Does your community group need to create an Equal Opportunities Policy from scratch?

Does your organisation regularly review and monitor its existing policy?

A new, easy to use guide to help voluntary and community groups create an Equal Opportunities policy is now available.

Powys Development Officer, Equality & Diversity, Celia Jefferies would be glad to hear any feedback on whether these guidelines meet your needs.

Your comments: PAVO would be glad to hear from you

a) if you find these Equal Opportunities Guidelines helpful

b) if you have any suggestions on how they might be improved or

c) would like any further support in reviewing or developing your policy.

Access to services is not just about installing ramps and widening doorways for wheelchair users - it is about making services easier to use for all disabled people, including people who are blind, deaf or have a learning disability or mental health problem. Access is also about people knowing that your service exists and also that they can use it.

This means that your information is accessible - people can read it easily, it's in a legible typeface, in a language they can understand (and that means the words used as well as the nationality of the language) and the information is in a place which is not exclusive.

This means that people know where your service is and they can make use of it - the means of access to your service is clear, e.g. by telephone, by internet, calling in.

This means that your organisation can make adjustments for different people's needs - people with reading difficulties can read your literature, people with a different language have a choice, people who have difficulty with the telephone have a choice of using internet or calling in.

'There is evidence to show that the benefits for business are considerable. Yet, there is still a good deal of misunderstanding about equality. The fact is that tackling discrimination helps to attract, motivate and retain staff. It helps employers make the best use of skills and experience. It can lead to a more diverse workforce, new ideas and access to wider markets. In short, fairness and productivity go hand in hand.'

Department of Work and Pensions

'The overall policy of the Trustees is to support...charities that enable people, especially disadvantaged or disabled people to play a fuller role in the community. The promotion of equality of opportunity is fundamental to the fulfilment of this policy'

Lloyds TSB Foundation

'Involving people of all ages and abilities in the community and addressing the  needs of socially excluded groups e.g. through supporting projects developed by small  voluntary groups who work with rurally isolated groups within localities.Strengthening the cultural and linguistic identity of the community e.g. through supporting community based Welsh language groups e.g. Meithrin, eisteddfodau and by working in partnership with the Menter Iaith. Grants could be given for display boards for the local eisteddfod or Welsh language materials for Meithrin'

Criteria for PAVO Can Do Communities Grant

These are some basics for your organisation to consider in order to develop a fair and equitable service.

• Is everyone accepted for what/who they are, or are judgements made about them?
• Is your organisation managed in an open and democratic manner?
• How do people get to know about your service?
• Do you know your community?
• Have you made an assessment of who may not be able to use your service?
• Are you able to make reasonable adjustments to the way you provide your service to accommodate differences, e.g. disability, dietary requirements, communication, or is the service inflexible?
• Do your trustees, volunteers and staff know the values of your organisation in relation to equality and diversity?
• Have the trustees set out a clear statement about the values of the organisation relating to equality and diversity?
• How do you know that the people who ise your service come from diverse backgrounds?
• How is inequality and discrimination dealt with?
• What do people think of your service?

For more information and useful links please visit the equalities learning resources page.