Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Street Lights Collective CIC is committed to equality, diversity, inclusion, dignity and belonging in every part of its work. The Organisation exists to serve young people, families and communities through its ethos of Presence. Power. Purpose. This policy sets out how Street Lights will promote fairness, challenge discrimination, remove barriers and create spaces where people are treated with respect, safety and value.

Street Lights recognises that communities are shaped by race, culture, class, gender, faith, disability, trauma, poverty, exclusion, family history, education, geography, migration, care experience, youth justice involvement and many other lived realities. Some of these are protected by law. Others may not be protected characteristics but still shape whether people feel safe, heard, respected and able to access support.

Street Lights will not tolerate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying, abuse, hate speech or exclusionary practice. The Organisation will actively work to create a culture where every person is treated with dignity and where difference is understood as part of community strength.

The purpose of this policy is to provide a clear framework for equality, diversity and inclusion across Street Lights Collective CIC. It explains the standards expected of everyone connected to the Organisation and the practical steps the Organisation will take to promote fair access, safe participation and inclusive practice.

This policy is designed to support delivery in schools, community settings, youth programmes, family programmes, mentoring, community events, outreach, professional training, online spaces, partnership work and internal governance.

Street Lights Collective CIC will operate in line with relevant equality, safeguarding, employment, data protection and human rights duties. The key legal and practice framework includes:

Street Lights is a Community Interest Company and is not automatically a public authority. However, where it works with public bodies, schools, local authorities or commissioned services, it will support good equality practice and work in a way that is consistent with the aims of the Public Sector Equality Duty, where relevant to the partnership or commissioned activity.

This policy applies to:

The policy applies to all Street Lights activities, including governance, recruitment, training, programme design, delivery, safeguarding, communication, events, social media, partnerships, complaints, evaluation and decision making.

Street Lights will be guided by the following principles.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination connected to the following protected characteristics:

Street Lights will not unlawfully discriminate against anyone because of a protected characteristic. The Organisation will also take account of additional life factors that may create barriers to access, even where those factors are not protected characteristics in law.

These additional factors may include care experience, youth justice involvement, school exclusion, immigration insecurity, language barriers, poverty, postcode stigma, family trauma, bereavement, housing insecurity, neurodiversity, digital exclusion, low literacy, caring responsibilities, community violence, criminal exploitation and previous negative experiences with services.

The following conduct is unacceptable within Street Lights Collective CIC and its programmes.

Street Lights understands that equality and safeguarding are connected. Some young people and families face harm not only because of individual circumstances, but because of the environments around them. This includes peer groups, schools, estates, transport routes, social media platforms, community spaces, family systems and public services.

Street Lights will apply contextual safeguarding principles when considering equality, inclusion and risk. This means looking beyond the individual and asking how wider environments may expose people to harm, exclusion, stigma, pressure or discrimination.

In practice, Street Lights will consider:

Equality work must therefore be practical, not performative. It must shape risk assessments, safeguarding planning, venue choices, communication, staff training, referral routes, programme design and evaluation.

Street Lights will design programmes that are accessible, culturally relevant, trauma informed and responsive to community realities.

When planning programmes, Street Lights will consider:

Street Lights will make reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce barriers for disabled people, including disabled young people, parents, carers, staff, volunteers and participants.

Reasonable adjustments may include:

Where an adjustment cannot be made, Street Lights will record the reason and consider alternative support where possible.

Street Lights recognises that race, culture and identity are central to the lived experience of many young people and families. The Organisation will not treat culture as an add on. It will recognise culture, heritage, family story, migration history, faith, language and community memory as important protective factors.

Street Lights will challenge racism, racial stereotyping, colourism, cultural disrespect and assumptions about behaviour based on race, ethnicity, language, postcode or family background.

Street Lights will promote culturally responsive practice by:

Street Lights recognises that faith and belief can be a source of identity, strength, belonging and community leadership. The Organisation will respect people of all faiths and beliefs, and those with no faith or belief.

Street Lights will ensure that no person is pressured to adopt a faith position in order to access support. Where faith groups are involved as partners or hosts, participation must remain respectful, safe, inclusive and aligned with safeguarding and equality standards.

