SLP First Aid Equality and Diversity Policy
Introduction
SLP First Aid are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and equal treatment for staff, workers, contractors and customers and to provide guidance on anti-discriminatory practice. This policy is non-contractual.
Scope
The policy applies to employees of SLP First Aid and customers in terms of services provided. The policy applies specifically to discrimination and equality of opportunity in respect of ‘protected characteristics’ as defined in the Equalities Act 2010:
- (a) Age
- (b) Disability
- (c) Race
- (d) Sex
- (e) Religion or cultural beliefs
- (f) Gender reassignment
- (g) Marital status and civil partnership
- (h) Sexual orientation
- (i) Pregnancy and maternity
The policy applies across the range of employment policies and practice, including those relating to Discipline, Grievance, Harassment and Complaints.
Responsibilities
SLP First Aid values its workers and customers and expects them to be treated in a respectful manner. Accordingly, all have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect.
Aims
SLP First Aid’s aim is to:
- Promote equality of opportunity
- Embrace and value diversity
- Eliminate unlawful direct and indirect discrimination
SLP First Aid will provide equality of opportunity and equal treatment as an integral part of good practice. The organisation is committed to a working environment in which the contribution and needs of everyone are fully valued and recognised. We will support our staff, workers and contractors in not tolerating any inappropriate, violent or abusive behaviour from colleagues, other organisations or customers.
General purpose
SLP First Aid’s practices will ensure that staff, workers and customers will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, race, sex, religion or cultural beliefs, gender reassignment, marital status and civil partnership, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity.
SLP First Aid is commitment to anti-discriminatory practice relates to all kinds of discrimination, as set out below:
- Direct discrimination -where someone is treated less favourably than another because they have a protected characteristic
- Indirect discrimination –when a requirement or a condition is applied which has a detrimental effect on a particular group or individual. This applies even if there was not a deliberate intention to discriminate.
- Associative discrimination –direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who has a protected characteristic.
- Perceptive discrimination-direct discrimination against someone because others think they have a protected characteristic even if they do not possess that characteristic.
- Harassment –unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic which violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. This applies even if the conduct is not directed at the individual or if they do not have the protected characteristic.
- Third party harassment –potential liability for the harassment of staff by others such as clients or customers.
- Victimisation –when someone is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint under the Equalities Act, or it is thought that they have done so.
Employment Practices
SLP First Aid’s aim is to promote equality and diversity as an employer. SLP First Aid regards discrimination, abuse, harassment, victimisation or bullying of staff, customers or others in the course of work as disciplinary offences that could be regarded as gross misconduct.
SLP First Aid as a Service Provider
In developing its products (qualifications); support materials (assessment handbooks and teacher materials) or its awarding organisation services (registration, entry, assessment, certification), SLP First Aid will seek to ensure access to its customers and their learners. This will include, wherever practicable, making specific access arrangements for its customers and their learners with disabilities or learning difficulties, or any other protected characteristic which may apply, such as religion and belief. SLP First Aid will attempt to ensure that none of its policies discriminate directly or indirectly against any group or individual.
SLP First Aid fully supports the principle of equality and diversity. We aim to encourage, value and manage diversity and we recognise that talent and potential are distributed across the population.
Third parties
SLP First Aid will not unlawfully discriminate in dealings with third parties; these include clients, customers, contractors and suppliers. SLP First Aid recognizes that the third parties are also protected by law and endeavours to treat all third parties fairly and equally with dignity and respect.
SLP First Aid also recognizes employees and staff members should not be subject to any form of discrimination from third parties and will ensure reasonable steps are in place to prevent such practices.
Where practicably possible SLP First Aid will ensure all third parties have access to resources and adaptations to enable full participation in the services we provide and to ensure SLP First Aid fully complies with DDA (Disability Discrimination Act 1995) legislation now incorporated in the Equalities Act 2010. SLP First Aid also encourages assessment and feedback from third parties in relation to services provided and regular analysis is conducted by the management team as part of the quality management system where identified areas can be improved to ensure complete compliance with the legislation.
Training
SLP First Aid will ensure that all new employees, contractors and management will receive induction on the policy. SLP First Aid will provide ongoing Equalities training for all staff, contractors and management.
Review
The management will regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this policy in achieving the stated aims. This process shall be undertaken at least annually.
Complaints and Sanctions
SLP First Aid will treat seriously any complaints of unlawful discrimination on any of the stated grounds made by employees, contractors, clients or other third parties and will take
action where appropriate.
Glossary
Protected Characteristics he protected characteristics as listed in the Equality Act 2010 are sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity.
Disability
Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Gender reassignment
A transsexual person is someone who proposes to, starts, or has completed a process to change his or her gender. The person does not have to be under medical supervision.
Race
Race includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. A racial group can be made up of two or more different racial groups.
Religion or belief
Under the Equality Act 2010, religion includes any religion. It also includes lack of religion, in other words employees or jobseekers are protected if they do not follow a certain religion or have no religion at all. Additionally, a religion must have a clear structure and belief system. Belief means any religious or philosophical belief or a lack of such belief. To be protected, a belief must satisfy various criteria, including that it is a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour.
Sexual orientation
Includes bisexual, gay, heterosexual.
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 (see perceptive discrimination below), or because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic (see associative discrimination below).
Associative discrimination
This is direct discrimination against someone because they are linked or associated with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.
Perceptive discrimination
This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess that characteristic.
Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination can occur when you have a condition, rule, policy or even a practice in your company that applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic and which cannot be justified in relation to the job.
Harassment
Harassment is “unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual”.
Third party harassment
Harassment of employees by people (third parties) who are not employees of your company, such as clients. SLP First Aid has a duty to prevent harassment and may be liable if aware that harassment has occurred on at least two previous occasions and does not take reasonable steps to prevent it from happening again.
Victimisation
Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint about discrimination or harassment or raised a grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so. An employee is not protected from victimisation if they have maliciously made or supported an untrue complaint.