Equal Opportunities Policy

Equal Opportunities Statement

SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE-Europe (SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE) is committed to the achievement of equal opportunities. This is central to our mission and work. We recognise and accept our responsibilities under the law and we believe discrimination, either direct or indirect as defined in law, is unacceptable. However, our policy is not limited to the minimum standards imposed by the law. We are committed to striving to achieve best practice in the area of equal opportunities, irrespective of:

 

    * age,

    * colour,

    * disablement,

    * marital status,

    * race/ethnicity,

    * religion,

    * gender,

    * employment status,

    * sexual orientation,

    * nationality,

    * caring responsibility,

    * socio-economic status,

    * other unjustifiable factor 

 

We will be proactive in all matters relating to equality of opportunity and diversity. We also recognise that the behaviours through which diversity is evident must be consistent with the values that underpin this policy document. Additionally, we recognise that despite our best intentions circumstances may arise where we fail to provide an appropriate and professional service to people, consistent with the aims of this policy. We are committed to take action in such circumstances.

 

2. Legal commitments SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE is committed to fulfil its legal obligations and adhere to the letter and spirit of current EO-related legislation. There are four main sets legislation which underpin equal opportunities practice, all relating to employment:

 

3. Equal Pay Act 1970 The purpose of this act is to eliminate discrimination between men and women in basic rates of pay and other terms of their contracts of employment, (eg payments for overtime, working hours, holidays, sick leave entitlement). An employee is entitled to equal pay and conditions of contract with an employee of the opposite sex where: a) the employee is doing the same work or work of a broadly similar nature to that of a member of the opposite sex b) the employee’s job, although different from that done by a member of the opposite sex, has been given an equal value under a proper job evaluation scheme c) work is of equal value to that of a member of the opposite sex in the same employment in terms of demands made (for instance under such headings as effort or skill)

 

4. Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999.  This makes it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of sex:

 

    * in the arrangements of determining who is offered a job (eg in advertising or interviews)

    * in the terms on which a job is offered

    * in deciding who is offered a job

    * in the provision of opportunities for promotion, transfer or training

    * in the benefits, facilities or service an employer grants to employees

    * in dismissals or other unfavourable treatment of employees

 

 

 

5. Race Relations Act (Amendment) Regulations 2003

The Race Relations Act applies to all employers, and makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person, directly or indirectly, in the field of employment. Racial grounds include colour, race, nationality, or ethnic or national origins. Discrimination is unlawful in the following areas:

 

 

 

    * in the arrangements for determining who is offered a job

    * in the terms on which a job is offered

    * in the consideration of applicants for a job

    * in the provision of opportunities for promotion

    * in the benefits, facilities or services an employer grants to employees

    * in dismissals or other unfavourable treatment of employees

 

6. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face. This Act gives disabled people rights in the areas of: a) employment b) access to goods, facilities and services c) buying or renting land or property. The employment rights and first rights of access came into force on 2 December, 1996; further rights of access came into force on 1 October, 1999; and the final rights of access will come into force in October 2004.

 

7. Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

 

8. Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003

 

9. Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

 

10. Equality Act 2006

 

11. Employment Practices SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE is committed to fair and non-discriminatory employment practices in any circumstance directly related to our activities:

 

12. The Job Description The job description should clearly state: the duties and responsibilities attached to the post salary scale and associated details :

 

13. The Person Specification

 

   1. The essential criteria for the post – experience, qualifications, training,skills.

   2. The desirable criteria for the post - as above.

 

In addition all applicants should be sent the Equal Opportunities Policy Statement and a description of any known premises the applicant will need to negotiate (both for the interview and while in employment) with particular reference to disabled access.

 

14. The Application Process Application papers should be drawn up in terms of the job description and person specification, clearly seeking to acquire the relevant information. This should be accompanied by a separate monitoring form in respect of race, gender and disabilities with an explanation to candidates that this information will be used only to monitor application to the Project. The Job Advertisement The advertisement should:

 

    * state essential details of the job

    * the expected salary scale and salary point offered

    * state that SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE is working to be an Equal Opportunities Employer The advertisement should be placed in appropriate National or Local publication(s) and/or publicised by other means bearing in mind SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE's equal opportunities policy and the specific requirements of the job. Structuring the Interview.

