Diversity and Inclusion Policy Young People

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1 Diversity and Inclusion Policy Young People Who does this policy apply to? All staff, volunteers and secondees involved in Prince s Trust programmes Separate policies relating to staff/volunteers: Dignity at Work Policy Delivery Partner note: Delivery Partners will use their own policies but should check that these at least meet the standards of The Prince s Trust policies. The Policy The Trust is committed to ensuring fairness and recognises the need for Diversity/Inclusion within its programmes The Trust will anticipate the majority of reasonable adjustments to ensure that all young people are recruited fairly on to Trust programmes and can participate fully Bullying or harassment of young people on Trust programmes will not be tolerated Changes since previous policy This is a new policy Why we have this policy The Prince s Trust is committed to building a diverse organisation that is responsive to the needs of young people and all stakeholders. This policy provides the framework to enable The Trust to be as fully inclusive as possible when working with young people and to minimise any potential risk of discrimination. The Trust is dedicated to ensuring that, wherever possible, its programmes are accessible and is a positive experience for all young people who need our help, regardless of their background, characteristics, ideas and beliefs. The Trust has a duty, under the Equality Act, to ensure that it is inclusive and sensitive to the needs of the diverse group of young people that it works with. In our work delivered through public sector contracts. The Trust is also required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty which obliges us to measure equality and diversity and demonstrate that we have made reasonable adjustments to ensure that young people with diverse characteristics can access our programmes. Page 1 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

2 Responsibility All staff and volunteers are responsible for ensuring that they are non-discriminatory and respectful in their working practices and contact with young people. This includes using non-discriminatory language and being sensitive to the cultural differences in body language and behaviour Staff will ensure that programmes promote inclusivity and diversity in their content Line managers must ensure that all staff have completed the compulsory e-learning diversity training on TrustNet and have the opportunity to attend other Equality and Diversity training if appropriate to their role Line managers must complete the managers diversity e-learning module on TrustNet and are the first point of contact for any diversity issues Volunteer training will include information on the Diversity policy and its practical implementation Regional/Country Diversity Champions will advise and support on diversity issues The Equality and Diversity Action Group is responsible for setting the diversity strategy and addressing any high-level concerns or changes that need to be made, including monitoring Inclusion and Diversity against Key Performance Indicators The Head of Programmes or Centre Manager are responsible for approving any costs associated with making reasonable adjustments to programmes General principles Programme content should reflect the diverse interests and backgrounds of young people on the programme The ground rules agreed with young people for each programme should reference diversity and respecting others regardless of background, belief or characteristic In promoting Prince s Trust programmes, staff should use images that reflect a diverse range of young people (which means that not everyone who is disabled is in a wheelchair) and should ensure that they publicise the programme to a broad range of referral agencies, including specialist support organisations where appropriate Where a young person has indicated that they come from a protected characteristic (such as having a disability), staff must assess whether reasonable adjustments to the programme are required. Staff should act in a timely manner and work with the young person/relevant support agency to assess whether adjustments can reasonably be made. Volunteers are not expected to assess reasonable adjustments, but are expected to adhere to adjustments made Each young person should, where possible, provide diversity monitoring data on the Profile Form Staff and volunteers should not disclose any sensitive personal information relating to a young person s personal characteristics without prior permission of the young person, in line with The Trust s Confidentiality Policy. All information of a personal and confidential nature must be stored in line with The Trust s Data Protection Policy Resources for young people should be written with a reading age of ten Page 2 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

3 Making reasonable adjustments (see also Appendix 1): In relation to: Age Disability Gender Gender reassignment Reasonable adjustment: Within age discrimination law The Trust is allowed to state and restrict its programmes by age. Under equalities legislation, The Trust can set upper and lower age limits for its programmes as we have an objective justification. Changes to age limits must be approved by the Deputy Director of Programmes as delegated to be SMT. (see Age Discrimination Guidance/Age Restriction Approval form on TrustNet) Where necessary, the content of each course should be tailored to the emotional, physical and intellectual maturity of its participants. If a young person declares that they have a disability, even if they are already engaged on the programme, a reasonable adjustment assessment should be carried out. A risk assessment may need to be carried out depending on the nature of the disability. Risk assessments should be done by Prince s Trust staff, not volunteers or secondees. o An adjustment assessment is recommended for declared disabilities which could put the young person s safety at risk. o For cases such as dyslexia/dyspraxia adjustments should already have been anticipated and put in place. The staff member should discuss with the young person or their support worker what additional support, if any, would be required for them to take part in the programme For guidance on mental health, see the Working with Young People with Mental Health Needs policy The decision on whether a programme is suitable for a young person lies initially with the person recruiting/ running the programme. Concerns should be referred to the line manager and then the Regional/Country Director with the Director of Policy and Strategy When resource is the key factor in deciding whether a young person can be supported by The Prince s Trust, the procedure in Appendix One should be followed. Some religions have clear guidelines on etiquette between men and women, e.g. in Orthodox Islam, Muslim women will not be allowed to mix with men unless they are a blood relation, so there may be a need to run a single sex programme if a need is identified Guidance on overlap between religion and gender can be found on TrustNet s Diversity pages When providing accommodation for young people who are transgender or are in the process of transitioning, staff must respect and provide accommodation for the young person for the gender the young person identifies with, e.g. a young person who was born Page 3 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

