Purpose

 KidsBank is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity and diversity and recognises that employees, trustees, volunteers, and services users should not experience discrimination on any grounds. This is an important commitment which all employees are expected to share.

Employees are encouraged to raise with their line manager or member of the Board of Trustees any discriminatory behaviour, assumptions, or attitudes they encounter at work and are entitled to do so free from any reprisal providing they are acting in good faith or in the reasonable belief that they are acting in the public interest.

Volunteers are encouraged to raise with our Hub Manager or member of the Board of Trustees any discriminatory behaviour, assumptions, or attitudes they encounter at work and are entitled to do so free from any reprisal providing they are acting in good faith or in the reasonable belief that they are acting in the public interest.

Definitions 

 The Equality Act 2010 is the statute replacing previous anti-discrimination laws. It applies to all organisations that provide a service to the public, sell goods or provide facilities, irrespective of whether they charge for them. 

The characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act are: 

• Disability
• Age
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

KidsBank Statement of Values 

To promote equality and diversity in our organisation KidsBank will:

• Encourage, value, and manage diversity and promote equality of opportunity in all areas of its work and structure, and will take positive action in the areas of employment, volunteering, and service provision.
• Strive to be inclusive in the way in which we work and to bring a welcoming, responsive approach to our services.
• Recognise that many people in our society experience discrimination. It is our policy that no person or group of people should suffer oppression or lack or opportunity because of their gender, race, nationality, disability, sexuality, age, HIV status, class, trades union activity, marital status, political or religious activity.
• Believe that all forms of discrimination are unacceptable, regardless of whether there was any intention to discriminate or not.
• Aim to provide an environment where all employees, volunteers, and service users at all levels are valued and respected and where discrimination and harassment are not tolerated.
• Recognise that The Equality Act 2010 identifies people who have an attribute defined as a ‘protected characteristic’ and prohibits discrimination against them by reason of that attribute.
• Commit to challenging oppression and prejudice and aim to promote both diversity and full access to opportunity in all areas of its work and structures.
• Seek to use its influence with other organisations in order both to increase the opportunities of individuals and to challenge anything which would limit opportunity.

Implementation 

It is the responsibility of KidsBank’s Board of Trustees to implement this policy, and to review it annually.

Employees, volunteers, trustees, and service users have a duty to co-operate with KidsBank to ensure that this policy is effective in ensuring equal opportunities and in preventing discrimination. They should raise with their line manager or a member of the Board of Trustees any suspected discriminatory acts or practices or cases of bullying or harassment. 

KidsBank will ensure that the users of this policy are made aware of its contents and responsibilities.  

All organisations that KidsBank collaborate with will be required to support our Equality and Diversity Policy. 

Copies of this policy will be freely available to staff, volunteers, trustees, and any other interested parties. 

We will strive to source relevant training on cultural awareness, disability awareness and other subjects that will develop from equality and diversity for employees, volunteers and trustees. 

KidsBank will strive to: 

• Develop an organisational culture that positively values diversity.
• Achieve, wherever possible, a volunteer team, Board and workforce that broadly reflects the local community in which we operate and is representative of all sections of society.
• Ensure that individuals are treated fairly in all aspects of their employment with KidsBank.
• Make it clear that intimidation, harassment, and bullying will not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action.
• Ensure that all our services are provided in a way which enables all people that meet our eligibility criteria have access to them.
• Encourage the development of skills and knowledge through training.
• Ensure that premises used in relation to our work are accessible and inviting for all members of the community.
• Challenge any discrimination or oppressive behaviour from and towards any volunteers or agencies we work with.
• Work in a way that recognises peoples’ individual needs.
• Regularly evaluate this policy and seek feedback from those who are affected by it.

Recruiting and Employing Staff

KidsBank recruits on the basis of best candidate for the job, irrespective of sex, race, age, disability, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, married or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief.

Recruitment and selection will be conducted on an objective basis and will focus only on the applicants’ suitability for the job and their ability to fulfil the job requirements.  Our interest is in the skills, abilities, qualifications, aptitude, and the potential of individuals to do their jobs.

KidsBank recognises that equal opportunity responsibilities do not end at selection and is committed to ensure that wherever possible all staff receive the widest possible range of development opportunities for advancement.

Volunteers

KidsBank is committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment so that our volunteers have a positive volunteering experience. We believe in equal opportunity for all involved at KidsBank and we aim to ensure that all who wish to work or volunteers within our charity have an equal chance to do so.

We aim to crease effective partnerships within all parts of our community and provide services that are accessible according to need.

Support, Services, Suppliers and Visitors

We will not discriminate unlawfully against anyone accessing our support or services, seeking to use the support or services we provide or providing services to us or visiting our organisation.

Grievances, Disputes and Disciplinary Procedure

Details of KidsBank’s grievance and disciplinary procedures can be found in the Employee Handbook and Volunteer Handbook.

Monitoring and Review

This policy will be monitored periodically to judge its effectiveness and will be updated in accordance to changes in the law. Effective record keeping and monitoring, and acting on information gathered, are essential in order to measure effectiveness and plan progress. The Board of Trustees will review this policy annually.

Any personal data provided by job applicants, employees, trustees or volunteers for monitoring purposes will be used only for these purposes and in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. We will consider and take any appropriate action to address any problems that may be identified as a result of the monitoring process.