    * The Selection Committee should agree a range of questions to be asked of candidates.

    * All candidates should be asked the same basic questions and be treated equally

    * In addition, questions may be asked relating specifically to the individuals application.

    * It is recognised that some supplementary questions may be needed for clarification of the main question.

    * No questions should be asked which are discriminatory e.g. about marital status, responsibility for child care etc.

    * It is the Chair's responsibility to withdraw any questions or comments of a discriminatory nature on behalf of all interviewers.

    * At the end of the interviewing process the Selection Committee should discuss each candidate in turn in terms of the criteria established, and inter-personal skills.

 

15. Service Provision

 

As a service provider, SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE will ensure accessibility and fairness in all its services, regardless of gender, race, disability, language or any other potential form of exclusion. The nature of SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE is that it particularly targets excluded and disadvantaged individuals and groups. All service provision will be carefully designed to meet the needs of users. All services will be made accessible to all users. Monitoring data will be kept to evaluate service provision in terms of accessibility and take up, across gender, race and disability, as well as other potential forms of exclusion. This will be reviewed quarterly.

 

16. Monitoring & Evaluation SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE-Europe is committed to developing and keeping data in order to monitor and evaluate its EO performance and learn from its errors. different kinds of monitoring data will be gathered during the lifetime of this project, utilising both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ indicators. The information will be gathered using appropriate pro-forma questionnaires, developed in partnership between the Project Manager and the project’s Evaluators. The data arising from the quarterly exercise will collated by the Project Manager and fed to both the Project Management Board (for management of SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE and the workplan), and the project’s Evaluators (for evaluation of SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE and workplan’s effectiveness).

 

17. Empowerment & Involvement In Decision Making

 

SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE is committed to empowerment, and by empowering its target groups will actively ensure their participation in SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE management and design as well as its service delivery. The central feature of our approach to ‘empowerment’ will be to establish a group of individual representatives from each of the groups to be targeted as beneficiaries of activities within the SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects. This will ensure that Equal Opportunities is pushed proactively into all levels of SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE decision-making and operational activities.

 

Equal Opportunities Sharing and Responsibilities

 

All partners working within SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects must have or develop a written Equal Opportunities policy. All partners will be expected to have a clearly defined value base, which is demonstrated through their mission statement. As a principle all partners will be expected to operate a policy of inclusion for the excluded groups they represent.

 

All managers of sub-projects within SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects will be responsible for implementing both their own organisation's approved equal opportunities policy within their own project activities, as well as implementing and actively promoting SUCCESSFUL SOFTWAREs policy. Individual projects will take any necessary action to discharge their legal obligations to ensure equality of opportunity and the elimination of unjustified discrimination.

 

SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects steering group will be ultimately responsible for the continual development of SUCCESSFUL SOFTWAREs equal opportunities policies and procedures. Equal Opportunities will be a key part of every management agenda.

 

SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects Project Managers will be responsible for ensuring that equal opportunities policies and procedures are implemented, up to date and monitored on a regular basis.

 

SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE-Europe will not only strive to deliver equal opportunities within its SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects, project activities, but will promote Equal Opportunities activities and models as part of its objectives. It currently possesses and delivers an Equal Opportunities policy. All partners and sub-contractors will be bound by SUCCESSFUL SOFTWAREs equal opportunities policy where linked to SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Projects -related activity. Where applicable, the above responsibilities will be written into SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE Consortium Agreement. Information and Publicity SUCCESSFUL SOFTWARE will undertake to:

 

    * ensure that all relevant documentation and publicity produced by

    * incorporate Equal Opportunities thinking to ensure that information is not discriminatory

    * where possible make information available to disadvantaged users who have difficulty in accessing or interpreting the information they need

    * on request make information available in such a way that users with learning difficulties or sensory impairments are able to use it independently