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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (England) Policy

Introduction

The purpose of a policy on equality, diversity and inclusion is to make sure that the service is fully committed to these principles and values and to communicate this commitment to all stakeholders. The policy should always be referred to wherever differences of view based on lack of understanding or prejudice about diversity, equality and inclusion are evident. The commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion should be included in {{org_field_name}}’s statement of purpose and information produced for the people who use its services. It should be instrumental in many aspects of {{org_field_name}}’s practice including in its capacity to provide a responsive service to meet diverse needs and corresponding staff recruitment and selection.

Aims

1. To ensure that no person applying for a service will be refused on discriminatory grounds, eg because of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and other relevant protective characteristics as described by the Equality Act 2010 and human rights laws when they meet all other admission criteria.
2. To ensure that inferior or substandard services are not provided because of a person’s ethnicity, sexual orientation or any grounds on which discrimination can occur.
3. To act appropriately if anyone receiving our services experiences offensive or abusive treatment directed against their ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, whether gay lesbian, bisexual, trans or preferred gender.
4. To work out with each person using services what they want and need and how they will be provided with the required service. This will be influenced by the individual’s gender, sexual orientation, culture, personal choices and other characteristics and it should not be assumed everyone wants the same thing.
5. To ensure people using services and staff to relate to one another on the basis of equality and respect for individual differences and chosen life style, including anyone who defines her or himself in terms of the LGBTQ+ spectrum.
6. To develop an attitude of self-awareness among the staff and people using services to ensure any form of discriminatory behaviour, such as offensive or abusive language directed against a person’s ethnicity, preferred gender, sexual orientation or religion does not occur and to communicate that it is unacceptable in whatever form it might take and from whichever person.
7. To ensure that people using services and staff are continuously aware of the procedures for dealing with complaints and allegations of discriminatory or oppressive language or behaviour, and which could also involve the service’s safeguarding policies.
8. To ensure that all complaints, allegations and incidents of abuse that breach this equality, diversity and inclusion policy are addressed properly and in non-discriminatory ways.

Legal Compliance

The service understands that it must fully comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

The service is committed to achieving compliance with the following Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 that reflect equality, diversity and inclusion values and principles.

• Regulation 9: Person-centred Care — requires service providers to ensure that the care and treatment of people using services must be appropriate, must meet their needs, and must reflect their preferences.
• Regulation 10: Dignity and Respect — requires that people using services must be treated with dignity and respect at all times, including respect for personal preferences, lifestyle choices, diversity and culture.
• Regulation 14: Meeting Nutritional and Hydration Needs — requires service providers (where involved in the provision of food and drink) to ensure that the nutritional and hydration needs of the people using services are met, including the meeting of any reasonable requirements of a person for food and hydration arising from the person’s preferences or their religious or cultural background.
• Regulation 15: Premises and Equipment — requires that people using services can easily access a care service’s premises and use its equipment safely and effectively, and where they cannot because of their disabilities, reasonable adjustments are made in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation and guidance.

Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion runs through everything that this care service stands for and practices. With the introduction by the CQC of the Single Assessment Framework, {{org_field_name}} will always aim to show evidence that it will reflect “good” or “outstanding” practice in relation to the quality statements that require specific attention to equality issues, particularly the following.

Caring

• Treating people as individuals.

Responsive

• Care provision, integration, and continuity.
• Equity in access.
• Equity in experiences and outcomes.

Well-led

• Shared direction and culture.
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion.

This service understands that inspectors might also ask how people are protected from bullying, harassment, avoidable harm and abuse that may breach their human rights, including that which is associated with a person’s sexual orientation and preferred gender.

Policy Statement

This policy applies to anyone receiving a service from this care service, including people using services who are children and their families.

Equality, diversity and inclusion means that every person — adult or child — has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. They will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being socially stigmatised and discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics, or subject to hate crime.

In implementing its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, the service does not accept that there can be any hierarchy of protected characteristics, but aims to celebrate all individual differences, regardless of being caused by ethnic backgrounds religion, sexual or gender diversity.

The service will treat everyone equally. It recognises that treating people unequally can result in their losing their dignity, respect, self-esteem and self-worth and ability to make choices and is in breach of their human rights.

The service does not assume that equality, diversity and inclusion principles and policies apply only to the service’s staff. People using services must also respect the ethnicity, culture, religion, gender and any disabilities of staff and not discriminate against them on any of these grounds when expressing their views and preferences.

The service makes clear that it finds unacceptable any form of racist and similar discriminatory behaviour from any source.

The service also builds these policies into its external contractual relationships.

Procedures to Ensure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

This care service expresses its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion by:

• respecting people’s ethnic, cultural, religious practices and individual sexual identities
• reassuring the people who use its services that their diverse backgrounds and individual preferences enhance the quality of experience of the service
• accepting people who use their services as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes
• involving people who use the services to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle irrespective of any LGBTQ+ status, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals and in relation to their sexual orientation or gender identity
• showing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and social inclusion principles
• developing an ethos throughout {{org_field_name}} that reflects these values and principles
• expecting all staff to work to equality, diversity and social inclusion principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways
• providing training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this
• having a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and people using services and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly
• addressing rigorously and fully in line with the service’s complaints procedure, any complaint which a person using the service or someone acting on their behalf might make about the behaviour of another or others that is causing them offence because it potentially breaches the service’s policy on equality, diversity and social inclusion
• addressing any acts of abuse or hate crime towards an individual because of their ethnicity, religion or LGBTQ+ spectrum characteristics through the service’s safeguarding policy and procedures, involving and co-operating with the local safeguarding authority as required
• encouraging people who are vulnerable or at risk from experiencing abuse because of their ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation and LGBTQ+ spectrum identities to obtain support through local or national support groups and organisations and advocacy schemes
• carrying out regular assessments of the impact of our approach to equality, diversity and social inclusion on policies, people who use the services and service provision generally.

Training

All staff are trained to follow {{org_field_name}}’s policies on equality, diversity and social inclusion.

Staff new to care work will receive induction training to achieve Care Certificate standard 4, Equality and Diversity.

Where practical and appropriate, pro-rights anti-discriminatory training will be co-produced with the people who are at risk from abuse and discrimination because of their characteristics and chosen lifestyles

All training will be regularly refreshed and updated.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next review date: this policy is reviewed annually (every 12 months). When needed, this policy is also updated in response to changes in legislation, regulation, best practices, or organisational changes.

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