Equal Opportunity

Hayfield Support Services is committed to its Equal Opportunities Policy and will apply its principles to all aspects of employment and service provision. Hayfield will treat all employees and service users in the same way, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnic origin or disability.

This policy takes into account the stipulations and obligations of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 and the Equal Pay Act 1970 (as amended).

Procedure

• Hayfield will ensure that management and staff assume personal responsibility for the implementation of its Equal Opportunities Policy and information about the process for implementation will be available to all staff, service users, their carers and representatives.

• Hayfield will rigorously adhere to the principles contained within the policy and will not discriminate on grounds of sex, marital status, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, disability, age or on any other grounds.

• The policy will apply to the advertisement of jobs, recruitment and selection training, terms and conditions of employment, personal development and to every other aspect of employment.

• The policy will also apply equally to the selection, assessment and treatment of service users, and to the liaison with and involvement of their carers and representatives.

• Hayfield recognises that the imposition of a condition or requirement which has an adverse impact on someone, who, because his or her sex, race, disability or marital status is more likely to be affected by it, will be unlawful unless it can be justified on grounds of the needs of the service. In all such situations the Director should be consulted.

• Employees who are disabled or become disabled in the course of their employment should inform their Manager. They may also wish to advise the Organisation  of any “reasonable adjustments" to their employment or working conditions which they consider to be necessary or which they consider would assist them in the  performance of their duties. Careful consideration will be given to any proposals of this nature and, where reasonable, such adjustments will be made. (There may however, be circumstances where it will not be reasonable for Hayfield to accommodate those proposals, and  less favourable treatment may be justified in accordance with the statutory provisions).  Equal consideration will be given to the needs of service users with additional disabilities, and the same stipulations and qualifications will apply.

• Any member of staff or service user may use the grievance procedure to complain about discriminatory conduct.  Service users also have the opportunity of involving  their carers or other representatives. Hayfield will ensure that service users and staff feel able to raise such grievances and no individual will be discriminated against for exercising their rights under the grievance procedure unless it is proved to be untrue.

Discipline

Any employee who harasses a service user or another employee on the grounds of race, sex or disability will be subject to Hayfield’s disciplinary procedure. In serious cases, such behaviour may be deemed gross misconduct and, as such, may result in summary dismissal in the absence of mitigating circumstances. (See also policy document on Anti-Discriminatory Practice).