EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY
Introduction
Pewsey and District Link is aware that discrimination exists within society owing to prejudice on grounds of race, culture, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, age and class. Pewsey Link is committed to ensuring that its policies and procedures enable everyone within the local community to participate in the running of the scheme in an equal and fair way.
This Equal Opportunities Policy applies to all Link volunteers including Trustees and members of the Management Committee as well as to all users of the Link scheme. Volunteer recruitment and client acceptance procedures are in place and opportunities for discussion and support are arranged on a regular basis. It is hoped that all volunteers will feel they belong to a scheme that believes in and practices an anti-discriminatory approach to its members.
Data Protection
Pewsey Link collects certain personal information from volunteers and clients to ensure the scheme is managed properly and efficiently. The scheme Pewsey is bound by law to ensure that an individual’s privacy is protected and the information provided by which someone can be identified will only be used in accordance with the scheme’s privacy statement.
Volunteers
The application process is the same for all potential Link volunteers and includes independent references, an interview by a member of the management committee is conducted together with a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and an induction pack issued.
All volunteers will be made aware of the feedback and complaints procedure, are able to attend any management committee meetings and vote at the annual general meeting.
Clients
It is the intention of Pewsey and District Link to work within the local rural community to provide transport to residents enabling them to attend essential medical and social appointments supporting health and wellbeing.
All requests for assistance will be dealt with fairly and promptly. Clients will be made aware that the service is subject to the availability of volunteers. No charge is made for the service provided but the scheme has a donations policy of which the client will be made aware.
Clients will be made aware that if they are ever unhappy with the way they have been treated then a complaints procedure is in place.
Dated: March 2022
Review: April 2025