It is important that EDI policy is used to guide the organisation and does not remain a document that no one looks at. To enable this, here are some suggestions:
- Make EDI policy part of the induction of all staff and trustees and keep this for reference in a staff or trustee handbook. Help ensure ongoing development through discussion of EDI gaps and ways to improve. Make this a regular item on meeting agendas.
- Give volunteers and service users information in a lighter, more accessible way by communicating the key points or by displaying this publicly, for example, displaying your organisation’s Statement of Intent.You could also include contact details so anyone can get the full policy or ask questions if anyone wants to know more.
- Ensure EDI policy is appropriate to the size and capacity of the organisation to keep it realistic and achievable. For larger organisations, the policy usually details what good EDI will mean in each area of work such as recruitment, employment and service delivery. However, if this is not a practical option, the organisation could list a general set of standards that will be carried out to ensure EDI. The guidance links at the end of the transcript give a link to the Red Cross EDI policy which lists general standards.
- Finally, carry out regular reviews. EDI policy needs to be reviewed every few years or when serious concerns are raised.To monitor EDI set a regular time to review complaints, concerns and feedback to see if any have EDI implications. Project evaluations can be used to pick up more quality information on EDI.Monitoring, evaluation, feedback and complaints reviews can help focus action plans for the following year.