Equality & Diversity Policy

Aims

• represent the diverse views of our community
• support campaigns to protect our services, amenities and environment
• hold the work of all local authority, health and public bodies to account
• learn from and respond to community concerns
• develop, propose and advocate policies to enhance the well-being of our community as a whole

Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring any member of the community is able to attend our activities, so we will reassess our access requirements to meet the needs of new volunteers and requests from members.

Diversity

Our group is open to all that support our aims. The group should be open to new ideas, and particularly prioritise opportunities for members of the public to share their cultural heritage with one another.

Inclusion and respect

Every citizen should be made to feel equally welcome and included at all Citizens Assembly of South Tyneside (CAST) meetings and events. Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise offensive and inflammatory remarks and behaviour are not acceptable. These constitute harassment, and have no place in CAST.

Dealing with discrimination and harassment

If any anyone feels they have been discriminated against by a member of CAST or harassed at an event, they should raise this with the planning group. The planning group will investigate the complaint, listening to all members involved. (If the complaint is against a member of the planning group, that member will not be part of conducting the investigation). If the complaint is against a particular individual, this person will have the opportunity to express their point of view, accompanied by a person of their choice that may or may not be part of CAST. The person making the complaint will also have this opportunity. If the complaint is against the Group as a whole, the planning group must work to ensure that such discrimination is not repeated in the future, and must inform the members of how they propose to do this. Any decision to exclude a person from CAST due to discriminatory or harassing or damaging to group behaviour will be made with reference during meetings and logged in minutes and will done in a way that follows the suspension and termination protocols set out in the membership policy. The Group will support people who feel they have been harassed or discriminated against, and will not victimise or treat them less well because they have raised this.