SEA is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment. The terms equality, inclusion and diversity are at the heart of this policy.

• Equality means ensuring everyone has the same opportunities to fulfil their potential free from discrimination.
• Inclusion means ensuring everyone feels comfortable to be themselves at work and feels the worth of their contribution.
• Diversity means the celebration of individual differences amongst the workforce

We will actively support diversity and inclusion and ensure that all our team members are valued and treated with dignity and respect. We want to encourage everyone at SEA to reach their potential.

We value people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles and circumstances. All job applicants and team members, including private contractors, are covered by this policy. It applies to all areas of employment including recruitment, selection, training, career development, and promotion. These areas are monitored, and policies and practices are amended if necessary to ensure that no unfair or unlawful discrimination, intentional, unintentional, direct or indirect, overt or latent exists.

Equality of opportunity, valuing diversity and compliance with the law is to the benefit of all individuals in our charity as we seek to develop our skills and abilities. While specific responsibility for eliminating discrimination and providing equality of opportunity lies with managers, individuals at all levels have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect. The personal commitment of every team member to this policy and the application of its principles are essential to eliminate discrimination and provide equality.

Management will ensure that recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion procedures result in no job applicant, employee, or worker receiving less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic within the Equality Act 2010. These are race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin and caste; religion or belief; disability; sex; sexual orientation; pregnancy or maternity; gender reassignment; marriage or civil partnership; and age. In accordance with our overarching equal treatment ethos, we will also ensure that no one is treated less favourably on account of their trade union membership or non-membership, or on the basis of being a part-time worker or fixed-term employee. SEA’s objective is to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted, and otherwise treated solely on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.

We will ensure that the policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy will be made available for all team members and made known to those applying for a job.

The policy will be shared with private contractors, reminding them of their responsibilities towards equality of opportunity.

The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant codes of practice.

Management has the primary responsibility for successfully meeting these objectives by:

• not discriminating in the course of engagement against team members, workers or job applicants
• not inducing or attempting to induce others to practise unlawful discrimination
• bringing to the attention of our workforce that they may be subject to action under the disciplinary procedure, or other appropriate action, for unlawful discrimination of any kind.

Team members can contribute by:

• not discriminating against fellow team members, workers, customers, clients, suppliers or members of the public with whom they come into contact during the course of their duties
• not inducing or attempting to induce others to practise unlawful discrimination
• reporting any discriminatory action to their manager.

We need everyone to play their part in helping ensure equality across the organisation. If team members become aware of any act of discrimination, they will report this to their manager or a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

If a team member considers that they are a victim of unlawful discrimination they may raise the issue through the grievance procedure.