Equality, Empowerment and Enterprise

Equality

Fairweather aims to be an equal opportunities employer and seeks to ensure that equal opportunities principles underpin all areas of its work and service provision.

Fairweather will take positive steps to redress discrimination. This action will be over and above the requirements placed upon Fairweather by anti-discrimination legislation.

People may experience discrimination for many reasons including their race, colour, nationality, ethnicity and national origin, language, health and disability (physical or mental), HIV status, gender, caring responsibilities, pregnancy, religion or belief, marital status, sexuality / sexual orientation, age, trade union activity, where they live, how they speak and whether they work part time or otherwise flexibly.

In most cases it is unlawful to discriminate against people on grounds of gender, pregnancy, race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin, sexuality, religion or belief, or because they are disabled, married, a member of a trade union, work part time or on a fixed term contract.

However, it is the aim of this organisation to combat any unreasonable or unfair treatment which places people at a disadvantage for any reasons not directly related to their ability to do a job, or their eligibility to receive services from us.

Empowerment

Fairweather aims to empower all involved with the organisation to develop and reach their goals, aspirations and potential. 

The people who use our services are equal partners in our service delivery.  Their full and active participation are essential in deciding what services will be given and how they are delivered.  All women have valuable skills and knowledge which is recognised and respected by whose working at Fairweather.  In areas where service users request help, the focus of our work is to initially help them to achieve the desired outcome, but to talk to them about what they need in order to achieve this without assistance in the future. 

Staff will discuss and rehearse with service users so that their confidence and personal power increases as control is gradually given back to the individual.  Fairweather is not interested in delivering services which keep people in a position of little power, or lacking the confidence to manage their own lives, making their own decisions and take their own risks.  It is very important to us that service users take up their rights and responsibilities and we strive to empower them to do so.  Dependency is not our aim.

We also value what our service users have to say in relation to the way in which we deliver our services generally, not just in relation to their personal support or life plans.  We are interested in their  involvement and opinions about the management of the schemes and the development of the organisation and seek their views regularly in different ways in the hope that all will be able to contribute.

Equally, empowerment is an essential element in relation to the management of staff and volunteers throughout the organisation.  We work to empower all working with us to achieve their potential at any point in time, and to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence to achieve a high standard of work at Fairweather and to develop their career in line with their aspirations.  Managers are not the experts in relation to all the work we carry out, but rather their management skill ensures that the appropriate staff have the expertise to deliver our services, improve our practice and develop our organisation.

It is recognised that all involved in Fairweather have similar needs and aspirations, there is just a difference in how much support and encouragement each of us requires in order to realise them