Policies

Volunteer Policy

Accessible Duffield is run entirely by volunteers. Key members of the group either have extensive training and experience in the disability field or personal experience of a disability.

Accessible Duffield is committed to Safeguarding and to ensuring the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all volunteers to share this commitment.

Volunteers are expected to promote equal opportunities and will be supported to take an active stance where necessary against all forms of harassment or discriminatory behaviour.

Accessible Duffield welcomes volunteers who are able to bring commitment to the role. Accessible Duffield will provide training as appropriate and relevant to their development.

All volunteers will have their personal details protected under the GDPR.

Code of Practice

Accessible Duffield aims to raise disability awareness; supply training to staff and volunteers; to supply advice and access to disability audits and guides in Duffield.

All volunteers have either:
Training in equal opportunities and disability or experience of living with a disability or have received relevant training from other members of Accessible Duffield.

As a voluntary organisation we aim to keep up to date with appropriate training and to be aware of any new developments in the field.

All advice provided is on an advisory basis only e.g., disability audits.

Footpaths will continue to be monitored on a yearly basis to ensure maximum safety. Footpaths within the wider environment will be audited for suitability working in conjunction with others e.g. Walking for Health.

Accessible Duffield is committed to working with other organisations within Duffield to promote equal opportunities and disability awareness e.g. Good Neighbours, Parish Council and the DCA.

Equality and Diversity Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

Accessible Duffield recognises that everyone has a contribution to make to our society and the right to equality of opportunity. We recognise that people can experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for reasons which are not fair and are committed to providing a fair and just service to advocate the needs of people who are disadvantaged or under-represented in our community.

Accessible Duffield aims to achieve equality of opportunity in its activities and services.

We recognise that discrimination and associated disadvantages affect a wide range of groups and individuals in our society including:

• Race (including), colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, refugees, asylum seekers, Gypsies and Travellers
• Gender including gender identity or reassignment,
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Caring responsibility
• Age
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Political belief or religious belief (including people who have no religion or belief)
• Class
• HIV status
• Criminal conviction
• Union Membership status

Accessible Duffield is strongly opposed to any form of discrimination and seeks to ensure that its own policies and practices are non-discriminatory. Our aim is to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, provide a working environment that offers dignity at work and is free from discrimination, prejudice and harassment.

In addition, Accessible Duffield recognises the need for positive action to challenge and counteract the effects of discrimination in our own policy and practice.

This policy reflects our legal responsibility in relation to the recruitment and selection of staff, their terms and conditions of employment; including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

Additionally, this policy reflects our expectation that all volunteers will be treated equally in relation to their recruitment, selection and training in volunteering opportunities and that Accessible Duffield will take an active stance against all forms of harassment and discrimination.

All individuals and organisations using our services will be informed of our equal opportunities statement and its operation within those services will be subject to review.

2. Procedure and Responsibilities

Information & Publicity

All staff and volunteers will be expected to follow the procedures outlined within this policy and related policies.

Every effort will be made by Accessible Duffield to ensure that circulated information and publicity reaches all members of our community. Additional attention will be given to source locations which may target underrepresented groups and individuals.

All our publicity, information and training literature will include positive images of all people, especially those disadvantaged by society. We will take special care that this literature is free from language, attitudes and images which are sexist, racist, ageist, disabling or negative towards sexuality or gender.

Every effort will be made to obtain information relevant to under represented groups and disadvantaged individuals. Where signposting to other sources provides a better service, the information needed will be available and up to date.

Recruitment for Employment or Voluntary Opportunities

In striving for equal opportunities, our procedures for recruitment are set out in detail in our Staff Recruitment or Volunteer policy. The objectives of our policies are as follows:

• to encourage applications to be made from all parts of the community
• to ensure that the selection process for opportunities is fair and open
• to encourage persons from under-represented groups to apply for employment or volunteering with the organisation
• to ensure Job Descriptions and Person Specifications are prepared for all staff vacancies that arise
• to ensure task descriptions are agreed with volunteers in line with the volunteer policy
• to record and monitor equal opportunity forms when returned
• to ensure that all individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits, abilities and competencies
• to ensure employees are short listed, promoted and offered relevant training for the basis of fulfilling their job role
• to ensure volunteers are supported to access training relevant to their development
• to ensure all applicants to Accessible Duffield will be made aware of the Equal Opportunities policy and their own legal and ethical responsibilities at the recruitment stage.
The organisations overall aim is to promote and achieve equality in employment and access to volunteering opportunities with us. We will therefore take the following actions:
• encourage persons from under-represented groups to apply for employment with the organisation
• encourage persons from under-represented groups to apply for volunteering opportunities with the organisation
• enable employees and volunteers to promote equal opportunities and take an active stance where necessary against all forms of harassment and discrimination
• prevent employees and volunteers from participating in harassment or discriminatory behaviour
• assure employees and volunteers that they can rely on our active support where suffering harassment or discrimination through their work
• ensure that all applicants, employees and volunteers are treated in accordance with this strategy by monitoring selection criteria and procedures.

Membership

Accessible Duffield is a membership organisation and as such endeavours to ensure that its members reflect the community it serves. All groups have equal opportunity to become members of Accessible Duffield, although we will actively seek to enrol groups that are under represented in the community.

The involvement of service users will be welcomed by our organisation as a whole and their views on services offered will be sought and taken into account by the management group when making policy decisions.

Formation of Groups

Accessible Duffield will work towards promoting the formation of groups in underrepresented areas by supporting initiatives and providing information, guidance and resources where possible.

We will actively encourage and support organisations to develop their own equality and diversity policies and practice.

Governance

All Committee Members will be required to adhere to a Code of Conduct and terms of Reference which reflects this Equality and Diversity Policy in order to retain Board Membership.

People from under-represented groups will be encouraged to become Members to reflect the community they serve.

Training and service provision

Training provision will promote equal opportunities and equality of outcomes in the delivery and materials used.

Every effort will be made to use venues which are accessible to wheelchair users and action will be taken to enable the full participation of anyone wishing to attend our activities.

Services provided by the organisation will offer equality of opportunity and outcomes.

Working Environment and culture

Accessible Duffield is committed to providing products and services that are equally accessible to all staff, clients and members of the community.

We will take positive action to challenge and counteract the effects of discriminatory behaviour from people or organisations who access our premises or come into contact with our workforce.

Wherever reasonably practicable, the organisation will make reasonable adjustments to working conditions and practices appropriate to the needs of all staff and volunteers.

Signers, sign language interpreters, interpreters of other community languages, hearing loop systems and information in Braille, audio tape and large print will, where possible be available on request.

We will be sensitive to the communication needs of all individuals and aim to meet these needs as far as reasonably practicable.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

The Senior Management Team will review this policy annually.

The Complaints Policy and Disciplinary Procedure will be used to monitor and resolve breaches of this policy.

4. Communication

This policy will be available to all staff, Board members and volunteers at Accessible Duffield.

Users of our services will be made aware of the policy.