AHPN Equality Policy

Introduction to AHPN equality Policy: ​

1. AHPN is a strategic charity that works across all sectors, national in the UK and globally in relevant countries of interest. It is a non-racist, non-sexist, and non-homophobic organization. We will draw from the past and present experiences of other human rights and civil rights organizations nationally and across the world.

2. We will comply with the Equality Act 2010, which obligates us and partners to protect our employees and those who encounter our service against discrimination on the grounds of protected characteristics as defined by the Act. We will notify all our service users and employees about their rights and obligations under the equality laws and our obligations to them.

3. Our partners in the public sector have a duty under the equality law to consider the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment, advance equal opportunity and promote inclusivity between people from different characteristics in everything they do. Our equality standards are set to these standards expected of any of our partners in the public sector and will make it our policy to: eliminate discrimination and harassment on the grounds of protected characteristics in everything we do and promote inclusivity, diversity, and cohesion.  

4. This policy applies to our staff, trustees, and volunteers in relation to disciplinary and grievance policies

5. It applies to our procedures for engagement and decisions we make about or for our service users and their families

6. It applies to our engagement procedures with our sponsors, partners, and collaborators

7. The policy must be read in conjunction with our safeguarding children and adults’ policy

8. Staff or trustees who fail to comply with the policy may be referred to a disciplinary panel

9. Staff will be informed also that discrimination or harassment against colleagues may result in a successful legal challenge against them and a Tribunal could award compensation against them for discriminating or harassing a colleague or service user

10. We will update our policies at intervals but also as when new impactful information becomes available.

Our Values:

1. As part of strengthening our responsibility under the equality legislation, our staff and trustees will comply with the Nolan Principles of standards in public life which are:

2. Acting selflessly and be guided by concerns and needs of others and protecting vulnerable children and adults.

3. Acting with honesty and integrity and be seen to hold strong moral principles by all and to have the trust and confidence of those who use our services and our partners.

4. To act with the highest degree of objectivity, especially when identifying, commenting on, and challenging discrimination.

5. We will be accountable and answerable to everything we do in the name of AHPN and commit ourselves to delivering on our promises to our service users and partners.

6. We will act in an open and transparent manner. We will ensure that our partners and service users receive full information about our service and provide full disclosure of any challenges likely to impact on them or service to them

7. We will be honest with our staff, partners, and service users

8. As part of our leadership values, we will challenge partners who fail to comply with these standards or any organisation that has significant contact with our service users.   This includes highlighting the harm caused by adultification, racial profiling in enforcements and exclusion of children which often amplify poor health outcomes for these children and their familie

Implementing Our Policy:

1. We will develop/renew robust disciplinary & grievance policy and procedures to challenge and eliminate all forms of discrimination harassment against staff, service users and trustees.

2. We will develop/renew data access and safety procedures in support of our commitment to honesty and transparency but whilst safeguarding the interests of our staff and vulnerable service users

3. We will develop/renew internet/online safety policy and procedures that are compliant with online safeguarding legislation and our safeguarding policy

4. We will develop/renew a safeguarding policy and procedures

5. We will develop/renew terms and definitions relevant to communities most impacted by discrimination and our service. This includes names and identities we use for race, gender, and disability amongst others to ensure that our service users and partners are clear about the identities of those we help and protected characteristics we monitor

6. We will develop/renew robust systems for generating the evidence and for objective analysis of disparities and outcomes.

7. We will use both qualitative and quantitative data to challenge, eliminate discrimination and to promote what works

8. We will involve communities most impact by discrimination in discussion, planning and delivery of our services and where appropriate scrutinising our performance to increase accountability, honesty and trust and confidence

9. We will use the best available evidence to plan and deliver services to those most in need of them

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This Policy will be renewed in July 2023