Equal Opportunities policy


Acorn Children’s Club is committed to promoting diversity and eliminating prejudice and harassment. Priority is given to harassment made on the grounds of sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, diagnosis of HIV infection, and mental or physical ability.

We will take the following positive steps:

  • Clearly publicise our intent.
  • Make acceptance of our policy a condition of employment.
  • Monitor our events, programmes and publicity.
  • Advertise job vacancies as widely as possible and systematically check recruitment procedures to make sure they are fair.
  • We will advertise and encourage users of our facilities to adopt similar policies and practices.

We will not tolerate the following in the community centre:

  • Physical or verbal attacks on any of the prioritised grounds.
  • Discriminatory name-calling or writing, jokes, insults or threats.
  • Provocative action such as wearing racist or fascist badges, or bringing in leaflets, magazines or pictures, which are offensive on any of the prioritised grounds
  • Encouraging others to behave in any of the above ways.

We will take the following action if our policy is disregarded:

  • In extreme or persistent cases staff and Management Committee members disregarding the policy may be disciplined according to their contracts and Acorn’s constitution.
  • Other people may be barred from the club premises, and their position should be reviewed at the next management meeting.
  • In all cases the Management Committee should ensure that the matter is taken up with the perpetrator and that any victims of abuse are supported.

We will develop this policy as follows:

  • The Management Committee should facilitate training and advice on diversity and equal opportunities for staff and Committee members. This should include an item giving training or reviewing existing practices on all equal opportunities issues.