EQUALITY & DIVERSITY POLICY

STATEMENT

The Company recognises that many people in our society experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for reasons which are not fair.

These include:

Race, religion, creed, colour, national and ethnic origin, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability (including mental illness), HIV status, marital status, responsibility for dependants, geographical area, social class, income level or criminal record.

The Company is committed to a Policy of Equality and Diversity which respects the identity rights and values of each individual and opposes all direct and indirect discrimination within the organisation. We believe everyone is entitled to a working and learning environment which promotes dignity and respect.  This commitment is not only good management practice but makes sound business sense.

OBJECTIVES

- To deliver equality and diversity throughout organisational policies, procedures and practice and develop an ethos which respects and values all people

- To challenge discrimination and lack of opportunity and encourage other organisations and individuals to do the same to actively promote equality of opportunity

- To create a culture that respects and values an individual’s differences and recognises that difference/diversity is an asset to our organisation both to its work and the people it serves.

- To eliminate all forms of unfair discrimination, bullying, harassment or other oppressive behaviour. No form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated.

- Take positive action to provide encouragement and support to individuals and groups whose progress has been limited by stereotyping and cultural expectations and to prepare learners for life in a diverse society

- To ensure all employees, associates, volunteers, learners and collaborative partners are aware and encouraged to support the objectives of this policy.

- Promote good relations amongst people within the organisation's community and the wider communities within which we work

- Do our best, within available resources, to remove barriers which limit or discourage access to the Company’s training provision and activities

- Monitor the implementation, set targets for improvement and evaluate the impact of equality and diversity action.

STANDARDS AND GOOD PRACTICE

Equality of opportunity is crucial to good practice in any organisation and fairness of opportunity for all is a basic right.

- This policy is therefore underpinned by the following values, principles and standards: - Active challenge to stereotypes, prejudiced attitudes and unfair discriminatory behaviour.

- Commitment to inclusive education which enables and supports all students to develop their full potential

- Commitment to the positive development of all staff

- Accountability for compliance with this policy by all employees and others engaged in Company business or activities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring:

- The Company implements and follows its equality and diversity policies and codes of practice and meets its legal responsibilities

The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring:

- A consistent and high-profile lead on equality and diversity

- Promotion of equality and diversity inside and outside the training organisation - Policies and procedures are in place to comply with all applicable legislation - The Company implements its equality and diversity policies and codes of practice - Quality audits are carried out in all areas of Equality & Diversity

- There is baseline data on admission used to ensure learner progression and for staff recruitment and career progression

- There is a 3-year Disability Equality Action Plan in place, which is monitored & reported on (DDA Amendment 2006)

- That all staff and learners know their responsibilities and receive the necessary support and training.

- Relevant procedures and actions are followed in cases of unfair discrimination, harassment or bullying

Employees are responsible for:

- Co-operating with the Company to ensure that this policy is effective to ensure equal opportunities and to prevent discrimination

- Promoting equality and diversity, and avoiding unfair discrimination

- Reviewing on an annual basis the existing policy

- Challenging, reporting and analysing any incidents of unfair discrimination, racial, sexual or other stereotyping perpetrated by staff, volunteers and/or learners.

- Keeping up to date with equality law and participating in equality and diversity training

Employees should also bear in mind that they can be held personally liable for any act of unlawful discrimination.

Learners are responsible for:

- Participating in equal opportunity and diversity training

- Respecting others in their language and actions

- Having input into policy amendments

- Reporting instances of unfair discrimination, racial, sexual or other stereotyping. - Implementing the Company’s equality and diversity policies and codes of practice

DISCLOSURE PROCEDURE

Every employee and learner has a duty to report instances regarding the unfair or negative treatment and acts of discrimination, either direct or indirect, by any other individual either to themselves or to others.  This can be achieved informally by speaking with, or writing to, the Designated Person, Coach/Tutor/Assessor, Centre Manager or Managing Director. If having raised a complaint, you feel that it has not been adequately resolved you can formalise your complaint by following the Grievance Procedure.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Action under the Company’s disciplinary procedure will be taken against any employee who is found to have committed an act of improper or unlawful discrimination. Serious breaches of the equal opportunities policy will be treated as potential gross misconduct and could render the employee liable for summary dismissal.

INFORMATION GATHERING

Information will be gathered from a variety of sources, which will include:

- Learner reviews

- Client and staff questionnaires

- Feedback from external agencies and partners

- Analysis of complaints and grievances and their outcomes

- Analysis of suggestions from the SWG (Security Working Group) meetings and Learning Centre suggestion boxes

- Annual policy review

- Quality audits.

- Baseline data produced on the admission and progression of learners with disabilities and in respect of staff recruitment and career progression.

