–       Ensure that suitable systems are established and maintained so that Be Ready to Parent can effectively monitor and evaluate compliance and progress in relation to promoting equality of opportunity.

 

 

Practical application.

 

Allegations of Abuse, Harassment or Discrimination:

Be Ready to Parent takes seriously all allegations of abuse, harassment and discrimination and staff should ensure that those they are responsible for are afforded protection from harassment and offered support regarding any discrimination they may face.

 

 

Promoting Choice and Accessibility for Students

 

Be Ready to Parent will endeavour to ensure that its own resources provides a genuine response to the needs of students. It will ensure that services are reviewed annually with a view to improving choice for staff, trainers, volunteers and students, appreciating and valuing the diversity of its user group and ensuring that services provided are flexible enough to be adapted for students from a range of diverse backgrounds.

 

It will do this by ensuring that:

 

–       The selection criteria for access to its training courses is not resulting in discrimination

–       Important information is available in a variety of formats (e.g. suitable for those with poor eyesight, English as a second language, other languages or literacy problems);

–       Students and others are clearly informed about service availability (e.g. how/when they can access staff, support services etc.);

–       Reviewing the layout of the building to improve accessibility (e.g. lighting, how easy is it to move throughout the building, directional and emergency signs).

 

Staff will ensure that they collect enough information about their students to properly analyse the make-up of the user group in terms of gender, age, racial origin, ethnic origin, and special needs.

 

This review will include the following:

 

–       Analysis of student group profile;

–       Reviewing menus and meal-times where meals are provided (e.g. are special diets catered for? Is food from a variety of cultures provided?);

–       Reviewing activities offered (e.g. are activities designed for predominantly male client group?)

–       Preparedness for, or actual performance in, working with clients with disabilities (e.g. how would trainers work with someone who was hearing impaired?);

–       Preparedness for, or actual performance in, working with students whose religion will require alterations to existing services (e.g. mealtimes, menus).

 

 

Be Ready to Parent staff will ensure that any points of action identified following the review of services  are incorporated into any training plans.

 

 

Allegations of Discrimination:

Allegations of discrimination will be taken seriously and dealt with in accordance with the Complaints Policy or Grievance Policy.

 

 

Review

Be Ready to Parent will review this Policy at least annually to ensure best practice in the areas of combating discrimination, valuing diversity and promoting equality.