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Policies - Equal Opportunities
1) Statement
of Policy
This policy shows the intentions of elected Shadow Councillors,
Past Shadow Councillors and the Management Committee of Fermanagh
Shadow Youth Council to promote equality of opportunity.
Opportunities and employment will be granted irrespective of
a) gender, marital or family status
b) religious belief or political opinion
c) disability
d) age
e) race or ethnic origin
f) nationality
g) sexual orientation
h) criminal record (considered in the context of his/her overall
application, ability to do the job and the responsibility of
the Management Committee for the care of employees, past and
present Shadow Councillors and the public)
i) where a person comes from
Our policy is intended to provide and maintain equality of
opportunity for all members within the group and should reflect
the needs of members and future members of the group and the
wider community.
We are committed to:
a) preventing any form of direct or indirect discrimination
or victimisation
b) Promoting equal opportunities for women and men
c) Promoting fair participation for Roman Catholic and Protestants
and other religious beliefs or none.
d) Promoting equal opportunities for ethnic minorities
e) Promoting a good and harmonious working environment where
all people are treated with respect and dignity and in which
no form of intimidation or harassment will be tolerated.
f) Fulfilling all legal obligations under relevant legislation
and associated Codes of Practice.
g) Taking any necessary positive/affirmative action, including
setting goals and timetables and making any reasonable adjustments
in relation to a disabled person.
Breaches of our equal opportunity policy and practice will be
regarded as misconduct and will result in disciplinary action,
which could include dismissal.
2) Implementation
The Management Committee has responsibility for the implementation
of this policy, however all members of the
Shadow Youth Council (Councillors past and present) will be
expected to act on the policy and help make the environment
where it can work.
In order to implement this policy we will ensure that
a) The policy is communicated to all members through training,
team briefings and publication and made known to all job applicants.
b) The management committee are aware of their responsibilities
through training, team briefings and publication.
c) An equal opportunities action plan will be developed, where
necessary and will include a range of initiatives showing necessary
adjustments and action with targets and timetables.
d) Appropriate training and guidance will be provided, particularly
for all those involved in assessing candidates for recruitment
or promotion plus training in non-discriminatory recruitment
and selection techniques.
e) Consultation will take place with youth and equal opportunities
organisations on the implementation of this policy and any amendments
to practice.
f) Adequate resources are made available to fulfil the aims
of this policy.
g) Notification of election opportunities will be circulated
as widely as possible within the post primary educational institutions
in Fermanagh. Jobs will be advertised in the Fermanagh Herald,
Impartial Reporter, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News.
h) Young people may communicate with Shadow Councillors anonymously
through comment boxes on notice board placed in post primary
educational institutions.
3) Positive Action
Sometimes special encouragement and training may be given to
members especially if there is an under-representation of a
particular group in specific areas of work.
4) Monitoring and Review
The policy will be reviewed regularly, especially if or when
the
group changes in nature to ensure that it is supported by Shadow
Councillors, Past Shadow Councillors and the Management Committee.Statistics
will be put together every two years to show the background
of Members of the Shadow Council, Past Members still in contact,
the Management Committee and the nature of organisations seeking
Shadow Council involvement.
5) Complaints
Any member who feels they have suffered from discrimination,
harassment or victimisation can raise the matter with the Management
Committee. All complaints of discrimination, harassment or victimisation
will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially.
Definitions:
A) Direct discrimination When a person is treated less favourably
than another person because of gender, marital status, family
status, religious belief, political opinion, disability, age,
race or ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, criminal
record or home area.
B)Indirect discrimination When a requirement or condition which
can't be justified is given relating to gender, marital status,
family status, religious belief, political opinion, disability,
age, race or ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation,
criminal record or home area is applied, disadvantaging a considerably
higher proportion of people in one of the above groups.
To establish a complaint of direct discrimination it must
be proved that
i) A requirement or condition has been applied
ii) That the requirement or condition badly effects the person
because of his/her gender, marital status, family status, religious
belief, political opinion, disability, age, race or ethnic origin,
nationality, sexual orientation, criminal record or home area.
iii) That he/she has suffered as a result of the requirement
or condition
C) Disability- discrimination when, for a reason related
to his/her disability, a disabled person is treated less favourably
than other people, and this treatment cannot be justified. It
also happens when Shadow Councillors, Past Shadow Councillors
or members of the Management Committee don't make reasonable
adjustments in relation to the disabled persona and the failure
can't be justified.
D) Victimisation- Victimisation when a person is treated
less favourably than another person because that person has,
for example, said they have been discriminated against or has
helped another person to say they have or given false information
to the Management Committee, or because it is suspected that
a person might do any of these things.
E) Harassment- Harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual/
sectarian/ racial/ disability nature or other conduct based
on gender, marital status, family status, religious belief,
political opinion, disability, age, race or ethnic origin, nationality,
sexual orientation, criminal record or home area affecting the
dignity of a member. This can include unwelcome physical, verbal
or non-verbal conduct.
F) Complaints- Complaints should be brought to the attention
of the Management Committee within three months of the date
of the incident or within six months of leaving the Shadow Council.
