Colleague Handbook
Colleague Handbook
At Barnardo’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of everything we do. This is a central pillar of our People and Culture Strategy and the basis of our EDI Action Plan
Our aim is to embed EDI, into everything we do by making our services inclusive and accessible to all children, young people, families and carers so we can fulfil our purpose to transform the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children.
In promoting equality, we aim to eliminate discrimination or less favourable treatment, harassment, victimisation on the grounds of any protected characteristic and ensure treatment is fair and equitable in all areas of our organisation. We want our workforce and volunteer base to reflect the make- up of the wider communities in which we work. We value the rich diversity and multiple identities our colleagues and volunteers have and the contributions they make to the organisation and our workplace culture.
We want all of our colleagues and volunteers to feel valued, respected and for our organisational culture to be one of inclusion for all.
Barnardo’s EDI policy, alongside, our EDI Code of Conduct sets out our approach and reinforces the behaviours we expect to see demonstrated within our workforce and in our policies, procedures and practices. The policy (along with others) demonstrates Barnardo’s compliance with the Equality Act 2010 (and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland) .
This code sets out the equality and diversity expectations of colleagues and managers and the implications of non-compliance. The ‘Equality & Diversity Code of Conduct for Colleagues and Volunteers’ can be found on Inside Barnardo’s.
Barnardo’s is committed to providing an environment free from bullying, harassment and victimisation to ensure all colleagues and volunteers are treated, and treat others, with dignity and respect.
We have policies in place to protect colleagues and volunteers against bullying, harassment and/or victimisation of any kind including our anti-bullying and harassment policy and a separate policy on the prevention of sexual harassment. These policies set out how to raise a concern should an issue occur and the sources of support available
We recognise that our colleagues are the beating heart of Barnardo’s. Our foundation is to be a charity where everyone can belong, grow, and thrive. We want colleagues to feel included, valued, and connected with each other and our purpose.
Our colleague networks play an important role in providing a safe space for our colleagues with lived experiences as well as providing support and challenge on our EDI ambitions, to ensure all colleagues feel included, respected, and represented at Barnardo’s. The purpose of our colleague networks is; to provide a safe space for colleagues with lived experience; to act as critical friends in informing, shaping and providing appropriate challenges.
For this reason, our networks are closed spaces for people with lived experiences. However, networks will still have the opportunity to host open meetings and events where all colleagues will be able to join to show support and allyship.
Barnardo’s formally recognises UNISON for collective bargaining purposes. As a consequence, Barnardo’s communicates, consults and negotiates with UNISON on a full range of issues. The details are set out in the Recognition Agreement between Barnardo’s and UNISON, via your line manager or People Relations Team.
Colleagues wishing to join UNISON, or find out more about membership, should contact the UNISON Branch Office on 0800 954 9915, or by email to [email protected]
Although trade union membership is not a condition of employment, Barnardo’s will be supportive of UNISON promoting the benefits of membership and encouraging eligible colleagues to belong to the union.
Barnardo’s will deduct UNISON subscriptions where this is requested and authorised by the colleague. Barnardo’s recognises a colleague’s right to join any union of their choice or belong to more than one union or not to join any union.
At Barnardo’s, we believe in children and that means we all have a fundamental responsibility to ensure that in every aspect of our work, children, young people and adults at risk are protected and kept safe from harm, everyone who works for Barnardo’s is expected to be familiar with and committed to our Safeguarding Policies and be clear about what their individual role and responsibility is in keeping children, young people and adults at risk safe. You will find Barnardo’s Safeguarding policies and procedures on Inside.Barnardo's.
Barnardo’s expects all colleagues to be able to:
■ Define what is meant by safeguarding
■ Understand their roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk and know what to do if they suspect that a child, young person or adult may be at risk from harm
■ Know where to go for support
■ Be clear about professional boundaries and safe working practices
The safeguarding and protecting children Safeguarding Induction Leaflets and e-learning should help you understand the vital part you play in the safeguarding and protection of children and young people.
