Creating the Right Environment
Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA are dedicated to support clubs and leagues to improve the diversity across their workforce. Including committee members and volunteers.
Whenever we promote diversity within organisations it is important to make it clear this is by no means a message to remove current volunteers to replace them with other people.
What we are striving for is to increase diversity through recruitment to compliment your current club volunteers.
Get In Touch
Tom Measham
Club Support Officer
Tom.Measham@Sheffieldfa.com
07704 170915
Why is diversity important?
• Diverse groups behave differently to uniform groups, and are less likely to suffer from ‘group think’
‘Group think’ Group think’ = disregard of outside opinions + Reluctance of members to express opinions
• Workforce quality improves, diverse workforces have;
- Better problem-solving skills
- Improved quality of discussions
- Greater creativity in thought during decision making processes
• Balanced committees and workforces have better understanding of the club’s membership
• Diverse groups are more reflective of your club membership
• Diverse workforces are more likely to attract a more diverse next generation of volunteers as members potential volunteers are encouraged that their opinions, thought, beliefs will be considered
Having a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints pushes the committee and creates a more sustainable club for the future.
Create the Environment
To put your club in a position to attract a diverse range of volunteers it is crucial that your club creates an environment promotes diversity. We recommend as a minimum to look to ensure that club looks into the following areas;
Equality Policy
The aims of equality and diversity are simple: to ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities and the same, fair treatment.
Codes of Conduct
A well-written code of conduct clarifies an organization's mission, values and principles, linking them with standards of professional/acceptable conduct. The code articulates the values the organization wishes to foster in leaders and employees and, in doing so, defines desired behaviour
Take discrimination seriously
It is important for your volunteers to be sure that complaints about unlawful discrimination will be taken seriously, even if they are raised less formally, outside your formal grievance procedures, and that something will happen to put the situation right if someone has discriminated unlawfully.
Make it clear what your volunteers options are for bringing unlawful discrimination to your attention, and how to use your procedures, including:
- Discussing the situation informally with you or a club committee member, and
- Using your formal grievance procedures
Make it clear what will happen if, after investigating, you find out that someone has discriminated unlawfully against someone else:
- that if necessary, you will take any disciplinary action you decide is appropriate
- that if necessary, you will change the way you do things so the same thing does not happen again, then make sure you do this.
Use non-discriminatory language
Discriminatory language includes any comments that indicate a bias against other people based on factors such as race, gender, marital status, age, national origin or disability.
Make meetings professional and accessible
Conduct polls to settle on dates and times of meetings. Avoid locations that may not be appropriate such as pubs, ensure venues have suitable facilities such as appropriate restrooms. Consider additional needs of members and aim to accommodate them.
Make your stance clear!