HARRASSMENT POLICY
1)Policy Statement
As part of its overall commitment to equality of opportunity
Fermanagh District Shadow Youth Council is fully committed to
promoting a good and harmonious working environment where every
employee is treated with respect and dignity and in which no
person feels threatened or intimidated because of his or her
gender, marital status, religious belief, political opinion,
disability, age, race or ethnic origin, nationality, sexual
orientation, or criminal record.
This also covers harassment or "bullying".
Harassment is unacceptable and will not be permitted or condoned.
Harassment will be treated as misconduct and may result in
dismissal.
2) Definition of harassment
Harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual/sectarian/racial/disability
nature or other conduct based on gender, marital status,family
status, religious belief, political opinion, disability, age,
race or ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, trade
union
membership/non-membership or criminal record affecting the dignity
of women and men at work. This can include unwelcome physical,verbal
or non-verbal conduct.
Such behaviour is unacceptable where:
a) It is unwanted, unreasonable and offensive to the recipient;
b) It is used as the basis for an employment decision
c) It interferes with job performance and creates a hostile
working environment
d) It causes humiliation, offence, distress, fear of apprehension
to the recipient
3) Examples of Harassment
Some (but not all) examples of harassment or outlined below
a) Physical conduct ranging from touching to serious assault
b) Verbal and written harassment through jokes, racist remarks,
offensive language, gossip and slander, sectarian song, threats,
letters
c) Visual displays of poster, graffiti, obscene gestures, flags,
bunting or emblems or any other offensive material
d) Isolation or non-co-operation at work, exclusion from social
activities
e) Coercion, including pressure for sexual favours, pressure
to participate in political/ religious groups
f) Intrusion by pestering, spying following, etc
It should be noted that it is the impact o the behaviour which
is relevant and not the motive or intent behind it.
4) Definition of bullying
Bullying has been defined as persistent, offensive, abusive,
intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, abuse of power
or unfair penal sanction, which makes the recipient feel upset,
threatened, humiliated or vulnerable which undermines their
self-confidence and which may cause them to suffer stress.
Like other forms of harassment, bullying is an abuse of power
and is largely defined not by intention but by the impact of
the behaviour on the recipient. It often involves a person in
authority abusing their position and bullying their subordinates.
However, an individual may also bully a peer, and groups of
people may pick on and bully an individual.
5) Management Committee responsibilities
The management committee should implement this policy and
make every effort to ensure that harassment does not occur.
The
Management committee are required to ensure that the working
environment and behaviour of members is not threatening,
intimidating or likely to cause offence or apprehension.
Managers and supervisors have responsibility to deal with any
incidents of harassment of which they are aware or ought to
be
aware. If harassment does occur, they must effectively deal
with
the situation.
The management committee should where necessary
a) Explain the shadow council's policy to members and take steps
to positively promote awareness of the procedure for dealing
with complaints and ensure that each member has been given a
policy.
b) Be responsive and supportive to anybody making an allegation
of harassment, provide full and clear advice on the procedure
to be adopted, maintain confidentially and seek to ensure there
is not further problem of harassment or victimisation after
a complaint has been resolved.
c) Set a good example by treating people with dignity and respect.
d) Be alert to unacceptable behaviour and take appropriate action.
e) Ensure that staff knows how to raise harassment problems.
6) Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors responsibilties
All Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors should be
able
to work in an environment where the dignity of people is respected.
Everyone must comply with this policy and Shadow Councillors
and
Past Shadow Councillors should ensure that their behaviour towards
each other and the public does not cause offence and could not
in any way be considered to be harassment.
Shadow Councillors should discourage harassment by making it
clear that they find such behaviour unacceptable and by supporting
colleagues who suffer such treatment and are considering making
a complaint. They should alert a member of the Management
Committee to any incident of harassment so that they may deal
with the matter.
7) Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors rights
All Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors have the
right to work in an environment, which is free form any form
of
harassment and have the right to complain about harassment if
it occurs. (See complaints procedure.)
A complaint must be lodged within three months from the date
of
the alleged act of sex disability or racial discrimination.
For religious or political discrimination, a complaint must
be lodged within three months from the dated when the person
first knew, or might reasonably be expected to have first known,
of the act of discrimination or within six months from the date
the act occurred, whichever is earlier.
Every effort will be made to ensure that employees making complaints
and others, who give evidence or information connected with
the complaint will not be victimised. Any complaint of victimisation
will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially. Victimisation
will result in disciplinary action and may warrant dismissal.
8) Assistance for Shadow Councillors and Past Shadow Councillors
who feel that they have been harassed
In certain cases victims of harassment may feel isolated, vulnerable,or
too embarrassed to raise their concerns directly with the management
committee. In such case the victim may communicate through a
third party (eg) parent, teacher, friend)
This person will act as a point of contact to those who feel
they have a complaint. They may also assist in informal resolution
of complaints and support the Shadow Councillor/Past Shadow
Councillor in progressing the complaint if they wish.
If the alleged harasser asks for assistance, it may be appropriate
to assign an adviser to act as a source of information and advice.
This role may include providing information about the disciplinary
procedure and forwarding documentation as necessary but should
not extend to acting as an advocate, nor assisting the alleged
harasser in the preparation of a defence.
9) Review
In order to ensure the effectiveness of this policy and procedure,
the Management Committee will monitor all incidents of harassment
and will review the effectiveness of this policy and procedure.
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