Practical considerations may include prayer space, dietary needs, faith observance, modesty, cultural sensitivity and respect for family and community values, while ensuring that equality and safeguarding duties remain central.

Street Lights works with boys, girls, young men, young women, parents, carers and families. Some work may require targeted spaces based on age, sex, gender, role, lived experience or safeguarding need. Any targeted provision must be designed lawfully, proportionately and with clear safeguarding rationale.

Street Lights will treat people with dignity and will not tolerate sexism, sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, gender based humiliation or abuse.

Where issues relating to sex, gender identity, privacy, toilets, changing spaces, personal care, safety or single sex provision arise, Street Lights will consider the law, safeguarding, dignity, proportionality, privacy and the needs of all participants. Decisions will be recorded where necessary and handled sensitively.

Street Lights recognises that disability, neurodiversity and mental health needs can affect how people communicate, learn, process information, manage emotions and participate in groups. The Organisation will avoid labelling people as difficult when their needs may not yet be understood.

Street Lights will seek to make activities accessible to people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, sensory needs, neurodivergence and mental health needs. This includes attention to pace, environment, communication, predictability, sensory load, emotional safety and reasonable adjustments.

Street Lights will not present itself as a clinical mental health service unless qualified professionals are delivering a clearly defined service. Where needs are beyond the scope of Street Lights provision, appropriate signposting and safeguarding routes will be used.

Street Lights will use language that protects dignity. The Organisation will avoid language that labels young people as problems, threats or statistics. It will challenge descriptions that soften harm when safeguarding risks are present, and also challenge descriptions that criminalise children without understanding their context.

Communication should be clear, respectful and accessible. Public materials, social media posts, reports and promotional content must avoid stereotypes, tokenism, exploitation of trauma and unnecessary disclosure of personal information.

Images, stories and testimonials must only be used with appropriate consent and must not expose young people, families or vulnerable adults to shame, risk, retaliation or unwanted attention.

Street Lights is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, selection and workforce practice.

The Organisation will seek to:

Street Lights recognises that its six trauma informed practitioners bring important specialist skill and lived understanding to delivery. They must work within this policy, the safeguarding policy, the code of conduct and agreed delivery standards.

Street Lights will ensure that directors, staff, volunteers, practitioners and relevant partners understand their equality responsibilities.

Training and development may include:

Street Lights delivers in real community contexts, including events, outreach, school programmes, community education and youth spaces. Equality must be considered before, during and after all delivery.

Event and outreach planning should consider:

Street Lights recognises that online spaces can both connect and harm young people. Social media can promote positive identity and opportunity, but it can also increase bullying, comparison, grooming, humiliation, exploitation, threats and postcode conflict.

Street Lights online activity must:

Street Lights will work with schools, local authorities, charities, businesses, community groups, faith groups and other partners. The Organisation will seek partnerships that respect equality, safeguarding, community benefit and the Street Lights ethos.

Before entering significant partnerships, Street Lights should consider:

Any person may raise a concern if they believe discrimination, harassment, victimisation, bullying, exclusion or unfair treatment has taken place.

Concerns may be raised by young people, parents, carers, staff, volunteers, practitioners, partners, advisors, community members or members of the public.

Street Lights will:

Where an equality concern is also a safeguarding concern, the safeguarding policy and referral procedures must be followed immediately.

Street Lights will take hate incidents seriously. A hate incident may involve hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or other perceived identity factors. Some hate incidents may also be criminal offences.

Where a hate incident occurs, Street Lights will consider:

Street Lights will monitor equality, diversity and inclusion through proportionate systems that respect privacy and data protection.

Monitoring may include:

The Board will review this policy annually, or sooner if there are changes in law, guidance, organisational structure, delivery context, funder requirements or serious incidents.

Breaches of this policy may result in action, including training, supervision, removal from activity, ending a partnership, disciplinary action, referral to statutory agencies or other steps required to protect people and the Organisation.

The response will depend on the nature, seriousness and impact of the breach, and whether safeguarding, legal or contractual duties are involved.

This policy has been developed with reference to the Equality Act 2010, government guidance on equality rights, Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on protected characteristics, and relevant safeguarding and organisational governance expectations.