Policy Appendix

Diversity & Inclusion Policy

Appendix A – Glossary of terms

Age: – refers to a person belonging to a particular age group, which can mean people of the same age
or a range of ages.

Bisexual or Bi: – refers to a person who has an emotional and/or sexual orientation towards more than one gender.

Bullying: – can involve any form of physical, emotional, sexual or discriminatory abuse. It can also include cyber-bullying i.e. using social media or mobile phones to perpetrate bullying.

Direct discrimination: – involves treating someone less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic.

Disability: – refers to a person having a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal daily activities.

Discrimination: – involves treating someone in a less favourable way and causing them harm, because of their age, gender, ability or disability, race, religion, ethnic origin, creed, colour, nationality, social status or sexual orientation.

Discrimination by association: – refers to discrimination against someone because they are associated with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.

Discrimination by perception: – refers to discrimination against someone because of the belief that they have a protected characteristic.

Diversity: – refers to acknowledging and celebrating the differences between groups of people and between individuals.

Equality: – involves treating everyone with fairness and respect and recognising and responding to the needs of individuals. Taking positive actions to address existing disadvantages and barriers affecting how people engage with and participate in the Club’s activities.

Ethnicity: – refers to the social group a person belongs to, and either identifies with or is identified with by others, as a result of a mix of cultural and other factors including language, diet, religion, ancestry and physical features traditionally associated with race. Ethnicity is essentially self-defined and may change over time.

Gay: – refers to a man who has an emotional, romantic and/or sexual orientation towards men. Also, a generic term for lesbian and gay sexuality – some women define themselves as gay rather than lesbian.

Gender identity: – refers to an individual’s internal self-perception of their own gender. A person may identify as a man, as a woman, as neither man or woman (non-binary) or as androgyne/polygender.

Gender reassignment: – refers to the process of changing or transitioning from one gender to another.

Harassment: – refers to unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual. The focus is on the perception of the complainant not the intent of the perpetrator.

Hate crime: – refers to crime that is targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person’s disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity. This can be committed against a person or property.

Homophobia: – refers to the fear, unreasonable anger, intolerance or/and hatred toward homosexuality, lesbian, gay and bisexual people whether that person is homosexual or not.
Inclusive leadership: – refers to leaders who are aware of their own biases and preferences and who actively seek out and consider different views and perspectives to inform better decision-making. They see diverse talent as a source of competitive advantage and inspire diverse people to drive organisational and individual performance towards a shared vision.

An inclusive leader: – is a role model exemplar of inclusive behaviour; listens to and seeks out the views of diverse people and takes account of these views, without bias in the decisions they make. He or she appreciates that a diverse group of people will generate more creative solutions to problems and encourages this. An inclusive leader will inspire people through a shared vision of future success and motivate them to deliver it.

Inclusion: – refers to recognising that people from different backgrounds may have different needs and expectations and may experience barriers in trying to access club activities. An inclusive venue is one that takes steps to attract and engage people from many different backgrounds and meet their needs so that everyone has a positive experience and has the opportunity to achieve their potential.

Indirect discrimination: – refers to a practice, policy or rule which applies to everyone in the same way, but that has a worse effect on some people than others.

LGBTQ: – is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Questioning.

Lesbian: – is a woman who has an emotional romantic and /or sexual orientation towards women.

Monitoring equality: – refers to data collection and analysis to check if people with protected characteristics are participating and being treated equally.

Non-binary: – is an umbrella term for a person who does not identify as only male or only female, or who may identify as both.

Positive action:- refers to a range of lawful actions that seek to overcome or minimise disadvantages (for example in employment opportunities) that people who share a protected characteristic have experienced, or to meet their different needs.

Pregnancy and maternity:- pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth and is linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, and this includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding.

Questioning: – refers to the process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Race: – refers to the protected characteristic of race. It refers to a group of people defined by their race, colour, and nationality (including citizenship) ethnic or national origins.

Radicalisation, extremism and terrorist behavior: – radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and/or forms of extremism. Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. There is no single way to identify an individual who is likely to be susceptible to extremist ideology. The internet and the use of social media can be a major factor in the radicalisation of people.

Reasonable adjustment: – refers to what is considered reasonable and will depend on all the circumstances of the case including the size of an organisation and its resources, what is practicable, the effectiveness of what is being proposed and the likely disruption that would be caused by taking the measure in question as well as the availability of financial assistance.

Religion or belief: – religion has the meaning usually given to it but belief includes religious and philosophical beliefs including lack of belief (e.g. atheism). Generally, a belief should affect life choices or an individual’s way of living for it to be included in the definition.

Sex: – refers to the biological makeup such as primary and secondary sexual characteristics, genes, and hormones. The legal sex is usually assigned at birth and has traditionally been understood as consisting of two mutually exclusive groups, namely men and women.

Sexual orientation: – refers to a person’s emotional, romantic and/or sexual attraction to another person.

Trans: – is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, cross dresser, non- binary, genderqueer (GQ).
Transphobia: – refers to the fear of, unreasonable anger against, dislike, intolerance and/or hatred toward trans people, whether those people have undergone gender reassignment or are thought to have done so.

Transsexual person: – refers to someone who has started the process of changing their gender identity and is undergoing or has undergone gender reassignment.

Unconscious bias or implicit bias: – this refers to a bias that the holder is unaware of, and which happens outside of his or her control. It is a bias that happens automatically and is triggered by the brain making quick judgments and assessments of people and situations, influenced by a person’s background, cultural environment and personal experience

Victimisation: – is when someone is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or grievance.

