Introduction
Equality Training provides businesses and organisations with the tools they need to make their services and employment accessible to an increasingly diverse population.
Equality and Diversity Training and Disability Access Audits enable organisations to plan how they will identify their statutory obligations, develop diversity policies, and give staff an understanding of their responsibilities.
Organisations that are ethically sound and fair in their practices and procedures attracgt and retain staff while adding value to customer care. Diversity covers visible and non-visible differences, harnessing these differences creates a productive environment where people are valued and their talents are fully utilised. There is a compelling legal, business and ethical need for equal opportunities and the wider issues of equiality and diversity training in the workplace. The object of training is to facilitate a change in attitude and culture, whilst providing staff with knowledge and skills to underpin working effectively in a diverse environment.
The main strands of diversity are: age, disability, gender, race (ethnicity), religion or belief and sexual orientation and the key discrimination legislation include:
- Race Relations Act 1976 & 2000 (Amendment)
- Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA)
- Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Equal Pay Act 1970
- Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
- Employment Equality (Religion & Belief) Regulations 2003
- The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
- The Equalities Act 2006