Equal Opportunities Statement of Intent
Pansophix is committed to providing and supporting equal opportunities for all trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates regardless of any of the following, or any other criteria or other indirect issues that cannot be shown to be properly justifiable:
- gender
- marital status
- disability
- nationality
- race or ethnic origin
- age
- parental or dependant responsibilities
- trade union membership
- religious or political affiliation
- sexual orientation.
Pansophix promotes best practice by ensuring that all possible steps are taken to achieve equality of opportunity by removing discrimination and prejudice whether direct or indirect. The aim is always to maintain a professional environment of safety, dignity and mutual respect.
Pansophix treats any complaints under this Statement as very serious. They will be dealt with through its disciplinary procedures. Pansophix supports this Statement by ensuring that the aims of the Statement are known and understood by all trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates by ...
- maintaining access to the Statement for all trainers, consultants, employees and programme participants
- promoting awareness of the Statement for any contract or job applicants
- ensuring that support and guidance is available to all levels of the organisation on the introduction and operation of this Statement
- acting in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 by not discriminating against current or prospective trainers, consultants, employees or programme delegates who have a disability or who have had a disability in the past. Reasonable adjustments will be made wherever possible to the workplace, workstation or working environment to help the disabled person cope with their disability.
How Pansophix Uses This Statement
The Equal Opportunities Statement must be used as an integral part of the working environment. It will be integrated with all other relevant policies and the core values of Pansophix, which include offering significant employment opportunities and supporting development and retention through ...
- valuing our people and those who design and deliver our programmes to our customers
- communicating clearly, openly and promptly
- promoting equal opportunities and treating everyone with fairness and respect.
Every effort must be made to ensure that any breach is dealt with in a prompt and appropriate manner. Pansophix seeks to implement consistent policies throughout the organisation by listening to suggestions and ideas raised by clients, trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates during the consultation process.
Employment terms and benefits
Terms of employment will be such that they do not unlawfully discriminate against any group or individual.
Harassment
Everyone is entitled to work in an environment without harassment, victimisation, or bullying for any reason. Pansophix believes that harassment and bullying are harmful to the clients, trainers, consultants, employees, programme delegates and the organisation as a whole. Harassment in all forms is considered to be a totally unacceptable form of behaviour and is a serious offence that is both insulting and demeaning to the recipient and detrimental to the workplace.
Disciplinary
Any conduct which breaches the spirit of the Statement will be considered a serious matter and may be dealt with under the disciplinary procedures.
Dismissal and Redundancy
We will not discriminate in any way during disciplinary and redundancy procedures.
Advertising, Recruitment and Selection
Pansophix is committed to promoting equality and diversity throughout its recruitment process. Trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates are a valuable resource and methods of selection must always be fair, systematic and consistent. The recruitment and selection protocol aims to achieve this through its advertising and selection processes, which ensure that decisions relating to these issues will be based solely on objective and job related criteria.
Internal applicants will always be considered and external advertising will be in appropriate local and national media in addition to relevant industry journals i.e. People Management / CIPD in order to reach all sections of the community and encourage suitable applicants to apply.
Only people who have been accredited in recruitment and selection will be permitted to be involved in the interview process.
An Appeals process will be introduced, for people who believe they have been discriminated against.
Training and Development
Pansophix will design, deliver and evaluate training programmes which seek to ensure that this Statement is fully understood and implemented. We will promote equality of access to training and development activities, including health and safety courses.
Advancement, and promotion
Pansophix is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all people in career development and promotion. Opportunities for advancement, and promotion will be available equally to all members of people. Policies and procedures, including monitoring, will ensure that the criteria used are fair and open. All people involved in selection for advancement and promotion will have received equal opportunities awareness training in order to help them reach objective. A minimum of two people must comprise a selection panel - one member must have undertaken equal opportunities awareness training.
Implementation, Communication & Awareness Training
Pansophix seeks to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates are informed of the Equal Opportunities Statement and, as appropriate, any associated procedures. A copy of the Statement will be included in all Job Application Packs, induction training and course materials. Attention is drawn to it at induction courses for new people and in management training. The Statement will be communicated throughout the organisation and our associates and will remain easily accessible at all times as a source of information. Implementing equal opportunities for people is a continuing process that needs to be kept under constant review. The process involves ...
