There are high expectations in the values-driven workforces of social sector organisations with regard to equality of opportunity, fair treatment, diversity in the workforce and anti-discriminatory practice and it is usual for even the smallest organisations to have policies in this area and to be called upon to evidence their practice, especially when tendering for local authority or central government contracts.
At the same time, inferences of unfair treatment, poor working relationships or even discrimination, often linked to grievances, bullying and harassment and disputes can badly damage the reputation of the organisation and impact adversely on the morale of the workforce. Often the first an employer knows of a problem is a grievance; untreated symptoms often include a low score in certain areas of staff surveys.
It is straightforward good practice, as a starting point, to provide induction and ongoing refresher training in equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice, appropriate to level in the organisation and we can offer this for your Trustees or Directors, senior team, managers, staff and volunteers. Training of this nature is regarded as essential for setting a minimum standard of knowledge and acceptable working relationships but also in protecting organisations against discrimination claims. We can design and deliver this training but we can also coach your in-house trainers to deliver it on an ongoing basis if required.
Beyond this point, we can offer audits of equality of opportunities (and diversity if required), robust policies and an action plan for this area in order to increase awareness and focus, plus systems to monitor and measure effectiveness.
We offer Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training courses for any and all levels working within the social sector field, and create bespoke training plans that can be delivered either in-person or via Webinars
Contact us to discuss any further ideas or concerns you may like to explore in respect of this area.