Appendix B – Legislation

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.
It is against the law to discriminate against anyone because of:

• age
• being or becoming a transsexual person
• being married or in a civil partnership
• being pregnant or on maternity leave
• disability
• race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
• religion, belief or lack of religion/belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

These are called “protected characteristics”. People are protected from discrimination:

• at work
• in education
• as a consumer
• when using public services
• when buying or renting property
• as a member or guest of a private club or association

People are also protected from discrimination if:

• they are associated with someone who has a protected characteristic, e.g. a family member or friend
• they have complained about discrimination or supported someone else’s claim

Discrimination can come in any of the following forms:

• direct discrimination – treating someone with a protected characteristic less favourably than others
• indirect discrimination – putting rules or arrangements in place that apply to everyone, but that put someone with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage
• harassment – unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that violates someone’s dignity or creates an offensive environment for them
• victimisation – treating someone unfairly because they’ve complained about discrimination or harassment

Safeguarding Policy

Appendix A

Glossary of Terms

Safeguarding: protecting children from abuse and neglect, preventing the impairment of children’s health or development, ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, and taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances. Enabling adults at risk to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their life; protecting their right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Empowering and supporting them to make choices, stay safe and raise any concerns. Beginning with the assumption that an individual is best-placed to make decisions about their own wellbeing, taking proportional action on their behalf only if someone lacks the capacity to make a decision, they are exposed to a life-threatening risk, someone else may be at risk of harm, or a criminal offence has been committed or is likely to be committed.

Abuse and neglect

Physical abuse: A form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or adult at risk. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness.

Sexual abuse: Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in abuse, sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children

Emotional abuse: The persistent emotional maltreatment of a child or adult at risk such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on their emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child/ adult at risk that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person; not giving them opportunities to express their views; deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed, including interactions that are beyond a child or adult at risk’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing them participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing a child or adult at risk to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Neglect: The persistent failure to meet a child/ adult at risk’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of their health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to:

• provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment);
• protect a child/ adult at risk from physical and emotional harm or danger;
• ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or
• ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s or adult at risk’s basic emotional needs. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.

Additional examples of abuse and neglect of adults at risk

Financial abuse: having money or property stolen; being defrauded; being put under pressure in relation to money or other property; and having money or other property misused.

Discriminatory abuse: treating someone in a less favourable way and causing them harm, because of their age, gender, sexuality, gender identity, disability, socio-economic status, ethnic origin, religion and any other visible or non-visible difference.

Domestic abuse: includes physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse by someone who is, or has been a partner or family member. Includes forced marriage, female genital mutilation and honour-based violence (an act of violence based on the belief that the person has brought shame on their family or culture). Domestic abuse does not necessarily involve physical contact or violence.

Psychological abuse: including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.

Organisational abuse: where the needs of an individual are not met by an organisation due to a culture of poor practice or abusive behaviour within the organisation.

Self-neglect: behaviour which threatens an adult’s personal health or safety (but not that of others). Includes an adult’s decision to not provide themselves with adequate food, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, or medication (when indicated), or take appropriate safety precautions.

Modern slavery: encompasses slavery, human trafficking, criminal and sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.

General notes

• A person who is being abused may experience more than one type of abuse
• Harassment, and bullying are also abusive and can be harmful
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is now recognised as a form of physical, sexual and emotional abuse that is practised across the UK
• Child Sexual Exploitation is recognised as a form of sexual abuse in which children are sexually exploited for money, power or status
• Child trafficking is recognised as child abuse where children are often subject to multiple forms of exploitation. Children are recruited, moved or transported to, or within the UK, then exploited, forced to work or sold
• People from all cultures are subject to abuse. It cannot be condoned for religious or cultural reasons
• Abuse can have immediate and long-term impacts on someone’s well-being, including anxiety, depression, substance misuse, eating disorders and self-destructive conducts, offending and anti-social conduct
• Those committing abuse are most often adults, both male and female. However, child-to-child abuse also takes place

Appendix B

Handling a safeguarding disclosure from a child or adult at risk

The flow chart in section 6 of the Safeguarding policy outlines the actions to be taken by anyone to whom a safeguarding disclosure is made. The following points are intended to give further guidance on handling such matters. They are not prescriptive but are intended to assist in obtaining sensitive information in such a way that action can be taken quickly to address safeguarding issues.

1. Reassure the child/adult that s/he is right to report the behaviour.
2. Listen carefully and calmly to him/her.
3. Keep questions to a minimum – and never ask leading questions.
4. Do not promise secrecy.* Inform him/her that the conversation must be reported to the Club’s Welfare Officer (or the LTA Safeguarding team or England Squash) and the police or Social Services in an emergency because it is in his/her best interest.
5. REPORT IT! If someone is in immediate danger call the police (999), otherwise talk to the Club’s Welfare Officer. If they are unavailable call the LTA Safeguarding team, England Squash or the NSPCC as soon as possible. Once reported, the Welfare Officers and/or the Safeguarding team/England Squash will want to know more about the disclosure and any other background to ensure the safety and well-being of the person at risk.
6. Do not allow personal doubt to prevent reporting the disclosure.
7. Make an immediate objective written record of the disclosure/ conversation using the Report of a Safeguarding concern form (See Appendix C).
8. Be clear about what the person has actually said, avoid including inferences. Send the completed Report of a Safeguarding concern form to the Club Welfare Officers (or to the LTA Safeguarding team/England Squash if they were the initial contact) within 48 hours. The information will be stored securely and handled sensitively as the matter is investigated and addressed.

Note: All such information will be handled, managed and protected in line with the Club’s General Data Protection policy.

*It is best practice to gain consent before you share information, however you can still share information to help keep them safe.
You should, where possible, gain parental consent to share information unless it puts the child, yourself or another person at risk of harm. If an adult at risk does not give consent, you can share the information if you reasonably believe they are at risk of harm to themselves or others, or someone has committed or is likely to commit a criminal offence.