Zoom In Equal Opprotunities Policy

1. Statement of Intent

Responsibility for Equal Opportunities

It is the responsibility of all Trustees, employees and volunteers to uphold the integrity of this policy. Employees are required to do this as a condition of employment (see Statement of Terms and Condition of Employment). The relevant employees will also be responsible for ensuring clients are aware of client obligations. Clients are bound by signed Client Agreements which outline unacceptable behaviour and Zoom In holds the right to withdraw services to any service user/client if that person behaves in a discriminatory, disruptive or abusive manner to any member of staff or volunteer or any other service user. (See also Inappropriate Client Behaviour Procedure.)

The commitment to Equal Opportunities is also stated in the Volunteering Policy and volunteers must also abide by this. Zoom In believes it must accept accountability for its decisions and be open to appropriate scrutiny. The Chief Executive Officer has ultimate responsibility for all matters relating to Equal Opportunities and is responsible for implementing disciplinary proceedings where necessary, under the governance of the Board of Trustees.

Implementation

Zoom In acknowledges that an Equal Opportunities Policy is only as good as its implementation. The Charity will ensure all Trustees, employees and volunteers read and understand the Equal Opportunities Policy during their Induction. Where appropriate, they may also be expected to participate in additional training to increase awareness and acceptance of diversity, and to challenge stereotypes.

The Charity will foster an environment of openness in which people are comfortable and where there are no unnecessary boundaries to personal freedom.

Action Plan

Zoom In actively represents a working equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory policy. However, Zoom In also recognizes that complacency is a challenge which must be faced. In order to ensure that we continue to maintain and improve the equality of opportunity, we will aim to implement several further strategies:

• to encourage under-represented groups to apply for vacancies, through advertising in media aimed at those groups;
• to train staff and relevant volunteers in cultural awareness / diversity;
• to endeavour to ensure that all organisations and bodies we come into contact with also implement an Equal Opportunities / Anti-Discriminatory Policy.

Monitoring

Equal Opportunities will be monitored through statistical analysis of data regarding the gender, age and ethnicity of clients, job applicants and employees. This will be carried out annually, reviewed by senior management, and the findings reported to the Board of Trustees.

Publication of this Policy

Copies of this Policy will be made available to all applicants for paid or unpaid posts, and to all clients, potential clients, carers, or other interested parties (such as funders) upon request.

Review of this Policy

This policy will be reviewed by senior management at least every twelve months, and updated according to changes in legislation, and in response to situations or issues which may arise within the Charity.

2. Recruitment and Selection Procedure

Introduction

Zoom In will ensure that all job applicants and employees are treated with equity and offered opportunities purely on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.

In light of this commitment, Zoom In will do everything it can to make sure it does not directly nor indirectly unfairly discriminate at any time during recruitment, training, promotion, redundancy or dismissal procedures, nor will it discriminate in the area of pay, conditions or references.

Zoom In is keen for the composition of its workplace, including Trustees and senior management to reflect the community which it serves, and the Trustees are confident that this is, and will continue to be, the case. The following Policy outlines the basic employee rights and how we aim to maintain a fair and open recruitment, selection and promotion process.

Types of Unfair Treatment

Legislation protects people from several distinct kinds of unfair treatment, which are described below.

• Direct Discrimination means treating a person less favourably than another, purely on arbitrary grounds. For example, not offering a person a job because she is a woman, or refusing to promote a person because he is black, would be cases of direct discrimination.
• Indirect Discrimination is when an individual is disadvantaged because he or she can not comply with an unjustifiable (and unnecessary) rule, condition or requirement. For example, requiring all staff to be able to drive, will disadvantage people with certain types of disability. It is acceptable, however, to specify rules or conditions if they are a genuinely valid and necessary requirement for the role. For example, people applying for the post of Outreach Worker would need their own car, so specifying this in a job description is acceptable.
• Harassment can take many forms but can broadly be described as an act or acts which cause a person alarm or distress to the detriment of their quality of life and dignity. It may involve intimidation or hostility, or degrading, humiliating or offensive language or behaviour.
• Victimisation is when a person is treated unfairly because they have complained about discrimination or harassment. None of these types of unfair treatment are acceptable, and none will be tolerated at Zoom In. All unfair treatment will be challenged.

Relevant Legislation: In Brief

Some of the following Acts legally apply solely to employees of the Charity, and some also apply to service users. Zoom In will ensure that it complies with the law, but also that it gives the same, high level of respect to all people, regardless of whether they are staff, volunteers or clients.

