Diversity, equality & inclusion

Equality & Diversity Policy Statement

The Cellar Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, and a safe and supportive experience for the people using our services. We are also committed to avoiding unlawful discrimination across all aspects of the organisation and to ensuring that our services do not directly or indirectly discriminate against clients or potential clients.

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all employees and to ensuring within the framework of the law that our workplaces are free from unlawful discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, age, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender (including gender reassignment), marital or civil partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy or pregnancy related reasons and religious or philosophical beliefs. These are known as “protected characteristics”.

As a provider of services we will work with the people of our communities to continually assess and understand their changing needs. We will use the insight they give us to plan and deliver the right services, support and information to increase accessibility and choice.

We recognise that policy statements in themselves do not create equality of opportunity or promote diversity. We will therefore take action to combat discrimination, promote equal opportunities and value diversity.

Such action includes:

  • Providing our staff and volunteers with relevant diversity training
  • Dealing with all cases of harassment, discrimination and victimisation under the relevant grievance and disciplinary procedures
  • Ensuring that the design and delivery of services does not directly or indirectly compromise the service needs of clients on the basis of any of their protected characteristics
  • Promoting equality of opportunity and recognising that no clients, employees, volunteers or customers should experience discrimination on any grounds
  • Encouraging diversity among our workforce
  • Challenge practices and institutions which discriminate against or curb the rights of particular individuals or groups

Gender Inclusive Pronouns and Preferred Gender Pronouns

You may have noticed that some of our team include their Preferred Gender Pronouns in their email signatures. Sometimes a person’s gender identity (the way the person identifies internally in terms of their gender) doesn’t align with their gender expression (the way they look), and not everyone identifies strictly as male or female. Here at The Cellar Trust we always want to provide an inclusive environment, which is why we believe it’s important to support Gender Inclusive Pronouns and Preferred Gender Pronouns.