Diversity & Inclusion Policy

Sabar Family Ltd. Diversity & Inclusion/ Equal Opportunities Policy

Principles
Diversity and inclusion are core values and objectives of Sabar Family at all levels of our organisation and across all our programmes. This Strategy draws together our commitment to equalities and access but also our proactive response to the Arts Council of England’s Creative Case for Diversity. 
Sabar Family’s Board of Directors ensure that equality and diversity are embedded in our governance and management. The Artistic Directorate of Sabar Family has delegated responsibility for curating an artistic programme within agreed artistic policy and diversity targets. Sabar Family monitors the implementation and effectiveness of this Strategy on an ongoing basis. This takes the form of commissioning internal and independent reviews and collating data, which are reviewed by the Sabar Family Board of Directors on an annual basis.
Sabar Family Ltd. is committed to equal opportunities and practice, and will ensure that any directors, employers, contracted freelancers, volunteers, members of the public, clients and beneficiaries – both actual and potential – are treated equally and as individuals regardless of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, language use, gender, marital or parental status, political belief, race, religion or sexual orientation.  Sabar Family additionality recognizes that discrimination can exist because of a person’s employment status, health status, caring responsibilities, unrelated criminal convictions, and socio-economic status and identity.
Sabar Family strives to combat all forms of discrimination and recognises that every individual has the right to equal treatment, equal respect and equal access to its activities and employment opportunities. Sabar Family acknowledges the existence of unconscious bias and seeks to mitigate its effect through training and selection protocols.
In implementing this policy, Sabar Family Ltd., will take account of existing legislation, including the Equality Act 2010.
The equal opportunities policy will be implemented across all aspects of the organisations work:
  • Appointment of directors;
  • Appointment of staff, their conditions of service and employment procedures;
  • Dealings with the public, clients and beneficiaries.
Sabar Family works in partnership with other organisations. Each partner organisation is required to adhere to Sabar Family’s Equalities Statement regarding any activities undertaken or services delivered in partnership with Sabar Family. If any service is contracted out to another organisation as part of the delivery of Sabar Family’s activities, the organisation will be required to demonstrate that it has its own Equalities Statement, policy, or to agree to act in accordance with those of Sabar Family.
Directors
Sabar Family Ltd. will aim to ensure that the Board of Directors of the organisation is representative of the community and users that it serves. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the equal opportunities policy is properly implemented, monitored and reviewed. The Board will undertake equal opportunities training.
Staffing/volunteering
Sabar Family Ltd. will ensure that no job applicant, employee, contract, freelancer, or volunteer receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, language use, gender, marital or parental status, political belief, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Sabar Family Ltd. is committed to undertaking open recruitment and selection procedures, and wherever possible all vacancies will be advertised and fair and equitable shortlisting and interview processes will be followed.
Employees of, and volunteers working with, the organisation will be informed of the equal opportunities policy, and receive training on equal opportunities.
 Sabar Family Ltd. will also ensure that the changing and developing needs of any staff and volunteers are recognized, and appropriate adjustments made to working conditions and/or training provided.
Sabar Family is committed to creating an environment where staff, volunteers, colleagues, and artists are treated with dignity and respect, and where bullying and harassment are not tolerated. This statement reflects the network’s approach to ensuring that its activities are free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and bullying. In support of its values, Sabar Family takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of behaviour that might violate the dignity of others. Zero tolerance means that we will never tolerate, condone, or ignore bullying, harassment or hate crime of any kind. Sabar Family recognise that these behaviours can take many forms. They may be carried out face-to-face or through electronic media (cyber bullying); they may be subtle or overt abuses of power. Everyone has a collective responsibility to encourage a culture of dignity and respect; to treat others fairly, with courtesy and consideration; and to always challenge inappropriate behaviour when it is safe to do so. Board members and Managers have a particular responsibility to lead by example, identifying inappropriate cultures and behaviours when these occur and taking prompt action to stop or prevent them.
If any such person believes that their rights as set out in this Statement have not been adhered to, then they have the right to complain by contacting Sabar Family’s  Director as appropriate. Beyond their resolution, any such complaints will be reported to the Board of Directors.
Sabar Family Ltd. operates disciplinary, grievance and complaints procedures, in which any staff apprised of behaviour or actions against the spirit and/or letter of the equal opportunity laws, on which the policy is based, will be considered serious disciplinary matters.
Members of the public, students, clients and beneficiaries
 Sabar Family Ltd. aims to make its services accessible to as wide a range of the public as possible, and in order to achieve this, will take steps to remove barriers that prevent audience, participants, members and users from having equal access to the organisations activities. This will include:
  • Ensuring, as far as possible, that the workshop and project activities take place in venues that are accessible to disabled persons;
  • Where relevant, access details i.e. transport, ramped access, parking, toilets, and interpreters are included in the information provided;
  • Provide facilities  and opportunities for disabled people to participate, within the constraints of the nature of Sabar Family Ltd. activities;
  • Ensure that the design of the publicity material takes account of the needs of disabled people in terms of print, format and information on access;
  • Encouraging and promoting people from underrepresented groups to attend and participate;
  • Outreach sessions for groups with specific access needs;
  • The dance forms of Sabar & Djembe celebrate folkloric customs with forms that accommodate older, less able and diverse bodies and abilities.
Creative Case Statement
Sabar Family fully supports the Arts Council of England’s Creative Case for Diversity. Sabar Family embraces its leadership role with regard to the Creative Case and, working with its partners, strives to ensure that its artistic programme is populated by work of the highest quality from artists of diverse backgrounds and is as accessible as possible to all members of the public in the varied communities in which the work is presented.
A Learning Culture
Sabar Family acknowledges that not every action will succeed, and that strategy may need to be adapted or changed to meet the desired outcomes. Actions detailed in this plan may not take place if learning suggests a more effective course of action. Terminology may be revised considering better understanding and new vocabulary coming to the foreground. Positive progress and successful actions will be embedded to become standard practice and any opportunities to upscale, repeat or disseminate effective practice will be taken.
Training will be offered whenever relevant and feasible to the Board of Directors in equalities issues. Members with expertise or experience of equalities issues, practices and policies will be encouraged and enabled to share this expertise/experience through both informal and formal training opportunities with others. New voices, different structures and external expertise will be utilised where needed. Sabar Family will also use to good effect it’s reciprocal relationship with partner organisations Babbasa, FUZE UK and Trinity Community Arts Centre; learning from their Diversity and Inclusion activity whilst simultaneously supporting them to further their work in this area.