Hemingford Peace Memorial Field
Equal Opportunity Policy
The Hemingford Pavilion is committed to equal opportunities policy and practice and will ensure that all volunteers, employees and service users, both actual and potential, are treated equally and as individuals regardless of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital or parental status, political belief, race, religion or sexual orientation.
In implementing this policy the Pavilion will take account of existing legislation: the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
This equal opportunities policy will be implemented across all aspects of the organization’s work in:-
•the appointment of Trustees;
•the appointment of officers and volunteers;
•all dealings with its members and members of the public.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE:
The Pavilion will aim to ensure that the Management Committee of the organization is representative of the Society. The Management Committee will be responsible for ensuring that the equal opportunities policy is properly implemented, monitored and reviewed
VOLUNTEERING:
The Pavilion will ensure that no employee, member or volunteer receives less favourable treatment than another on grounds of age, disability, ethnic origin, marital or parental status, political belief, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
The Pavilion is committed to undertaking open recruitment and selection procedures and wherever possible all vacancies will be advertised and fair and equitable processes
will be followed.
Volunteers working with the organization will be informed of the equal opportunities policy and receive training on equal opportunities issues as appropriate.
The Pavilion will also ensure that the changing and developing needs of volunteers are recognized and appropriate adjustments made to working conditions and/or training provided.
PUBLIC AND SERVICE USERS:
The Pavilion aims to make its services and membership accessible to as wide a range of the public as possible and in order to achieve this will take steps to remove barriers which prevent potential audience, participants, and members of users from having equal access to the organisation’s activities. This will include:
•ensuring that activities take place in venues and premises which are accessible to disabled people,
•providing facilities for disabled people to enable them to participate fully in activities, e.g. induction loop
•encouraging and enabling people from under-represented groups to attend and participate. Vulnerable Adults Policy
AIM OF THIS POLICY
The aim of this policy is to outline the practice and procedures for paid and
voluntary staff at the Pavilion to contribute to the prevention of abuse of vulnerable adults through raising awareness and providing a clear framework for action when abuse is suspected.
It is aimed at protecting the vulnerable adult and the worker, recognising the risks involved in lone working.
The policy covers all staff and areas of work with specific guidance for projects regularly in contact with vulnerable adults.
2. a. DEFINITION OF VULNERABLE
The Police Act 1997 (Enhanced Criminal Record Certificates) (Protection of
Vulnerable Adults) Regulations 2000
In these Regulations ‘vulnerable adult’ means a person aged 18 or over who
is receiving services of a type listed in paragraph (2) below and in consequence of a condition of a type listed in paragraph (3) below has a disability of a type listed in paragraph (4) below.
(2) The services are:
a. Accommodation and nursing or personal care in a care home;
b. Personal care or nursing or support to live independently in his/her own home;
c. Any services provided by an independent hospital, independent clinic, independent medical agency or NHS body; d. Social care services;
e. Any services provided in an establishment catering for a person with learning difficulties.
(3) The conditions are:
a. A learning or physical disability;
b. A physical or mental illness, chronic or otherwise, including an addiction to alcohol or drugs
c. A reduction in physical or mental capacity
(4) The disabilities are:
a. A dependency upon others in the performance of, or a requirement for assistance in the performance of, basic physical functions;
b. Severe impairment in the ability to communicate with others;
c. Impairment in a person’s ability to protect him/herself from assault, abuse or neglect
Law Commission, ‘Making Decisions’ Lord Chancellors Dept 1999 A ‘Vulnerable Adult’ is defined as someone over 16 who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of him/herself or unable to protect him/herself against significant harm or exploitation’
2. b. DEFINITION OF ABUSE
“Abuse is the harming of another individual usually by someone who is in a position of power, trust or authority over that individual. The harm may be physical, psychological or emotional or it may be directed at exploiting the vulnerability of the victim in more subtle ways (for example, through denying access to people who can come to the aid of the victim, or through misuse or misappropriation of his or her financial resources). The threat or use of punishment is also a form of abuse. …. In many cases, it is a criminal offence” Centre for Policy on Ageing (1996)
REVIEW
The management of the Pavilion will monitor and review the effectiveness of this equal opportunities policy on an annual basis.