Equality, diversity and inclusivity at One-Eighty: committed to making a change

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Why is this important for One-Eighty?

One-Eighty works with a diverse range of young people facing a number of unique challenges. This diversity is celebrated, and each person we work with is treated as an individual with individual needs. We want our organisation to reflect and represent the individuals we support, so we are committing to taking a whole-organisation approach to becoming a more inclusive workplace.

 We recognise that diversity and inclusion is a fundamental component of a charity, as it supports a positive culture and enhances our values and vision. It also better supports our beneficiaries. Improving inclusivity and diversity is not something that happens overnight, and One-Eighty are taking several steps to ensure we approach this task the right way.

 One of our Team Leaders recently attended training on taking a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion by Fearless Futures and we are now busy putting this learning into practice.

 What are we doing?

In order to fully address inclusion as an organisation, we must consider four key concepts: privilege, power, intersectionality and equity. We will be establishing a small team of staff to champion the project, each person bringing different perspectives and values, including representatives from the Trustee Board and Senior Management Team, to ensure buy-in and support across all areas of the charity. This team will encourage all staff to reflect on their comfort zones, their implicit bias, and their privilege. The team will consider all aspects of the charity, how inclusive they are, and what can be done to improve this.

 Our inclusion and diversity statement:

Our strategy to diversity and inclusion goes beyond legal compliance, and we aspire to celebrate diversity throughout One-Eighty to value each individual and their contribution. All individuals, whether employees, volunteers, or young people, deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential, and to work in a supportive, safe and inclusive environment regardless of their identity or background.

 
Rebekah Sammut