• Human Rights Act 1998 Requires adherence to the European Convention on Human Rights which sets out basic rights for all people, including the right to live and work without discrimination on any grounds, such as those mentioned above, and also including language, political opinion, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status (such as health).
• Race Relations Act 1976 and Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 Makes it unlawful to discriminate intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly, or give less favourable treatment on the grounds of colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) ethnic or national origins.
• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 Outlaws discrimination in employment and vocational training on grounds of religion or belief (including strongly held philosophical beliefs such as Paganism). It also prevents discrimination against someone who does not hold a certain belief, but it specifically excludes political views.
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Makes it unlawful to discriminate, intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly, or give less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender or marital status. It applies to both men and women. The legislation also prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment where an individual intends to undergo gender reassignment, is undergoing gender reassignment, or has undergone gender reassignment.
• Equal Pay Act 1970 Contains the requirement for equal pay for men and women. It covers all contractual benefits, including pay, holiday entitlement, pension, child care benefits, sickness benefits, car allowances, etc.
• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) 2003 Regulations Outlaws discrimination in employment and vocational training on grounds of sexual orientation. This includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual people. It also protects people who are assumed (rightly or wrongly) to be of a certain sexual orientation, and people who associate with others of a certain sexual orientation. 'Outing' a person is a breach of privacy and may constitute harassment or a breach of the Data Protection Act.
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Makes it unlawful for a disabled person to be treated less favourably than someone else because of their disability unless there is a good reason, which must be substantial and material to the case. Employers must also make reasonable adjustments to the working environment, any physical feature of their premises, or their working arrangements, to help a disabled person overcome the practical effects of their disability, unless there is a genuine reason why this is not possible. .
• The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 Although discriminatory behaviour is absolutely unacceptable, it should be remembered that malicious intent makes such behaviour far more serious. Where possible, Zoom In seeks to educate people and eliminate prejudices before they manifest themselves in discriminatory behaviour. However, Zoom In also promotes openness and free speech and believes understanding amongst people arises from such freedom, as long as it is not in any way malicious.

3. Recruitment Process

Posts

• All job descriptions will have attached to them person specifications which outline the skills and experience necessary to do the job, as reviewed by senior management.
• Job descriptions and person specifications for new posts, or posts falling vacant, will be reviewed by senior management before being issued.
• A note to the Trustees is to be made regarding any post which is considered exempt from the relevant provisions of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 or the Race Relations Act 1976.

Advertising

• All vacant permanent posts will be advertised both internally and externally.
• Adverts will not make reference to skills or experience which are not mentioned in the person specification.
• It is acceptable for senior management to encourage people to apply or to draw attention to vacancies, provided that they do not give any information which is not available to all other applicants.
• Particular attention will be paid to reaching people from different communities, particularly socially excluded and minority groups, and we will actively encourage them to apply. External advertising in minority and community group media must always be considered.

Enquiries

• All enquirers will be sent a job description, person specification, application form, equal opportunities monitoring form and any relevant information about the organisation.
• Where the standard application form is considered inappropriate for a particular post, senior management may agree an alternative method of application.
• Completed application forms will be kept for a minimum of six months and then destroyed.
• Applicants who are not shortlisted may or may not be contacted depending on the number of applications made.

Shortlisting

• Job applications are confidential to the shortlisting / interviewing panel.
• Shortlisting and interviewing should be done by either 3 or 5 people so that a majority can be reached. As far as possible, the same people who shortlist should then carry out the interviews.
• The above 3 or 5 people should agree on an objective scoring system to assess the suitability of each applicant.
• Shortlisting will be done on the basis of selection criteria chosen from the person specification.
• Shortlisted candidates will be told how many people applied and were shortlisted, if they request this information.

Interviews

• It is good practice to tell candidates the name and position of the interview panelists in advance, and certainly if they request this information.
• The interview panel should have relevant knowledge and expertise for their interviewing role. They will also be encouraged to take up opportunities for training in the interviewing and recruitment processes and equal opportunities.
• Interview questions will be agreed by the panel prior to the interviews taking place. They should cover the main aspects of job description.
• The same questions should be asked, in the same way, to all clients.
• Interviewers should then ask follow up questions in the relevant areas, always bearing in mind the person specification.
• Interviewers must avoid questions about family or social life, which are outside the work remit and irrelevant to the position being applied for.
• Interviewers will be encouraged to make written notes of interviewees’ responses to questions. They must record their reasons for selecting or rejecting each candidate. These notes will then be kept for a minimum of six months.
• It is very important that interviewers never make assumptions about candidates; for example that someone will not ‘fit in’ with the other staff.
• Posts must be offered solely on the basis of information or responses collected from application forms, interviews and references.

Complaints

Any complaint about the implementation of the recruitment, selection or promotion procedure should be addressed to the Board of Trustees. It will then be treated in line with Zoom In’s Complaints Policy.