Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunities Policy

Equal Opportunities Statement

Bristol Wireless is striving to achieve equality of opportunity for all its service users, trustees, volunteers, employees and prospective employees.

We recognise that many people suffer unjust discrimination and disadvantage because of their age, race, gender, disability or sexual orientation.

Unjust discrimination also occurs on the basis of class, religious or political beliefs, HIV status, physical or mental health problems, marital status, criminal record or in other ways.

Bristol Wireless will work to remove unjust discrimination of all kinds, whether direct or indirect, in the following ways

• by exposing and challenging all forms of unfair discrimination;
• by ensuring that our services are accessible to all the community in Easton and Bristol;
• by adopting measures to eliminate unfair discrimination in the recruitment, training and management of our paid staff and volunteers;
• by regularly reviewing our equal opportunities policies and practices across the organisation to ensure that they are working effectively.

Equal Opportunities in Service Delivery

Bristol Wireless is working to ensure that its services reach all people in Easton and in particular to ensure that they are being used by those in greatest need. In order to achieve this aim, we will take the following steps

• We will publicise our equal opportunities policy by displaying posters in our buildings (see Appendix 1) and by including information about our policy in material about our services that we give or send out.
• All our paid staff and volunteers will receive equal opportunities training which will enable them to challenge discriminatory comments or behaviour by service users.
• If a service user persists in discriminatory comments or behaviour, the Director may authorise the suspension of services from the person concerned.
• In some circumstances the Chair of the Board of Trustees may authorise permanent withdrawal of services from a service user due to that person's discriminatory comments or behaviour.
• We will monitor the profile of our service users and compare it with the profile of the community of people in Easton in order to identify and remedy low take-up of our services by those who would most benefit from them.
• We will work in partnership with other voluntary and statutory agencies to map and meet the needs of all people in Easton. We will endeavour to ensure that other agencies or individuals to whom we refer our service users follow equal opportunities policies and practices.
• We will target our services by building relationships with agencies representing disadvantaged groups so that they become more aware of and increase take up of our services.
• We will be responsive to requests for services and methods of service delivery which may be different or separate from those currently provided.
• We will conduct annual reviews of our service delivery to identify how we can improve accessibility.

This review will include the following aspects

• The ways in which our services are delivered, e.g.
• The take up of ICT services; youth provision; provision of transport to our centres; environmental projects,opening hours, building design, including location, lighting, layout, public transport and parking, wheelchair accessibility, signposting, availability of interpretation facilities, signing, textphones, information in large print, etc.
• How our services are publicised, including issues such as links with local agencies who represent disadvantaged groups, and whether publicity material is available in alternative formats (e.g. tapes and Braille) and minority languages.
• Feedback from service users and potential service users.

We will conduct six monthly surveys of our service users to identify ways in which we can improve our services to make them more responsive to their needs.

In addition, we will encourage service users to provide feedback through our bulletin board.

We will also work to achieve more structured user involvement in decisions about service delivery.

Whilst respecting the confidentiality of our users, we will use the monitoring information collected in the course of our work to publicise and challenge all discriminatory practices and in particular, unfair discrimination against people in Easton.

Equal Opportunities in Employment and Management

We will monitor the profile of our service users and compare it with the profile of the community of people in Easton in order to identify and remedy low take-up of our services by those who would most benefit from them.

We will work in partnership with other voluntary and statutory agencies to map and meet the needs of all people in Easton.

We will endeavour to ensure that other agencies or individuals to whom we refer our service users follow equal opportunities policies and practices.

We will target our services by building relationships with agencies representing disadvantaged groups so that they become more aware of and increase take up of our services.

We will be responsive to requests for services and methods of service delivery which may be different or separate from those currently provided.

We will conduct annual reviews of our service delivery to identify how we can improve accessibility. This review will include the following aspects

• The ways in which our services are delivered, e.g.
• The take up of ICT services; youth provision; provision of transport to our centres; environmental project; opening hours, building design, including location, lighting, layout, public transport and parking, wheelchair accessibility, signposting.
• Availability of interpretation facilities, signing, textphones, information in large print, etc.
• How our services are publicised, including issues such as links with local agencies who represent disadvantaged groups, and whether publicity material is available in alternative formats (e.g. tapes and Braille) and minority languages.
• Feedback from service users and potential service users.

We will conduct six monthly surveys of our service users to identify ways in which we can improve our services to make them more responsive to their needs. In addition, we will encourage service users to provide feedback through our suggestions boxes. We will also work to achieve more structured user involvement in decisions about service delivery.

• Whilst respecting the confidentiality of our users, we will use the monitoring information collected in the course of our work to publicise and challenge all discriminatory practices and in particular, unfair discrimination against people in Easton.

Equal Opportunities in Employment and Management

Recruitment and Selection Procedures

Bristol Wireless recognises the importance of a diverse workforce which reflects the community we serve.

We will ensure that the ways in which jobs are designed, advertised and filled fulfil the requirements of our policy on equal opportunities. Training and resources will be provided to enable job descriptions and person specifications to be written and interviewing carried out in accordance with our policy.

In particular:

Job descriptions and person specifications will be drawn up by the Directors with input from the post holder's line manager and external specialists, where appropriate.

The job description will state the duties, tasks, responsibilities and lines of accountability of the post holder. The person specification will list the skills and experience needed to carry out the job.

All job descriptions and person specifications will be checked to ensure that they do not ask for unnecessary requirements or qualifications.