4 Pregnancy & maternity Marriage & civil partnerships Race, ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality Religion/belief Sexual orientation male but identifies herself as female and dresses as and lives in the identity as a female would expect to be accommodated in a female dormitory or bedroom. Gendered Intelligence can provide further advice: including advice on sexual health for transgender youth Staff should always assess and manage the risks posed by pregnancy by completing the Newly Expectant Mothers checklist on TrustNet. See also Pregnancy Information Sheet on TrustNet specific adjustments should need to be made in relation to marriage and civil partnerships for any Trust programmes. Please refer to the Sexual Health policy for further guidance on supporting young people in their relationships In Wales there is a legal requirement if requested to translate material in to the Welsh language (see Welsh Language Guidance). There is no obligation for the Trust to translate in to any other languages unless a need can be justified against cost Staff should respect national holidays for people of all races Please see the Refugees and Asylum Seekers Policy for further information for these groups The Diversity pages on TrustNet have guidance on the major religions and belief systems detailing The Trust s responsibilities on respecting and providing reasonable adjustments for food (Halal, vegetarian etc), religious festivals (when scheduling programmes), and providing quiet spaces for prayer or religious days. See also Managing Religious Tensions paper on TrustNet Young people may have belief systems (e.g. Veganism or Vegetarianism) which staff must respect. Any concerns on managing belief systems must be directed to the Head of Diversity. Staff, volunteers and young people must respect and be considerate towards the needs of gay, lesbian and bisexual young people and The Prince s Trust will not tolerate homophobic behaviour. Staff and volunteers must challenge the use of language that makes reference to homophobic hatred. See Stonewall guides on Trustnet or Definitions The 2010 Equality Act identifies a range of protected characteristics which the law protects from discrimination, whether this is direct or indirect. These are as follows: Age: This refers to a person belonging to a particular age (e.g. 32 yr olds) or range of ages (e.g yr olds). Disability: A person has a disability if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and longterm adverse effect on that person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This can include a long term Page 4 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

5 illness such as diabetes, MS, Cancer, Aids and HIV, facial disfigurement, as well as historic illnesses and diagnosis. Gender: A man or a woman Gender reassignment: The process of transitioning from one gender to another, both the person and the process of transgender are protected. Marriage and civil partnership: Marriage is defined as a 'union between a man and a woman'. Same-sex couples can have their relationships legally recognised as 'civil partnerships'. Civil partners must be treated the same as married couples on a wide range of legal matters. Pregnancy and maternity: Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth, and is linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. Race: It is difficult to define race however, in its simplest terms, we can say that race refers to a group of people defined by their ethnic or national origins. Religion and belief: Belief includes religious and philosophical beliefs including lack of belief (e.g. Atheism). Generally, a belief should affect your life choices or the way you live for it to be included in the definition. Sexual orientation: Whether a person's sexual attraction is towards their own sex, the opposite sex or to both. The Prince s Trust recognises that the named protected characteristics are not exhaustive and there are many diverse groups who do not fall under the Equality Act The Prince s Trust will always endeavour to be inclusive and make cost effective reasonable adjustments. The Next Steps pages of the main Trust website offer support and advice for young people who have protected characteristics. This includes a number of referral agencies. Indirect discrimination When certain rules, requirements, conditions or practices have a disproportionably negative impact on people who share a protected characteristic, this now includes disability and gender reassignment Direct discrimination Less favourable treatment of a person because: of a protected characteristic they have or are thought to have they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic Page 5 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

6 Harassment Unwanted conduct which violates a person s dignity, this can be verbal, physical or non-verbal. Harassment can also be creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person Victimisation When an employee is treated unfairly because: they have made a complaint are about to make a complaint are providing evidence for an investigation relating to discrimination, bullying or harassment Reasonable adjustments are adjustments made to a programme s design or delivery to enable a young person to participate. The reasonableness is measured against the resource, cost and safety implications for what an organisation its size should reasonably provide. Related Policies Refugees and Asylum Seekers Policy Target Group definitions Consent for Under 18s Policy Confidentiality Policy Working with Young People with Mental Health Needs Policy Welsh Translation Guidance Dignity at Work Policy Comments related to the maintenance of this policy should be directed to policies@princes-trust.org.uk All Prince s Trust policies are reviewed in March and re-issued in April each year. Author Policy & Strategy Dept and Programmes Dept Date approved by SMT February 2012 Version Draft I (Prince s Trust / Fairbridge Integration) Page 6 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.

7 Appendix One: Procedure for assessing reasonable adjustments Procedure for assessing reasonable adjustments Is the additional support required already available at The Trust? In the event where a young person has indicated a protected characteristic in their profile form, and require further adjustments, assess whether these adjustments can be made (see policy for guidance). In all cases below, support must be in place before the young person is accepted onto the programme. Continue to work with that young person, following the usual procedures, completing a risk assessment, if appropriate. Can the young person access the necessary support required via statutory services? Advise the young person / support worker of suitable support options. Can support be secured from another organisation for free? Explore the feasibility of joint support. Are there other grants available that the young person could access to help meet the costs? Assist the young person / support worker to apply for the grant. Follow regional / country procedure to secure funds. Does the region have an access fund (or other) budget which could be used to support the young person? Staff members must be satisfied that they have made reasonable efforts to accommodate the young person s needs before declining them. If in doubt, please consult your Regional/Country Director or the Director of Policy and Strategy. Page 7 of 7 The Prince s Trust. Last updated February 2012.