Our policies

• Equal Opportunities Policy

• Child Protection Policy

Equal Opportunities Policy

Introduction

The Disability Partnership is committed to being an equal opportunities organisation.  Our Equal Opportunities Policy applies to our governance, service delivery, employment and volunteering practices.  Contractors and organisations that we work in partnership with are also expected to abide by the policy.  The policy covers our operations throughout the U.K.

Definitions

We define Equal Opportunities as:

• The removal of direct discrimination – ensuring that people are not treated less favourably on the grounds of their disability, ethnicity, national origin, colour, race, sex, gender reassignment, marital status, religious belief, political opinion, sexual orientation and age.

• The removal of indirect discrimination – ensuring requirements or conditions, do not unfairly or unjustifiably limit access to services, jobs, or voluntary opportunities.

• Equal Rights – the achievement and respect of equal civil rights for all.

• Equal Access- increasing access to services, volunteering or job opportunities by having policies and practices which take account of diverse needs.

Equality is one of The Disability Partnership’s core values, as such, it forms part of the framework within which other policies, procedures and practices within the Disability Partnership are to be developed and implemented.

Disability Equality

The policy contains a section specifically on Disability Equality, because The Disability Partnership is a disability organisation. 

We recognise the exclusion and disadvantages that disabled people experience as a result of social, economic and material barriers, created by the world in which they live.  The Disability Partnership also recognises that disabled people may be enabled by learning additional skills.

The Disability Partnership is working to ensure that disabled people receive the maximum possible benefit that can accrue to them through the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).  The Disability Partnership will, at the very least, take steps to ensure that it meets its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act and, where possible, exceeds it.  This includes making reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of disabled trustees, committee members, job applicants, employees, customers and volunteers.

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Child Protection Policy

Statement of Intent:

As an organisation working with children and young people, The Disability Partnership has a responsibility to:

• Accept the moral and legal responsibility to endorse and implement procedures to provide a duty of care for children and young people, safeguard their well-being and protect them from abuse.

• Respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of children and young people.

• Ensure that its employees/volunteers adopt best practice to safeguard and protect children and young people from abuse, and themselves against false allegations.

• Respond to any allegations appropriately and implement the disciplinary and appeals procedures.

Guidelines

Practices to be followed

All employees/volunteers of The Disability Partnership should:

• Be known to The Disability Partnership or have suitable qualifications and have their personal details recorded by the Schools in which they operate.

• Always work with children and young people in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging an open environment (e.g. no secrets).

• Treat all children and young people equally, and with respect and dignity.

• Always put the welfare of each children and young person first.

• Build balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children and young people to share in the decision-making process.

• Encourage parents/carers to ask questions and give information to parents/carers, children and young people.

• Ensure that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and with the agreement of the individual and parent/carer.

• Involve parents/carers wherever possible in appropriate support with their child.

• Be an excellent role model.

• Recognise the developmental needs and capacity of children and young people.

Practices Which Should Not Be Followed

With the exception of emergencies, all employees/volunteers of The Disability Partnership should not:

• spend excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.

If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the organisation or the child's parents (e.g. if a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital).

Practices Which Should Never Be Followed

All employees/volunteers of The Disability Partnership should never:

• Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games.

• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.

• Reduce a child to tears as a form of control.

• Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child.

• Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.

If any of the following incidents should occur, you should report them immediately to another colleague and make a written note of the event, parents/carers should be informed of the incident:

• If you accidentally hurt a child

• If he/she seems distressed in any manner

• If a child appears to be sexually aroused by your actions

• If a child misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done.

Use of Photographic/Filming Equipment

Professional photographers/filming/video operators wishing to record the event should seek accreditation with the event organiser by producing their professional identification for the details to be recorded. Ideally they should request this at least five working days before the event.

Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures:

To safeguard individual rights under the policy, an individual who believes they have cause for concern within the scope of the policy may raise the matter through The Disability Partnership Board of Trustees.

Appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with its disciplinary procedures, will be taken against any member or individual who violates The Disability Partnership’s Child Protection Policy.

The Disability Partnership is concerned that individuals feel able to raise any grievance and no member or individual will be penalised for doing so unless it is untrue and not made in good faith.

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