- devising codes of practice
- establishing procedures
- creating good practice within Pansophix
- promoting good practice external to Pansophix
- setting objectives to ensure the momentum of implementation is maintained and the programme of equal opportunities is effectively followed.
Responsibilities
Pansophix aims to:
- take positive action to ensure that its services are equally available, accessible and relevant to all groups and individuals
- redress any potentially discriminatory imbalances in its service provision or employment practices
- encourage feedback and criticism of its services by those who use them in order to remedy any inconsistencies. Pansophix will provide equal opportunities advice, assistance and training for all wherever necessary. The initial focus of development programmes will be aimed at trainers, consultants and employees who have a particular responsibility for implementing the Statement in their areas of operation and influence.
Trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates' responsibilities
The Statement needs to be backed by a real commitment by everyone at Pansophix. All relevant people will be given a copy of the Statement and have a responsibility to accept their personal involvement in its practical application. Any incidents of discrimination within the organisation will be dealt with as part of the disciplinary procedure.
All trainers, consultants, employees and programme delegates have an individual responsibility ...
- not to discriminate against colleagues or others that they may come into contact with during the course of their employment
- to challenge discrimination or unfair treatment
- to participate in any training courses provided by Pansophix which support the consistent implementation of the Statement
- to familiarise themselves with the Statement and co-operate in its implementation and monitoring
Review And Monitoring Of The Equal Opportunities Statement
It is vital that the Statement remains constantly under review so that its effectiveness can be measured once it has been communicated and implemented throughout the organisation.
Pansophix will regularly monitor information received from both internal and external applicants, appointees and existing people, with regard to recruitment, training, development and promotion to provide statistical and other reports to show how the Statement is being implemented. The monitoring process will provide data to evaluate how far the aims of Pansophix are being achieved while also providing information on formulating new goals.
People involved in the recruitment and advancement programmes will also be monitored in order to ensure that the principles of equal opportunity continue to be applied by them throughout the process.
Supporting documentation and forms
The Equal Opportunity Monitoring form must be included in all recruitment packs sent out to applicants.
Use of information
By compiling information obtained from the Equal Opportunities Monitoring form used during the recruitment process, Pansophix can monitor adherence to the Statement subject to the obligations of the Data Protection Act 1998 which state that all personal data must be used solely for the purpose for which it was requested and must remain confidential.
Complaints
If an applicant wishes to complain about Pansophix's recruitment and selection procedures in general or the application process for a specific post, they should contact the principal partner who will arrange for the matter to be investigated and for the complainant to receive a written response, including a summary of any action taken.
Any action taken under the complaints procedures is without prejudice to any statutory right to complain to an Employment Tribunal or other appropriate statutory body or to involve the Commission for Racial Equality, Equal Opportunities Commission, Disability Rights Commission or any other appropriate external body.
General advice on appropriate remedies should be sought from the Personnel Department. People with a complaint may also seek support from their Trade Union if they wish. Pansophix encourages the use of internal mechanisms to resolve issues that may arise in order to avoid the need to go to outside agencies.
Pansophix will do its utmost to protect any individual or group who make a complaint under these procedures from victimisation.
Legislative Framework
Pansophix recognises its legal obligations under the following Acts and their amendments and strives to ensure compliance at all times. Pansophix seeks to develop policies that comply with current and planned legislation, ensuring that its values and purposes are maintained whilst also sustaining and promoting diversity.
- Asylum and Immigration Act 1996
- Disability Discrimination Act 1995
- Employment Equality Regulations Religion or Belief 2003
- Employment Equality Regulations Sexual orientation 2003
- Employment Equality Age Regulations 2006 -
- Employment Rights Act 1996
- Equal Pay Act 1970 (as amended 1983)
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997
- Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended 2000)
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
- Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (and its amendments, 1986)
- Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992
This document is a policy document only and does not form part of the employee's contracts of employment or confer any contractual obligations on Pansophix. It is not a complete statement of the law and Pansophix may on prior notice amend this policy.
