Image

Equality

Image

Our Equality Policy

Everyone Here is committed to providing a working environment in which employees are able to realise their full potential and to contribute to its business success irrespective of their gender, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, part time status, religion or belief. This is a key employment value to which all employees are expected to give their support.

In order to create conditions in which this goal can be realised, Everyone Here is committed to identifying and eliminating unlawful discriminatory practices, procedures and attitudes throughout the programme. Everyone Here employees are to support this commitment and to assist in its realisation in all possible ways.

Specifically, we aim to ensure that no employee or candidate is subject to unlawful discrimination, either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of the following protected characteristics: gender, age, race (including colour, nationality or ethnic origin), disability, sexual orientation, marital status, part time status, religion or belief. This commitment applies to all aspects of employment, including:

  • Recruitment and selection, including advertisements, job descriptions, interview and selection procedures
  • Training
  • Promotion and career development opportunities
  • Terms and conditions of employment, and access to employment related benefits and facilities
  • Grievance handling and the application of disciplinary procedures
  • Selection for redundancy

Equal Opportunities practice is developing constantly as social attitudes and legislation change. We’ll keep its policies under review and will implement changes where these could improve equality of opportunity. This commitment applies to all the ACT (leading organisation for the project) employment policies and procedures, not just those specifically connected with Equal
Opportunities.

Types of Discrimination

Direct Discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have, or because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic.

Associative Discrimination
This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Perceptive Discrimination
This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess that characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination
This occurs when a condition, rule, policy or a practise at Everyone Here that applies to everyone disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic. We will act reasonably in managing its business ie it will take a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. We’ll consider less discriminatory alternatives before making decisions.

Harassment
Harassment is physical, verbal or non-verbal behaviour which is unwanted and personally offensive to the recipient, and which causes the recipient to feel threatened, humiliated, intimidated, patronised, denigrated, bullied, distressed or harassed. The offensive behaviour does not have to be directed towards the complainant.

Third Party Harassment
Third party harassment occurs when an employee is subject to harassment by people (third parties) who are not employees of ACT.

In order to capture this type of harassment ACT has developed an External Relationship Complaints process. The proforma for reporting can be found at the end of the Equality section.

Victimisation
Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act: or because they have been suspected of doing so. An employee is not protected from victimisation if they have maliciously made or supported an untrue complaint.

The way in which complaints of unlawful discrimination & harassment will be handled

Discrimination and harassment are often complex matters, and there is no single way of dealing with every suspected or alleged instance. In some cases employees may be able to deal satisfactorily with an issue by raising it with their immediate manager.

If an employee wishes to make a formal complaint he or she should use the Charity’s Grievance Procedure which is set out in the ACT Employee Handbook.

ACT will treat seriously all allegations of unlawful discrimination or harassment and take reasonable steps to prevent reoccurrence.

If an employee or third party is accused of unlawful discrimination or harassment

If an employee or third party is accused of unlawful discrimination or harassment, ACT will investigate the matter fully.

In the course of the investigation the employee or third party will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegation and provide an explanation of his or her actions.

If ACT concludes that no unlawful discrimination or harassment has occurred, this will be the end of the matter. If ACT concludes that the claim is false or malicious the complainant may be subject to disciplinary action.

If on the other hand ACT concludes that the employee’s actions amount to unlawful discrimination or harassment he or she may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including summary dismissal for gross misconduct.

If the third parties actions amount to unlawful discrimination ACT will take reasonable steps to prevent reoccurrence.

Monitoring

Everyone Here will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment of any kind in the working environment and will take positive action to prevent its occurrence.

In this connection ACT will monitor its policies and will implement changes in order to improve them as social attitudes and legislation change. This commitment applies to all ACT’s employment policies and procedures, not just those specifically concerned with Equal Opportunities.

Equality Statement

Working with the people and communities of Cumbria to realise their potential.

ACT has an inclusive approach to the delivery of its services across Cumbria, and through its regional and national advocacy role on behalf of the communities in Cumbria.

Although traditionally the focus has been on supporting rural communities, this does not exclude service delivery from taking place in more urban areas as the need arises. However, a key element of our role is to ensure that those living in rural areas are treated equitably and not disadvantaged, particularly in the more remote areas.

ACT has an Equality Policy relating to the employment and management of staff. These values are also applied to the delivery of services to the Cumbrian communities, ensuring that they are able to realise their full potential and contribute to their ongoing sustainability, irrespective of their : gender, age, race (including colour, nationality or ethnic origin), disability, sexual orientation, marital status, part time status, religion or belief.

In order to support our inclusive approach, the following actions are taken:

  • Policies are reviewed annually or after the introduction of new legislation
  • Staff are trained in equality issues, monitored through the Staff Appraisal and Development processes
  • Advice is taken from Cumbria Equality Resource Centre (CERC) on specialist issues
  • Support for community groups seeking advice is assessed on an equitable basis to ensure that they receive the most appropriate help to attain their goals (subject only to funding limitations)
  • Awareness of equality issues is raised with community groups to ensure that they are not excluding any members of their community eg accessibility issues at village halls; consulting with the whole community to assess needs and priorities for Community Led Planning
  • Materials and resources that are used reflect the diversity of the communities and can be made available in different formats eg large print; online
  • Work with partners takes place to “rural proof” strategies and plans for delivery in Cumbria to ensure that rural communities are not excluded or disadvantaged
  • Key rural issues are explored through the Cumbria Rural Forum in order to reach conclusions that can be used in our advocacy roles
  • Promotion of rural equality for the communities of Cumbria at a regional and national level is delivered through advocacy roles.

Equality is seen as an underpinning value for all of Everyone Here’s activities rather than a separate element.