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Diversity Policy

Age Concern Sheffield (ACS) is a values led organisation and Board Members and staff consistently demonstrate their commitment to diversity. Diversity is at the heart of what ACS is about and as an organisation we believe that this makes ACS stronger because of the wide range of individuals working for us and receiving our services. We translate this commitment to diversity into policy in many different ways, for example in our recruitment practices, the types of services we develop and the areas in which we choose to work.

We recognise the disadvantage that many in society, particularly minority groups, have experienced throughout their lives and we seek new opportunities for reaching all sections of the community and addressing poverty and disadvantage. Our approach is not about treating people the same; it is about adapting our services to meet the specific needs of the individuals and communities we work for.

This policy statement reflects the standards and objectives that ACS is aspiring to and the charity is making every effort to achieve the details set out in this policy statement.

Definition

The following definition is included for the purpose of clarity. ACS will endeavour to treat everyone fairly, regardless of their race, colour, ethnic or national origins, religion or faith, gender, sexual orientation, disability, HIV status, age, offending history, class, marital status, caring responsibilities, or any other unjustifiable criteria.

Employment

· It is a condition of employment that staff adhere to this Diversity policy.

· ACS encourages diversity and seeks to ensure equality of opportunity and treatment for all staff and job applicants.

· Selection criteria and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure that individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities.

· ACS seeks in its employment practices to employ staff so that it represents the communities it serves at all levels of the charity.

· ACS actively seeks to employ and retain staff with disabilities and makes reasonable adjustments wherever possible to support the employment of people with disabilities.

· ACS will, where it is justifiable, incorporate membership of a minority group as a genuine occupational qualification for any specific job.

· ACS monitors job applicants to ensure that a wide range of applicants apply for employment and that no applicants are discriminated against.

Training

· ACS provides training relating to equality issues for managers so that the implications of current legislation and standards of practice are appreciated and applied.

· ACS provides a range of equality training and development activities for staff and the Board of Management to enable them to undertake their responsibilities and discharge their obligations to the charity in accordance with the Diversity Policy stated here.

· ACS monitors its staff development practices to ensure that no staff are discriminated against.

Work life balance

· Work life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. ACS recognises that effective practices to promote work life balance will benefit the charity and its employees.

· ACS endeavours to offer flexible working arrangements whilst balancing this with the requirement to provide appropriate high quality services to customers.

· ACS also acknowledges the importance of flexible working arrangements in helping to increase the diversity of the workforce by ensuring that those who may be disadvantaged in the workplace are able to enter into working arrangements which suit their needs. For some groups of workers, such as those with family responsibilities or certain disabilities, more flexible working hours provide opportunities for working which are not otherwise available for them.

Harassment

· ACS does not tolerate any form of harassment of or by service users, staff or contractors working for the charity and takes the strongest possible action against any perpetrators.

· Harassment by ACS staff is a breach of conditions of service and will be dealt with as such.

· ASC has in place a number of policies which aim to support employees and service users in reporting incidents of harassment.

Service management and development

· Within the context of explicit exclusion criteria determined by contractual obligations, no person or group of persons applying for care services is treated less favourably than any other person or group of persons.

· ACS ensures that information for service users and prospective service users is made available, on request, and that information is made accessible for people with a hearing impairment, visual disability or for people who cannot read.

· ACS monitors the provision of services and ensures that discrimination does not occur. This monitoring takes account of the extent to which minority groups are represented amongst local people.

· ACS identifies the needs of minority and disadvantaged groups and considers ways in which new services can be provided to meet them.

· ACS reviews its service provision policies regularly to ensure the charity’s commitment to diversity is being maintained. ACS acts on problems highlighted by the reviews.

· Where possible, ACS consults minority groups on the design of new service developments.

· ACS endeavours to bring to the attention of other organisations areas where their practices are preventing ACS meeting its diversity objectives.

Contractors and Suppliers

· Any complaints brought by staff or service users on equality and diversity grounds against a contractor or supplier is treated seriously and fully investigated. If such complaints are proven, then, as the ultimate sanction, the services of the offending contractors and suppliers will no longer be used.

Organisations representing minorities and groups with specific needs

· ACS seeks to assist and promote the development of voluntary organisations who provide services for, or are led by, minority groups.

Board of Trustees

· It is the overall responsibility of the Board of Trustees to ensure the Diversity Policy is properly implemented.

· The management of ACS works to ensure that the membership of the Board of Trustees is representative of the communities we serve.

Monitoring and reviewing

· The Executive Management Team undertakes regular monitoring of the performance of ACS’s Diversity Policy via departmental work and action plans presented at six monthly meetings.

· Diversity targets to be set in all key areas. These are reviewed annually and monitoring reports which record progress in meeting them are presented to the Executive Management Team as part of the on going monitoring process.

· ACS’s executive management team, who have primary responsibility for ensuring that the necessary monitoring, record keeping, training programmes, and reviews are properly established and maintained, prepare an annual review of the Policy for the Board of Trustee’s consideration.

Legislation

Taking advice from Peninsula, ACS observes the provisions of the legislation listed below; although they are not all listed, subsequent amendments to the individual Acts have been taken into account and the policy will continue to be reviewed in line with changes to relevant legislation.

· Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
· Equal Pay Act 1970
· Sex Discrimination Act 1975
· Working Time Directive 1998
· Human Rights Act 1998
· Employment Relations Act 1999
· Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999
· Race Relations Act 1976 (& Amendments 2000)
· Disability Discrimination Act 1995
· Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
· Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) 2003

ACS adheres to the Age Concern Federation’s best practice advice on diversity and equality.

ACS