EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION POLICY

​At The Policy Bank, our leadership team of directors is supported by highly experienced contractors who share our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Although we do not employ staff directly, we require all contractors and partners to uphold the same high standards of EDI and to eliminate unlawful discrimination in every aspect of their work with us.

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Purpose

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This policy’s purpose is to:

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1. Provide equality, fairness and respect for everyone engaged by The Policy Bank, whether on a contracted, part-time or full-time basis.

2. Prohibit unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 on the grounds of:

3. – age
   – disability
   – gender reassignment
   – marriage and civil partnership
   – pregnancy and maternity
   – race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin)
   – religion or belief
   – sex
   – sexual orientation

4. Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination in:
   – contract terms and fees
   – scope of work and development opportunities
   – feedback, grievance or dispute resolution processes
   – termination or non-renewal of contracts
   – requests for flexible working arrangements

 

Our Commitments

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1. Leadership by Example
   – Our directors will champion EDI in every decision from whom we appoint as contractors to how we present our findings because diverse perspectives make our work better.

2. Inclusive Engagement
   – We require all contractors to deliver services in a manner free of bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination. We will provide clear EDI expectations in every contract and onboarding pack.

3. Accessible Working Practices
   – Contractors may work remotely, in person or via hybrid arrangements. We will ensure that all materials, workshops and meetings are accessible (e.g. captioned webinars, large-print or easy-read documents, interpretation support on request).

4. Complaint & Grievance Process
   – Anyone engaged by The Policy Bank, directors or contractors, may raise an EDI concern or grievance in writing to our designated EDI Lead. We will treat all complaints confidentially, investigate impartially, and take proportionate action under our contractor management protocols.

5. Development & Support
   – We will make EDI-focused training and resources available to our directors and contractors, and encourage continuous learning through peer-sharing sessions and external webinars.

6. Fair Contractor Selection & Remuneration
   – We will select contractors on the basis of merit, ensuring transparent fee structures and equal access to opportunities regardless of background or personal characteristic.

7. Review & Continuous Improvement
   – Annually, our directors will review contracting practices, feedback from our teams and any EDI incidents, and update this policy and our processes to reflect legal changes and lessons learned.

 

Monitoring & Accountability

• EDI Lead: One director is appointed as our EDI Lead, responsible for overseeing policy implementation, handling grievances and reporting annually to the board.

• Data Collection: We will confidentially track contractor diversity (where voluntarily provided) and monitor participation in EDI training and events.

• Policy Review: This policy will be formally reviewed every two years or sooner if legislation changes or significant issues arise.