equality diversity and inclusion policy

EQUALITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY

This policy applies to all trustees, staff, volunteers, service users and the general public.

In this document we set out our commitment to promote equality for people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and our approach to making reasonable adjustments to remove disadvantages for disabled persons in accessing and using our services.

As an organisation, we value the variety of different views, outlooks and approaches that diverse staff and service users can bring. Indeed, these are crucial to achieving our purpose of helping all children with crohns and colitis.

We encourage those we are here to help who feel that they have suffered any form of discrimination to raise the issue with us as soon as they can. CICRA will ensure that all managers and supervisors with relevant responsibilities are provided with appropriate equality and equal opportunities training where necessary, which may be updated as required. CICRA will monitor the effectiveness of this policy to ensure that it is working in practice and will review and update this policy as and when necessary.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that we:

• provide equality, fairness and respect concerning all aspects of our service delivery
• do not unlawfully discriminate on the grounds of the Act’s protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation (the “protected characteristics”)
• oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination

CICRA takes seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by employees, service users, suppliers, supporters, the public and any others in the course of our work activities. Such acts should be reported under this policy or our Complaints policy and will be dealt with accordingly.

Commitment

Equality and diversity are central to the work of CICRA.

CICRA will treat all people with dignity and respect, valuing the diversity of all. It will promote equality of opportunity and diversity. It will eliminate all forms of discrimination on grounds of race, gender, marital status, caring responsibilities, disability, gender re-assignment, age, social class, sexual orientation, religion/ belief, irrelevant offending background or any other factor irrelevant to the purpose in view.

It will tackle social exclusion, inequality, discrimination and disadvantage. For this policy to be successful, it is essential that everyone is committed to and involved in its delivery. CICRA’s goal is to work towards a just society free from discrimination, harassment and prejudice. CICRA aims to embed this in all its policies, procedures, day-to-day practices and external relationships.

Aims

CICRA aims to:

• provide services that are accessible according to need
• promote equality of opportunity and diversity in volunteering, employment and development
• not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation
• create effective partnerships with all parts of the community

Objectives

CICRA’s objective is to realise its aims by:

• sustaining, regularly evaluating and continually improving its services to ensure equality and diversity principles and best practice are embedded in our performance to meet the needs of individuals and groups
• working together with those we are here to help to provide accessible and relevant service provision that responds to service users’ needs
• ensuring staff, volunteers and trustees are representative of those we are here to help, and our employment policies are fair and robust
• responding to volunteer & employee needs and encouraging their development to increase their contribution to effective service delivery
• recognising and valuing the differences and individual contribution that all people make to CICRA
• challenging discrimination
• providing fair resource allocation
• being accountable

Why have this policy?

CICRA recognises, respects and values diversity in its trustees, employees, volunteers and service users.

CICRA has this policy because it is a people-led organisation that must always ensure it meets the needs of those we are here to help through fair and appropriate employment and development of the people who work and volunteer for CICRA. 

Procedures

Responsibility for Implementation

This policy covers the behaviour of all people employed or volunteering in CICRA or using the services and sets out the way they can expect to be treated in turn by CICRA. The overall responsibility for ensuring adherence to and implementation of this policy lies with the staff and the trustees.

Method of Implementation

CICRA intends to implement this policy by:

• ensuring that it is a condition of paid employment in CICRA
• ensuring that trustees, management committee, volunteers and users are made aware, understand, agree with, and are willing to implement, this policy. All staff and volunteers will be given a copy of this policy as part of their induction
• actively encouraging trustees, staff, management committee and volunteers to participate in anti-discriminatory training, and making time and resources available for such training
• monitoring the services, publicity and events provided by CICRA, to ensure that they are accessible to all sections of the population and do not discriminate, and taking active steps to ensure that participation is representative

Monitoring and Reviewing

CICRA has declared its commitment to establishing, developing, implementing and reviewing a policy of equality of opportunity. Effective record keeping and monitoring, and acting on information gathered, are essential in order to measure effectiveness and plan progress. The board of trustees will review the policy annually.

Policy Name	CICRA Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
Version Number	1
Adopted by	Board of Trustees
Date	April 2019
Next Review Date	April 2020