South Tipperary Development Company Equality Statement
South Tipperary Development Company is committed to equality of opportunity in all areas of its operations: recruitment of staff, the interaction with its clients/beneficiaries, management of volunteers to ensure that no person is treated less favourably than others on the grounds of gender, age, marital status, ethnic or national origin, disability, race, sexual orientation, economic status, political or religious beliefs or membership of the Traveller Community.
Equal Opportunities
South Tipperary Development Company recognises that discrimination is unacceptable and although equality of opportunity has been a long standing feature of its work practices and procedures, South Tipperary Development Company has made the decision to adopt a formal equal opportunities policy. Breaches of the policy by staff will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action.
The policy ensures no staff or board member, client user / beneficiary/ external contractors and any other person who has any interaction with South Tipperary Development Company is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the Travelling Community.
The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.
South Tipperary Development Company operates according to the principal of ‘Community Led Local Development’ in order to realise its objective of improving the social and economic circumstances of targeted individuals, groups and communities in South Tipperary. South Tipperary Development Company takes a ‘bottom up’, community development approach in all its activities and areas of work. This approach is characterised as one that is client-centred and informed by the needs of the individual or community. The programmes of the company are delivered in a manner that empowers the individual/communities to engage in all opportunities that are available to them. In addition this ‘bottom-up’ community development approach empowers rural and urban communities to articulate their needs; engage with policy and decision making structures which will address the social exclusion and local development issues and be part of the process that brings about positive change in these communities.
The principles of Community Development to which South Tipperary Development Company are committed include:
- Collective Action: facilitating community groups to develop skills, knowledge and confidence so they can identify needs and address issues through collective action.
- Empowerment: working with people to enable them to become active participants in control of their own lives and their community.
- Social Justice: belief that everyone is entitled to live in an equal society
- Equality: challenge all forms of discrimination and acknowledge the inequality experienced by particular target groups.
- Participation: Involve groups who experience social exclusion, marginalization and discrimination in decision making and build this capacity to become active citizens.