IGT accepts that in society certain groups or individuals are denied equality on the grounds of race, gender, marital status, caring responsibilities, disability, gender re-assignment, age, social class, sexual orientation and religion/belief or any other factor irrelevant to the purpose in view.
IGT welcomes the statutory requirements laid down in
· The Discrimination Act 1975
· The Race Relations Act 1976 Race Relations Amendment Act Feb 2000
· The Disability & Equality Act 2010
· The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
· The Human Rights Act 1998
· The Employment (religion or belief) and (sexual orientation) Regulations 2003
· The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996
IGT recognises that it has moral and social responsibilities that go beyond the provisions of the above-mentioned Acts and Regulations, and that it should support and contribute to the wider process of change through all aspects of its work and practices in order to eliminate discrimination and promote equality and diversity.
IGT is committed to taking positive steps to ensure that
· All people are treated with dignity and respect, valuing the diversity of all.
· Equality of opportunity and diversity is promoted.
· Meetings and services are accessible, appropriate and delivered fairly to all.
· Volunteers reflect, as far as possible, the broad mix of the community.
· Disadvantaged sections of the community are encouraged to participate in policy decisions about the management and the services provided.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY AND PROCEDURES
This policy applies to all volunteers, management committee members, users and the general public.
1. COMMITMENT
Equality and diversity are central to the work of The Organisation.
IGT 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 the disadvantaged.
For this policy to be successful, it is essential that everyone is committed to and involved in its delivery. IGT’s goal is to work towards a just society free from discrimination, harassment and prejudice. HMD TRA aims to embed this in all its policies, procedures, day-to-day practices and external relationships.
2. AIMS
IGT aims to:
· Provide services that are accessible according to need.
· Promote equality of opportunity and diversity in volunteering, participation in community events and developments.
· Create effective partnerships with all parts of our community.
3. OBJECTIVES
IGT’s objective is to realise its standards by:
· Working together with the community to provide accessible and relevant service provision that respond to tenants and residents needs
· Ensure volunteers and management committee are representative of the community served
· Recognising and valuing the differences and individual contribution that all people make to the organisation
· Challenging discrimination
4. WHY HAVE THIS POLICY?
IGT recognises respects and values diversity in its volunteers, tenants and residents.
IGT has this policy because it is a people-led organisation that must always ensure it meets the needs of the community through fair and appropriate development of the people who volunteer for IGT.
5.PROCEDURES
Responsibility for Implementation
This policy covers the behaviour of all people volunteering for IGT or using the services and sets out the way they can expect to be treated in turn by the organisation. The overall responsibility for ensuring adherence to and implementation of this policy lies with the volunteers and the management committee.
Method of Implementation
IGT intends to implement this policy by:
Ensuring that Management committee, volunteers, tenants and residents are made aware, understand, agree with, and are willing to implement, this policy. All volunteers will be given a copy of this policy as part of their induction.
Actively encourage management committee and volunteers to participate in anti-discriminatory training, and making time to apply for resources for such training.
Monitoring the services, publicity and events provided by the organisation, to ensure that they are accessible to all sections of the community and do not discriminate. Taking active steps to ensure that participation is representative.
Monitoring and Reviewing
IGT 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 management committee will review the policy annually.
