Equal Opportunities

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

The Sunderland Engineering Training Association Ltd. is committed to Equality and Diversity. SETA is covered by the provisions of our Equality and Diversity Policy.

The aim of our Equality and Diversity Policy is to ensure that SETA fulfils its legal responsibilities as set out in the Equality Act 2010. The Act harmonises and replaces previous legislation to ensure consistency in making the workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law.

The Equality Act covers the same groups that were previously protected but are now referred to as “Protected Characteristics”

The Equality Act 2010 Protected Characteristics are:

· Age

· Disability

· Gender Reassignment

· Marriage and Civil Partnership

· Pregnancy and Maternity

· Race

· Religion or Belief

· Sex

· Sexual Orientation

SETA will ensure that their customers are not subject to harassment as laid out in the Equality Act 2010 and will endeavour to ensure that people who access SETA facilities are protected from direct discrimination on the basis of a “protected characteristic”.

Equality of opportunity is actively promoted throughout SETA. The aim of our policy is to ensure that everyone accessing SETA facilities are treated fairly and protected from discrimination regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

As a matter of good practice and good business all of our staff have been trained in the implementation of the Equality and Diversity Policy and are expected and encouraged to treat everyone fairly.

SETA will monitor all employers to ensure they are committed to this Equality and Diversity Policy. A copy of our policy and special complaints procedure will be given to all existing and new employers.

SETA recognises that harassment takes many forms and may be directed at one person or many people. If a learner finds a situation intimidating, upsetting, embarrassing, humiliating or offensive as a result of unwanted or unwelcome behaviour, this would not comply with our Equality and Diversity Policy.

No employee or learner should be subjected to unwelcome or inappropriate behaviour that undermines, demeans, offends or insults. All employees and learners have a right to a working environment free from any form of harassment. We are committed to ensuring such harassment does not occur.

SETA supports the right for all employees and learners to be treated with dignity and respect. The aim of this policy is to ensure that every employee and learner understands they have the right to complain should harassment occur. Harassment of any kind is not acceptable and will be treated as a disciplinary matter if substantiated. Such behaviour may, in certain circumstances, be unlawful.

Examples of unacceptable behaviour include:

· Unwelcome sexual attention such as touching or standing too close

· Subjecting someone to jokes, insults, comments and intrusive questions

· Suggestions that sexual favours may further an employee’s career, or refusal may hinder it

· Lewd, suggestive or over-familiar behaviour

· Display or circulation of offensive or unwanted letters or e-mail

· Visual display of offensive posters, graffiti or obscene gestures

· Violating a person’s dignity

· Creating an intimidating hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment

This list is not exhaustive.

We have agreed a complaints procedure that will ensure that any complaint relating to any form of harassment can be dealt with quickly and confidentially.

Within SETA it is the Chief Executive’s responsibility to investigate any allegation or complaint of harassment.

SETA will endeavour to take full account of the views of employees and learners in relation to Equal & Diversity within our Quality Assurance measures, and through monitoring visits both with the employer and the people on our learning programmes. This Policy will be reviewed every twelve months to ensure its currency.

All employees and learners will receive a copy of our Equality & Diversity Policy and a copy of our Special Complaints Procedure detailing how to find guidance and help if needed.

Seta is committed to maintaining equality of opportunity for all staff regardless of their personal circumstances. This commitment includes access to all training and development and career advancement opportunities.

SPECIAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH HARASSMENT

DEFINITIONS

Bullying and Intimidation. It is unacceptable for a person or persons to physically or verbally abuse, intimidate or attempt to dominate others. It is the responsibility of all staff to prevent and eliminate any instances of such practice and guard against assumptions being made about the characteristic of an individual.

Direct discrimination

Direct discriminationoccurs when a person is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have, or because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic. Direct discrimination is usually intentional.

Associative discrimination

This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination can occur when a condition, rule, policy or even a practice in a company applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.

Perceptive discrimination

This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess a particular protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess the characteristic

Disability

Under the Equality Act 2010 a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, which would include things like using a telephone, reading a book or using public transport.

Harassment

There are two main types of harassment as laid out in the Equality Act 2010 these are:

· Unwanted conduct relating to a protected characteristic

· Unwanted conduct that is sexual in nature

Harassment applies to all protected characteristics except for “pregnancy and maternity” and “marriage and civil partnership” which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual”.

Third party harassment

The Equality Act 2010 makes employers potentially liable for harassment of their employees by people (third parties) who are not employees.

Victimisation.

Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so.

Positive Action

The 2010 Equality Act allows employers to take positive action if they think that employees or job applicants who share a particular or protected characteristic suffer a disadvantage connected to that characteristic, or if their participation in an activity is disproportionately low.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all members of staff to promote equality of opportunity for all learners and to ensure the maintenance of an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

It is the responsibility of all learners to conduct themselves in such a way that promotes equality and harmony and not to carry out any actions that could cause stress or offence to others.

Complaints

Should you feel that you have been unfairly treated while attending the Training Centre report your concerns immediately to the Works Manager. When in the employers premises follow their official procedures or if preferred discuss the matter with SETA’s Training Officer. Any other concerns of a less urgent nature should be discussed with your reviewer during your quarterly review.