Gender Equality, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy, and Equality and Diversity Action Plan

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, associates, learners, users and the general public. 

1. Commitment 

Under the Equality Act 2010, there are 7 different types of discrimination. 

• Direct discrimination: discrimination because of a protected characteristic. 
• Associative discrimination: direct discrimination against someone because they are associated with another person with a protected characteristic. (This includes carers of disabled people and elderly relatives, who can claim they were treated unfairly because of duties that had to carry out at home relating to their care work. It also covers discrimination against someone because; their partner is from another country.) 
• Indirect discrimination: when you have a rule or policy that applies to everyone but disadvantages a person with a protected characteristic. 
• Harassment: behaviour deemed offensive by the recipient. Employees can claim they find something offensive even when it’s not directed at them. 
• Harassment by a third party: employers are potentially liable for the harassment of staff or customers by people they don’t directly employ, such as a contractor. 
• Victimisation: discrimination against someone because they made or supported a complaint under Equality Act legislation. 
• Discrimination by perception: direct discrimination against someone because others think they have a protected characteristic  

Equality and diversity are central to the work of The Training Brokers (TTB). 

TTB 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 disadvantage. For this policy to be successful, it is essential that everyone is committed to and involved in its delivery.  TTB’s goal is to work towards a just society free from discrimination, harassment and prejudice.  TTB aims to embed this in all its policies, procedures, day-to-day practices and external relationships. 

2. Aims 

TTB aims to: 

• Provide services that are accessible according to need 
• Promote equality of opportunity and diversity in volunteering, employment, training and development, promotion, disciplinary and dismissal. 
• Create effective partnerships with all parts of our community. 

3. Objectives 

TTB’s objective is to realise its standards by: 

• Sustaining, regularly evaluating and continually improving its services to ensure equality and diversity principles and best practice are embedded in our performance to meet the needs of individuals and groups. 
• Working together to provide accessible and relevant service provision that responds to service users’ needs. 
• Ensuring TTB management, staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users are representative of the community served and the employment policies are fair and robust. 
• Responding to staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users’ needs and encouraging their development to increase their contribution to effective service delivery. 
• Recognising and valuing the differences and individual contribution that all people make to TTB. 
• Challenging discrimination. 
• Providing fair resource allocation. 
• Being accountable. 

4. Why have this policy? 

TTB recognises respects and values diversity in its management, staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users. 

TTB 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 employment and development of the people who work and volunteer for TTB.  

5. Procedures 

Responsibility for Implementation 

This policy covers the behaviour of all people employed/associated or volunteering in TTB or using the services and sets out the way they can expect to be treated in turn by TTB. The overall responsibility for ensuring adherence to and implementation of this policy lies with the staff and the management. 

The Managing Director has the ultimate responsibility for the policy and ensuring that it is implemented effectively. 

Method of Implementation 

TTB intends to implement this policy by: 

• Ensuring that it is a condition of paid employment in TTB.  
• Ensuring that TTB management, staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users are made aware, understand, agree with, and are willing to implement, this policy.  All TTB management, staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users will be given a copy of this policy as part of their induction. 
• Actively encouraging TTB management, staff, associates, learners, volunteers and users to participate in anti-discriminatory training, and making time and resources available for such training. 
• Monitoring the services, publicity and events provided by TTB, to ensure that they are accessible to all sections of the population and do not discriminate and taking active steps to ensure that participation is representative. 

Monitoring and Reviewing 

TTB 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 will review the policy annually. 

We have adopted the following principles to further integrate promotion of equality into the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation actions of the programme:  

• we will not exclude on the grounds of protected characteristics;  

• enrolment will be fair taking into account learners needs and abilities where we are not able to cater for individual’s specific educational needs, we will signpost them to appropriate organisations 

• our projects are designed to meet the needs of all potential learners;  

• all learners are given advice and guidance prior to completing enrolment paperwork 
• a full initial assessment takes place to ensure that the learner is enrolled onto the right programme and meets their particular needs   

• our services are responsive to the needs of the community and underrepresented groups;  

• prior to undertaking any projects/contracts we look at the needs of employers, learners and the community 

• we will ensure that the support we provide is targeted towards under-represented community where relevant;  

• wherever relevant we market our services to ensure that the needs of our community are being met.  

• we will be responsive to, and be inclusiveness of, under-represented groups in delivery and management of all programmes we offer  

• all resources including marketing materials, learning materials, website information will ensure that the needs of our community are being met.  

All information is monitored using information gathered from our CRM, PICS, learner enrolment forms, network meeting and local and national priorities and we ensure that the impact of our equality opportunities policy across the provision we are delivering is in line with the wider ESF programme targets. This will include details of any actions to address increased participation from under-represented groups and evaluation of the success of any such initiatives. This is discussed at management meetings and fed back to staff.  

Action plan 

OBJECTIVE	ACTIONS	RESPONSIBILITY	COMPLETION DATE	IMPACT
1. All publicity to reflect the diversity of the community.	Ensure all publicity and marketing reflects and celebrates the diversity of the learner community.  Monitor learner perception of E&D and record incidences of discrimination and harassment through learner surveys, complaints and safeguarding reporting.	All Staff Managers and Learner	Quarterly Quarterly	Visual display showing company’s inclusivity and continue to attract learners from diverse backgrounds.   Changes in behaviour and better learning environment. Ensuring the learner journey is positive experience.
2. Monitor gender profiles	Monitor gender profiles at qualification level and promote provision to all groups and communities	Managers	Quarterly	Vocational courses will benefit from all sexes taking part and progressing into various industries.
3. Analyse different ethnic minority groups success rate trend	Analyse qualification success rates of each group and gaps addressed.	Managers	Quarterly	Learner achievement across all groups at the same level
4. Ensure the company is an employer is disabled friendly.	Ensure that the company supports staff to access work related opportunities (within reasonable adjustment)	Managers	On going	Disability confident employer
5. Promote British values  1. democracy  2. the rule of law  3. individual liberty  4. mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.	British Values promoted throughout the learner journey  Display British Values posters where possible	Managers   Staff   Quality team	Ongoing	All staff and learners equally have an excellent understanding of British values.  Less behaviour issues and more tolerance