We are proud of our diverse city; however, we recognise that despite its diversity, prejudice and discrimination exists in a myriad of different forms, systems, processes and social norms that lead to and perpetuate significant inequality in our society, and significant disadvantage for certain groups.
We want a more equal and equitable London, and we recognise that this work starts with us.
At London Plus we are committed to building our understanding of privilege and prejudice, so we can better recognise, and play our part in dismantling, the deep-rooted systemic and structural inequalities that exist in our city.
This work is aligned to the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 which protects against discrimination on the grounds of protected characteristics: Age, Sex, Race, Disability, including long-term health conditions, Religion or belief, Sexual orientation, Gender reassignment, Marriage or civil partnerships, Pregnancy & Maternity.
However, we also recognise that other groups, not covered by the Act face marginalisation and exclusion. This includes, for example, communities experiencing poor mental health or homelessness, refugees and those seeking asylum, as well as the longstanding inequalities relating to poverty and social class.
We endeavour for our work to help create a fairer London where everyone can thrive.
What have we done so far?
We acknowledge that delivering on this commitment is an ongoing journey and one we are committed to. We have already taken some steps and there is a growing appetite to prioritise further development.
So far, we have:
- Established a regular discussion space for the staff team to act as an internal EDI steering group identify areas for improvement and actions that can be taken
- Reviewed our recruitment practices; the way we write our job descriptions, advertisements, how/where we target recruitment and recruitment processes
- Reviewed ways of working to increase flexibility and promote a healthy work/life balance
- Committed to promoting a focus on equity in all our policies
- Updated our branding guidelines, with a greater focus on accessibility
- Launched a new website with improved accessibility features
- Taken accountability and responsibility for investigating underexplored and underrepresented areas within the sector in our Research and Data Strategy (2024-2027)
- Ensuring good practice in event accessibility to ensure that our work is accessible to the widest range of group
- Signed up to NAVCA’s anti-racist statement and principles for VCS infrastructure, pledging to ‘identify and oppose racism; working together to actively change policies, behaviours, and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas, actions and structural racism’
- Signed up to support the Campaign for Disability Justice
- Participated in related groups and networks, including London Anti-Racist Collaboration for Health (LARCH) Steering group, NAVCA EEDI Co-design group, HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network, Health Equity Co-production working group and the London Engagement Collaborative
- Audited our partnerships and begun more actively connecting to equity led organisations in our work to amplify their voices and to be more informed by lived experience in our work
What’s next?
We will ensure that our commitment to promote equity, diversity and inclusion is a meaningful commitment that everyone in the organisation understands and takes responsibility for. We see this work as fundamental to the values of London Plus and how our team works.
We have set five ambitious overarching goals:
- Commitment: Commitment to EDI progress will be threaded through all levels of the organisation and will have clear and visible leadership in the organisation
- Culture: Everyone at London Plus will understand that this commitment to EDI is fundamental to our values, our work and our relationships (with colleagues, partners and stakeholders). We will foster a culture where our people feel valued, able and encouraged to contribute. We will encourage and listen to feedback and learn. We will review and strengthen policies and procedures as needed
- Career: We will scrutinise and review our practices in order to recruit and develop a diverse workforce, with perspectives, experience, and expertise that reflects the city, communities, and sector we serve
- Collaboration: We will promote EDI in our partnerships, engagement, and interactions with all of our partners and stakeholders. We will work co-operatively with and learn from equalities organisations, ‘by & for’ organisations and people with lived experience in order to ensure we conduct our work in a way that challenges inequality and promotes equity
- Communications: Our internal and external messaging will reflect our commitment to EDI. We will be open and transparent about our learning and development, especially where it may support other organisations to consider their own development in this area. Employees, Trustees, partners and stakeholders will understand that this commitment is fundamental to our values and all that we do
