Equality & Diversity Policy

1. Dorchester Regeneration is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and to promoting equality and diversity within our policies, practices and procedures. This applies to our professional dealings with customers, staff, subcontractors and other parties.

2. Dorchester Regeneration (the Business) treats everyone equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect regardless of:

• Sex (including pregnancy, maternity and paternity);
• Marital or civil partnership status;
• Gender reassignment;
• Sexual orientation;
• Race or racial group (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins);
• Religion or belief;
• Age (or perceived age);
• Caring responsibility; or
• Disability (past or present).

3. The Business takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the firm and its staff do not unlawfully discriminate under:

• The Equality Act 2010;
• The Employment Rights Act 1996;
• The Human Rights Act 1998;
• The Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000;
• The Fixed-Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000;
• The Work and Families Act 2006;
• The Civil Partnership Act 2004; and
  Any other relevant legislation in force from time to time relating to discrimination in employment and the provision of goods, facilities or services.

4. The Business does not unlawfully discriminate in dealings with experts and third parties. All experts and third parties are instructed from a register of experts and have been assessed by the Business as being capable of meeting both our firm’s and our clients’ requirements. Experts and third parties are instructed because they satisfy our selection criteria.

5. The Business treats all job applicants equally and fairly and do not unlawfully discriminate against them. The Business does this by ensuring that the Business operates an open and fair recruitment process, using selection criteria which do not discriminate, and making decisions based on individual qualities and personal merit. Recruitment and promotion within the Business is made solely on merit.

6. The Business considers all employees to be equal and create a working environment which is free from unlawful discrimination. This applies equally to voluntary positions and anyone undertaking work experience with us. This will, for example, include arrangements for employment, recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, access to training opportunities, conditions of service, access to promotion and transfers, grievance and disciplinary processes, dress code, work allocation and any other employment related activities. In particular, in accordance with our Flexible Working Policy, the Business actively considers the making of reasonable workplace adjustments to ensure that staff members with a disability, vulnerability or particular need are fully supported and are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared to other staff. The Business will monitor the physical features of our premises to improve access and working arrangements for all staff but staff members who experience any difficulties at work are encouraged to raise these issues as soon as possible in accordance with our Flexible Working and Workplace Arrangements Procedures.

7. The Business monitors and records – at least annually – equality & diversity information about job applicants and existing staff including key personnel on the basis of gender, age, disability and ethnic groups. In addition to the monitoring undertaken as set out above, the Business also annually monitors the number of employees from different gender, disability, age, ethnic groups by grade when:

• Already employed in a particular post;
• Applying for a post;
• Taking up training and development opportunities;
• Promoted;
• Transferred;
• Disciplined and dismissed; and leaving employment.

8. All staff members are informed of this policy as part of their induction. The Business identifies additional equality and diversity training needs as and when appropriate and address them as part of staff members’ training plans. All Directors, Managers and staff responsible for recruitment and selection will undertake equality and diversity training. This includes the provision of regular update training on compliance with equality & diversity requirements. Our Equality & Diversity training and communication objectives are reviewed at least annually.

9. Written instructions will be provided to all managers and supervisors on equality in relation to employees and recruitment including:

• Recruitment selections;
• Training promotion;
• Disciplinary matters;
• Dismissal.

10. the Business treat seriously all complaints of unlawful discrimination made by any of our staff, customers, subcontractors, or other third parties and will take action where appropriate. All complaints are investigated by the Personnel Manager in accordance with our Grievance Procedure or Complaints Procedure and the complainant will be informed of the outcome. The Personnel Manager also monitors the number and outcome of complaints of discrimination.

11. Where acts of unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation and/or failure to comply with this policy by any member of staff are identified, the Personnel Manager will ensure that our Disciplinary Procedure is followed, and this may result in disciplinary proceedings being instigated.
12. The Business will monitor and record equality and diversity information about staff on the basis of age, gender, ethnicity, and disability.Where it is possible to do so, and where doing so will not cause offence or discomfort to those whom it is intended to protect, the sexual orientation and religion or belief of staff will be monitored so as to ensure that they are not being discriminated against in terms of the opportunities or benefits available to them. If individuals choose not to disclose their sexual orientation or religion or belief care will be taken to avoid inadvertent discrimination.
    Equality and diversity data will be stored as confidential personal data with restriction of access to this information. It will be used exclusively for the purposes of equality and diversity monitoring and will have no bearing on opportunities or benefits.The Business will monitor all elements of:(i) Recruitment and selection process (applicants and existing staff)

    (ii) Promotion and transfer

    (iii) Training (all training opportunities not restricted to equality and diversity training)

    (iv) Terms and conditions of employment

    (v) Take up of benefits (work life balance policies e.g. flexible working requests)

    (vi) Grievance and disciplinary procedures

    (vii) Capability and performance procedures

    (viii) Resignations, redundancies and dismissals.

    The Business will provide all candidates selected for interview with an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. The Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form will be returned to the email address [email protected] being an email address that is not monitored by anyone who would be conducting an interview for a potential employee. The completed forms will then form part of the Firm’s annual review of Equality of Diversity within the practice.

13. The Business will review the operation of this policy not less than annually (or more regularly if any non-compliance or problem concerning equality and diversity issues). Remedial action will be taken on discovery of non-compliance under this policy or barriers to equality and diversity. Reviews of the policy will consider the outcome of monitoring and review actions under our communications and training plans.

March 2019