Statement of values

CARING for CHILDREN is committed to the principles and values contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights. This Equal Opportunities Statement embraces in particular the principles of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Association's Statement of Principle

The Association, as an employer, membership organisation, provider of services and resources and advisory body, shall uphold, in full and complete respect, the rights and freedoms of all persons to be treated equally and to have equal opportunities irrespective of disability, gender, age, race, colour, culture, national or social origin, ethnicity, religion, political or other opinion or sexual orientation.

The Association will actively oppose any form of prejudice or discrimination in attitudes, behaviour and practices on any of the aforementioned grounds and is committed to applying this principle in every aspect of its activities.

Active Application of the Principles

The Association will seek to prevent and will actively combat direct and indirect discrimination in its employment practice, in the work it undertakes and in the services it provides by:

1 applying such principles in the structure of the Association and its decision-making processes at all levels and applying measures to combat discrimination in its practices which directly or indirectly affect disadvantaged groups;

2 promoting awareness within the organisation of the needs of persons in minority groups and developing strategies which ensure that the policies, procedures and practices of the Association promote and seek to meet such needs at all times;

3 requiring all members of the Association to apply the values and principles in their work and their personal life;

4 monitoring and examining at regular intervals the application and operation of its policies, procedures and practices to ascertain whether discriminatory features may be present and there such are found to be present to take immediate action to remove the same;

5 ensuring that all organisations with whom the Association may engage, whether formally or informally, have an equal opportunities policy and apply the policy within the organisation;

6 promoting the rights and freedoms of all persons as stated in international declarations and conventions;

7 taking immediate disciplinary action against any member or employee of the Association who breaches the principles contained in this Equal Opportunities Statement.

Responsibility for implementation

Application of the Association's Equal Opportunities Statement shall be the responsibility of every member of the Association.

Corporate, strategic and administrative responsibility will lie with the Council and Officers of the Association who will be responsible for the application of the statement throughout the Association. The Ethics and Professional Issues Committee will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the statement.

July 1994