MONITORING AND REVIEW

The Operations Manager working in liaison with staff & learners:

- Will review this policy on an annual basis whereupon examination of logged incidents will be taken into consideration. Amendments to the policy may be made as appropriate. Within this process the senior management team as one of its responsibilities will progress the development of all aspects of this policy.

- Develop a 3-year action plan and conduct reviews and evaluate its effectiveness. This plan will outline the Company’s key priorities, outcomes and targets to narrow and identify gaps in the experiences of disabled people compared to non-disabled people.

- Ensure progress data towards targets are detailed at Managers Meetings on a monthly basis.

In addition to the company’s annual self-assessment process, information gathered from client reviews, evaluations & the SWG and client perception of courses will be reported regularly at staff meetings.

To deepen our commitment to inclusivity and fairness, Holt Green Training is strengthening how it monitors and uses learner data to evaluate the effectiveness and equity of its services. Specifically, the organisation will:

●        Analyse outcomes including progression, achievement, and the effectiveness of Information, Advice, and Guidance (IAG) by ethnicity, gender, disability, and ability level.

●        Use disaggregated data to identify disparities in learner outcomes and implement targeted interventions where needed.

●        Monitor the outcomes of underrepresented groups, including learners from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds—who currently represent over 90% of our learner population.

●        Holt Green Training has supported many of these learners to gain qualifications necessary for professional licensing, such as those required to become licensed taxi drivers. This qualification pathway has had a direct positive impact on employability and income generation for these learners.

●        The organisation has also partnered with the National Zakat Foundation to deliver free CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) training. This initiative enabled learners to quickly gain the qualifications needed for work in the construction sector, reducing employment barriers and enhancing social mobility.

This proactive, data-informed approach ensures that Holt Green Training not only provides inclusive access but also supports equitable outcomes and long-term success for all learners.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Holt Green Training will offer additional support to learners to ensure equality of provision (Equality Act 2010). This includes offering additional learner support (including one-to-one), adaptive equipment (such as adapted keyboards, mice and magnifiers) and other specialist support deemed necessary for the learner to access their learning without discrimination.

HGT senior management is responsible for monitoring and developing the processes and procedures for additional support and providing clear information to the staff so that they are able to access this support for learners in their centres.

LEGISLATION

This policy will be implemented within the framework of all relevant legislation, which includes: - the Equal Pay Act 1970 (Equal Value Amendment 1984)

- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

- Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Gender Reassignment Regulations 1999)

- Race Relations Act 1976

- Disability Discrimination Act 1995

- The Protection from Harassment Act 1997

- Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

- Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2003

- Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003

- Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

- Disability Discrimination Act 2005

- Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

Protection of Children Policy.

The policy of safeguarding a child is to protect any person under the age of 18 years and those who are considered vulnerable. The Children Act 1989 provides the legal framework for the protection of children and young people in the UK. HGT is committed to the safeguarding of children and our staff have a responsibility to follow this policy and report any suspicions that may arise. Both the safeguarding policy and the policies above also include the protection of our staff from unfounded allegations of abuse.

Appendix A: Definitions

Discrimination

Discrimination is when people are treated less favourably than others because of a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have. This includes discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, age, marital status, stage of development, ability or disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, wealth or background.

There are four types of discrimination: Direct discrimination, Discrimination by association, Perception discrimination and Indirect discrimination.

Racial Harassment

Racial harassment is any action of a racist nature that results in people feeling threatened or compromised. It can include:

• Racial name-calling

• Derogatory remarks

• Racist graffiti or jokes

• Display or circulation of racially offensive material

• Physical threats, insulting behaviour or gestures

• Open hostility

• Exclusion from normal conversation or social events.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that affects the dignity of women and men at work, including physical, verbal or nonverbal conduct. It can be in the form of:

• Insensitive jokes or pranks

• Lewd comments about appearance

• Unnecessary bodily contact

• Displays of explicit materials

• Gestures and leering

• Speculation about a person’s private or personal life

Bullying

Bullying is a form of harassment, whether by staff or other learners. Bullying is verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct that causes individuals to feel threatened, isolated or humiliated – and may include members of a group other than those being directly targeted. Bullying can take many forms and can be pretty difficult to detect by those not directly involved; all learners and staff are asked to report bullying at the earliest stages so that it can be stopped, and your confidentiality will always be respected.

The law recognises bullying as a serious issue and the protection from Equality Act 2010 makes it a criminal and civil offence to cause harassment, alarm or distress to a person.

Victimisation

Victimisation is when a person is treated less favourably in the same circumstances because that person has, in good faith, made a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act, or is suspected of doing so.

Vulnerable Adults

A vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 years or over who may be unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm or from being exploited.

Abuse can take a number of forms and cause victims to suffer pain, fear and distress. Adults may be too afraid or embarrassed to raise any complaints. They may be reluctant to discuss their concerns with other people or unsure who to trust with their worries. Sometimes people can be unaware they are being abused.

Updated 3^rd September 2024