DREAM CARE FARM CIC
Equality and Diversity Policy
Statement
At Dream Care Farm CIC, we respect and value all individuals and are committed to providing a caring, friendly, and safe environment for everyone involved so they can participate in activities in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. We believe everyone should be able to engage in all activities in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from harm. This is the responsibility of all volunteers, service users, farm helpers and any members attending Dream Care Farm CIC. We recognise our responsibility to safeguard all who access the farm and promote the welfare of all our participants by protecting them from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, and bullying.
This policy will be reviewed every year.
Aims
Dream Care Farm CIC must meet the obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and will have due regard for the need to:
- Ensure the elimination of discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
- Ensure the advancement of equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic with people who do not share it.
- Ensure good relations are fostered across all characteristics, i.e., people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
Legislation and Guidance
This policy meets the requirements under the following legislation:
- The Equality Act 2010
- The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011
This document is also based on the guidance: The Equality Act 2010 and schools.
Roles and Responsibilities
The role of the Head of Dream Care Farm CIC is to:
- Ensure the publication and communication of the equality information and objectives as set out in this statement, throughout the farm to volunteers, service users, farm helpers, and members.
- Ensure the update and review, at least every year, of the published equality information and the update and review of the objectives at least every four years.
- Ensure the monitoring and achievement of the objectives daily.
All volunteers, service users, farm helpers, and members are expected to have due regard to this document and work to achieve the objectives set out in the Equality Objectives.
Discrimination Elimination
Dream Care Farm CIC knows its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and fully complies with non-discrimination provisions.
All our policies highlight the importance of avoiding discrimination and other prohibited conduct where relevant.
Ensuring Advancement in Equality of Opportunity
In line with the guidance on the Equality Act, Dream Care Farm CIC aims to advance equality of opportunity by:
- Ensuring the removal of or minimising the disadvantages suffered by people in connection to any particular characteristic they may have.
- Ensuring steps are taken to meet the particular needs of people who have a particular characteristic.
- Ensuring full participation in any activities by encouraging people who have a particular characteristic.
To monitor and assess the advancement of equality of opportunity, the farm will:
- Ensure that all relevant data is analysed to determine strengths and areas for improvement, implement response actions, and then publish the information.
- Ensure that evidence is made available that identifies any improvements for specific groups.
Fostering Positive Relations
Dream Care Farm CIC aims to foster positive relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it by:
- Ensuring that tolerance, friendship, and understanding of various backgrounds are promoted throughout all aspects of the farm’s activities.
- Ensuring any relevant issues are the subject of discussions and activities, encouraging participants to take the lead as well as inviting contributions from external visitors.
- Ensuring initiatives to deal with tensions between different groups of participants are encouraged and implemented.
- Ensuring all participants are encouraged to engage in the farm’s activities, offering a variety of programmes to meet the needs of all.
- Ensuring that work with service users and farm helpers promotes the knowledge and understanding of different backgrounds.
- Ensuring the development of the farm’s approach by forging links with people and groups who have specialist knowledge about particular characteristics.
Considerations of Equality in Decision-making
Whenever significant decisions are made, Dream Care Farm CIC ensures it has due regard for equality considerations and considers the impact of such decisions on particular groups. For example, in the case of planning an event or activity, such considerations are:
- Whether any religious holidays will be impacted.
- Whether it is accessible to participants with disabilities.
- Whether the facilities are equivalent for all genders.
- Whether it is culturally appropriate to the needs of our participants.
Arrangements for Monitoring
The Head of Dream Care Farm CIC will update and publish the equality information at least every year.
This document will be reviewed by the Head of Dream Care Farm CIC every year.
This document will be approved by the Head of Dream Care Farm CIC
Signature: ___________________________ Date: ___________
