Equal Opportunities Policy

A) STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. Hood Seating Limited (The Company) recognises that we live in a society where discrimination still disadvantages many groups.
2. The Company believes that all persons should have equal rights to recognition of their human dignity and to equal opportunities to be educated, to work, to receive services, and to participate in society.
3. We are committed to promoting equal opportunities within the Company through the way we manage the organisation and provide services to the community. To express this commitment, we develop, promote, and maintain policies that uphold the principles of fairness and equality in the workplace.
4. The objective of this policy is that no person should suffer or experience less favourable treatment, discrimination or lack of opportunities on the grounds of gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, health status, HIV status, age, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, political beliefs or trade union membership, class, responsibility for dependents, physical attributes, ex-offender status as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, lack of formal qualifications where such qualifications are not formally required, or any other grounds which cannot be shown to be justifiable within the context of this policy.
5. This policy will influence and affect every aspect of activities carried out at The Company, i.e. promotional work, educational services, casework and other functions linked to the Company, as determined by the Board of Directors.
6. In the provision of services and the employment of staff, the Company is committed to promoting equal opportunities for everyone. Throughout its activities, the Company will treat all people equally, whether they are:

• • Seeking or using our products and services. 
  • Applying for a job or already employed by us. 
  • Trainee workers and students on work experience or placements.

B) How will the policy be implemented, and who is responsible?

The Board of Directors has specific responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy. We expect all our employees to abide by the policy and help create an equal environment, which is the objective.

To implement this policy, we shall:

• Communicate the policy to employees, job applicants, volunteers and relevant others.
• Incorporate specific and appropriate duties in respect of implementing the equal opportunities policy into job descriptions and work objectives of all staff. 
• Ensure that those involved in assessing candidates for recruitment or promotion are trained in nondiscriminatory selection techniques. 
• Incorporate equal opportunity notices into general communications practices. 
• Ensure that adequate resources are made available to fulfil the policy's objectives.

Conduct and general standards of behaviour

All staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and considerate manner at all times. The Company will not tolerate behaviour such as:

• making threats
• physical violence
• shouting
• swearing at others
• persistent rudeness
• isolating, ignoring or refusing to work with certain people
• telling offensive jokes or name-calling
• Displaying offensive material such as pornography or sexist/racist cartoons, or the distribution of such material via email/text message or any other format.
• Any other forms of harassment or victimisation.

The items on the above list of unacceptable behaviours are considered disciplinary offences within the company and may result in disciplinary action. The Company does, however, encourage staff to resolve misunderstandings and problems informally wherever possible, depending on the circumstances. However, whether dealt with informally or formally, it is essential that staff who may have offended understand that it is no defence to say they did not intend to do so, or to blame individuals for being oversensitive. It is the impact of the behaviour, rather than the intent, that counts, and that should shape the solution found both to the immediate problem and to prevent further similar problems in the future.

Complaints of discrimination

The Company will take all complaints of unlawful discrimination on any forbidden grounds made by employees, directors, clients, or other third parties seriously and will take appropriate action.

All complaints will be investigated in accordance with the organisation's grievance, complaints or disciplinary procedure, as appropriate, and the complainant will be informed of the outcome in line with these procedures.

We will also monitor the number and outcomes of complaints of discrimination made by staff, directors, clients and other third parties.

C) Legal Obligations

Equal Opportunities and Discrimination (Equality Act 2010) The new Equality Act came into force in October 2010 and replaces all previous equality legislation in England, Scotland and Wales ² namely the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, The Civil Partnership Act 2004, the Employment Equality Regulations 2003 (religions and belief and sexual orientation).

The Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics are:

Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

In valuing diversity, the Company is committed to going beyond the legal minimum in its equality commitments.

The Equality Act 2010 harmonises, strengthens, and replaces most previous equality legislation. The following legislation is still relevant:

• The Human Rights Act 1998.
• The Work and Families Act 2006.
• Employment Equal Treatment Framework Directive 2000 (as amended).

D) RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

1. The recruitment and selection process is crucially important to any equal opportunities policy. We will endeavour, through appropriate training, to ensure that employees do not, when making selection and recruitment decisions, discriminate, whether consciously or unconsciously.
2. Promotion and advancement will be made on merit, and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy.
3. Job descriptions, where used, will be revised to ensure that they are in line with our equal opportunities policy. Job requirements will be reflected accurately in any personnel specifications.
4. We will adopt a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of vacancies.
5. All applicants for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered solely on their ability to do the job.
6. Short-listing and interviewing will be carried out by more than one person where possible.
7. Interview questions will be job-related and not discriminatory.
8. Any perceived prejudices of other staff will not influence selection decisions.

E) MONITORING

1. We will maintain and review the employment records of all employees to monitor the progress of this policy.

Monitoring may involve:-

• The collection and classification of information regarding the race in terms of ethnic/national origin and sex of all applications and current employees; 
• The examination by ethnic/national origin and sex of the distribution of employees and the success rate of the applicants; and 
• Recording recruitment, training and promotional records of all employees, the decisions reached and the reasons for those decisions.

2. The results of any monitoring procedure will be reviewed at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this policy. Consideration will be given, if necessary, to adjusting this policy to afford greater equality of opportunities to all applicants and staff.

The Board of Directors will regularly revise and review this policy. Approved by the board on 2nd January 2025.

Dated: 2nd January 2025     Review date: January 2026