Lloyds Clifford Solicitors LIMITED EQUALITY & DIVERSITY POLICY

  1. We are committed to fostering a working environment in which we value and respect our colleagues and our clients. This means that we encourage equality of opportunity and respect for diversity in all our dealings with colleagues, clients and third parties instructed in connection with clients’ matters.
  1. This policy document demonstrates the measures we implement to ensure that we meet these aims in the way in which we work and provide services to you.
  1. This policy applies to all managers and employees of the firm, and we will bring this policy to the attention of any contractors or third parties with whom we work as we expect them to also act in accordance with it.

Legislation and regulation

  1. We comply with UK anti-discrimination and equalities legislation including the Equality Act 2010. This means that we consider the protected characteristics described in the Equality Act in all our dealings with colleagues, clients and third parties instructed in connection with clients’ matters and ensure everyone is treated impartially  and fairly regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and sex and sexual orientation.
  1. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and comply with the SRA Handbook. This contains regulatory requirements which set standards which we are required to achieve and observe. These are drafted for the benefit of the clients we serve and in the public interest. These also include requirements about equality and diversity which we are required to achieve. We comply with the SRA Principles and the SRA Code of Conduct 2011.
  1. Where relevant, we also follow best practice guidance issued from time to time by our representative body, the Law Society of England and Wales.

 Prohibited Acts

  1. We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination, victimisation or harassment either towards any of our colleagues or by any of our colleagues.

Employment

Recruitment

  1. We are committed to a fair and transparent recruitment process. We ensure that all job applicants are treated fairly and with respect, and that no decisions about short listing of candidates, the interview process, or offers of recruitment are made on grounds which would be discriminatory to someone with a protected characteristic.
  1. We ensure that everyone involved in our recruitment and interview processes is aware of, and applies this policy. This includes third parties, such as recruitment agencies, we may instruct to assist us in connection with these processes. We monitor adherence to this requirement.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

  1. We operate other employment-related policies in respect of the following:
  • Flexible working
  • Special leave arrangements
  • Secondment opportunities
  • Pay and Conditions
  • Disciplinary and grievance issues
  • Dismissal, redundancy and retirement

These policies are applied impartially and fairly to all managers and employees and in way which is not discriminatory to someone with a protected characteristic.

  1. We are committed to achieving a diverse workforce which best serves the needs of our clients and our community and we have implemented systems and procedures which enable us to monitor workforce diversity.
  1. We make reasonable adjustments to methods of working where necessary so that disabled colleagues are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to colleagues who are not disabled and we do not pass on any of the costs of these adjustments.

Training

  1. All colleagues are trained in equality legislation and SRA regulatory requirements which is appropriate to them and their role in the firm. This is repeated at regular intervals. The purpose of this training is to ensure that everyone is familiar with the requirements of the legislation, understands the regulatory requirements included in the SRA Handbook, and acts in accordance with these and complies with this policy.
  1. This training is given to colleagues during their initial induction programme when they join this firm and at regular intervals as appropriate. We use various assessment measures to ensure that our training objectives have been met.

Career Development

  1. In employment matters, we are committed to ensuring that we work in an environment where there is equality of opportunity so that all our colleagues have the chance to develop with us regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief or any of the other protected characteristics as described in the Equality Act. This includes policies designed to ensure that our development and training programmes operate in a non-discriminatory way.

Clients

  1. We will treat all clients with respect.
  1. We make reasonable adjustments to the way in which we provide services where necessary so that disabled clients are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to clients. This may include changing the way in which we communicate with you or take instructions from you and we will not pass on any of the costs of these adjustments
  1. We monitor our client care policies to ensure that when accepting or refusing instructions, we do not make any decision on grounds of unlawful discrimination.
  1. We ensure that your matters are reviewed regularly to ensure that you are not treated in a discriminatory manner.
  1. Our policies for dealing with clients’ matters require us to consider legislation and regulatory requirements and not act in an unlawful manner or in a way which would place us in breach of the requirements in the SRA Handbook. Sometimes this may mean that we will not be able to act on your instructions. If this is the case we will ensure that we communicate our decision to you in a clear manner.
  1. If you feel that we have acted in a discriminatory way you should tell us about your concerns and we will investigate your complaint in a prompt, fair, open and effective manner in accordance with our complaints handling policy.

Third Parties

  1. We are committed to ensuring that all third parties, such as barristers and expert witnesses, instructed in connection with your matters are treated fairly and with respect in accordance with this policy.

     Monitoring

  1. The firm operates a number of systems and checklists to ensure that all managers and employees act in accordance with this policy both in respect of client matters and in all employment-related matters. These systems include the following:
  • Checks made on the firm’s recruitment process and the systems used for shortlisting and interviewing candidates
  • Controls on third parties retained by the firm to assist with such processes
  • Regular client file reviews to ensure that policies relating to the acceptance of instructions are followed by managers and employees
  • Managers and employees with supervisory responsibilities regularly check files for compliance with the firm’s equality and diversity policy
  • Recording and evaluation of all breaches of this policy to ensure that all legislative and regulatory requirements are achieved
  • Maintenance of workplace diversity records
  • Maintenance of complaints handling records
  • Consistent and effective handling of all disciplinary and grievance investigations and proper recording of decisions reached
  • Periodic client satisfaction and employee surveys

Reporting breaches

  1. All members of the firm are expected to challenge inappropriate behaviour.
  1. This firm operates a whistle-blowing policy and all managers and employees are asked to act in accordance with this and bring matters of concern in respect of discrimination, victimisation or harassment to the attention of the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice promptly in order that the inappropriate behaviour can be investigated.
  1. Where issues are identified, we will deal with complaints promptly, fairly, openly and effectively and, if necessary, will undertake an investigation into the conduct of the colleague concerned in accordance with the terms of our disciplinary policy.

Review of this policy

  1. The managers of this firm, and the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice, have a responsibility to monitor this policy to ensure it remains appropriate. It is reviewed regularly and updated as necessary. Reviews may also be necessary where breaches are identified or to reflect changes in legislation or the SRA’s regulatory requirements. All changes are communicated to our colleagues in training sessions, departmental meetings and meetings with line managers as appropriate.