⚖️ Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Statement
Optimo Care Group
Effective Date: June 2025
1. Our Commitment to Equality
At Optimo Care Group, we are committed to fostering a culture of fairness, dignity, and respect. We believe that diversity strengthens our workforce, enhances our service delivery, and reflects the inclusive values we uphold across all areas of our care provision.
We are fully committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff, the people we support, and stakeholders, and to eliminating discrimination in all its forms under the Equality Act 2010.
2. Scope of This Statement
This statement applies to:
- All current and prospective employees, agency staff, and volunteers
- All individuals who use our services
- All partners, suppliers, and stakeholders we work with
It covers all aspects of employment and service delivery, including recruitment, promotion, learning and development, pay, benefits, and conduct.
3. Principles We Uphold
We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on any of the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
We are committed to:
- Creating inclusive, accessible services and workplaces
- Making reasonable adjustments where required
- Addressing unconscious bias and systemic barriers
- Embedding inclusive leadership and management practices
4. Diversity in Our Workforce
Optimo Care Group celebrates the diversity of our workforce and aims to ensure that everyone can thrive regardless of their background. We actively promote:
- Inclusive recruitment practices
- Leadership development opportunities for underrepresented groups
- Flexible working to support different life circumstances
- Staff forums, networks, and safe spaces for dialogue and feedback
5. Monitoring & Accountability
We monitor and evaluate our equality performance through:
- Workforce data analysis (e.g. recruitment, promotions, retention)
- Regular employee surveys and staff engagement initiatives
- Safeguarding and whistleblowing channels
- Policy reviews and impact assessments
Accountability for equality, diversity and inclusion lies with the senior leadership team, supported by all line managers and team leads.
6. Training and Awareness
All staff receive induction training and ongoing refresher training on:
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion principles
- Inclusive communication
- Preventing and addressing discrimination or harassment
This training is embedded into our broader workforce development programme and tailored to reflect the needs of our teams and the people we support.
7. Raising Concerns
We encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses discrimination to report it through:
- Our internal whistleblowing or grievance procedures
- Speaking with a manager, HR representative, or safeguarding lead
- Contacting us via: info@optimocare.co.uk
All concerns will be handled confidentially and taken seriously.
8. Approval and Review
This statement has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of Optimo Care Group. It will be reviewed annually to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
Signed:
Optimo Care Group
Date: [To be completed]