Equality & Diversity Commitment Policy

Purpose
1. Warehouse Students Limited (Warehouse Students) is committed to promoting equality and diversity and promoting a culture that actively values difference and recognises that people from different backgrounds and experiences can bring valuable insights to our accommodation and workplace and enhance the way we work. Warehouse Students aims to be an inclusive organisation, where diversity is valued, respected and built upon, with the ability to recruit and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves.
2. Warehouse Students offers accommodation to all students regardless of age, gender, marital status, race or ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, religious beliefs, social or educational background. Within this framework the Warehouse Students specifically refers to measures it has in place to provide equality of opportunity and the facilities that it can provide to its student residents, their visitors and all who work with or for Warehouse Students and Warehouse Students will monitor the performance of contractors and/or third parties and take all necessary steps to ensure good performance and compliance with appropriate behaviours
3. Warehouse Students is also committed to compliance with relevant equality legislation, the Equality Act 2010, Codes of Practice and relevant best practice guidance. This policy pursues and builds on the statutory position to ensure effective policies and practice of promoting equality.
4. Warehouse Students aims to pro-actively tackle discrimination or disadvantage and aims to ensure that no individual or group is directly or indirectly discriminated against for any reason.
5. Warehouse Students is also mindful of the provision in discrimination law for the rare circumstances when an organisation may need to justify discrimination rather than have a disproportionate effect. This could be, for instance, where there is a conflict with other legislation that Warehouse Students has to comply with or between service needs. In such circumstances Warehouse Students is committed to following the required proper assessment and objective justification of any decision in order to demonstrate that the provision, criterion or practice is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
The definition of equality and diversity
1. Equality can be described as breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity and access for all groups both in employment, and to goods and services; the basis of which is supported and protected by legislation.
2. Diversity can be described as celebrating differences and valuing everyone. Each person is an individual with visible and non-visible differences and by respecting this everyone can feel valued for their contributions which is beneficial not only for the individual but for Warehouse Students.
3. Equality and Diversity are not inter-changeable but inter-dependent. There can be no equality of opportunity if difference is not valued and harnessed and taken account of.
Statement
1. Warehouse Students is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to ensuring that existing members of staff, job applicants, or workers are treated fairly in an environment which is free from any form of discrimination with regard to nine of the protected characteristics as outlined by the Equality Act 2010 which are:
  - age
  - disability;
  - gender reassignment;
  - marriage and civil partnership;
  - pregnancy and maternity;
  - race (includes colour, nationality and ethnic origins);
  - religion and or belief;
  - sex;
  - sexual orientation;

In addition, existing members of staff, job applicants, or workers are treated fairly in an environment which is free from any form of discrimination with regard to: caring responsibilities, part-time employment, membership or non-membership of a trade union or spent convictions.

1. The Equality and Diversity policy provides a clear framework for translating our commitment into action. It outlines the responsibilities of the board of Warehouse Students, its executive team, managers and individuals to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and to ensure that Warehouse Students team are strongly committed to its full and active implementation.
2. Warehouse Students will not tolerate processes, attitudes and behaviour that amounts to direct discrimination, associative discrimination, discrimination by perception, indirect discrimination including harassment (harassment by a third party), victimisation and bullying through prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and stereotyping.
3. Warehouse Students recognises the importance of monitoring, reviewing and reporting on its equality and diversity policy and practice and to measure progress in meeting our policy statement. As an employer committed to diversity and equality Warehouse Students recognises its success depends on creating a working environment which supports the diverse make-up of its staff with supporting policies and procedures to create a framework of assistance.
4. Warehouse Students undertakes monitoring that not only meets statutory requirements but also aims for best practice. This is used to inform and improve our employment practices. If through monitoring any discrimination is identified Warehouse Students will take corrective action to eliminate it.
5. Warehouse Students is committed to ensuring its staff and managers are trained in equality and diversity and aims to ensure that adequate training is provided so that managers are able to operate this policy.
Complaints of discrimination
1. Warehouse Students takes all claims of discrimination very seriously and will take appropriate action against those concerned. Discrimination occurs when someone directly or indirectly treats a person or a group of people unfavourably because of a protected characteristic of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. This covers all behaviour including remarks and insinuation, both verbal and non-verbal, which cause offence.
Responsibility
1. While the board of Warehouse Students have overall responsibility for ensuring that this policy is complied with, all Warehouse Students’ staff have a responsibility to guard against any form of discrimination and avoid any action which goes against the spirit of this policy. Thus staff at all levels must ensure that there is no discrimination in any of their decisions or behaviour. This includes the provision that all staff must:
  - report any suspected discriminatory acts or practices;
  - not induce or attempt to induce others to practice unlawful discrimination;
  - co-operate with any measures introduced to ensure equality of opportunity;
  - not victimise anyone as a result of them having complained about, reported or provided evidence of discrimination;
  - not harass, abuse or intimidate others.
Non- Compliance with Policy
1. Warehouse Students will not tolerate any behaviour from staff which breaches our equality and diversity policy. Any such breaches will be regarded as misconduct except for serious offences such as discrimination on protected grounds; serious offences including harassment, bullying, or victimisation will be treated as gross misconduct and may lead to disciplinary action including dismissal from employment without notice.