EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY
Statement
The aim of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy is to promote our own objectives and in doing so help ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. Our Club is equally accessible to all within the workplace, local community and beyond. Football is for everyone. It belongs to and should be enjoyed by anyone who wants to participate in it, whether as a player, official, staff member, volunteer or spectator. Our Equality Policy is fully supported by the Committee of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club with Chairman, Alan Watson, being responsible for the implementation of the policy. Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will ensure that it treats everyone fairly and with respect and that it will provide access and opportunities for all members of the community to take part in, and enjoy, its activities. The Club will strive to exercise and demonstrate a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and unfair treatment. Every staff member, Committee member, official, spectator, fan and visiting team can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and individual worth are respected, and in particular that they are able to work and watch football in an environment without the threat of intimidation, victimisation, harassment or abuse.
Policy Objectives
This Policy has the following objectives:
• To promote fair and equitable treatment for everyone involved with Burntisland Shipyard Football Club, in whatever capacity.
• To ensure that no one working for, wishing to work for or working on behalf of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club receives less favourable treatment on the grounds set out in 1.
• To adopt a planned approach (strategically and operationally) to eliminating perceived barriers which discriminate against or exclude particular groups.
• To give clear guidance and communication to all individuals who, either administer an area of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club or work for Burntisland Shipyard Football Club on its commitment to Equality.
• To ensure that the content of policies, procedures, competitions, regulations (where applicable) and assessments provides equal opportunity for all except where specific situations or conditions properly or reasonably prevent this.
• To adopt systems and procedures which ensure all materials prepared, produced or distributed on behalf of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club and all relevant public statements made on behalf of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club reflect its commitment to equality and inclusion.
Scope
• This Policy applies to all current and potential employees (temporary), workers, Directors, Co-optee’s, consultants, agents, sub-contractors, volunteers, and any other person providing services on behalf of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club (“associated persons”).
• The Policy extends to all activities of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club.
Policy Overview
Burntisland Shipyard Football Club is committed to remove and eliminate any direct or indirect discrimination of any form or kind within Burntisland Shipyard Football Club structures, and will under no circumstances condone unlawful discriminatory practices. The organisation takes a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment, victimisation or bullying. Examples of the relevant legislation and the behaviours in question are given in Appendix A.
Positive Action
• The principle of Equality goes further than simply complying with legislation. It entails taking positive steps to counteract the effects of barriers – whether real or perceived – that restrict the opportunity for all to participate equally and fully.
• Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will therefore seek to institute, support or contribute to appropriate measures or initiatives that enable access to Burntisland Shipyard Football Club and participation in associated activities by people from any group that is under-represented or has difficulty accessing it.
Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will furthermore seek to apply employment practices in general, and recruitment and selection practices more specifically, which encourage and support people with protected characteristics to gain access to work or training.
Reasonable Adjustments
• Burntisland Shipyard Football Club recognises that it is has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons.
• The duty to make reasonable adjustments may include the removal, adaptation or alteration of physical features, if these make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to carry out their role. It may also include making changes to working arrangements.
• Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will consider all requests for adjustments and where possible will accommodate any reasonable requests. Where appropriate, advice may be sought from specialist agencies.
Implementation
To achieve these objectives, Burntisland Shipyard Football Club is committed to promote and advance equal opportunity through Burntisland Shipyard Football Club structures which will cover all areas of our organisation. The Club Chairman is ultimately responsible for implementing the Policy. The following steps will be taken to publicise this policy and promote Equality within Burntisland Shipyard Football Club:
• A copy of this Policy will be published on Burntisland Shipyard Football Club website.
• The Committee will take full account of the Policy in arriving at all decisions in relation to activities of Burntisland Shipyard Football Club.
• Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will collaborate fully with any practical surveys or other initiatives designed to assess the level of participation of different sections of the community in football and will take account of the findings in developing measures to promote and enhance Equality.
• Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will provide access to any available training for all of its Committee and staff to raise awareness of both collective and individual responsibilities.
• Every two years Burntisland Shipyard Football Club will conduct an audit of staff (paid and unpaid) and the club board/committee.
Responsibilities
• The Committee will review all Burntisland Shipyard Football Club activities and initiatives against the aims of the policy on an annual basis, and will report on developments and highlights.
The Committee, or where appropriate a designated project leader, will review any measures or initiatives that Burntisland Shipyard Football Club may institute or take part in to promote and enhance equality.
Disciplinary Process
Burntisland Shipyard Football Club reserves the right to audit compliance with the policy from time to time. If you are an employee, a worker or casual staff and misconduct is discovered as a result of any investigation under this policy the Burntisland Shipyard Football Club disciplinary procedures will be used in additional to any appropriate external measures. Disciplinary action can ultimately lead to dismissal.
Document Control
Mandatory Review Date (To be reviewed and published annually). Review Date: 14th September 2024. Discrimination has been legally defined through a series of legislative acts, including the Race Relations Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act 2006. In April 2010, the Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent. The Equality Act 2010 is a new law which harmonises where possible, and in some cases extends, protection from discrimination. It applies throughout the UK and came into force in October 2010. Discrimination refers to unfavourable treatment on the basis of particular characteristics, which are known as the “protected characteristics”. Under the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristics are defined as age (employment only until 2012), disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status (employment only), pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes ethnic or national origin, colour or nationality), religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation. Under the Equality Act 2010, individuals are protected from discrimination “on grounds of” a protected characteristic. This means that individuals will be protected if they have a characteristic, are assumed to have it, associate with someone who has it or with someone who is assumed to have it. Forms of discrimination and discriminatory behaviour include the following:
Direct Discrimination
Direct discrimination can be described as less favourable treatment on the grounds of one of the protected characteristics.
Indirect Discrimination
Indirect discrimination occurs when a provision, criterion or practice is applied to an individual or group that would put persons of a particular characteristic at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons.
Discrimination arising from disability
When a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something connected with their disability and this unfavourable treatment cannot be justified, this is unlawful. This type of discrimination only relates to disability.
Harassment
Harassment is defined as unwanted conduct relating to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity, or which creates an intimidating or hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.
Victimisation
It is unlawful to treat a person less favourably because he or she has made allegations
The exception to this is pregnancy and maternity, which does not include protection by association or assumption – a woman is only protected from discrimination on grounds of her own pregnancy.
or brought proceedings under the anti-discrimination legislation, or because they have helped another person to do so. To do so could constitute victimisation.
Bullying
Bullying is defined as a form of personal harassment involving the misuse of power, influence or position to persistently criticise, humiliate or undermine an individual.
Burntisland Shipyard FC September 2023