Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Policy

Shared Earth Trust Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SET) is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout all aspects of its work. We believe everyone should be treated with dignity, fairness and respect, and have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from our work.

Shared Earth Trust believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience, enjoy and help care for nature. We are committed to reducing barriers that prevent people from participating in our activities, volunteering opportunities, environmental programmes and decision-making processes.

We recognise and value the diversity of our communities and understand that people have different backgrounds, experiences, identities, abilities and ways of thinking. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected, supported and able to participate fully.

We recognise and value neurodiversity and understand that people think, learn and communicate in different ways. We will seek to create environments and opportunities that support neurodivergent people, including people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and other neurological differences.

This policy applies to:

• Trustees
• Employees
• Volunteers
• Consultants and contractors
• Beneficiaries
• Service users
• Individuals applying for employment or volunteering opportunities

Overall responsibility for implementing this policy rests with the Board of Trustees.

The aims of this policy are to:

• Set the standards and expectations for equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation.
• Define individual and organisational responsibilities for preventing discrimination and promoting inclusion.
• Support a culture where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly.
• Ensure learning and development opportunities are available to staff, trustees and volunteers.
• Promote equitable access to nature, volunteering and community engagement opportunities.

1. Our Commitment

Shared Earth Trust is committed to:

• Ensuring this policy is fully supported and implemented by the Board of Trustees.
• Creating a working and volunteering environment where individual differences and contributions are recognised and valued.
• Promoting dignity, fairness and respect for all.
• Ensuring no form of discrimination, intimidation, bullying, harassment or victimisation is tolerated.
• Taking complaints seriously and responding promptly and appropriately.
• Providing venues, facilities, information and materials that are accessible and inclusive.
• Highlighting the accessibility of our facilities and walking route particularly around terrain variations.
• Communicating effectively and enabling everyone to participate fully.
• Designing and delivering services that meet the diverse needs of our communities.
• Supporting staff, volunteers and trustees through training and development.
• Regularly reviewing employment and volunteering practices to remove barriers and improve inclusion.
• Making reasonable adjustments to enable disabled employees, volunteers, trustees, service users and visitors to participate fully.
• Considering accessibility in the planning, delivery and evaluation of projects, activities and events.
• Seeking feedback from participants and service users regarding accessibility and inclusion and using this feedback to improve our practice.
• Ensuring training, development and progression opportunities are available fairly.
• Reviewing our services to ensure they remain appropriate and accessible to diverse communities.

2. Equality Act 2010

Shared Earth Trust fully supports the principles and requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

The Act protects individuals from discrimination based on the following protected characteristics:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins)
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

SET will not unlawfully discriminate against any person on the basis of these characteristics.

3. Definitions

Equality

Equality means ensuring that people have equal opportunities and are not disadvantaged or treated unfairly because of who they are or their circumstances.

Diversity

Diversity means recognising, respecting and valuing differences between people and understanding that these differences strengthen organisations and communities.

Inclusion

Inclusion means creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected, valued and able to participate fully regardless of their background, identity, characteristics or circumstances.

Inclusion involves actively identifying and removing barriers that may prevent people from engaging with Shared Earth Trust’s activities, services, employment or volunteering opportunities.

Direct Discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic.

Indirect Discrimination

Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy, practice or requirement applies equally to everyone but disproportionately disadvantages people from a particular group and cannot be objectively justified.

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Bullying

Bullying includes inappropriate, offensive, intimidating or malicious behaviour that undermines confidence, wellbeing or performance.

Victimisation

Victimisation occurs when a person is treated unfairly because they have made, supported or raised a complaint about discrimination, harassment or bullying, or have assisted another person in doing so.

Shared Earth Trust will not tolerate victimisation in any form.

Positive Action

Shared Earth Trust may take lawful positive action where evidence shows that people with particular protected characteristics are underrepresented or face barriers to participation in employment, volunteering, governance or service provision.

Any such action will comply with the Equality Act 2010.

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Organisational Responsibilities

Responsibility for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion rests with the Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers.

Shared Earth Trust recognises both its legal and moral responsibilities to ensure that no individual is subjected to unlawful discrimination or unfair treatment.

SET will:

• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion through policies, practices and decision-making.
• Ensure concerns and complaints are handled fairly and promptly.
• Monitor the effectiveness of this policy.
• Take appropriate action where misconduct occurs.
• Foster a culture where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Offensive language, discriminatory behaviour and inappropriate jokes or comments will not be tolerated.

Breaches of this policy may result in disciplinary or volunteer management action as appropriate.

4.2 Individual Responsibilities

All trustees, employees and volunteers must:

• Understand and follow this policy.
• Treat others with dignity and respect.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in their work.
• Challenge inappropriate behaviour where appropriate and safe to do so.
• Report concerns regarding discrimination, bullying or harassment.
• Refrain from behaviour that could be viewed as discriminatory, exclusionary, offensive or intimidating.
• Participate in relevant EDI training and development opportunities.

Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to an inclusive and welcoming environment.

