Devon Tennis

Our Devon Tennis EDI Officer is LYDIA UNDERWOOD.
To contact Lydia please email edi@devontennis.co.uk

We recognise that everyone is an individual and everyone is different, no matter what background they come from or what characteristics they share. Our Mission is to ensure that every individual coming to Devon tennis, whoever they are, finds it Relevant, Accessible, Welcoming and Enjoyable – in short that they feel and are included in all ways.

This policy sets out Devon Tennis’s commitment to a culture of everyday inclusion, and driving greater diversity and equitable outcomes in tennis. It outlines some of the ways in which we will work in order to bring this commitment to life. It sets out what our colleagues, members and volunteers can expect of us, and hold us to account against, in the way we operate on a day-to-day basis.

Who is responsible for the implementation of this policy?

While helping to build a culture of inclusion and drive greater diversity across tennis is everyone in the organisation’s responsibility, the committee of Devon Tennis are individually and collectively responsible for ensuring that this policy is followed.

What does this policy cover?

This policy applies to all aspects of Devon Tennis’s activity and to all people who work or volunteer for it as they carry out those roles, as well as anyone taking part in tennis related activity which the Organisation is responsible for.

What is meant by equity, diversity and inclusion?

Equity is about working to achieve parity of outcome for people with different characteristics. It is not the same as equality. Equality assumes that everyone should be treated the same regardless of needs, experiences and opportunity. Equity is about recognising that not everyone starts from the same place and that sometimes targeted interventions are needed to give people the same chance of achieving a particular outcome, such as playing tennis regularly or becoming a coach.

Diversity is the mix of characteristics, experiences and other distinctions which make people different from one another. This can include differences in race, sex, religion, sexual identity, age, socio-economic background or whether or not someone is disabled. Understanding this mix is vital to being able to make all people feel included.

Inclusion for all is the ultimate goal, it is a culture in which everybody can feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, no matter their visible or hidden differences. Diversity without inclusion means that people from more diverse backgrounds will feel excluded and so that diversity, and the benefits for a sport or organisation which come with it, will not last.

Commitment to everyday inclusion, greater diversity and more equitable outcomes

Devon Tennis is fully committed to playing its part in opening tennis up. We will do this by building a culture of everyday inclusion and operating in a way which enables, encourages and values greater diversity and more equitable outcomes for all, in all aspects of our sport, with the intention that the sport and our Organisation reflect the diversity of the communities around us.

In order to achieve this, we will:

• Encourage equity, diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our work as an organisation, recognising that it brings benefits both to tennis and to the strength of our work as an organisation.
   
• Create a working environment for all paid staff and volunteers free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all are recognised and valued.
   
• Ensure that the Organisation is run in a positively inclusive way on a day-to-day basis, taking into account that people from different backgrounds and with different personal contexts have different needs to enable them to contribute fully to the organisation.
   
• Ensure that our recruitment processes and policies enable and encourage people from all backgrounds to become part of the Organisation and/or its work. We will make decisions concerning roles within the Organisation based on merit, including the benefits of maintaining diversity across all individuals engaged in the Organisation’s work.
   
• Take seriously complaints of discriminatory behaviour of all kinds in relation to any aspect of the Organisation’s work. We will deal with all such complaints in line with our published Complaints Policy and Code of Conduct and, where appropriate, in conjunction with the LTA Disciplinary and Inclusion teams centrally.

Agreement to follow this policy

The equity, diversity and inclusion policy is fully supported by the Board of Devon Tennis.

Appendix 1: The law and types of unlawful discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 is the main, overarching anti-discrimination law which Devon Tennis and is required to follow to help ensure that equality of opportunity is promoted across various groups and that diversity is at the heart of all that we do.

It is unlawful for Devon Tennis as an employer, potential employer and in relation to any of its functions to discriminate against persons directly or indirectly in recruitment or employment because of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation or religion or belief.

Direct discrimination is deliberately treating an individual less favourably than another person because of a characteristic stated above without a lawful exception to do so. For example, by refusing to employ a woman because she is pregnant or refusing to allow a person to compete in a competition because they are from a diverse ethnic background.

Indirect discrimination is applying a provision, criterion or practice that creates a disadvantage for a person because of one of the characteristics outlined above in the absence of proportionality and a legitimate aim. For example, a minimum height requirement for a job where height is not relevant to carry out the role

Disability discrimination is direct or indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability.

Harassment is where there is unwanted conduct, related to one of the characteristics outlined above (other than marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity; or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Associative discrimination is where an individual is discriminated against, harassed, or potentially victimised because of their association with another individual who has a characteristic outlined above (other than marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, however pregnancy or maternity may fall within a sex discrimination claim because of association with a pregnant woman or a woman on maternity leave).

Perceptive discrimination is where an individual is discriminated against or harassed based on a perception that they have a characteristic outlined above when they do not, in fact, have that characteristic (other than marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity).

Victimisation occurs where an employee is subjected to a detriment, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion, because they made or supported a complaint or legal proceedings under the Equality Act 2010, or because they are suspected of doing so. An employee is not protected from victimisation if they acted maliciously or made or supported an untrue complaint.

2024 Action Plan for EDI

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY INFO

FREE LTA EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COURSE