Hopscotch Women's Centre

Who we are

OUR MISSION, VISION AND STRATEGIC AIMS AT HOPSCOTCH

Hopscotch's Vision

Our vision is a society where all women are empowered, connected, well and safe, so they can achieve their full potential. 

Hopscotch’s Mission

Hopscotch seeks to address racial and gender inequity and empowers women facing this injustice and disadvantage in a culturally sensitive way, so they can be included and equal in society. 

We are responsive to changing needs. We aspire to maximise opportunities for women so they feel confident in achieving their aspirations. 

We are agile in the face of societal pressures and advocate for individuals and communities, through influencing mainstream policy, to adopt good practice.

Hopscotch’s Aims

Improve the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of women and their families 

Increase the economic participation of women through improvements in employability skills to strengthen their life chances and independence with greater resilience

Reduce the risk of gender-based violence amongst women facing a higher risk of abuse

Increase the voice and representation of women through advocacy and policy work

Maintain an effective, fit for purpose and robust organisation that meets the needs of all stakeholders, including voluntary and statutory sectors, to contribute to our aims

Our culture and values

WHY HOPSCOTCH?

o   An opportunity to live out your values

o   Working in a human rights environment

o   A chance to challenge the status quo and not settle for what is

o   Working with a diverse and vibrant team

o   Team positivity, creativity and problem solving

o   A place where all voices are heard

o   Daily opportunities to make a meaningful impact on those in need

o   Signatories of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant – creating a safe working environment for all staff

o   Generous annual leave provision

o   Occupational sick leave

o   Regular internal and clinical supervision with amazing therapists

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

 JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY POLICY

1. Introduction

This policy outlines Hopscotch Women’s Centre’s (Hopscotch) commitment to respond to existing legislation and guidance from government to address inequity issues in Hopscotch’s recruitment and employment processes, volunteering, governance and management structures and the services and other activities we provide.

The responsibility for ensuring inclusion and justice among potential and actual service users, volunteers, members and workers rests ultimately with the Board.   Volunteers, workers and the Board members are responsible for the implementation of the policy, its observance, monitoring it on a day-to-day basis and reporting on its operation to the Trustee Board.

The policy consists of the following:

• Statement of intent
• The Policy

2. Statement of Intent

Hopscotch recognises that many individuals and groups are discriminated against on grounds of age, disability, gender, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and national and ethnic origins), sexual orientation, religion or belief or because someone is married or in a civil partnership.  These are known as ‘protected characteristics’. Hopscotch is committed to working towards eliminating all forms of discrimination both through our own work and through employment policies and practices. 

Recognising that passive policies will not achieve change, Hopscotch will, through regular monitoring of policies and practice, take active steps to combat discrimination. Hopscotch applies the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 to make appropriate reasonable adjustments for disabled employees or applicants, equal pay, and positive action to achieve equity for people with protected characteristics.

Discrimination after employment may also be unlawful, e.g. refusing to give a reference for a reason related to one of the protected characteristics. Discrimination prior to employment may also be unlawful e.g. selection for a job.

You should not discriminate against or harass a member of the public or service user in the provision of services or goods. It is unlawful to fail to make reasonable adjustments to overcome barriers to using services caused by disability. The duty to make reasonable adjustments includes the removal, adaptation or alteration of physical features, if the physical features make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of services. In addition, service providers have an obligation to think ahead and address any barriers that may impede disabled people from accessing a service.

3. Types of Unlawful Discrimination

3.1 Direct discrimination is where a person is treated less favourably than another because of a protected characteristic.

In limited circumstances, employers can directly discriminate against an individual for a reason related to any of the protected characteristics where there is an occupational requirement. The occupational requirement must be crucial to the post and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

3.2 Indirect discrimination is where a provision, criterion or practice is applied that is discriminatory in relation to individuals who have a relevant protected characteristic such that it would be to the detriment of people who share that protected characteristic compared with people who do not, and it cannot be shown to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

3.3 Harassment is where there is unwanted conduct, related to one of the protected characteristics (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity; or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It does not matter whether or not this effect was intended by the person responsible for the conduct.

3.4 Associative discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed for association with another individual who has a protected characteristic (although it does not cover harassment because of marriage and civil partnership, and (according to guidance from the Government and ACAS) pregnancy and maternity).

3.5 Perceptive discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed based on a perception that he/she has a particular protected characteristic when he/she does not, in fact, have that protected characteristic (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity).

3.6 Third-party harassment occurs where an employee is harassed and the harassment is related to a protected characteristic (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity), by third parties such as service users.

3.7 Victimisation occurs where an employee is subjected to a detriment, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion because he/she made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act 2010, or because he/she is suspected of doing so. However, an employee is not protected from victimisation if he/she acted maliciously or made or supported an untrue complaint.

3.8 Failure to make reasonable adjustments is where a physical feature or a provision, criterion or practice puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with someone who does not have that protected characteristic and the employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments to enable the disabled person to overcome the disadvantage.

4. Equal Opportunities in Employment

Hopscotch will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment, promotion, opportunities for training, pay and benefits, discipline and selection for redundancy.

5. The Policy

5.1 Service Provision:  Hopscotch will not discriminate unlawfully against service users using or seeking to use the services provided by Hopscotch. Users must have easy access to information about Hopscotch’s services, which may involve making materials available where appropriate in a variety of media, for example in large print or electronically and in community languages.  In particular, all printed materials will be in a minimum of 10 font size.  It is also recognised that Hopscotch will not be able to meet all the demands made upon its services.  There will be a drawn up and publicly available list of services which will be reviewed at least annually.

