Document management and control
| Policy Owner: | Director |
| Author: | Ruth Harrison |
| Status: | Final |
| Approved by: | Chair of Board |
| Approval date: | March 2021 |
| Reviewed: | March 2023, November 2025 |
| Next Review date: | By April 2026 |
| Replaces: | N/A |
Statement of Policy:
Working in one of the most creative and diverse cities in the world, we are committed to a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy that ensures respect for individual human dignity, fairness and justice.
Equality and equity are core to our work, which addresses systemic issues of exclusion (financial, social and cultural), barriers to participation, and challenges perceptions of what creative writing is and who it is for.
London Writers Centre is opposed to any form of discrimination on the grounds of race/ ethnicity, disability, sex/ gender and sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief.
We are committed to improving respresentation and inclusion within our audiences, communications, programme and organisation (workforce, Board and volunteers).
We commit to making reasonable adjustments to our working arrangements, policies and practices to enable disabled people to take up employment with us, to provide us with services, or participate in our projects, programmes or other activities.
Responsibilities:
London Writers Centre recognises that we have a responsibility to all of the communities we serve to ensure that our services and employment opportunities are equally accessible to all and that we are reflective of the society and city in which we operate.
London Writers Centre requires commitment to equal opportunities of our workers, board members and the freelancers, artists and volunteers we work with. We believe that it is a shared responsibility to ensure that this policy is implemented in all areas of our work.
Nothing in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy is intended to interfere with the legitimate freedom of artistic or intellectual expression, investigation or discussion. It is understood that there can be a fine line between what is acceptable and unacceptable. Each case will be considered on its individual circumstances.
Implementation in provision of services
- No work undertaken by London Writers Centre will contravene our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy.
- All activities will be relevant, appropriate and sensitive to the needs and culture of the communities in which we work.
- Activities will be publicised and promoted in ways appropriate to specific projects and participants.
- We shall use relevantnetworks and media to ensure that our information reaches our target participants. The format of the publicity will be appropriate to the needs of target groups and individuals. Publicity may be general or targeted to specific groups and communities.
- Activities will be timed and priced appropriate to the target groups and individual participants.
- We shall make all efforts to ensure that people can take part by assisting with translators/ signers where possible.
- An access fund and bursaries are provided where possible.
Implementation in recruitment, employment and management
London Writers Centre is committed to developing working environments that ensure equality of opportunity in recruitment, selection, supervision and training of workers and board members.
Recruitment
All vacant posts will be advertised in websites, email bulletins, newspapers and publications appropriate to the post. Where appropriate we may also send or target information to local communities.
An application pack including a clear job description, person specification, supporting information about the Company and application procedure will be drawn up for every post. Applications will be permitted in written, video and audio formats.
A recruitment panel of diversity balance (where possible) will be responsible for shortlisting and interviewing candidates.
The criteria set out in a person specification will apply equally throughout the recruitment process and applicants will not be rejected because of non-essential criteria which may deter some applicants from continuing with an application.
Where tests or requirements are specified they correspond with the requirements of the job and will not lead to indirect discrimination.
All staff and board members involved in the recruitment and selection process are aware of London Writers Centre’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy and abide by legislation set out in the Equality Act 2010.
All applicants are aware of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy and of their right to equality of treatment.
Employment:
A full induction programme will be provided for all new workers.
All staff will be given a copy of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy and Action Plan. The Director will ensure all staff understand these documents and how they relate to their own work.
Terms and conditions of service are common to all workers. This includes contracts, paid holidays, sickness, flexible working and maternity, paternity and grievance procedures.
London Writers Centre will ensure that disabled people have equal treatment in respect of training, career development and promotion and will encourage them to develop their potential.
London Writers Centre supports the following principles for the employment of disabled people:
- Employees who become disabled whilst they are in post will be kept in employment with London Writers Centre if it is feasible using training, reasonable adjustments and/or redeployment, and taking account of the employment opportunities the organisation is able to offer.
- Reasonable adjustments will be made to the following: equipment, employment aids and job restructuring.
- Disabled employees, volunteers and work placement candidates will be asked whether the arrangements made for them are suitable and whether other options could be more comfortable or effective.
The Social Model of Disability:
We are committed to addressing unjustified discrimination against disabled people and to promoting the inclusion of disabled people in public life.
We recognise that disabled people, including those with specific learning differences and mental health issues, are disabled not necessarily through their own individual impairments or relative ability, but through common social attitudes and physical and attitudinal barriers which result in marginalisation and lack of access to full human rights. We aspire to address this by consciously identifying and removing such barriers, making reasonable adjustments and promoting the social model of disability.
Cultural and Religious needs:
We value and respect the religions, beliefs and cultural diversity of our staff and within the communities in which we operate, including those of no religion or belief. We try to ensure that needs and preferences are met.
Where there are existing work requirements which may conflict with particular cultural and religious needs, we carefully consider whether it is practical to adapt these to enable needs to be met.
Dignity at work:
London Writers Centre will ensure that all staff, freelance consultants, artists and volunteers have equal respect at work and that this respect extends to all participants and audiences within our programmes of work.
London Writers Centre’s procedure for dealing with harassment has been designed to deal with complaints of harassment that need to be handled in a sensitive manner. The procedure seeks to ensure minimal stress for the complainant, timely resolution of complaints, and a degree of flexibility appropriate to individual circumstances.
At all stages of the procedure, the need to maintain confidentially will be paramount. Information circulation will be minimised to that which is necessary to ensure a fair investigation and hearing.
This procedure is separate from the disciplinary procedure, which may be used if the results of this investigation established a case for disciplinary action.
If at any stage in this procedure an individual does not receive a response to a formal complaint in accordance with the specified or agreed time limits, or where the response is inadequate or inappropriate the individual is entitled to raise the matter under the organisation’s grievance procedure.
The full procedure for dealing with harassment and the organisation’s grievance procedure can be found in the Staff Handbook.
Equal Access to Premises and Service Delivery:
London Writers Centre will: Continuously look to improve the equality of service provision to service users.
- Modify the Policy, codes of practice and action plans in line with revisions to legislation and/or best practice.
Next review date: by April 2026