Equality and Diversity Policy

Viva’s equality and diversity policy aims to help everyone involved to counteract and eliminate both direct and indirect discrimination in decision-making, employment practices and service provision, and to ensure that our services strive to achieve equality of opportunity for all.

Viva aims to provide a welcoming and caring environment that promotes and reflects cultural and social diversity and is equally accessible to all.

In order to realise Viva’s objective of creating an environment free from discrimination and welcoming to all, the following procedures are in place:

Membership:

Viva’s membership is open to all. We ensure that issues of age, race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, social background, religion, culture, gender, language, or sexual orientation do not inhibit anyone from becoming a member of Viva or becoming involved, in any other capacity, in Viva’s projects and services.

We promote understanding, respect and awareness of diversity and equal opportunities issues in planning and implementing Viva’s activities to ensure that they are inclusive, and that they meet the needs of everyone involved.

We endeavour to create an environment of mutual respect and tolerance, and to ensure that all members/staff and volunteers understand that discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable. We are committed to providing an environment that promotes and fosters the positive use of language. We will not allow derogatory name-calling, discriminatory or abusive language of any kind. We challenge and will take action against any discrimination. Members/staff and volunteers are encouraged to report any such behaviour to the Viva Office.

Employment and staffing

Current legislation makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person because of their age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or those who are pregnant or undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment, in the field of employment. It also places a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to prevent any substantial disadvantage which a job applicant or disabled employee may experience in comparison with non-disabled people. These adjustments may include alterations to the premises, equipment, training, work procedures, etc. Viva is under an obligation to make such adjustments if it has knowledge of an employee’s disability, or could reasonably be expected to know of it. It is our intention to appoint the best person for the job, and to do so lawfully. We are committed to ensuring that disabled people receive full and proper consideration throughout the whole recruitment process.

Viva will:

• Consider areas of under-representation within the workforce, and any positive measures which can be adopted to redress this.
• Welcome applications from all people regardless of age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation and people who are pregnant or undergoing gender reassignment.
• Monitor all aspects of the recruitment process and workforce statistics in order to identify action required to implement this policy successfully.
• Ensure that disabled employees in particular have equality of opportunity with regard to career development.
• Robustly investigate any complaint of discriminatory behaviour and treat the complaint with sensitivity and full confidentiality. Viva will keep the complainant informed during such investigation and meet with him or her to report its conclusion and discuss the outcome.

We endeavour to create an environment of mutual respect and tolerance, and to ensure that all staff understand that discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable. We are committed to providing an environment that promotes and fosters the positive use of language. We will not allow derogatory name-calling or abusive language of any kind. We challenge and will take action against any discrimination, according to the provision set out in our disciplinary procedures.

Audiences

Viva ensures that we use accessible buildings for all of our productions and ensures that specific access needs are discussed with audience members so these can be addressed prior to the performance.

Premises

Viva ensures that all premises under its direct control are accessible to people with disabilities.

All of Viva’s policies and procedures will be kept under review to ensure they do not operate in a discriminatory manner or in any way compromise its commitment to equal opportunities.