Additionally, it is recognised that there may from time to time be complaints against members of staff or the service.  A notice will be displayed in the general office, giving details of how a complaint may be made.  The procedure will also be regularly publicised in our publications and as part of providing face-to-face services. You should report any bullying or harassment by service users, suppliers, visitors or others to your manager who will take appropriate action.

5.2 Recruitment and Selection:  Hopscotch aims to receive the widest response to recruitment of volunteers, workers or management committee members.  All vacancies will be publicised widely.  The range of publications and agencies chosen will attempt to reflect the aim of reaching all sections of society.  Information sent to potential applicants will include the volunteer or management role description or a job description and a person specification in the case of paid employment and details of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (JEDI) Policy.  It will be standard practice to supply information in large print when requested - this will be noted in advertisements.

Person and job specifications will be limited to those requirements that are necessary for the effective performance of the job. Candidates for employment or promotion will be assessed objectively against the requirements for the job, taking account of any reasonable adjustments that may be required for candidates with a disability. Disability and personal or home commitments will not form the basis of employment decisions except where necessary by the nature of the role.

6. Terms and Conditions: 

Hopscotch will consider any possible indirectly discriminatory effect of its standard working practices, including the number of hours to be worked, the times at which these are to be worked and the place at which work is to be done, when considering requests for variations to these standard working practices and will refuse such requests only if Hopscotch considers it has good reasons, unrelated to any protected characteristic, for doing so. Hopscotch will comply with its obligations in relation to statutory requests for contract variations. Hopscotch will also make reasonable adjustments to its standard working practices to overcome barriers caused by disability.

7. Staff Support:  Volunteers and staff are entitled to support from senior leadership members.  Volunteers and staff will receive regular supervision from their line manager, plus support of clinical supervision and also psychotherapy with the support of a manager at Hopscotch.

8. Training:  Hopscotch recognises that training is an important factor in leading to job achievement and opportunity.  Induction training is particularly important and will be made available to all volunteers, staff members and management committee members.  When other needs are identified, every effort will be made to ensure that training is provided.

Hopscotch will provide training in this JEDI policy to managers and others likely to be involved in recruitment or other decision making where equity issues are likely to arise.

Hopscotch will provide training to all existing and new employees and others engaged to work at Hopscotch to help them understand their rights and responsibilities under the dignity at work policy and what they can do to help create a working environment free of bullying and harassment.   The training will also include treating service users with respect and having due regard for the protected equalities characteristics. Hopscotch will provide additional training to managers to enable them to deal more effectively with complaints of bullying and harassment.

9. Purchasing:  Hopscotch will try to ensure that the goods and services it offers are accessible to all groups. It will not knowingly receive or purchase goods and services from agencies which practise discrimination.

10. Monitoring:  Regular monitoring and reviews of all procedures will take place from time to time, to check the effectiveness of Hopscotch’s JEDI Policy.  Staff will be required to report the results of such monitoring to the Board annually and to recommend such amendments as are needed to ensure that the JEDI Policy is effective at all levels of the organisation.

In particular, Hopscotch will monitor the ethnic and gender composition of the existing workforce and of applicants for jobs (including promotion), and the number of people with disabilities within these groups and will review this policy in accordance with the results shown by the monitoring. If changes are required, Hopscotch will implement them. Information provided by job applicants and employees for monitoring purposes will be used only for these purposes and will be dealt with in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

11. Dignity at Work: Hopscotch has a separate Dignity at Work policy concerning issues of bullying and harassment on any ground, and how complaints of this type will be dealt with.

12. Your responsibilities

Every employee is required to assist Hopscotch to meet its commitment to provide Equity and Justice in employment and avoid unlawful discrimination.  Employees can be held personally liable as well as, or instead of, Hopscotch for any act of unlawful discrimination. Employees who commit serious acts of harassment may be guilty of a criminal offence.

Acts of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation against employees or customers are disciplinary offences and will be dealt with under Hopscotch’s disciplinary procedure.  Discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation may constitute gross misconduct and could lead to dismissal without notice.

13. Raising complaints and concerns about discrimination

Complaints and concerns about discrimination can come to the attention of Hopscotch in many different ways including an employee raising the matter with a manager, a member of staff observing behaviour that concerns them, or an individual outside the organisation raising the matter with Hopscotch. There are different ways of handling complaints which do not involve use a formal approach such as the grievance process. Informal discussions and mediation can be offered. If complaints cannot be addressed successfully in these ways, it is appropriate for employees to use the grievance procedure.

The CEO is always available to informally discuss complaints and concerns about discrimination.

14. Grievances

If you consider that you may have been unlawfully discriminated against, you should use Hopscotch’s grievance procedure to make a complaint. If your complaint involves bullying or harassment, the grievance procedure is modified as set out in the Dignity at Work Policy.

Hopscotch will take any complaint seriously and will seek to resolve any grievance that it upholds. You will not be penalised for raising a grievance, even if your grievance is not upheld, unless your complaint is both untrue and made in bad faith.

15. Review

The Policy will be reviewed annually to ensure continuing suitability, and effectiveness of the Policy. An early review may be prompted by the introduction of new legislation/regulation, or in the light of findings from Hopscotch’s monitoring process or implementation of the project.