Oakley Parish Council

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

Oakley Parish Council recognises that everyone has a contribution to make to our society and a right to equal treatment. We aim to ensure that no Oakley Parish Councillor, volunteer, organization, job applicant or individual to whom we provide services, will be discriminated against by us on any unfair grounds whatsoever.

We aim to foster awareness of prejudices in all who work for and with the Oakley Parish Council, and we aim to encourage the removal of such prejudices.

We also aim to ensure that Oakley Parish Councillors, volunteers and staff working with individuals and with organisations for which the Oakley Parish Council provides services do not suffer discrimination, and where this occurs, the Oakley Parish Council commits itself to taking positive action against such discrimination.

Oakley Parish Council is committed to:

 addressing positively opportunities for full participation within the organisation

 adopting an effective system to monitor its practice with regard to ensuring equality of opportunity

 promoting good practice with regard to equality of opportunity for organisations and individuals involved in the work of the Oakley Parish Council.

In particular the Oakley Parish Council will:

 work to ensure that all its services are provided in a way that promotes awareness of the rights and needs of people from minority groups and enables all people to have access to those services

 work to ensure that our terms and conditions of employment and volunteering reflect a range of needs and interests that encompass people who may otherwise be disadvantaged. The policy of the Oakley Parish Council is to ensure that no person receives less favourable consideration than others in the selection and appointment of staff or in the recruitment of volunteers.

 

Recruitment and promotion practices

The Oakley Parish Council will ensure equality of opportunity for all job applicants and volunteers; it will ensure that:

 application forms are continually reviewed to ensure structure and content are not open to discrimination

 when recruiting, the Parish Council will develop personnel specifications which recognises the importance only of relevant experience or qualifications.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Service provision

The Oakley Parish Council will take positive action to ensure its services to, and contacts with, other groups and individuals reflect this Equal Opportunities Policy. This will be effected by:

 consulting with groups and individuals with special requirements to identify how the Parish Council services may be improved to meet their needs

 ensuring that all individuals who represent the Oakley Parish Council are aware of understand and operate this Equal Opportunities Policy.

 

Employer’s responsibilities

The Oakley Parish Council:

 is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of this Equal Opportunities Policy

 will ensure that all individuals within the Oakley Parish Council, whether paid or unpaid, clearly understand and practise the principles contained in this Policy

 will not victimise anyone who has provided information about discrimination

It shall be the responsibility of the Executive to keep the Oakley Parish Council fully up to date with developments or difficulties relating to the implementation of this Policy.

 

Employee’s / Users responsibilities

All employees of the Oakley Parish Council and users of its services:

 will be required to co-operate with measures introduced by the Committee to ensure and promote equal opportunities

 will neither practise any form of discrimination nor use discriminatory language

 will draw to the attention of the Oakley Parish Council any suspected acts of discrimination

 will not victimise anyone who has provided information about discrimination.

 

Review

This Equal Opportunities Policy will be reviewed by the Oakley Parish Council annually at the Annual General Meeting.

 

This policy has been agreed and approved by Oakley Parish Council.

 

 

Signed

 

 

 

 

 

Name                                                            Position