Policy Statement
ARC Adoption North East is committed to encouraging diversity and eliminating discrimination in both its role as an employer and as a provider of services. ARC Adoption North East aims to create a culture that respects and values each other’s’ differences, that promotes dignity, equality and diversity, and that encourages individuals to develop and maximize their true potential. We are committed wherever practicable to achieving and maintaining a workforce that broadly reflects the local community in which we operate and similarly to recruit a range of adopters that reflect the diverse needs of the children on referral.
In striving to uphold this policy we acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement and hope that by our actions we provide concrete evidence that we as individuals and as an agency wish to be proactive in addressing any imbalance we encounter.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide equality and fairness for all in our employment and for those who receive a service from the agency and not to discriminate on the grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age. ARC Adoption North East opposes all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.
Principles as an employer
ARC Adoption North East’s commitment to Equality and Diversity is:
Principles as a service provider
The Agency positively acknowledges that in society there is wide diversity in child rearing practice, family values and attitudes across different racial, cultural, religious and social class groups.
We recognise children being placed for adoption must be given the opportunity to develop a positive identity and strong self-esteem. We will seek to challenge and overcome any discriminatory practices or responses based on race, religion, culture, language, age, gender, disability, sexuality or social class.
We will always seek to support adoptive parents and we will specifically address any particular support needs when a child is placed with adoptive parents who are of different race, religious, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We will seek to ensure adoptive families are able to access relevant resources to develop the child’s positive identity and build good self-esteem whilst understanding and retaining their own culture, religion, race and language.
We will acknowledge the disadvantage frequently experienced by children being placed for adoption. We will encourage and support adoptive parents to be able to empathise with and understand the implications for adoptive children of having experienced such backgrounds
We are committed to ensuring children with disabilities should have the same opportunity to be considered for adoption. We recognise that children with disabilities will have additional needs and their adoptive families may need additional support.
We recognise and value difference and the wide diversity of prospective adopters who may apply with us to adopt a child or children. We welcome applications from prospective adopters irrespective of race, culture, religion, social class, language, age, sexuality, gender or disability.
We are committed to ensuring that the needs, views, wishes and voice of children placed for adoption are reflected in the practices and services provided by the Agency.