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The
Children's Legal Centre Equal Opportunities Policy
Statement
of Intent
The Children's Legal Centre is
actively opposed to all forms of discrimination against its
users on the grounds of:
The
Children's Legal Centre is committed to delivering services that
are accessible and recognise the discrimination that many
people may face.
The
Children's Legal Centre will introduce measures to combat all
direct and indirect discrimination in the work place.
The
Children's Legal Centre will ensure that our Management
Committee is representative of the target community.
If
anyone feels that the Children's Legal Centre has failed to meet
the values contained in this statement, they will be encouraged
to use our complaints procedure. Their complaint will be dealt
with as a ‘serious complaint’ justifying the involvement of
the Director.
This
statement will be displayed in the Centre and its existence made
known in our literature.
The
Children's Legal Centre will endeavour to ensure that its
services are made known to those individuals most requiring our
services. We shall endeavour to publish our services within
publications relevant to anyone who may have a legal query
relating to children and young people. The Children's Legal
Centre will also encourage organisations to display our posters
where children and young people can readily see what advice it
is we offer.
The
Children's Legal Centre monitors the target group of the centre
at all times having regard to our policy on confidentiality.
The
Children's Legal Centre will consult with other service
providers through use of the Community Legal Services Referral
Scheme, asking other organisations to complete our monitoring
forms and inviting any interested parties to the Children's
Legal Centre to see our centre in operation and to meet all the
staff.
The
Children's Legal Centre has a policy that it will only refer our
users to service providers contained within the Community Legal
Services Directory or, from the Children's Legal Centre’s own
directory of preferred service providers. The Children's Legal
Centre annually updates this record. The record at all times
shows contact details; tel/fax/e-mail numbers of the
organisation; opening hours; geographical area of the service
and any cost implications.
The
Children's Legal Centre is regularly consulted by government
departments, the press and media and non-government
organisations. The Children's Legal Centre has a commitment to
providing them with information about discrimination in
practice.
If
a member of staff encounters any discriminatory comments or
behaviour they have the authority from the Director to inform
the person that the Children's Legal Centre advocates an Equal
Opportunity Policy which does not tolerate discrimination of any
kind. If the individual does not refrain from such behaviour the
individual will be passed on the co-ordinator.
The
co-ordinator will point out the individual that it is our policy
not to discriminate in any way. The co-ordinator will also offer
to sent the individual a copy of the Equal Opportunity Policy
for clarification.
If
the individual refuses to cease to display behaviour / curb
comments that are of a discriminatory nature the co-ordinator
has the authority to withdraw our services from the said
individual. The co-ordinator will report all such incidents to
the Director.
Anyone
who wishes to make a complaint if they feel the Children's Legal
Centre has not followed the equal opportunity policy will be
directed towards our stand complained procedure.
Forms of discrimination
Direct
discrimination, where a person is less favourably treated because of
race, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex, pregnancy,
marital status, disability or sexual orientation.
Indirect
discrimination, where a requirement or condition which cannot be
justified is applied equally to all groups but has a
disproportionately adverse effect on one particular group.
Victimisation
where someone is treated less favourably than others because he or she
has taken action against the Children's Legal Centre under one
of the relevant Acts, whether or not such victimisation is
unlawful. |
