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Equal Opportunities Policy

General Commitment to Equal Opportunities

Outcomes UK is fully committed to promoting equality of opportunity in all it does as an employer and as a provider of services. The agency recognises that individuals and groups can be unfairly discriminated against and acknowledges its responsibilities to eliminate discrimination, in particular any form of discrimination that is unlawful. Outcomes UK seeks to operate within a framework of fairness, openness, integrity and accountability and to extend its commitment to equality of opportunity via its expectations of those who provide services for the agency.

1.2 Outcomes UK key values and principles are to ensure that:

• All employment and service delivery policies and practices aim to reflect a positive valuing of human difference and diversity.
• All Outcomes UK staff and associates and associates are aware of and understand the agency’s commitment to equality of opportunity and their responsibilities in relation to this. Training and guidance for staff and associates will reinforce this, especially training for those involved in recruitment and selection decisions.
• Our workforce has the knowledge skills and abilities to provide high quality services. This falls within a clear framework of anti-discriminatory, including anti-sectarian, practice.
• Our services are responsive, accessible, sensitive and appropriate to those who need and may benefit from them.
• Our recruitment, support and training of staff and associates reflects the agency’s commitment to having a range of staff and associates sufficiently diverse to meet the ethnic, racial, cultural, linguistic and religious needs of all service users, requiring a service as well as any needs relating to disability, gender, religion or sexual orientation.
• The participation of Outcomes UK staff and associates, service users, in the development and implementation of Outcomes UK policies, procedures and practices is encouraged and facilitated with a clear and consistent focus at all times on achieving equality of opportunity.

1.3 Outcomes UK will ensure that all policies and practices are in line with relevant employment and service delivery related legislative, regulatory and good practice requirements. This includes the:

• Equal Opportunities Code of Practice
• Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
• Commission for Racial Equality Standards “Racial Equality Means
• Quality”
• Disability Rights Code of Practice
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
• Equality Act 2010

This is not an exhaustive list and Outcomes UK recognises that there are many groups who face discrimination not all of whom are afforded the protection of specific legislation or regulation. The agency also recognises that some individuals may face discrimination on more than one front, e.g. a black female may be discriminated against on the basis of her gender and her race. Outcomes UK will take appropriate action to combat this.

Outcomes UK will seek to ensure that all employment policies and practices are in line with relevant national and European legislative changes as and when these occur.

2 Equality in Employment

2.1 Outcomes UK, aims to integrate equality of opportunity into all of its
employment activities. We seek to recruit and retain a workforce that is diverse and representative of the community and those whom the agency works with or provides a service to.

2.2 Recruitment and Selection Practices

No prospective Outcomes UK employee or associate; or existing Outcomes UK employee or associate will be subject to any form of discrimination on the grounds of:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Gender Reassignment
• Marriage or Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race & Ethnicity
• Religion & Belief (or the lack thereof)
• Sexual orientation
• Religious beliefs

With regard to recruitment and selection of staff and associates, job
descriptions and person specifications are prepared for every vacancy, details of vacancies are made available via internal and/or external advertising, or existing Outcomes UK staff and associates may be transferred. Applicants are short listed against the person specification and selection decisions are made on the basis of merit.

The Outcomes UK Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedure will be applied consistently and at least one member of any Outcomes UK interview panel will have been trained in the implementation of this.

2.3 Training and Development Opportunities

Outcomes UK, is committed to promoting the professional development of all staff and associates. Induction, training and promotion opportunities will operate in a fair and non-discriminatory way so as to maximise the potential of all employees.

2.4 Harassment/Bullying

The agency is committed to creating working environments in which every
employee is treated with dignity, courtesy and respect and each person’s
individuality and self-worth within the workplace is maintained. Outcomes UK makes clear to all employees that harassment and bullying will not be tolerated.

Any employee who feels he/she is being harassed or bullied can complain
without fear of being victimised or isolated. Outcomes UK’s Harassment,
Bullying and Discrimination Policy and Procedure (Outcomes UK Human
Resources Manual, May 2001) provides a clear and effective process for
handling complaints and provides support to those making such a complaint. Within the Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Policy and Procedure there are clear links to Outcomes UK’s Grievance Policy and Procedure and Outcomes UK’s Disciplinary Policy and Procedure and the circumstances in which these may be invoked.

2.5 Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures

Outcomes UK has developed procedures for handling disciplinary matters and grievances (Outcomes UK Human Resources Manual: Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, April 2001; Grievance Policy and Procedure, June 2001) which apply to all staff and associates irrespective of their status within the organisation. The intention behind these procedures is to resolve and remedy problems quickly and before they become more serious.

Outcomes UK is committed to implementing disciplinary and grievance procedures fairly and consistently.

2.6 Genuine Occupational Qualifications

There may be posts within Outcomes UK for which a genuine occupational qualification exists and which precludes some individuals from being considered. Any decision to exclude individuals or groups from consideration on this basis will be shown to be justifiable under the Race Relations Act 1976 and Sex Discrimination Act 1975 or other relevant statutory provision.

2.7 Positive Action

Subject to appointment decisions being made on merit, Outcomes UK reserves the right to take action to achieve and maintain at all levels a workforce that reflects a commitment to promoting equality of opportunity. If necessary Outcomes UK will use, where appropriate, powers available under the Equality Act 2010 to take positive action. This could include:

• The development of strategies to ensure that positive, encouraging messages are given to underrepresented groups to apply for vacant posts
• Incorporation of diversity awareness into management and staff and associates training/development programmes and specifically into recruitment and selection training
• Action to ensure that employees have equal access to training, development and career opportunities
• Action to remedy the under representation of particular groups at certain levels within the workforce – for example, by offering targeted training, development and career opportunities if appropriate.

2.8 Monitoring of Employment Policies and Procedures

The Outcomes UK Human Resources Working Group, comprising several Outcomes UK Directors and the Human Resources Manager, is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the agency’s performance against its Equal Opportunities Policy. The Human Resources Working Group will receive written reports every six months from the Human Resources Manager in relation to:

• recruitment and selection activities
• profile of the workforce
• training and development opportunities made available or planned for staff and associates
• incidence of the Outcomes UK harassment, disciplinary and grievance procedures being used
• situations resulting in Employment Tribunal hearings and lessons that can be learned from these
• number of staff and associates leaving Outcomes UK and reasons for this

Information gained from this monitoring will be taken into account in the development and/or amending of employment policies, procedures and practices.

Any changes to employment policies, procedures and practices will be finally agreed by the Outcomes UK National Management Team and/or the Outcomes UK Board of Directors.

2.9 Consultation

The views of employees in relation to employment policies, procedures and practices are important and will be sought via the Outcomes UK Employee Forum. Membership of and participation in this groups is encouraged.

3 Equality in Service Delivery for Service Users

3.1 Outcomes UK, is committed to providing quality services for service users, that value diversity and promote equality and to taking action to ensure our services are equally accessible and appropriate. To achieve this Outcomes UK seek to observe the following principles in service delivery to:

• establish the needs and satisfaction levels of those receiving a service from Outcomes UK
• encourage the contribution of service users in relation to service development and delivery via a range of consultation and feedback opportunities, so that they can influence the way their needs are met
• take into account the needs of service users when services are being developed
• incorporating equality data analysis into service development planning processes to decide upon relevant, targeted and measurable improvements