Version 1.0

Last reviewed: June 2024

Genesis Sun is dedicated to providing a supportive and inclusive culture which promotes diversity and has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.    

Our aim is to ensure that anyone who comes into contact with Genesis Sun is given equal opportunity in all aspects of their dealings with us.  Our policy commits to ensuring that each individual stakeholder feels respected and valued at all times. 

For the purpose of this document, ‘stakeholder’ shall mean any member of Genesis Sun staff, its Advisory Board, volunteers, anyone providing services on behalf of Genesis Sun’s (e.g. mentors), participants in any Genesis Sun organised events, anyone who has enrolled in any of Genesis Sun’s programmes, or any other stakeholder reasonably considered to be connected to Genesis Sun either as a provider or consumer of services.

This policy confirms our commitment to providing equality and fairness, and that we will never provide less favourable treatment on the grounds of ethnic origin, colour, religion, social class, socioeconomic position, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, or any other category that they belong to other than their individual merit.  We believe this will ensure that everyone feels valued and able to reach their full potential.   

Genesis Sun commits to: 

• Promoting and demonstrating inclusion in everything it does, creating an atmosphere of acceptance, and belonging.
• Embracing individual differences that make a diverse community.
• Demonstrating an understanding of the benefits of diversity for its overall performance and success.
• Ensuring training and development opportunities are available to all its employees.
• Carrying out Diversity and Inclusion awareness training for all its employees.
• Upholding a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and taking appropriate action when informed of any concern.
• Ensuring that all recruitment and selection processes (across all its activities) are fair and adhere to this policy.
• The full commitment of the management team and Advisory Board in upholding our Diversity and Inclusion policy. 
• Listen carefully to feedback about Genesis Sun from all stakeholders and evaluate that feedback to ensure that this policy is being consistently adhered to.
• Make membership to its programmes and events available to all.

This policy places a positive duty on all relevant individuals to comply with its requirements and to ensure that all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.   

This policy will be reviewed at regular intervals or upon significant change.   

Specific practices relating to the recruitment and employment of Genesis Sun staff

As far as it lies within our power, we will ensure that our recruitment processes are designed to ensure equal access for all. We aim to promote equal opportunities, eliminate discrimination and eliminate harassment through the following:

• Opposing all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.
• All employees (whether part-time, full-time or temporary), volunteers, members, and beneficiaries will be treated fairly and with respect.
• All employment vacancies will be advertised internally and externally simultaneously to encourage service users and volunteers to apply and will include a statement on equal opportunities.
• Selection for employment, promotion, training or any other benefit will be on the basis of aptitude and ability. All selection/rejection decisions will be recorded.
• We will design our board role or job specifications to allow for as wide as possible a range of transferable experience and qualifications to be considered.
• Application forms will make it clear that life experience as well as formal qualifications and work experience are valid.
• All employees will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of individuals will be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.
• Ensuring that all employees acknowledge that they have a legal and moral obligation not to discriminate and to report incidents of discrimination against any individual or group of individuals to the Genesis Sun CEO.
• We will do everything we can to ensure that those we do employ share our belief in the value of everyone and reflect that belief in their work.

Volunteers

Genesis Sun recognises the importance of volunteers in the provision of its services.  The ethos of this document applies equally to volunteers, where relevant and appropriate, as it does to staff that it recruits and employs. 

Members

This document will be available to all members and participants, and their involvement in any of Genesis Sun’s programmes, events or services requires them to uphold the principles of this policy.

Physical Access

Genesis Sun will ensure that any premises used in our services are appropriate to the needs of anyone with disabilities. If any stakeholder requires any reasonable adjustments to be made, then they should contact the CEO on the details below.

Non-Conformance  

Any non-conformances will be investigated.  Any stakeholder found to have violated this policy may be subject to exclusion from the organisation, and in the case of an employee, this could include disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.  

Responsibility 

Overall responsibility for Diversity and Inclusion is assigned to the CEO.

Name:                         Diane Spence

Position:                      Genesis Sun Founder and CEO

Signed:                       D Spence

Date:                           26^th June 2024

Version:                       1.0

Last reviewed:             June 2024