Community Fund: Equal opportunities

Equal opportunities
Download the document: Equal Opportunities (this is a Word document)

What Your Equal Opportunities Policy should include?

We recognise that people are from different ethnic groups, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation and religious faiths in our communities, and this diverse nature is a positive strength which MRWA welcomes and values. We all can sometimes ignore or discriminate against disadvantaged groups unintentionally, without realising it.

Your Equality policy will form the basis of efforts to make best practice in equality a reality. Your policy shouldn’t be long or complicated, it is just an agreement for your group on how you will avoid discriminating against people. It will cover how you will provide a safe and inclusive environment for anyone who would like to join and participate in your group.

Your policy will identify how you will deal with circumstances if someone feels they have been treated unfairly or disrespectfully within your group.

MRWA will look for the following in your policy:

  1. That all the forms of discrimination covered by the Equality Act 2010 is mentioned in the policy.
  2. Your policy should show how you don’t unlawfully discriminate, covering the protected characteristics of:
  • gender reassignment.
  • marriage or civil partnership.
  • pregnancy and maternity.
  • race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin)
  • religion or belief.

3. It should explain how there is equal access to service.

4. You should explain how there is equal access to Employment and Volunteering.

5. Explain how you prevent harassment and ensure everyone is treated equally.

6. Show how any complaints are dealt with fairly.

7. Explain when your Equality policy will be reviewed.

Equality Policy advice and templates can be downloaded from

https://www.acas.org.uk/equality-policy-template

https://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/information/equality-and-diversity-policies-for-small-groups/