Code of practice

In pursuing The Makaton Charity's equal opportunities policy, all Trustees, Staff, Licensed Tutors and Volunteers of The Makaton Charity are required to follow the code of practice below as it relates to their area of work:

Employment of staff

All job applicants are to be treated equally. A job description and objective assessment criteria to assess an individual's skills and abilities must be set prior to advertising a post, to ensure that no job applicant receives less than favourable treatment.

There will be no discrimination in the terms and conditions offered to employees for the same job, and every employee has the right to obtain training suitable to their post.

Promotion of staff and, when necessary, redundancy is to be based upon the objective assessment by the Trustees of a person's suitability for the post.

Service delivery

Resources

It is the responsibility of the publications officer to ensure that all resources prepared for publication are proof read prior to publication with a view to eliminating any unintentional discrimination or ambiguity of this nature. Any identified area of concern must be reported to the Director who will ensure the matter is corrected by the appropriate technical member of staff.

Following publication of a resource, any matter of concern reported to The Makaton Charity relating to the way text, sign and symbol graphics or other information is presented must be reported to the publications officer who will review the comments and issue an addendum to the resource where appropriate.

Training

Tutors should be provided with a copy of this policy statement and code of practice on obtaining or renewing their licence with The Makaton Charity.

Tutors providing MAKATON courses are to ensure that their courses are relevant to the participants concerned and adhere to the spirit of this equal opportunities policy in that no-one should be refused training on the grounds of ethnic origin nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, social class or any other irrelevant personal characteristic or preference. Where necessary tutors should seek the advice of the Makaton training officer to accommodate the needs of individuals or to obtain suitable alternative materials.

Any comments or complaints relating to the way information is provided in any course or resource written by The Makaton Charity are to be reported to the Makaton training officer as soon as practicable after the course.

Translation Services

Any information translated from text into MAKATON symbol and/or sign graphics must be relevant and sensitive to the needs and feelings of the beneficiaries for whom the information is intended.

Any document, resource or course translated from English into a another language must respect the cultural differences of the intended beneficiaries of the translated materials. Care must be taken in the presentation of sign and symbol graphics to prevent offence to the intended beneficiaries and advice should be sought of a tutor or professional from that culture with appropriate linguistic skills.

Generally

All employees, tutors, volunteers and beneficiaries have the right to report any matter regarding equal opportunities to Margaret Walker, or if the complaint is against her to the remaining trustees, who can be contacted by writing to the head office.

The Makaton Charity bases its policy and code of practice upon the guidance issued by the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).