The Government has introduced a mandatory requirement to report visually confirmed or verbally disclosed cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in girls under 18 to the police. The requirement applies to the following Barnardo’s colleagues:
■ Health and social care professionals. Registered with any of the regulatory bodies within the remit of the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland;
■ Teachers in England and Wales. This includes qualified teachers or persons who are employed or engaged to carry out teaching work in schools and other institutions, and, in Wales, education practitioners regulated by the Education Workforce Council; and
■ Social care workers in Wales (i.e. those registered with the Care Council for Wales)
The Home Office has produced guidance on how to recognise FGM, which includes timescales for reporting, making a report, interaction with local Safeguarding requirements and implications for not reporting. A detailed Q and A within the procedural guidance is also available, and links on how to recognise FGM, including e-learning.
Colleagues to whom this legal requirement applies are required to read and understand this guidance and comply with the duty to report. Any queries should be raised with their line manager. A failure to report will be considered a serious matter and addressed through Barnardo’s Resolution Procedure.
In addition, to comply with the duty, colleagues should continue to have regard to their wider safeguarding responsibilities, which require consideration and action to be taken whenever there is any identified or known risk to a child, whether in relation to FGM or another matter. A flow chart which shows where the duty fits within existing child safeguarding responsibilities is available within the guidance.
Whistleblowing is the reporting of a concern that something is happening within Barnardo’s that should not be, or not happening that should be, which may include wrongdoing, or relate to the way in which the charity is run. A concern about your own employment is usually dealt with under the resolution procedure.
Barnardo’s Whistleblowing policy includes examples of wrongdoing and a procedure for raising concerns.
Colleagues in thousands of factories, offices and government organisations currently support Barnardo’s through their pay.
There are two ways in which Barnardo’s colleagues are invited to help:
1. Tax-free payroll giving. Payroll giving is a HMRC scheme that enables colleagues to support Barnardo’s or other charities through their pre-tax pay. Donations are taken before tax is calculated so the true cost of your donation, dependent on your tax rate, is lower as the charity also receives the part of that donation that would have been the tax payment. So, if you are a basic rate taxpayer and give £5 each payday from your pre-tax pay, then the net cost to you will be just £4.
2. Winners Club. Our workplace lottery, currently supported by over 150 companies, offers colleagues the chance to take part in a lottery where all entrants and winners come from within their own organisation. Payment for entries is taken from individual’s post-tax pay with every £1 deducted allowing 1 entry into the next draw. Draws take place quarterly with the total proceeds split 80:20: 20% goes towards the prize fund and the remaining 80% goes straight to Barnardo’s work.
Barnardo’s runs its own in-house Winners Club scheme open to all Barnardo’s colleagues. Within the last year, over £38,000 has been raised for children and young people.
Please email [email protected] to sign up to either scheme or to find out more.
Barnardo’s arranges insurance to protect its own interests. In certain limited circumstances, colleagues may benefit from claims made under these policies solely at the discretion of Barnardo’s.
Colleagues are strongly advised to insure their own possessions against loss by theft or any other means whilst on Barnardo’s premises. Barnardo’s insurance would only provide limited cover for loss or damage to personal possessions by fire whilst on their premises; to a maximum of £2,000.
If a colleague uses their own car they should ensure that their personal property is insured to an acceptable limit. Barnardo’s does not provide insurance to cover personal property carried in Barnardo’s vehicles or within colleagues personal vehicles.
Barnardo’s has the following six policies designed to help protect its reputation, assets, colleagues, volunteers, service users and other stakeholders from any aspect of financial crime or other related illegal activity:
■ Anti-Fraud policy
■ Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy
■ Anti-Money Laundering policy
■ Anti-Terrorism policy
■ Conflicts of Interest policy
■ Gifts and Hospitality policy
These policies can be found on Inside Barnardo’s.
We have also have a financial crime escalation procedure to be followed by any Barnardo’s Trustee or colleagues if they identify a suspected, potential or actual fraud or financial crime incident or policy breach. The procedure and reporting form are also available through Inside Barnardo’s. If you are in doubt as to whether an incident is a policy breach or not, you should report it.