Policy on Equal Opportunities

jigsaw (nw) is working to be an equal opportunities employer and service provider.

For the purposes of this policy ‘equal opportunities’ refers to the spectrum of anti-oppressive practice. We aim therefore, and primarily, to ensure that no employee, user or applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of disability, ethnicity or gender.

We further aim to ensure that, wherever possible given the needs of children, no employee, user or applicant receives more or less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, AIDS/HIV status, class, ex-care status, sexuality, religion or unemployment.

All of our staff and carers are expected to adhere to this policy.

Work with children, young people and their families needs to recognise the wider context in which people live and acknowledge that the experience of discrimination is a fact of everyday life for many. A high quality service can only be possible if all involved reject discrimination and work in a conscious way to do this.

It is a principle of this organisation that we all share responsibility for the eradication of discrimination.

Appointments and advancement within this organisation will be on merit, ability and qualification for the post.

Children and young people placed with our foster carers will be cared for, and have their needs met according to best child-care practice and shall not be discriminated against in any way.

The trainers on our training programmes will endeavour to identify and relate the issues of anti-oppressive practice to course content, methods and group process.

The trainers will further endeavour to encourage participants to recognise and challenge discrimination both in the training and in their work as carers.

Supervizing social workers will endeavour to identify and relate issues of anti-oppressive practice to the task of caring for children and young people. They will further guide the carers to recognise and challenge anti-oppressive practice in the fostering task.

When arranging placements we will take into account the child’s individual needs, including ethnicity, heritage, religion, culture, social background, and attempt to match these needs as closely as possible with what our carers have to offer.

We accept that, on some occasions, compromise may have to be made, most likely in matching ethnicity, heritage, religion or culture. In this event we undertake to pay great attention to unmatched factors and to meet the related needs in whatever way possible.

We will advocate for children in relation to their educational needs and support their right to appropriate education throughout their childhood.

We will endeavour to ensure that the offices of this organisation are accessible to those with disabilities. Further, we will endeavour to provide any facility for any staff member, carer, child or user, that can ensure that there is no discrimination against them on the grounds of disability.