Equality North East

The Standard is a practical tool intended to identify and promote your business as an employer and supplier of choice.

The Standard is awarded in recognition that you actually plan and promote good equality and diversity practices in the workplace. Achieving the Standard can help you become an employer and supplier of choice in a marketplace that now expects employers to recognise equality and diversity and the needs of the individual and society.

The Standard is relevant to all organisations of all sizes and from all sectors who wish to visibly demonstrate that they lead the field in their approach to equality and diversity.

It will:

• Give you a good benchmarking standard to see how you compare with your competitors
• provide tangible business benefits
• help reduce the risk of litigation
• help you achieve fairness in the workplace
• help you to achieve a good reputation about equality will improve our overall reputation as a business.
• improve your competence when seeking to bid for work with the Public Sector
• help show the community that you embrace diversity

The cost varies depending on the size of your business. To find out more contact Equality North East.

No, it is paid in two parts. 50% at Self Assessment stage the remainder when starting your formal assessment.

The main source of Business support is through Business Enterprise North East's Regional Skills Solution Fund you may want to contact your local Adviser.
Tel: 0845 600 9 006.

This very much depends on what comes out of your action plan. It has taken companies, so far on average between 3 - 6 months to complete. It is done at your own pace dependant on you time and resources. However, because of the content of the standard we have found that it is a process which has fitted in very well with a company's own quality processes and frameworks.

You can use the initial self-assessment form or liaise directly with an Equality Advisor. The initial assessment will enable you to benchmark where your business currently stands and identify any support needed to help you improve your equality and diversity practices. The assessment will help generate a timed action plan.

Yes, an Equality Advisor will be on hand to assist you in the completion of the standard. There is also access to our Toolkit which includes example policies and procedures, best practice guidance, links to specialist organisations and information pertaining to the law and equality.

You will be given advice on completing your action plan following your self assessment. A diagnostic meeting at that time will determine the toolkit support you need. After that the adviser is at the other end of the phone and email! Face to face meetings usually take place once or twice during the action plan stage depending on your needs. We are very flexible.

You will have access to our Toolkit which includes example policies and procedures, best practice guidance, links to specialist organisations and information pertaining to the law and equality.

Yes! No organisation is too small or too large to go for the standard. We have different levels of cost and we are able to tailor the standard to individual businesses needs.