1.0 Introduction
1.1. At Your Trust, our vision is for Rochdale to become a place where everyone has access to an active and healthier lifestyle, and to meaningful creative experiences regardless of their circumstances in life or where they live. We believe in community and are committed to working in a way that promotes equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
– By equality, we mean ensuring that everyone is treated fairly. We will make reasonable adjustments to help individuals to access our services in a way that works for their individual needs.
– By diversity, we mean actively celebrating and promoting difference and being willing to adapt to the communities we serve.
– By inclusion, we mean creating a culture where all people in our communities feel a sense of belonging and where they feel safe to share ideas or concerns.
1.2. Broadly, this includes a commitment to eradicating all forms of discrimination in our communications, systems and recruitment. It also means ensuring that the experiences and cultural expressions showcased in our collections and exhibitions are reflective of the Rochdale population that services are appropriate and the needs of our community cater for. As the borough’s leading cultural, leisure, health and wellbeing organisation, we have an important role to play in ensuring that the lives of all our ethnically and socially diverse local communities are represented in a way that is accurate, relevant, critical and inspiring.
1.3. The purpose of this Equality, Diversity Inclusion (EDI) Policy is to detail our commitment to working in a just and equitable manner that goes beyond the basic requirements of legislation. This policy is one step on an ambitious journey towards being an exemplary organisation that places a high value on fairness, diversity, community engagement and genuine inclusion.
2.0 Our Values
2.1. Your Trust understand the importance of listening to the communities where we work and we are growing in our understanding of what it means to partner with those communities. We are led by our values, inspired by Rochdale’s rich social history of seeking new ways to work and connect.
We commit to working with:
Care
We show our commitment to people and place through the care we take and the quality of our work
People Focused
We are people focused and they are at the heart of what we do
Inclusive
We welcome all. We value diversity, act professionally and with integrity. We treat everyone with understanding, respect and dignity
Excellence
We listen, learn and strive to be the best we can. We show our commitment to people and place through the care we take and the quality of our work
3.0 Scope
3.1. This policy applies to all individuals working for/with Your Trust. This includes all employees (permanent, casual and temporary), trustees, volunteers, partners, contractors and freelancers, and the people who use our services and engage in our community programmes, and those who visit our venues.
3.2. This policy applies to Your Trust’s governance, service delivery, and all stages of employment including recruitment, workforce development, training and volunteering practices.
3.3. All stakeholders outlined above will be expected to abide by this policy.
3.4. Failure to abide by the policy may lead in certain circumstances to:
– Disciplinary procedures including loss of employment
– Temporary or permanent removal from our venues
– Referral to police and possible legal action
3.5. This policy should be read in conjunction with other Your Trust policies that outline employee and trustee rights and responsibilities including:
– Bullying and Harassment Policy
– Disciplinary Policy
– Maternity Leave and Pay Policy (Including IVF and surrogacy)
– Paternity / Partner Leave and Pay Policy
– Adoption Leave and Pay Policy
– Sick Absence Policy
– Menopause Guidance
4.0 Policy Statement
4.1. At Your Trust, we believe it is important to adopt a positive and proactive approach to the management and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion. This will enable us to deliver high quality, relevant, professional services that enhance the lives of our communities.
4.2. We commit to recognising and abiding by the following laws:
– Employment Rights Act 1996
– Employment Act 2002
– Civil Partnership Act 2004
– Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
– Work and Families Act 2006
– Gender Recognition Act 2006
– Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023
– Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023
– Carer’s Leave Act 2023
– Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023
4.3. This policy aligns with requirements of the Equality Act 2010, and the Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2023.
4.4. Treating employees and other stakeholders unfairly based on any of the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010 is illegal.
The nine protected characteristics are:
– Age
– Disability
– Gender reassignment
– Marriage and civil partnerships
– Pregnancy and maternity
– Race
– Religion or belief
– Sex
– Sexual orientation
4.5. We are committed to treating all people fairly. It is expected that no employee or stakeholder will be treated unfairly on the grounds of any protected characteristic outlined above.
4.6. We recognise that some employees and stakeholders will have more than one protected characteristic and will therefore adopt an intersectional approach when devising programmes, policies and procedures to promote equality and tackle discrimination.
4.7. We understand that some employees and stakeholders may be impacted by issues and circumstances that are not covered by the Equality Act, such as (but not limited to):
– Size or body shape
– Socio-economic background
– Educational background
– Literacy and ability to communicate fluently in English
– Non-binary or intersex identification
– Being a care leaver or care-experienced
4.8. We are committed to learning about the different ways people face discrimination and encourage employees and stakeholders to make us aware of barriers beyond those highlighted by the Equality Act. Where safe and lawful, we will make every effort to adapt our services to ensure that discrimination is eliminated and that our spaces remain welcoming to all.
