Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas

Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas

Equal Opportunities Policy

Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas - Statement on Equal Opportunities

Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas presents itself as a welcoming, open, accessible, friendly and inclusive charity and is committed to implementing and promoting equal opportunity, equality and fairness in all its activities, services and practice.

Responsibility

1.1.  The Directors/Trustees are responsible for developing and reviewing the equal opportunities policy for Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas and the Chair of the Management Committee is responsible for promoting, training and implementing the policy.

1.2.  Everyone responsible for recruiting volunteers to work in Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas must ensure that they are all aware of ‘Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas Equal Opportunities Policy’ and that they adhere to it while working as volunteers. All volunteers and members have a duty to do everything they can to ensure that the policy works in practice.

1.3.  Where discrimination, bullying or harassment does occur, it will be dealt with by the Chair of the Management Committee and the Directors/Trustees. The Directors/Trustees will have the powers to exclude any member from all its charitable activities.

1.4.  Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas realises that a genuine commitment to equal opportunities must operate at all levels:

·  Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will ensure broad representation on its committees and seek participation from its user groups. This involves the appointment of a wide range of suitable trustees and management committee members to ensure genuine representation from amongst its members.

·  In our bilingual community respecting and meeting the needs of both Welsh and English speakers is a priority and bilingual speakers are both Directors/Trustees and members of the Management Committee. Bilingual literature is provided where appropriate.

·  Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas is keenly aware of disadvantage and exclusion in a ‘deep’ rural community and every effort is made to support the young and the elderly.

·  Yr Hen Ysgol Dinas will strive to develop an ‘inclusive approach’ to all members of the community and any complaints of unfavourable behaviour, exclusion or discrimination will be treated with the utmost seriousness.

Discrimination

Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of:

·  Nationality

·  Language and Culture

·  Race

·  Gender

·  Disability

·  Age

·  Religious belief

1.5.  Volunteers and members should avoid and challenge the use of language which, in any way, belittles anyone. Where the language used has a personal impact on others, and it has been made clear to the person concerned that their use of such language is unwelcome and/or offensive, disciplinary action may be taken if they persist with it.

1.6.  All forms of bullying or harassment are totally unacceptable.

1.7.  No volunteer or member should be subject to sexual harassment. This is interpreted as unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature including:

·  verbal sexual abuse

·  physical contact

·  repeated remarks which an individual finds offensive

If it has been made clear to the person concerned that their behaviour is unwelcome and they persist with it, then the volunteer or member who is the recipient of the behaviour will be entitled to make a formal complaint to the Directors/Trustees.

1.8.  Materials created and produced by Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will take into account all equality issues.

Disabled Access

1.9.  Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will ensure, as far as is practicable, that all the premises it uses will have disabled access. When considering new premises, every effort will be made to ensure such premises are fully accessible.

Monitoring and Review

The ‘Equal Opportunities Policy’ of Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will be reviewed as necessary by the Directors/Trustees and Management Committee to ensure that no committee member, volunteer or any other member is disadvantaged either, directly or indirectly. It is the responsibility of every individual to eliminate discrimination and to ensure the practical application of this Policy.

The Directors/Trustees and Management Committee of Yr Hen Ysgol, Dinas will review this policy every three years.

Adopted by the Directors/Trustees on the 18th June 2013.

This policy was reviewed and approved in April 2017.

2