This is Creative Enterprise CIC recognises and celebrates diversity in its staff mentors, school and student communities, this Equality and Diversity Policy has been developed in accordance with the Equality Act (1st October 2010). The Equality Act 2010 harmonised nine separate pieces of legislation into one single Act simplifying the law and strengthening it in important ways to help tackle discrimination and inequality in the workplace and all other areas of life.

This diversity reflects visible and non-visible differences, which include factors such as age, disability, marital status, mental health, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, social background and trade union membership. Harnessing these differences will create a productive environment within This is Creative Enterprise CIC working environment, in which all individuals are valued, where their potential is maximised.

The Act also specifies particular areas of protection, e.g. in employment and within education and sets out general and specific duties which This is Creative Enterprise CIC must meet.
The Public Sector Equality Duty consists of a general duty and some specific duties that are designed to help schools meet their general duty. As an organisation working alongside education this means we have to give due regard to the three elements of the duty in all our activities:
      o Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
      o Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not and
      o Foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

The purpose of this Equality and Diversity Policy is to communicate our commitment to equality of opportunities within TICE, with the aims of ensuring that all employees, mentors, volunteers, student and school communities are treated fairly and equally, and supporting the organisations’s objective of providing a working environment that is free from all forms of discrimination.

This policy represents a commitment to a common set of values and objectives and to a consistent approach to communicating, implementing and monitoring the policy. The policy applies to all staff within the organisation, including employees and other workers, such as mentors and volunteers. All staff are expected to put this policy into practice.

The policy is regularly reviewed annually and may be amended at any time.

Aims

This is Creative Enterprise is committed to promoting a positive and diverse culture and achieving equality of opportunity for all staff, mentors, partnerships, business supporters, volunteers, student and school communities, ensuring all are respected, valued and supported to fulfill their potential, irrespective of their protected characteristic. We believe that all people are of equal value and are entitled to equality of opportunity. We will not unlawfully discriminate and adhere to the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin)
• Religion and belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

We recognise our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and are committed to promoting the equality and diversity of all those we work with. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination, bullying and harassment and will make every effort to comply with the requirements of the Act and its subsequent provisions.

Values, Principles and Standards

Equality of opportunity is fundamental to good practice in education, in which fairness of opportunity for all is a basic right. This policy is therefore underpinned by the following values, principles and standards:

• equality and social justice;
• acknowledging and valuing diversity;
• respect for others;
• compliance with equal opportunities legislation;
• elimination of all forms of prejudice and unfair discrimination;
• active challenge to stereotypes, prejudiced attitudes and unfair discriminatory behaviour;
• commitment to inclusive provision which enables and supports all students to develop their full potential;
• accountability for compliance with this policy by all members of the organisation;
• communities and others engaged in TICE business or activities.

Objectives

The objectives of this Equality and Diversity Policy are to:

• develop an ethos which respects and values all people;
• actively promote equality of opportunity;
• prepare young people for life in a diverse society;
• promote good relations amongst people within the organisation's community and the wider communities within which we work;
• eliminate all forms of unfair discrimination, bullying, harassment or other oppressive behaviour through use of the disciplinary procedures when required;
• deliver equality and diversity through our organisation's policies, procedures and practice;
• do our utmost, within available resources, to remove barriers which limit or discourage access to TICE provision and activities;
• take positive action to provide encouragement and support to individuals and groups whose progress has been limited by stereotyping and cultural expectations;
• monitor the implementation of equality and diversity within the organisation;
• set targets for improvement and evaluate the impact of equality and diversity action in achieving our goals.

Creating equal opportunities in the workplace

This is Creative Enterprise CIC will not unlawfully discriminate in the arrangements we make for recruitment and selection or in the opportunities afforded for employment, training or any other benefit. All decisions will be made fairly and objectively. We aim, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure that all our working practices are applied fairly and consistently and, where necessary, we will take reasonable steps to avoid or overcome any particular disadvantage these may cause and to promote equality.

This is Creative Enterprise CIC will approach managing diversity by recognising the diverse needs of staff, facilitators and students (both actual and prospective) and by ensuring that barriers to diversity are removed in relation to:

• understanding the concept of diversity in providing objective and fair policies and processes for all aspects of the student and staff experience;
• enhancing each individual's commitment to diversity by promoting awareness and understanding of its approach;
• ensuring that any delivery is managed in a way which makes all individuals feel valued and harnesses their potential;
• ensuring that the concept of diversity informs all policies, practices and procedures; • promoting the recognition of individual rather than group differences;
• encouraging a culture of empowerment through an environment characterised by open communication, participation and consultation and an absence of prejudice and discrimination.

Forms of discrimination

The following are forms of discrimination that this policy aims to avoid:

Direct Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic that they either have or are thought to have. Direct discrimination can also occur by way of association, which is when a person is treated less favourably because, for example, their spouse or partner or other relative has the protected characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination occurs when a provision, criterion or practice is applied equally to everyone, but has a disproportionately adverse effect on people who share a particular protected characteristic. A person with the protected characteristic who is disadvantaged in that way has the right to complain. To be justified the provision, criterion, or practice must be necessary for legitimate business reasons in circumstances where less discriminatory alternatives are not reasonably available.

Victimisation occurs where someone is treated unfavourably because he/she/non-binary has raised a complaint under this policy or taken legal action, in relation to any alleged act of unlawful discrimination, against the Company or because he/she/non-binary has supported someone else in doing this.

Harassment is unwanted conduct that violates an individual’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment can take many different forms and may involve inappropriate actions, behaviour, comments, emails or physical contact that causes offence or are objectionable. Harassment may involve a single incident or persistent behaviour that extends over a period of time and can occur even if someone did not mean to cause offence. It also means that a person can be subjected to harassment by behaviour that is not aimed at them directly but which they nonetheless find unpleasant. Harassment is always unacceptable and where it relates to a protected characteristic it will amount to an unlawful act of discrimination.

Discrimination arising from Disability In addition to the above, it is unlawful to treat a person unfavourably because of something that is the result, effect or outcome of their disability, unless the treatment is necessary and can be objectively justified. Furthermore, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled applicants, employees or other workers are not substantially disadvantaged.

Specific Responsibilities

This is Creative Enterprise CIC has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy and for ensuring compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and associated legislation and for observing relevant Codes of Practice.

The management is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the policy and for ensuring that all employment-related policies, procedures and practices adhere to this policy.

All those engaging in TICE provision have a responsibility not to discriminate or harass other staff, students and school communities and to report any such behaviour of which they become aware to TICE management.

Raising a complaint of discrimination

If you believe you have been discriminated against, you should raise the matter with TICE management.

Any employee , mentor or volunteer who is found to have committed an act of discrimination, or breached this policy in any other way, will be subject to action under our disciplinary procedure, up to and including dismissal.

Non–employees will be subject to appropriate formal action that may, depending on the circumstances, involve terminating any contract or agreement.

This is Creative Enterprise will also take seriously any malicious or, in its opinion, unwarranted allegations of discrimination and will take appropriate action, disciplinary or otherwise, where necessary.

Monitoring and Review

This Equality and Diversity Policy has been approved and adopted by all staff, mentors and volunteers at This is Creative Enterprise and will be reviewed every annually to ensure it remains compliant with Equality and Diversity legislation. Any new legislation will be included in the policy as and when it is brought into the public domain.