4.3 Trustee Responsibilities

Trustees are responsible for:

• Championing equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation.
• Ensuring policies and practices comply with relevant legislation.
• Monitoring implementation of this policy.
• Ensuring effective systems exist for reporting and addressing concerns.
• Taking prompt action when discrimination, harassment or bullying is reported.
• Maintaining a culture that is safe, respectful and inclusive.

5. Working Practice

5.1 Service Delivery

SET will ensure its services are inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of communities across Wales.

We will:

• Develop and maintain an understanding of the diverse needs of service users.
• Review services and projects using an equality and inclusion perspective.
• Identify and reduce barriers to participation.
• Apply EDI principles when determining organisational priorities.
• Monitor and report incidents where this policy has not been followed.
• Work towards meeting the requirements of equality legislation.
• Ensure physical and digital accessibility wherever possible.
• Use accessible venues for activities and events.

5.2 Procurement and Tendering

Goods and services will be procured through fair and transparent processes.

Where appropriate, procurement activities will take account of:

• Equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Welsh Language commitments.
• Environmental responsibilities.
• Health and Safety requirements.
• Ethical and social values.

5.3 Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment decisions will be based solely on merit, skills, qualifications and suitability for the role.

Shared Earth Trust will ensure:

• No applicant is treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic.
• Reasonable adjustments are offered during recruitment processes.
• Job descriptions and person specifications are fair and proportionate.
• Flexible and part-time working opportunities are considered where appropriate.
• Criminal record disclosures are considered fairly and proportionately in relation to role requirements and safeguarding responsibilities.

5.4 Terms and Conditions

Shared Earth Trust is committed to maintaining terms and conditions that reflect current employment legislation and good practice.

Reasonable adjustments will be made where required to support disabled employees.

Requests for flexible working arrangements will be considered fairly and constructively.

5.5 Learning and Development

Access to training, learning and development opportunities will be based on organisational and individual need.

Consideration will be given to individual circumstances, including caring responsibilities, accessibility needs and personal development goals.

5.6 Supervision and Appraisal

Supervision and performance review arrangements will be undertaken fairly and consistently.

These processes will support wellbeing, development and inclusion.

5.7 Volunteering Practices

Equality, diversity and inclusion will be embedded throughout all volunteering policies, procedures and practices.

We recognise that people may face financial, cultural, physical, geographical or social barriers to volunteering and we will seek to identify and remove these barriers wherever possible.

Shared Earth Trust is committed to creating volunteering opportunities that are welcoming, accessible and flexible.

To support this commitment we will:

• Promote volunteering opportunities through a variety of channels to reach diverse communities.
• Use inclusive role descriptions and recruitment practices.
• Offer alternative application and communication methods where appropriate.
• Make reasonable adjustments to support disabled and neurodivergent volunteers.
• Provide accessible induction, training and ongoing support.
• Encourage participation from communities underrepresented within the environmental and conservation sectors.
• Reimburse approved volunteer expenses in accordance with organisational procedures.
• Provide opportunities for volunteers to share feedback and influence future developments.
• Ensure volunteers are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
• Protect volunteers from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation.
• Regularly review volunteering practices to ensure they remain inclusive and responsive.

6. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside:

• Volunteer Policy
• Safeguarding Policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Complaints Procedure
• Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
• Health and Safety Policy
• Data Protection and Privacy Policy
• Welsh Language Policy

7. Implementation

7.1 Promotion of the Policy

All trustees, staff and volunteers will receive a copy of this policy as part of induction and will be made aware of their responsibilities under it.

The Board of Trustees retains overall responsibility for ensuring effective implementation of this policy.

Two Trustees will be nominated as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Leads and will oversee policy implementation, monitoring and review.

7.2 Equality Monitoring

Shared Earth Trust will monitor the effectiveness of this policy through appropriate and proportionate data collection and review.

Monitoring may include information relating to:

• Staff
• Volunteers
• Trustees
• Recruitment and retention
• Training participation
• Complaints and incidents relating to discrimination, bullying or harassment

Any information collected will be managed in accordance with UK GDPR and Data Protection legislation and used solely to support equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.

Where evidence indicates unequal outcomes or barriers to participation, SET will take appropriate action to address these issues.

The Board will receive regular updates regarding EDI performance, training, complaints and improvement actions.

7.3 Complaints and Concerns

Anyone who believes they have experienced discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation should report their concerns as soon as possible.

Complaints may initially be raised with:

• A member of staff
• A member of the Board of Trustees
• A line manager or supervisor (where applicable)

Concerns will be handled sensitively, confidentially and fairly.  No individual will be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern in good faith.

Where complaints involve Trustees, an independent person agreed by the parties may be appointed to investigate the matter.

Appropriate action will be taken where complaints are upheld.

Review Information

Effective Date:                                   28 October 2026

The policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains legally compliant, operationally effective, and aligned with the organisation’s values and objectives.

Next Scheduled Review:                  October 2027

Policy Approval Statement

This policy has been approved by the Trustees of Shared Earth Trust and applies to all relevant staff, volunteers, trustees, contractors, participants and visitors as specified within the document.