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Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Behaviour Policy

Protean Training Services Ltd Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Behaviour Policy

 

Our references to “our company” or “we” means Protean Training Services Ltd.

 

Who we are.

 

Protean Training Services Ltd provides training and facilitation services.  Our company number is 11921074 and our registered address is: The Stables, Money’s Farm, Bottle Lane, Mattingly, Hampshire  RG27 8LJ.

 

Protean Training Services Ltd are registered with the Information Commissioners Officer.

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the principles which underpin Protean Training Services Ltd commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and acceptable behaviour in the work place. It seeks to ensure that all members of our Organisation act in accordance with our company’s values and ethics.  It also ensures we comply with the Equality Act 2010.

Scope

This policy applies to all Directors and any employee, consultant, contractor, associate, partner, agent, supplier or any other persons associated with us, whether on a full time or temporary basis.  It also applies to all learners and delegates attending any courses we deliver.

Review

This Policy will be reviewed annually.

Directors and Managers

  • All managers have a responsibility for ensuring they are familiar with and understand this policy.
  • All managers have a responsibility for ensuring they are role models and set the highest standards of behaviour and compliance with this policy.
  • All managers have a responsibility for ensuring this policy is fairly and consistently applied by their staff.
  • All managers have a responsibility for ensuring their staff are aware of this policy and have completed all associated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Acceptable Behaviour mandatory training.
  • All managers have a responsibility to ensure they challenge and eliminate any practices or conduct which breaches this policy.
  • All managers have a responsibility to investigate any breaches of this policy reported to them by any person in a fair, non-discriminatory and proportionate manner.
  • All managers will never unlawfully or unfairly discriminate against, harass, victimise, bully or use inappropriate or exclusionary behaviour against anyone they come into contact with in the work place.

Staff   

  • Staff includes any employee, consultant, contractor or associate whether on a full time or temporary basis.
  • All staff have a responsibility for ensuring they are familiar with and understand this policy.
  • All staff have a responsibility for ensuring they have completed all associated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Acceptable Behaviour mandatory training.
  • All staff have a responsibility to promote diversity, equality, inclusiveness and acceptable behaviour in all aspects of their work.
  • All staff have a responsibility for ensuring their learners are aware of this policy and have completed all associated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Acceptable Behaviour mandatory training.
  • All staff will never unlawfully or unfairly discriminate against, harass, victimise, bully or use inappropriate or exclusionary behaviour against anyone they come into contact with in the work place.
  • All staff have a responsibility to report any breaches of this policy to a manager.

Learners and Delegates

  • All learners and delegates have a responsibility for ensuring they are familiar with and understand this policy.
  • All learners and delegates have a responsibility for ensuring they have completed all associated Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Acceptable Behaviour mandatory training that are provided within their own organisations.
  • All learners and delegates have a responsibility to promote diversity, equality, inclusiveness and acceptable behaviour in all aspects of their training, education and attendance at any training or events delivered or provided by Protean Training Services Ltd. This includes all training delivery methods, for example on-line webinars; face to face training.
  • All learners and delegates will never unlawfully or unfairly discriminate against, harass, victimise, bully or use inappropriate or exclusionary behaviour against anyone they come into contact with whilst attending any training or events provided by our company. This includes all training delivery venues, locations and methods, for example on-line webinars; face to face training.
  • All learners and delegates have a responsibility to report any breaches of this policy to a manager or Company Director.

Definitions

Diversity: Recognising and valuing difference in its broadest sense.

Equality: Ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents and creating a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Protected Characteristics: The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against people with a protected characteristic. The 9 protected characteristics as defined by the Equality and Human Rights Commission are:

  • Age: Applies to a particular age or age range.
  • Disability: A person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
  • Marriage and civil partnership: Includes same sex relationships.
  • Pregnancy and maternity: Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth.
  • Gender reassignment: The process of transitioning from one sex to another.
  • Race: Includes colour, Nationality and ethic or National origin.
  • Religion and belief: Includes a lack of belief.
  • Sex: A person’s gender.
  • Sexual orientation: Whether a person’s sexual attraction it towards their own sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes.

Direct discrimination: Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic.

Discrimination by association: This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Indirect discrimination: Indirect discrimination can occur when a condition, rule, policy or even a practice that applies to everyone, but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.

Harassment: Harassment is unwanted conduct that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for that person.

Bullying: includes any behaviour or misuse of power that has the potential to humiliate, or intimidate a person.

These can be serious types of inappropriate behaviour and in some circumstances may be criminal offences.

Policy Statement

Everybody has a responsibility to act professionally and in a way that does not cause offence, upset, alienate, discriminate against, exclude, victimise, bully or harass their colleagues or other persons we come into contact with.

Our aim is to create an environment where people want to work and give their best, enabling them to flourish and develop.

It is important to understand that inappropriate behaviour could include jokes being made at someone’s expense, the use of nick names, swearing or more serious issues such as bullying, victimisation or harassment.  Even if some behaviour is accepted by colleagues, it does not make it acceptable to the Organisation as there may still be undisclosed offence or upset.

Challenging inappropriate behaviour should be encouraged as in addition to enabling such issues to be dealt with on an individual basis, it will generate learning with other members of staff who may be unaware of the potential impact of the behaviour.  This will lead to Organisational learning.

It is important that breaches of this policy are recognised and managed in a timely manner that supports and develop our staff and learners to improve awareness and understanding, so that people can attain our standards of behaviour and move forward constructively.

Clear processes should be put in place with advice and guidance for line managers on how to deal with such transgressions in an appropriate, proportionate and ethical way.

Under the Equality Act 2010 reasonable adjustments should be made to any elements of an employee’s job which places disabled people at a disadvantage when compared to non-disabled people.

Reasonable adjustments should be made for learners to meet their individual learning needs.  Examples of this are extra time in assessments for those with dyslexia or English as an additional language. Where necessary an Equality Impact Assessment should be completed.

Dealing with breaches of this policy

Directors and Managers will have a range of options available to deal with identified or reported breaches of this policy.  They include the following:

  • Informal resolution
  • Mediation
  • Grievance process
  • Fairness at work process
  • Formal investigation
  • Misconduct process

 

Support

Any person can seek support and guidance from the Company Directors.