Greengate Housing Co-operative CIC ltd
4 Newbank Tower
Salford
M3 7JZ
Equality and Diversity Action Plan
(introductory draft – December 2012)
Introduction
Equality means ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to participate,
contribute to and benefit from the activities undertaken by tenants’ organisation.
Diversity goes beyond fair and equal treatment to recognise and appreciate the benefits that people’s different talents bring to an organisation or community.
Society is diverse in many different ways. Embracing and celebrating diversity
helps create an environment where everyone feels included and valued.
An essential goal for community organisations must be to involve all parts of the community and enable everyone to participate fully. Yet prejudice and discrimination can lead to some people being treated unfairly or excluded, however unintentionally. Other tenants with previous bad experiences may simply exclude themselves. All tenants’ organisations have to take active steps to ensure that everyone feels welcome and has equal opportunity to participate, contribute to and benefit from the activities that the association undertakes.
Housing associations are required to demonstrate their commitment to equal opportunities when carrying out all their functions and to adhere to the Housing Corporation’s Regulatory Code and good practice guidance.
Tenant association constitutions must include a commitment to equal opportunities.
Equal opportunities policies and practices designed to:
o Eliminate discrimination
o Treat everyone fairly and equitably
o Raise awareness about the effects of prejudice
o Promote measures to combat discrimination
o Remove any barriers to full participation.
Recognition of how valuing diversity helps to:
o Appreciate and respect peoples’ differences
o Present the strengths of the whole community
o Provide services that match differing needs and preferences
o Promote understanding and good relations between people with different backgrounds and experiences
o Increase the pool of talent available to help share the load when it comes to getting things done.
Primary Actions
1. Get to know your organisation and residents
Every member of the board and organisation itself (officer, volunteer etc.) should be asked to fill in short anonymous questionnaire for equality purposes.
Reason is to establish proportion in minorities which are involved.
Next step is leaflets' drop off to every single residential flat within the organisation, asking to fill in the same questionnaire.
Reason is to establish present proportion of people from different backgrounds living within the organisation.
2. Make a public statement
Ensure that all members of the community are aware of the group’s equality and diversity policy, and its determination to apply it. A public statement about the group’s commitment is an important part of letting the community know that the group takes equality and diversity seriously and that everyone will be welcomed.
Put up a notice in the place you hold your meetings reminding
everyone about the policy and what it means.
Plan 2013 – proposed actions
Review equality questionnaires - one of the goals should be setting targets for amount of people involved in organisation's projects. As a part of equality action plan organisation should set margin targets for how many people from different backgrounds should be attracted to get involved. This is vital point in action plan however does not have to be always met. Target needs to be realistic to the % of minorities living within the housing.
Take steps to ensure that everyone in community is able to participate fully in all Group's activities.
Engage and work with local minority groups – organisation will indicate which groups in local area would be beneficial for residents to work with. Target should be set for how many projects Organisation would like to get involved with after research which co-operations are possible.
Challenge any racist, sexist or other discriminatory behaviour or harassment
Whistleblowing Policy (please separate sheet)
Diversity Awareness Training for members and anyone involved in recruiting staff or volunteers – set proposed date and establish whether funding will be necessary
Meetings accessible as possible
Set targets to promote disability awareness – posters, meeting, trainings, leaflets
Disability Awareness (please see separate sheet)
Create and implement 'Bullying and Harrasement' procedure in co-operation with other voluntary associations
Plan effcetive system to monitore equality issues within organisation
Establish and set target for possible innovation to the housing which will scrap disability barriers
Set up code of practice for unacceptable actions - Where a member’s behaviour is totally unacceptable, a group may need to consider whether the person can continue to remain a member. Given that equality and diversity is all about valuing differences and encouraging inclusiveness, expulsion should be a last resort after all attempts to achieve an acceptance and tolerance of differences have failed
Monitoring – revision of who is participating in the Organisation's activities and revision of policy implementation.
Useful Websites
Equality and Human Rights Commission
National Council For Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)