Equal opportunities policy

Refuge provides a service that is sensitive and appropriate to the needs of women and their children escaping actual or threatened domestic violence - regardless of age, marital status, creed, colour, race, ethnic origin, disability. We ensure that residents and potential residents have equal access to its services, whilst ensuring that clients making contact with the 24 hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline have equal access to its services.

Refuge is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment for all job applicants and to ensuring that employees are given equality of opportunity in training and professional development (which may include internal promotions, secondments and acting up posts) and in all aspects of their employment where appropriate. Our recruitment and selection procedures will be regularly reviewed against these criteria.

We recognise that racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice exist in our society and that unfair discrimination is practised against certain groups and individuals. We accept the statutory requirements for the elimination of unlawful discrimination on the basis of sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins and disability.

We also recognise that others in society face discrimination because of their sexual orientation, marital status, religion, belief, age and health status and are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for these groups and to challenge prejudice and discrimination.

We are committed to both the elimination of unfair discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities.

The promotion of equal opportunities requires us to redress the effects of past discrimination by taking positive action in the field of training, the advertising of jobs, membership of our Council of Management and the provision of facilities and services to meet the specific needs of particular groups.

We are committed to publicising our policy to residents, prospective residents, and the public, and to providing training and guidance for staff and Committee members.

We are committed to monitoring the effects of our policy and to reviewing it at regular intervals. Existing procedures and criteria will be changed in the light of findings. We see the policy as one capable of developing to meet the challenge of changing circumstances and responding to changing needs.

Positive measures to deal with the effects of past discrimination are lawful under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. Refuge extends this to cover other discrimination against groups. Positive action may involve:

• Job advertisements and outreach work to encourage applications from people of a particular group, which is under-represented in a specific work area.
• Training for members of under-represented groups to provide them with the necessary qualifications or experience to do the work. Discrimination at the point of selection for work is not permissible.
• Special training and research to enable more people with disabilities to have full and satisfactory careers.
• Meeting specific needs of individuals with disabilities, including necessary adaptation of existing facilities.
• Designating certain posts as having 'Genuine Occupational Qualification' (GOQ) status, where being from a certain group is an essential criterion. This is lawful where the holder of the job provides individuals with personal services promoting their welfare or education or similar personal services promoting their welfare and those personal services can most effectively be provided by a member of that group.

Refuge implements its equal opportunities policy in practice through the operation of all policies and procedures, in particular those governing employment practice, committee membership, staff training and development, lettings, harassment, move on and resettlement.

Refuge ensures that the recruitment and staff development programmes are open and accountable and in keeping with good equal opportunities practices. Refuge gives particular consideration to the training and development needs of under-represented groups and uses positive action in recruitment where necessary. We ensure that training on equality is provided to all staff, volunteers and Council of Management members.