Equality and Diversity Policy

Centre for Business provides a service to a wide range of people including some of the most disadvantaged sections of the community. Our aim is to be responsive to the needs of all of these communities and the individuals that we serve. Equality and diversity are integral to all of our activities in every aspect of the work that we do. We have a moral duty to respond to the wide social diversity within our community and make sure that we reflect this in our policies and procedures and, in practice, through the day to day delivery of our services to customers.

Equality and diversity are at the core of Centre for Business' strategy. Excellent services and vibrant communities where everyone's quality of life is improved are dependent on Centre for Business being an organisation where differences between individuals and communities are valued and everyone is treated with respect.

We consider the business case for promoting equality and diversity is paramount. Discrimination, however it occurs, will damage the relationship between Centre for Business and its clients, staff, partners and other stakeholders. The promotion and awareness of equality and diversity issues will allow us to improve access to our services which should, in turn, increase levels of client satisfaction.

We are accredited to the "Committed to Equality” standard and are currently driving forward an Inclusion Action Plan within the organisation to ensure that our policies, procedures and service delivery meet the needs of the Under Represented Groups we serve.

Purpose of the Inclusion Action Plan

The Action Plan has a number of functions:

· It is a clear and public statement of Centre for Business' commitment to equality and diversity.

· It sets out what Centre for Business' hopes to achieve and identifies a range of actions we will undertake in order to achieve these.

· It will focus our energy, attention and resources on the areas we have identified as our priorities.

Scope of the Strategy

This document is intended to address equality and diversity issues in their widest context. There are many communities, groups and individuals who may face disadvantage or discrimination, who may be unwilling or unable to access services or who receive services that fail to meet their needs and preferences. This may include:

· People from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities

· Lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and people who identify as transgender

· Households headed by women, especially lone parents

· People with disabilities

· Older people

· Young People

· People with HIV/Aids

· People with learning difficulties

· People with mental health issues

· People suffering from alcohol or substance abuse

· Ex-offenders

· People in contact with the criminal justice service

· People experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse

The Strategy is intended to cover anyone who comes into contact with our organisation whether as a staff member, Board member, client, stakeholder or partner and to ensure that all are treated with dignity and respect.

Current Position

We have made progress already and our Diversity Strategy Board and Internal Diversity Champion Board are responsible for ensuring that the Inclusion Action Plan is implemented and monitored on a regular basis.

We chair an External Stakeholder Group whose membership consists of various local community groups. The driving force behind this group, is the passion and drive to minimise any barriers individuals may face in accessing business support.

Corporate Commitment

Aim
Board members and staff at all levels of the organisation have a clear understanding of the principles of equality and diversity, the organisation's commitments and approach and their own role in delivering strategic objectives. We will have in place an effective process for ensuring continuous improvement in relation to equality and diversity.

To achieve this aim we will:

· Actively promote our equality and diversity strategy, both internally and externally.

· Ensure that our commitment to equality and diversity is reflected in our key corporate documents.

· Set clear performance targets to drive improvement and regularly monitor performance against these measures.

· Develop the role and responsibilities of our Internal Diversity Champion Board to ensure that it operates effectively as a driver, facilitator, monitoring and review body.

Governance

Aim:
The Diversity Strategy Board provides leadership and direction in relation to equality and diversity and drives ongoing improvement.

To achieve this aim we will:

· Provide regular, accurate and clear information to the Diversity Strategy Board on our performance in relation to equality and diversity.

· Provide training for Board members on equality and diversity.

· Ensure that all Board members are aware of the standard of behaviour expected of them and that any breaches, such as inappropriate remarks, are dealt with immediately and effectively.

Aim:
Our staff teams at all levels will be representative of the communities we serve, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, faith and age and this is reflected at all levels of the organisation. We want all our staff to play an active role in developing ideas and approaches to improve performance on equality and diversity. We want all our staff members feel valued and supported.

To achieve our aims we will:

· Regularly review our recruitment & selection processes to ensure that they are fair and transparent and reflect current best practice.

· Identify and test different approaches to increasing the diversity of our staff team.

· Provide training for all staff on equality and diversity.

· Introduce relevant training for all staff involved in recruitment and selection.

· Seek ways to develop cultural awareness within our organisation.

· Involve staff at all levels of the organisation in the development and review of the organisatoin's approach in promoting equality and diversity.

· Have policies and practises which are inclusive and respectful of the needs and wishes of different groups.

Client Involvement

Aim:
Our formal client participation structures will be representative of the customers we serve, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, faith and age. All customers are able to choose the level and type of involvement that best suits their needs and preferences.

To achieve our aims we will:

· Establish monitoring systems to allow us to profile the customers involved with formal structures.

· Seek ways to actively promote involvement in formal and informal structures to a diverse range of customers, particularly where we are aware of under-representation (e.g. from young people or people from BME communities).

· Offer a range of options for consultation and involvement that customers can choose from.

· Be sensitive to the needs of different groups and individuals when planning and organising events.

· Work with client groups to ensure that they operate in an open and inclusive way.

Customer Satisfaction

Aim:
To ensure that all our customers are receiving the same high quality of services and that there is minimum disparity in satisfaction levels between different groups of clients and tthe majority.

To achieve our aim we will:

· Carry out regular analysis of satisfaction levels between different groups of clients for business start-up support and events,

· Consult with residents to identify the reasons for any disparity in satisfaction levels between specific groups and the majority and seek to address identified problems.

Service delivery

Aim:
To understand the wide range of needs and preferences of the diverse communities we serve and to develop and deliver appropriate services in response. To ensure that our buildings, our staff and our services are accessible to all our customers and potential customers.

To achieve our aim we will:

· Offer services and facilities aimed at increasing our accessibility

· Forge and maintain strong links with local voluntary and community groups that work with or represent diverse communities or groups of people we serve

· Look for opportunities to work in partnership with other organisations, including voluntary and community groups, local authorities in our areas of operation, and other support organisations to improve outcomes for specific communities or groups.

· Carry out regular accessibility audits to ensure that our offices comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

· Improve the range of documents that we offer in translation and in alternative formats and those that contain language/format flags.

· Provide appropriate training for staff so that they are confident and effective when dealing with cases.

Contractors, Consultants & Suppliers

To achieve our aim we will:

· Work towards the establishment of clear standards and targets to be met by the contractors, consultants and suppliers we do business with.

· Develop systems for monitoring the performance of contractors, consultants and suppliers in this area.

· Identify opportunities for mutual learning.

· Expect companies who come into contact with our customers to offer the highest standards of service to everyone and deal effectively with any breach of these standards.

Comments and Feedback

We welcome all comments and suggestions regarding this commitment and service delivery.