Brook Creative Therapy's Equal
Opportunities Policy
1. Statement of Intent
Brook Creative Therapy's
policy on equal opportunities is based on the UK Sex Discrimination Act 1975
and 1986, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act
1944 and 1958, the Disabled Persons Act 1986, the Disability Discrimination Act
1996 and the Department of Employment Code of Practice.
1.1 Brook Creative Therapy
recognises that discrimination exists within the wider community and has a
serious effect on many of the organisations with which it is working. It
therefore gives equal regard to people regardless of their culture, language,
religious practice, gender, socio-economic group, sexual preference or physical
or mental ability.
1.2 Brook Creative Therapy's
equal opportunities policy seeks to give due regard to people of every culture,
language, religious practice, gender, socio-economic group, sexual preference
or physical or mental ability/disability.
1.3 Brook Creative Therapy
will give equal opportunities and positive action for employment and
subcontract work to suitably qualified people regardless of their race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation or physical or mental ability. It will
seek to investigate and take appropriate action where any form of
discrimination exists within its own organisation or sphere of influence.
1.4 Brook Creative Therapy
understands that people are not all the same and come from different
backgrounds, in terms of culture, language, religious practice, gender, socio-economic
group, sexual preference and ability/disability. All people are to be treated
with the same high regard and respect.
1.5 Brook Creative Therapy
realises that people with physical or mental disabilities have the same right
to respect as anyone else. It endeavours to provide suitable facilities and a
network of support and help to anyone with disabilities working in Brook
Creative Therapy. It will also strongly encourage its subcontractors to provide
such support and help to any employees within their organisations who have
disabilities. Any discrimination by its subcontractors that becomes known to Brook
Creative Therapy will be challenged and, if action is not taken, will lead to a
termination of subcontract work.
2. Procedures Relating to Recruitment,
Training and Promotion
2.1 Brook Creative Therapy's
recruitment procedures for both direct employment and subcontracting work are
fair to ensure that applicants are considered on merit alone and not on the
basis of their culture, language, religious practice, gender, socio-economic
group, sexual preference or physical or mental ability. It encourages positive
action towards people with disabilities in its recruitment policies and seeks
to make reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities, taking into
account the social model of disability.
2.2 Training in issues
relating to equal opportunities will be required for all employees and
subcontractors within Brook Creative Therapy. It is a condition of service that
such training is regularly updated.
2.3 Advertisements for
employees and subcontractors, including direct mail, will emphasise the need
for qualified personnel from ethnic minority backgrounds and language groups.
Such advertisements will invite applications from suitably qualified people
'regardless of culture, language, religious practice, gender, socio-economic
group, sexual preference or physical or mental ability'.
3. Conditions of Service
3.1 Brook Creative Therapy's
employees and subcontractors will use facilities suitable to carry out their
work effectively. In the case of people with disabilities, efforts will be made
to ensure easy access to the premises (for example, ramps) and attempts made to
procure specialist equipment that may be needed by the subcontractor/employee
in order to carry out the tasks required.
3.2 Brook Creative Therapy
will ensure as far as is reasonably possible that all its employees and
subcontractors are safe in the working environment and that they have means of
escape or other emergency procedures should they be threatened with attack or
sexually harassed.
4. Grievance and Disciplinary
Procedures
4.1 Grievances concerning
equal opportunities within Brook Creative Therapy should be made in the first
instance to one of Brook Creative Therapy's owners, Roger Day or Christine Day.
A full investigation and report will be made within 28 days of the grievance
being received.
4.2 In the case of
complaints made about Brook Creative Therapy employees or subcontractors,
disciplinary measures will be taken against anyone using racist or sexist words
or behaviour, or who engages in sexual harassment or who makes disparaging or
demeaning remarks about a person's disability. Such measures will start with a
warning and could end with dismissal and/or court action against the person
concerned.
5. Publicity
5.1 Brook Creative Therapy
will take suitable action to ensure that awareness of discrimination is
translated into positive action in favour of groups under-represented within
its organisation.
5.2 Brook Creative Therapy's
policy on equal opportunities is published and made available to all existing
employees and subcontractors. It is also given to all new/prospective
employees/subcontractors.
6 Review
6.1 Brook Creative Therapy’s
equal opportunities policy will be reviewed every three years. The next review
will be in September 2012.
Roger Day
Director
Brook Creative Therapy
September 2009