Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy 

April 2025

 
 

The Happy Baby Community is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. 

The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and representative of our beneficiaries, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. 

The Happy Baby Community, in providing support and/or goods and/or services and/or facilities, is also committed against unlawful discrimination of customers or the public. 

Our Mission 

Happy Baby Community (HBC) provides care and support to pregnant and new mothers with children under the age of 3 years, who have fled gender-based violence, sexual abuse, modern slavery and war and who seek asylum in the UK. 

Service Provision 

HBC welcomes and supports all individuals who meet our referral criteria and can benefit from our services during pregnancy, postpartum and early parenthood. Our beneficiaries are biological women experiencing the physiological process of pregnancy and childbirth. Due to the gender-based traumas that many have faced, we maintain a protected female-only space for activities where they can feel physically and emotionally safe. 

HBC Policy’s Purpose

This policy’s purpose is to: 

  1. Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time or full-time 

  2. Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of: 
    - age 
    - disability 
    - race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin) 
    - religion or belief 
    - gender and sex 
    - marriage and civil partnership 
    - sexual orientation 
    - pregnancy and maternity 

  3. Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in: 
    - pay and benefits 
    - terms and conditions of employment 
    - dealing with grievances and discipline 
    - dismissal 
    - redundancy 
    - leave for parents 
    - requests for flexible working 
    - selection for employment, promotion, training or other development opportunities 

Our Commitments

The Happy Baby Community commits to: 

  1. Encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

  2. Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. 

    This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organisation provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers and the public. 

  3. Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of the organisation’s work activities. 

    Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under the organisation’s disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice. Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offence.
     

  4. Make opportunities for training, development and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation. 

  5. Make decisions concerning staff based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act). 

  6. Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law. 

  7. We will continually monitor how the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, and will consider and take action as needed to address any issues. 

Sex/ Gender 

HBC is committed to respect and dignity for everyone, fairness within the law, a safe and comfortable environment within HBC for our beneficiaries, staff and volunteers. 

  1. Beneficiaries – We may offer bespoke support to individual beneficiaries who meet our criteria but who do not identify as female. 

  2. Employment and Volunteering 

  • Direct Service Roles – For positions involving direct contact with beneficiaries (in person, by phone, online), roles are open exclusively to cis-women (1). This constitutes a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010. 

  • Non-Service Roles – For positions that do not involve direct contact with service users, we welcome applications from all sections of the community. 

Recruitment Process 

Our recruitment process thoroughly evaluates each candidate's suitability based on diverse criteria to ensure the best match for each role within our organisation. 

Agreement to follow this policy 

The equality, diversity and inclusion policy is supported by the Board of Trustees, Co-Directors and management team. 

Our disciplinary and grievance procedures 

Employees who believe they have been discriminated against should bring this to our attention as soon as possible. In the first instance, employees are encouraged to do this informally, but where it has not been possible to resolve this informally, or where the matter is particularly serious, they are advised to use our internal Grievance Procedure. An 

employee who brings a genuine complaint of discrimination must not be victimised or less favourably treated as a result. However, allegations made for malicious reasons or in pursuit of a personal grudge will be managed under the appropriate disciplinary procedures. 

Details of the organisation’s grievance and disciplinary policies and procedures can be found in the Staff Handbook – Revised 2023. 

Use of the organisation’s grievance or disciplinary procedures does not affect an employee’s right to make a claim to an employment tribunal within three months of the alleged discrimination. 

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Policy Reviewed April 8, 2025 by: 

Title: HBC Board of Trustees 

Name: Chair – Sabrina Bals 

Policy to be reviewed annually - April 2026 

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(1) "Cis woman" refers to a woman who was assigned female at birth and who identifies as female, ie her gender identity matches her assigned sex at birth. 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cisgender 

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/teens/all-about-sex-gender-and-gender-identity/what-do-transgender-and-cisgender-mean 

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-cisgender-3132607