Your Space Your Time Counselling Ltd

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

POLICY STATEMENT

Your Space Your Time Counselling Ltd recognises that discrimination and victimisation is unacceptable and that it is in the interests of the Company and its employees to utilise the skills of the total workforce. It is the aim of the Company to ensure that no team member, volunteer or job applicant receives less favourable facilities or treatment (either directly or indirectly) in recruitment or employment on grounds of age, disability, gender / gender reassignment, marriage / civil partnership, pregnancy / maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation (the protected characteristics).

Your Space Your Time believes that discrimination can take one or more of the forms set out below.

Direct discrimination is treating one person less favourably than another in the same or similar circumstances or segregating them from others solely because they are, for example, a lesbian, a gay man or because they have a disability or illness. Refusing to employ someone who has the required skills because they are deaf or because they are pregnant would constitute such discrimination.

Indirect discrimination occurs where there is a requirement or condition which applies equally to everyone but which, in practice, has an adverse impact on a particular group and cannot be justified.

For example, an unnecessary physical or age requirement can discriminate against women or disabled people. The setting of language tests, where language skills or fluency are not really needed for a job, is another example.

Abuse and/or harassment – Discrimination also covers actions which amount to abuse and/or harassment of people or groups of people because for example they are a member of a national, racial or ethnic minority group, a woman, a lesbian, a gay man or have a disability or illness.

Victimisation occurs when a person is treated less favourably or is discriminated against because she/he has pursued or intends to pursue their rights in respect of alleged discrimination.

Discrimination in any of the forms stated above is unacceptable, regardless of whether there was any intention to discriminate or not.

SERVICE PROVISION

• Services are covered by this policy.
• Will promote equality and diversity in its work with other agencies or individuals.
• Services will be reviewed regularly and changed where needed.
• Our aim is that our workforce will be truly representative of all sections of society and feel respected and valued.
• We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination or victimisation. To that end the purpose of this policy is to provide equality and fairness for all who work or use our service.
• All team members, associate counsellors, clients, students and volunteers, whether part-time, full-time or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. Selection for employment, training or any other benefit will be on the basis of aptitude and ability. All team members will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

• Our staff will not discriminate directly or indirectly, or harass other team members, clients or volunteers, because of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation in the provision of the Company’s goods and services.
• This policy and the associated arrangements shall operate in accordance with statutory requirements. In addition, full account will be taken of any guidance or Codes of Practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, any Government Departments, and any other statutory bodies.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS

• Protect the safety of clients.
• Ensure the integrity of the therapeutic relationship.
• Enhance the quality of professional knowledge and its application alleviating distress and suffering.
• Foster a sense of self that is meaningful to the person increasing personal effectiveness.
• Appreciate the variety of human experience and culture.
• Strive for the fair and adequate provision of counselling and psychotherapy services.
• Respect the person’s right to be self-governing.
• Promote the client’s wellbeing.
• Act in the client’s best interest
• Offer fair and impartial treatment of all clients and strive to provide adequate services.
• Respect our client’s human rights and dignity.
• Remain alert and direct attention to any legal requirement and obligations.
• Honour the trust placed in us.

OUR COMMITMENT TO TEAM MEMBERS

• To create an environment in which individual differences and contributions are recognised and valued.
• Every person is entitled to an environment that promotes dignity and respect to all. No form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated.
• Training, development and progression opportunities are available to all team members.
• To promote equality in the workplace and create a space that is free from discrimination.
• We will review all our employment practices and procedures to ensure fairness, equality and opportunity for all.
• Breaches of our equality policy will be regarded as misconduct and could lead to disciplinary proceedings.
• This policy is fully supported by senior management.
• The policy will be monitored and reviewed regularly.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MANAGEMENT

Responsibility for ensuring the effective implementation and operation of the arrangements will rest with the Directors.

We will ensure that management and team members operate within this policy and arrangements, and that all reasonable and practical steps are taken to avoid discrimination.

Each Director will ensure that:

• All their team are aware of the policy and the arrangements, and the reasons for the policy.
• Grievances concerning discrimination are dealt with properly, fairly and as quickly as possible.
• Proper records are maintained.

Directors Leanne Bolesworth and Teresa Young will be responsible for monitoring the operation of the policy in respect of employees, job applicants, associate counsellors, clients, students and volunteers including periodic departmental audits.

RESPONSBILITIES OF STAFF AND TEAM MEMBERS

Responsibility for ensuring that there are no unlawful discrimination rests with all, and the attitudes of staff are crucial to the successful operation of fair employment practices. In particular, all members of staff should:

• comply with the policy and arrangements.
• not discriminate in their day-to-day activities or induce others to do so.
• not victimise, harass or intimidate other staff or groups who have, or are perceived to have one of the protected characteristics.
• ensure no individual is discriminated against or harassed because of their association with another individual who has a protected characteristic.
• inform the Directors if they become aware of any discriminatory practice.

THIRD PARTIES

Third-party harassment occurs where a Your Space Your Time Counselling Ltd employee, volunteer or associate counsellor is harassed, and the harassment is related to a protected characteristic, by third parties such as clients or visitors.

Your Space Your Time Counselling Ltd will not tolerate such actions against its clients, students, volunteers. team members or staff, and the person concerned should inform the directors at once that this has occurred.

The Company will fully investigate and take all reasonable steps to ensure such harassment does not happen again.

RELATED POLICIES AND ARRANGEMENTS

All employment policies and arrangements have a bearing on equality of opportunity. The Company policies will be reviewed regularly, and any identified discriminatory elements removed.

RIGHTS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

The Company attaches particular importance to the needs of disabled people.

Under the terms of this policy, Directors are required to:

1. Make reasonable adjustment to maintain/provide the services of a team member, volunteer, student or client with disabilities, for example, training, provision of special equipment, easy access to bathroom facilities, the use of ground floor counselling rooms, appropriate teaching methods for example, large print, colour filters and extra time.
2. Include/empower disabled people in training/development programmes.
3. Give full opportunity and proper consideration to people who apply for jobs who may have a disability, having regard to making reasonable adjustments for their particular aptitudes and abilities to allow them to receive fair and respectful treatment.

EQUALITY TRAINING

A series of regular briefing sessions will be held for staff on equality issues. These will be repeated as necessary. Equality information is also included in induction programmes.

Training will be provided for team members and volunteers on this policy and the associated arrangements.

MONITORING

The Company deems it appropriate to state its intention not to discriminate and assumes that this will be translated into practice consistently across the organisation as a whole. Accordingly, a monitoring system will be introduced to measure the effectiveness of the policy and arrangements.

There will also be regular assessments to measure the extent to which recruitment to first appointment, internal promotion and access to training/development opportunities affect equal opportunities for all groups.

Where appropriate equality impact assessments will be carried out on the results of monitoring to ascertain the effect of the Company policies and our services may have on those who experience them.

The information collected for monitoring purposes will be treated as confidential and it will not be used for any other purpose.

If monitoring shows that the Company, or areas within it, are not compliant with the policy, or that sections of our workforce are not progressing properly within the Company, then an action plan will be developed to address these issues. This will include a review of recruitment and selection procedures, Company policies and practices as well as consideration of taking legal Positive Action.

GRIEVANCES/DISCIPLINE

Employees have a right to pursue a complaint concerning discrimination or victimisation via the Company Grievance or Harassment Procedures.

Discrimination and victimisation will be treated as disciplinary offences, and they will be dealt with under the Company Disciplinary Procedure.

REVIEW

The effectiveness of this policy and associated arrangements will be reviewed annually under the direct supervision of the Business Owner.