Equal opportunities policy

The Academy are committed to equality and diversity, thus the following policy statement applies:

 Policy objectives

The aim of this equal opportunities policy in line with the Equalities Act 2010, is to ensure that neither coach or nor goalkeeper receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexuality, religion and age.

  1. ​Selection criteria and procedures will be kept under review to ensure that individuals are selected, on the basis of their and treated on the basis of their relative merits and abilities.
  2. All coaches and goalkeepers will be given equality of opportunity to develop their skills within the Academy.
  3. Any victimisation, harassment and discrimination against any individual is not permitted and those who perpetrate such acts will be dealt with severely.

The Academy is committed to a programme of action to make this policy fully effective.

Coach Recruitment

The Academy is open to all coaches (Subject to them having DBS/criminal records check), regardless of:

  • Their ability, as this Academy is committed to the development of all coaches; and
  • Their disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexuality, religion and age.

Goalkeeper Recruitment and selection

The Academy is open to all goakeepers and the selection in activities at the Academy is regardless of:

  • Their ability, as this Academy is committed to the development of all goalkeeper; and
  • Their disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, sexuality, religion and age.

Application forms will not include questions on racial origins etc as this monitoring may be carried out on a separate form.

Discipline
Racial harassment is offensive conduct that is imposed on another person motivated by racial intolerance, or related to ethnic background, nationality or any other personal characteristic.

Examples of such offensive behaviour include :

  • Racist jokes, insults, taunts or gibes;
  • Literature or graffiti;
  • Shunning people because of their race, colour nationality, or ethnic background;
  • Excluding them from conversations;
  • Being condescending or deprecating about the way people speak or dress;
  • Comments and imitations of people’s language with the intention to make fun;
  • Refusal to work with or train someone because of ethnic background;
  • Put-down remarks about someone’s cultural /racial background;
  • Discriminatory work allocation to less desirable, jobs and machines.

This type of behaviour, will also be regarded as offensive when matters of gender, marital status, sexuality and disability is involved.

All these types of behaviour will be regarded as offences against the company’s disciplinary code and, if proven, disciplinary penalties will be imposed, up to and including dismissal from the Academy  

Those who have complaints of victimisation are to register their complaints with the Academy’s Welfare Officer. All such complaints will be receive every attention and be fully investigated and action taken to eliminate any cause for complaint and discipline the perpetrator.