4.9. We want all employees and other stakeholders to feel safe, secure and valued when they carry out their duties or engage with our services. To do so, we commit to:
– Providing regular training for all staff on equality and diversity, including anti-racism, implicit bias and cultural competence
– Ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of all recruitment and selection processes, including advertising, application packs, methods of submission, interview questions and venues
– Adopting an Equality Analysis approach when services, policies or procedures are created or revised and producing Equality Impact Assessments (that are proportionate to the issue) to outline the effect on specific people with protected characteristics
– Carrying out a ‘faces and spaces’ audit annually to critically assess the accessibility and perception of all our venues and services, including leisure centres, gallery spaces,
exhibitions, offices and community spaces, to ensure they are welcoming and representative of Rochdale’s diverse communities
– Establishing clear goals for recruiting and progressing disabled staff, ensuring our workforce better reflects our local communities, and implementing positive action projects where appropriate
– Asking all partners and contractors to demonstrate their commitment to EDI by providing evidence of their own EDI policy or by signing an EDI declaration
– Training and resourcing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion ambassadors from the existing workforce to join the Equality Working Group, to champion EDI internally and provide
challange and support to the wider workforce
4.10. In the event of sickness, employees will be given help and support to aid them in returning to work in a way that supports their wellbeing, including phased returns.
4.11. We will offer flexible home-working for all employees where this is feasible and does not impact adversely on their ability to carry out their duties.
4.12. This Policy does not form part of the Contract of Employment and can be varied from time to time. Revised policies will be available to staff via various internal channels.
5.0 What We Expect From You
5.1. Employees and Volunteers
We expect you to be ambassadors for Your Trust and to ensure that in all your dealings with other colleagues, visitors, partners and other stakeholders you behave professionally and in a way that encourages inclusion and promotes equality.
5.2. Managers
We expect all our Managers to lead by example by embodying our values and supporting their teams to do so. A key to our success is ensuring that the culture at Your Trust is seen as being an exemplary model of good practice in eliminating discrimination, bullying and harassment, advancing equality and promoting good relations.
5.3. Trustees
We expect our Trustees to challenge our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion to ensure that it is robust and to behave at all times in a way that reflects our values. A key role is also to champion and promote an inclusive environment and ensure that progress is being made against our equality objectives.
5.4. Visitors
We expect our visitors to be mindful of others while attending our buildings or events, in line with our Customer Charter. Everyone, including staff and other visitors, should be treated with respect.
5.5. Partners, Contractors and other Stakeholders
We expect everyone who works with us or engages with our community to behave in a way that reflects the values and ethos outlined in this document including treating each other with dignity and respect at all times.
6.0 Roles and Responsibilities
6.1. In order to meet our legal and social responsibilities, we will provide support to employees, at every level, to understand their role in adhering to this policy and the culture it promotes.
6.2. To ensure fair treatment in the application of this policy employees and freelancers are encouraged to provide information about any protected characteristics or additional needs that they feel may be relevant. This information should be provided to the relevant team manager and/or Director and will be treated as confidential.
6.3. The Trustees of Your Trust are responsible for providing leadership on equality, diversity and inclusion, and also for monitoring and implementing this policy. This is delegated to the Chief Executive who is responsible for communicating the policy and associated strategy, along with the Directors of each Your Trust service area.
6.4. The Directors are responsible for the day to day oversight of the policy in practice and for ensuring that managers are sharing learning in their teams.
6.5. Employees are responsible for ensuring they adhere to the policy in their day to day work.
6.6. Employees are responsible for ensuring that in all their interactions they take notice of equality, diversity and inclusion, and that they treat their colleagues, visitors and other stakeholders with respect and dignity.
6.7. Employees are responsible for reporting incidents that they witness or become aware of that breach this policy.
6.8. Where an employee has a cause for concern, this should be raised with the relevant team manager, who should in the first instance refer to the relevant Your Trust complaints procedure.
