Equality Policy

Equality Policy

The purpose of this policy statement is:

• To ensure that no job applicant, employee, volunteer, participant, official or member is unlawfully discriminated against in any angling activity. This includes receiving less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation (these are known as ‘Protected Characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010).

• To assist in preventing anyone from being unfairly discriminated against and accessing any opportunity within angling whether work or participation. Angling has the potential to be one of the most accessible sports in the country and recognises the importance and value of diversity

• To recognise the diversity and individuality that contributes to the sport of angling, it is also important to recognise and support the flexibility in approach to ensure that this is welcomed and supported. It is therefore key that this policy recognises this flexibility and is adaptable to meet the ever-changing landscape of sport.

Objectives:

We are committed to ensuring everyone wanting to be involved in angling is able to do  so in a friendly and welcoming environment. To ensure this, we will endeavour to implement the following principles.

• Everyone involved in angling should respect the rights of all others and support them in participating in and enjoying fishing.

• All staff, members and volunteers of the Angling Trust will be treated the same regardless of gender, gender reassignment, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

• Equality will be embedded at all levels of the sport.

• It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that equality is embedded and that any discrimination does not go unchallenged.

• Anybody who feels they have been unfairly treated within the scope of this policy should raise a concern in relation to the AT disciplinary policy.

• Anybody raising a concern or supporting another in relation to a concern should not be treated unfairly.

• Positive action is encouraged to address any previous inequalities/barriers.

We Will:

• Promote the equality policy throughout the sport.

• Encourage other organisations to adopt these standards through this policy or a similar.

• Adopt good practice standards throughout the Angling Trust in particular relating to the recruitment and ongoing support of all employees and volunteers.

• Work in partnership with all affiliated organisations to implement this policy.

• Encourage people from all backgrounds to become involved in angling at any level of participation, coaching, management, and volunteering.

• will work to ensure inequality is avoided In all recruitment including both training, employment and  the production of any resources both print and video.

Responsibilities of the Individual:

• It is everybody’s responsibility to ensure that where necessary, individuals make the management aware of any specific requirements.

• Individuals can be held personally liable as well as, or instead of the organisation for any unlawful discrimination. Individuals who commit serious acts of harassment may be guilty of a criminal offence.

• Individuals should report any concerns to the management.

• Staff may also report concerns to their line manager.

Legal Requirements:

UK Fishing School recognises its legal obligations under and will abide by the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and any later amendments to such legislation or subsequent equality related legislation that may be relevant to the us. It is unlawful to discriminate directly or indirectly in recruitment, employment or in the provision of services because of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, religion or belief, or because someone is married or in a civil partnership.

We recognise that unlawful discrimination, which can take the following forms, is unacceptable:

• Direct Discrimination: - treating someone less favourably than another person because of a Protected Characteristic.

•  Indirect Discrimination: an action, rule or policy that applies to everyone but disadvantages someone with a particular Protected Characteristic.

• Associative Discrimination: direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a particular Protected Characteristic.

• Discrimination by perception: direct discrimination against someone because others think they possess a particular Protected Characteristic.

• Discrimination arising from disability: someone is treated unfavourably because of something connected with his or her disability.

• Bullying: repeated instances of offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, and /or an abuse or misuse of power that is meant to undermine, humiliate or injure the person on the receiving end.

• Harassment: unwanted or offensive conduct directed at oneself or another person that relate to one or more of the nine ‘protected characteristics’ outlined in the purpose of this policy.

•  Harassment or bullying by a third party: the company is potentially liable for harassment of their staff by people not employed by them.

• Victimisation: treating a group or individuals in a detrimental way because they have made or intend to make a complaint or provide evidence in support of another complaint.

• We regard any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation as very serious issues. Our staff, members, licensed coaches or volunteers who are found to have been responsible for such action against another person and following investigation and disciplinary, will be dealt with accordingly and in line with our Disciplinary procedure

Implementation:

• We are committed to making the sport of angling more accessible to all and will be establishing an Equality Standards Action Plan to identify and communicate how they are committed to identifying and reducing any inequalities within the sport. The plan will also establish a clear message of communicating this policy throughout the organisation.

• We will implement an annual review/update schedule to ensure that any changes required will be formally adopted across the organisation. Equality will be communicated and embedded throughout the organisation and feature in management meetings.

• Our Equality Action Plan will highlight how we will be working to develop the ‘Equality Standards for Sport’ previously achieved and also highlight how as a sport a commitment will be made to making it more inclusive.

Commitment to Action

• We are committed to maintaining and developing the Equality Standard for Sport.

• We manage and implement equality standards throughout the organisation.

• The Angling Trust has an up to date and robust disciplinary and grievance procedure in place for dealing with any incident in conflict of this policy.

• We will endeavour to implement a training programme starting with key staff and eventually implementing a training scheme as part of all staff induction.

• Angling Trust ‘FishMark’ quality standard encourages the implementation of equality standards in club activity and will adopted in to working practice.

Monitoring and evaluation

• We will regularly monitor and evaluate the success of this policy

• Any major incident may also provoke the need for policy review.