If it is judged, after enquiry, that some groups of people are under-represented on the staff, those groups will be specifically encouraged to apply for jobs. All applications will be treated strictly on merit at the stage of shortlisting and selection.

All applicants will be sent the job description and person specification, the application form, the equal opportunities monitoring form, the criminal convictions declaration form and envelope, the latest Annual Report and information leaflet and a copy of the equal opportunities policy.

When shortlisting and appointing, the criteria of the person specification will be used to assess each candidate in terms of ability to do the job described. Interview questions will be agreed by the panel prior to the interviews and the same questions in the same order will be asked at each interview, with supplementary questions asked when further clarification or information needs to be elicited. A consistent scoring system will be used and each candidate will be scored against the person specification.

The selection panel will normally consist of the Director, the manager of the advertised post and either a member of the Board with relevant expertise or an external specialist. In some cases, where a partnership arrangement exists with another organisations in respect of the advertised post a member of staff from that organisation may be invited to join the selection panel.

A target date will be set by which all those involved in the process of recruitment and selection will have received training in order to carry out our policy effectively.

The policy of the organisation on the employment of ex-offenders is that the safety of vulnerable older people is paramount. Some offences, even where 'spent', will debar people from employment. All applicants will be sent a disclosure form asking for information about both spent and unspent convictions. They will be asked to return the form in a sealed envelope which will be opened by the Director only if they are offered the post.

A confidential equal opportunities monitoring form will be sent with every application form and prospective candidates will be informed that the information is for internal monitoring purposes only and that the form will be kept separate from the application form. The information will be monitored to enable the organisation to determine how best to advertise in the future to ensure that individuals from under-represented groups are targeted.

All candidates for jobs will be given Bristol Wireless' written equal opportunities policy and will be questioned on their understanding of the issues and the practical implications of having a policy.

Reasons for not shortlisting and for decisions at each stage of the recruitment process will be recorded for the purposes of monitoring; all application forms, with these reasons attached, will be stored securely for six months and then destroyed.

Training and Development

Bristol Wireless will provide resources to enable all Board members, staff and volunteers to understand and be able to implement the equal opportunities policy.

Induction and training will be offered to Board members, staff and volunteers to enable them to carry out their respective roles and resources will be set aside for this. Assistance will also be offered to staff and volunteers who wish to acquire new skills in order to develop their full potential.

Conditions of Service for Staff

Bristol Wireless is committed to providing a safe and supportive working environment where all staff and volunteers are valued and encouraged to develop their full potential.

All staff will be issued with contracts of employment, giving details of pay, hours of work, holiday entitlement, sick pay and other terms and conditions.

Bristol Wireless recognises that many staff have caring responsibilities and provides flexi-time working to enable them to fulfil these responsibilities. Arrangements are also in place for contractual maternity leave, time off for antenatal care, adoption leave and partner leave. Additional special leave may be allowed in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Director. Records are kept of decisions taken and the reasons for reaching those decisions.

It is a condition of service that all staff adhere to Bristol Wireless' equal opportunities policy and failure to do so will lead to disciplinary action being taken.

All members of the Board of Trustees will be expected to support and adhere to the provisions of the equal opportunities policy.

All volunteers will be expected to abide by the provisions of the policy in their work for the organisation.

All staff and volunteers will be encouraged to speak to the Director if they have any concerns that the equal opportunities policy is not being followed. The Director will treat such concerns very seriously and, where necessary, will take timely and appropriate action. If the worker is unhappy about the outcome they will be able to pursue the issue through the grievance procedure.

Harassment

Harassment of any kind will be considered a disciplinary offence. Harassment may involve derogatory or discriminatory remarks, ridicule, unwanted physical contact, physical assault or demands for favours. Any behaviour which is offensive to a member of staff or which causes them to feel threatened or humiliated, or which undermines their work performance or job security is harassment. Any member of staff who seriously or repeatedly harasses another staff member or anyone else connected with the organisation will be liable to summary dismissal for gross misconduct. Similarly, any Board member or volunteer found to have breached the rules of this code of practice will be asked to resign.

Redundancies

Where loss of funding or other circumstances make redundancy inevitable, Bristol Wireless will make every effort to redeploy the worker. Where this is not possible, the organisation will endeavour to assist the worker to find alternative employment through careers counselling, retraining and time off for job hunting.

Membership of the Board

We will monitor the membership of the Board to ensure that it is diverse and representative of the service users. Where this is not the case, corrective action will be taken: in the short time through co-opting individuals from under-represented groups and in the long term by ensuring that vacancies on the Board of Trustees are advertised appropriately.

Recording and Monitoring

Bristol Wireless will demonstrate its continuing commitment to the implementation of this policy by regular review and monitoring and by insisting that, where appropriate, records are kept of action and decisions taken by the Board members, staff and volunteers.

The Directors of Bristol Wireless, will be responsible for ensuring that the equal opportunities policy is implemented, monitored and reviewed.

Bristol Wireless Equal Opportunities Policy

APPENDIX 1

Equal Opportunities Statement

Bristol Wireless operates an active equal opportunities policy. As part of that policy, we aim to treat all people who use our services with consideration and respect.

We aim to provide services that are open to as many people in our community as possible. We want to ensure that all differences are acknowledged and needs met so that everyone using our services feels safe and comfortable.

We will challenge language, assumptions and practices which might offend or threaten anyone.

We hope that you will benefit from our services, respect our aims and treat other people you meet here with consideration.

If you feel we are not meeting any of the above aims, please talk to any of our staff or ask for a leaflet about our complaints procedure. We will treat your concerns very seriously.