Teens Unite EDI Policy

1. Purpose

This policy outlines the Charity’s commitment to:

Providing equality, fairness, and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time, or full-time.
Supporting the charity’s beneficiaries by regularly reviewing the diversity questions we ask and analysing trends beyond statistics to ensure we meet their needs effectively.
Complying with the Equality Act 2010 and ensuring no unlawful discrimination based on protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Opposing and preventing all forms of unlawful discrimination in employment, including in pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, grievance and disciplinary procedures, dismissal, redundancy, parental leave, flexible working requests, and selection for recruitment, promotion, training, or other development opportunities.

2. Scope

2.1 Subject Area:

This policy applies to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the Charity’s work.

2.2 Individuals Covered:

This policy applies to everyone who works for, represents, engages with or receives support from Teens Unite, including employees, trustees, volunteers, beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries, companions and carers, visitors, contractors, suppliers and service providers.

3. Policy Commitments

Teens Unite is committed to:

Encouraging equality and diversity while preventing unlawful discrimination.
Maintaining a Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group, comprising representatives from our Board of Trustees and Young Ambassadors Board, to oversee a continuous action plan for improvement.
Creating a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, where dignity and respect are upheld, and individual contributions are recognised and valued.
Ensuring impartial, neutral, and universal support, continuously improving our work practices to enhance inclusivity and equality.
Managing all diversity-related data in line with UK GDPR and strict information governance guidelines.
Providing training to all staff on their rights and responsibilities under this policy, ensuring they understand their role in upholding equal opportunities and preventing discrimination.

All employees and representatives of the Charity must understand that they can be held personally liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination during their involvement with the Charity.

3.1 Gender Identity and Inclusion

Teens Unite is committed to providing an inclusive and respectful environment for trans and non-binary people across our community. We recognise that individuals may identify with a gender different from that assigned to them at birth, or may identify outside the binary of male and female.

We will treat individuals with dignity and respect, including using their name and pronouns as communicated to us, and will not tolerate discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation relating to gender identity or gender reassignment.

Personal information relating to an individual's gender identity or transition will be treated respectfully and confidentially and shared only where there is an appropriate and lawful reason to do so.

We will seek to remove unnecessary barriers to participation and make reasonable and appropriate arrangements to enable trans and non-binary beneficiaries, staff and volunteers to participate safely and inclusively in our work.

Where individual needs arise in relation to activities, residential programmes, accommodation, changing facilities or other aspects of programme delivery, these will be considered sensitively and individually, taking account of dignity, privacy, safeguarding, safety and applicable legal requirements.

3.2 Additional Commitments

Teens Unite further commits to:

Addressing complaints of discrimination seriously, whether from anyone working for or on behalf of Teens Unite, Beneficiaries or members of the public.
- Complaints will be investigated under the Charity’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures.
- Serious breaches may constitute gross misconduct, leading to dismissal without notice.
- Sexual harassment may be both an employment rights issue and a criminal offence (e.g., under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997).
Ensuring fair and transparent career progression opportunities, allowing all staff to develop their potential.
Basing employment decisions on merit, except where lawful exemptions apply under the Equality Act 2010.
Regularly reviewing employment policies and procedures to ensure compliance with legal changes and best practices.
Monitoring and reviewing relevant equality and diversity data across our workforce and beneficiary community, where appropriate, including factors such as age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, and sexual orientation, to understand representation, identify potential barriers to inclusion and assess the effectiveness of our EDI commitments.

4. Policy Monitoring and Review

This policy and any supporting action plans will be reviewed annually to assess their effectiveness, identify any issues and ensure that appropriate action is taken.

The Senior Management Team and Board of Trustees oversee the implementation and review of this policy.

Concerns relating to equality, discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation will be taken seriously and addressed through the appropriate Charity procedure. Employees may raise concerns through the Charity's grievance procedures. Raising a grievance internally does not affect an employee's statutory right to pursue a claim through an Employment Tribunal.

Use of the organisation’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures does not affect an employee’s right to make a claim to an employment tribunal within three months of the alleged discrimination.

Policy last reviewed and approved August 2026.