Equality Diversity & Inclusion Statement
Actively challenging and tackling discrimination
Here at the Heart of England Community Foundation we work with a wide range of people and organisations across the West Midlands and Warwickshire area. As such, we want to meet the needs of the diverse communities we work within, as well as the needs of our employees by better understanding the challenges and needs of people from all walks of life.
In light of this, we have committed to a long-term strategy to combat any and all forms of discrimination and inequality.
Our equitable and equal approach
The Foundation is committed to ensuring equitable and equal opportunities in employment, grant making, community endeavours and all other work activities. When working for our organisation, seeking employment, or receiving our grants, it is our priority to ensure no one ever experiences unfair treatment based on protected characteristics, which include; age, disability (including mental health), sex, gender, gender reassignment, gender identity, race/ethnicity, faith/belief, sexual orientation, marital/civil partnership, socio-economic or family status.
Our goal: Welcoming new opportunities
Not only do we want to eliminate discrimination, we want to recognise and encourage the benefits of diverse working environments and communities, which also brings new talent, perspectives, greater innovation, and better decision making.
Although we recognise we are not there yet, we are striving to be the organisation that is representative of the communities we serve. We intend to continue fostering greater diversity and inclusion within the Foundation. As well as dedicating time, resources, and people to creating an inclusive environment where everyone, irrespective of background or ability, feels welcome, seen, heard, safe and valued.
What we’re doing now
We believe change starts at the top. This is why we have created our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy using a top-down approach. This includes setting out responsibilities and appropriate actions for; our board of trustees, managers, employees, and volunteers to ensure we all are aware, and uphold the values of the organisation.
Our self-recognition and efforts to eliminate the challenges and barriers that individuals or groups of people face in the workplace has enabled the Foundation to put measures in place to ensure our grant making, recruitment, hiring, employee development processes are all equitable, fair and equal.
Positive action and positive progress
To ensure we hold ourselves accountable to our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion culture change, we have taken the necessary steps to encourage people from historically disadvantaged backgrounds to seek employment within our organisation, as well as apply for suitable grant opportunities. This is done with the understanding that each person or group will be treated with fairness and assessed on a case-by-case basis. In addition, we have put into place systems to ensure all voices are heard throughout the organisation and amongst key stakeholders to directly tackle discrimination and promote positive action.
Policy review
The Foundation will monitor the effectiveness of this policy regularly to ensure its suitability and effectiveness. Any improvements identified will be made as soon as possible. The policy will be reviewed by the Management Committee every three years.