EQUALTY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

RAD is committed to valuing diversity and seeks to provide all Staff and Volunteers and with the opportunity for employment, career, and personal development based on ability, qualifications, and suitability for the work as well as their potential to be developed into the job.

RAD believe that people from different backgrounds can bring fresh ideas, thinking and approaches which make the way work is undertaken more effective and efficient.

The Charity will not tolerate direct or indirect discrimination against any person on grounds of age, disability, gender / gender reassignment, marriage / civil partnership, pregnancy / maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation whether in the field of recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, career progression, training, transfer, or dismissal.

It is the responsibility of all RAD Staff & Volunteers in their daily actions, decisions, and behaviour to endeavour to promote these concepts, to comply with all relevant legislation and to ensure that they do not discriminate against Colleagues, Members, Suppliers, or any other person associated with the Charity.

1. Will not tolerate acts that breach this policy, and all such breaches or alleged breaches will be taken seriously, be fully investigated and may be subject to disciplinary action where appropriate.
   
2. Will not tolerate verbal abuse, neither on social media sites, written mails or published comments that abuse any RAD associates.
   
3. Will not tolerate physical abuse in any format including animals.
   
4. Fully recognise its legal obligations under all relevant legislation and codes of practice.
   
5. Will allow Staff and Volunteers to pursue any matter through the internal procedures which they believe has exposed them to inequitable treatment within the scope of this policy. If you need to access these procedures, they can be obtained from your line manager e.g., Grievance Procedure, Dignity at Work Procedure etc.
   
6. Will ensure that all managers understand and maintain their responsibilities and those of their team under this policy.
   
7. Will offer opportunities for flexible working patterns, wherever operationally feasible, to help employees to combine a career with their domestic responsibilities.
   
8. Will select Staff and Volunteers only based on their ability to carry out the job, using a clear and open process.
   
9. Will provide all employees and Volunteers with the training and development that they need to carry out their job effectively.
   
10. Will provide all reasonable assistance to employees who are or who become disabled, making reasonable adjustments wherever possible to provide continued employment. We will ensure an appropriate risk assessment is carried out and that appropriate specialist advice is obtained when necessary.
    
11. Will distribute and publicise this policy statement throughout the Charity.

Review date: August 2023

RAD Assistance Dogs is the trading name of Recovery Assistance Dogs Charity no. 1125395 in England and Wales. RAD trains members who have Mental Health Disability Impairments (MHDI) as qualified handlers of their own assistance dogs.