Equality Policy
Policy Statement
Polmonthill Snowsports Centre endorses the principle of sports equality and will strive where possible to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved in snowsports, whether as casual participants, team members, volunteers, coaches, office-bearers in Centres or those within Polmonthill Snowsports Centre:
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as a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, without regard to their age, ethnicity, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, socio economic status, sex, or sexual orientation; and
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can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and individual worth are respected, and in particular that they are able to enjoy their sport without the threat of intimidation, victimisation, harassment or abuse.
Positive action
The principle of sports equality goes further than simply complying with legislation. It entails taking positive steps to counteract the effects of physical or cultural barriers – whether real or perceived – that restrict the opportunity for all sections of the community to participate equally and fully.
Polmonthill Snowsports Centre will therefore seek to institute or support appropriate measures or initiatives that enable access to snowsports and participation in associated activities by people from any group that is under-represented in the sport or has difficulty accessing it.
Implementation
The following steps will be taken to publicise this policy and promote sports equality in Polmonthill Snowsports Centre:
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A copy of this document will be published on the Polmonthill Snowsports Centre website or platform.
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The Polmonthill Snowsports Centre Chairperson will take overall responsibility for ensuring that the policy is observed. The day-to-day management of any equality work will be handled by the designated Equality Officer or other committee position.
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The Committee will take full account of the policy in arriving at all decisions in relation to activities of the Polmonthill Snowsports Centre.
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Polmonthill Snowsports Centre will collaborate fully with any surveys or other initiatives designed to assess the level of participation of different sections of the community in snowsports and will take account of the findings in developing measures to promote and enhance sports equality in snowsports.
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Responsibility, Monitoring and Evaluation
The Polmonthill Snowsports Centre Committee will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of this policy. The Committee will review all Polmonthill Snowsports Centre activities and initiatives against the aims of the policy on an annual basis and will ensure that the business planning process aligns with the objectives set out in this policy.
The Committee will review the policy itself at intervals of no more than three years, (or when necessary due to changes in legislation) and will report with recommendations to the AGM.
Complaints and compliance
Polmonthill Snowsports Centre regards all of the forms of discriminatory behaviour, including (but not limited to) behaviour described in the Appendix as unacceptable, and is concerned to ensure that individuals feel able to raise any bona fide grievance or complaint related to such behaviour without fear of being penalised for doing so.
Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any employee, member or volunteer who violates the Polmonthill Snowsports Centre Equality and Diversity Policy. Any person who believes that he or she has been treated in a way that they consider to be in breach of this policy by a member Centre, individual member or corporate member of Polmonthill Snowsports Centre, should first complain to that person or organisation. If this does not resolve the matter, or in the case of allegations of discriminatory behaviour against Polmonthill Snowsports Centre itself, the person may raise the matter by writing directly to the Chief Executive at Snowsport Scotland. Contact details are available through www.snowsportscotland.org.
The Chief Executive will investigate the complaint personally or appoint a Board member to do so. The investigation will be conducted impartially, confidentially, and without avoidable delay. Any person or organisation against whom a complaint has been made will be informed of what is alleged and given the opportunity to present their side of the matter.
The outcome of the investigation will be notified to the parties in writing and reported to the Snowsport Scotland Board. If the investigation reveals unacceptable discriminatory behaviour on the part of an individual member, corporate member, or member Centre the Board may impose sanctions on that person or organisation in line with the Snowsport Scotland Constitution. In deciding what sanction is appropriate in a particular case the Board (or a sub-committee of the Board) will consider the severity of the matter and take account of any mitigating circumstances.
Where the violation of the Equality Policy by way of harassment, victimisation or discrimination amount to a criminal offence, the appropriate authority will be informed. If an individual or organisation associated with Snowsport Scotland is subject to allegations of unlawful discrimination in a court or tribunal, the Snowsport Scotland Board will co-operate fully with any investigation carried out by the relevant lawful authorities and, subject to the outcome, may consider taking action as above in relation to the matter concerned.
APPENDIX – Relevant legislation and forms of unacceptable discrimination
Legal Rights
Discrimination has been legally defined through a series of legislative acts, including the Race Relations Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Equality Act 2006.
In April 2010, the Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent. The Equality Act 2010 is a new law which harmonises where possible, and in some cases extends, protection from discrimination. It applies throughout the UK and came into force in October 2010 and supersedes previous legislation.
Discrimination refers to unfavourable treatment on the basis of particular characteristics, which are known as the ‘protected characteristics’. Under the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristics are defined as age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Under the Equality Act 2010, individuals are protected from discrimination ‘on grounds of’ a protected characteristic [1]. This means that individuals will be protected if they have a characteristic, are assumed to have it, associate with someone who has it or with someone who is assumed to have it.
Forms of discrimination and discriminatory behaviour include the following:
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Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination can be described as less favourable treatment on the grounds of one of the protected characteristics.
Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination occurs when a provision, criterion or practice is applied to an individual or group that would put persons of a particular characteristic at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons.
Discrimination arising from disability.
When a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something connected with their disability and this unfavourable treatment cannot be justified, this is unlawful. This type of discrimination only relates to disability.
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Harassment
Harassment is defined as unwanted conduct relating to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity, or which creates an intimidating or hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.
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Victimisation
It is unlawful to treat a person less favourably because he or she has made allegations or brought proceedings under the anti-discrimination legislation, or because they have helped another person to do so. To do so would constitute victimisation.
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Bullying
Bullying is defined as a form of personal harassment involving the misuse of power, influence or position to persistently criticise, humiliate or undermine an individual.
Polmonthill Snowsports Centre may amend this policy at any time and review annually.
The exception to this is pregnancy and maternity, which does not include protection by association or assumption – a woman is only protected from discrimination on grounds of her own pregnancy.