They should:
– Record the incident
– Report to Human Resources
– Speak to the reportee and ascertain their concerns
– Ask what they would like to see happen
– Explain any statutory duties/formal procedures
– Give a clear timescale for resolving/investigating the issue
– Confirm actions in writing
6.9. Failure to abide by the policy may lead in certain circumstances to:
– Disciplinary procedures including loss of employment
– Removal from our venues
– Referral to police and possible legal action
6.10. Where a trustee has a cause for concern, this should be raised with the chair of trustees and the Chief Executive, who should then
– Record the incident
– Give a clear timescale for resolving/investigating the issue
– Confirm actions in writing within 48 hours
6.11. Where a visitor has a cause for concern, this should be raised with the relevant manager, or can be made in writing via email to inclusion@yourtrustrochdale.co.uk
6.12. It is the responsibility of the Chief Executive to ensure EDI standards are maintained. This will be through monitoring in conjunction with the Director and Senior Leadership Team.
6.13. Monitoring will be carried out annually to measure the effectiveness of this policy. This monitoring will include analysing data from
– Recruitment and selection
– Visitors
– Employees and freelance partners
– Trustees (including assessing composition)
– Other stakeholders
– Incidents of disciplinary action
6.14. This monitoring will use the protected and other characteristics (see 4.4, 4.6 & 4.7) to form the basis of enquiry.
6.14. All records will be kept confidential and held in accordance with the requirements of General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
6.15. It is the responsibility of Your Trust to make adaptations or reasonable adjustments to a job role to enable an employee with a disability to fulfil their role. This also applies for employees who become disabled whilst in employment. Advice should be sought from the HR Team and Occupational Health Service.
Appendix 1: Definitions
Direct discrimination: Unlawful actions where people are treated less favourably than others based on one of the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010. This includes discrimination because a person has one of the protected characteristics. It can also be discrimination by association, where someone is treated unfavourable because they are connected with someone who has a particular protected characteristic eg. a white person taunted with racist slurs due to being married to a black person.
Diversity: Recognising, valuing and taking account of individuals’ different backgrounds, knowledge, skills and experiences to create a richer, more productive and effective community.
Equality: The right of individuals to equality of access and outcome in employment and service delivery.
The Equality Act 2010: This legislation replaces several other pieces of legislation including:
– the Equal Pay Act 1970
– the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
– the Race Relations Act 1976
– the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
– the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003
– the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
– the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
– the Equality Act 2006, Part 2
– the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
Equality Impact Assessment: A process for considering the effect of policy and procedural changes on different groups protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010, such as people of different ages. There are two reasons for this:
– To consider if there are any unintended consequences for some groups
– To consider if the activity being analysed will be fully effective for all target groups. It involves using equality information and the results of engagement with protected groups and others, to understand the actual effect or the potential effect of your functions, policies or decisions. It can help you to identify practical steps to tackle any negative effects or discrimination, to advance equality and to foster good relations.
Equality Group: The Equality Working Group is a Your Trust-wide group that sets strategic goals, monitors progress and coordinates action related to equality, diversity and inclusion for all employees and stakeholders.
Equity: Ensuring that all people are given appropriate access and tools to participate, progress and succeed based on their unique individual abilities and needs.
Harassment: There are three types of harassment which are unlawful under the Equality Act 2010:
– Harassment related to a relevant protected characteristic, where someone engages in unwanted conduct towards another person and the conduct has the purpose or effect of violating the person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them
– Sexual harassment
– Less favourable treatment of a person because they submit to or reject sexual harassment or harassment related to sex.
Indirect discrimination: This is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 and occurs when a policy is put in place that applies to all, but in practice has a detrimental effect upon a group of individuals that cannot be fully justified.
Positive action: Action taken by an organisation to provide development opportunities for ‘protected groups’ who are demonstrably and statistically under-represented in the workforce.
Protected characteristics: Equality legislation currently provides protection against unlawful discrimination in employment and service delivery for these protected characteristics:
– Age: belonging to a particular age group
– Disability: a person has a disability 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: the process of transitioning from one gender to another
– Marriage and civil partnership: marriage is a union between a man and a woman or between a same-sex couple. Same-sex couples can also have their relationships legally recognised as ‘civil partnerships’. Civil partners must not be treated less favourably than married couples (except where permitted by the Equality Act)
– Pregnancy and maternity: pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth, and is linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a person unfavourably because they are breastfeeding
– Race: a group of people defined by their ethnicity, colour, and nationality (including citizenship) race or national origins
– Religion and belief: any religion, including a lack of religion. Belief refers to any religious or philosophical belief and includes a lack of belief. Generally, a belief should affect your life choices or the way you live for it to be included in the definition
– Sex: a man or a woman
– Sexual orientation: whether a person’s sexual attraction is towards their own sex, the opposite sex or to both sexes.
Victimisation: The treatment of someone less favourably because they have made or might make a complaint about discrimination under one of the above protected group categories.