EQUAlity, diversity & inclusion policy

Social Seahorse Ltd.

Social Seahorse Ltd is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do — from how we work internally to how we support clients, students and volunteers. We are also committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination wherever we operate.

Our goal is to create a creative and collaborative environment that is truly representative of all sections of society and reflects the diversity of our community, audience and partners. We want everyone involved with Social Seahorse to feel respected, supported, and empowered to do their best work.

We are also committed to ensuring that the services we provide — including digital content, social media training, and volunteer placements — are inclusive and free from discrimination.

📜 Policy Purpose

This policy aims to:

  1. Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, freelance contracts, volunteering, and placements — whether part-time, full-time, temporary or project-based.

  2. Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics, including:

    • age

    • disability

    • gender reassignment

    • marriage and civil partnership

    • pregnancy and maternity

    • race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)

    • religion or belief

    • sex

    • sexual orientation

  3. Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination in all aspects of our work, including:

    • pay and benefits

    • freelance or employee terms and conditions

    • training and development opportunities

    • selection for roles or placements

    • project assignment

    • disciplinary or grievance handling

    • requests for flexible working

🤝 Our Commitments

Social Seahorse commits to:

  1. Encourage equality, diversity and inclusion across our team and programmes because it’s good practice — and because it helps us do better work.

  2. Create a safe, respectful environment that is free from bullying, harassment, victimisation or unlawful discrimination. We value difference and actively celebrate the unique contributions of every person we work with.

  3. Ensure all staff, freelancers, students, and volunteers understand their responsibilities to:

    • Foster inclusive, respectful collaboration

    • Avoid behaviour that may be discriminatory or harmful to others

    • Act as ambassadors of our values in all work on behalf of Social Seahorse

  4. Take seriously any complaints or reports of bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination — whether involving team members, clients, volunteers, students, or members of the public.

    • Any such reports will be investigated under our informal resolution or formal procedures.

    • Serious incidents may result in termination of placements, freelance contracts, or collaboration.

Sexual harassment may also be a criminal offence under UK law, and action will be taken accordingly where relevant.

5. Provide equal access to development and growth, ensuring that every contributor — whether a team member or student — has the opportunity to learn, progress, and share their talents.

6. Make decisions based on merit, except in limited, lawful cases where positive action may be appropriate to remove barriers to inclusion.

7. Review our practices regularly to ensure our policy remains current, effective and aligned with changes in legislation or community needs.

8. Monitor our reach and diversity where appropriate — including voluntary data on age, ethnicity, gender, disability, and other relevant factors — to help us better understand how inclusive our platform and opportunities are in practice.

📝 Agreement and Oversight

This policy is fully supported by senior leadership and reviewed annually by the Director of Social Seahorse. We do not currently have trade union or employee representatives but welcome feedback from all contributors.

📍 Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures

If you have a concern or grievance, you can:

  • Raise it informally by emailing info@socialseahorse.com

  • Request a 1:1 conversation with your point of contact or project lead

These procedures are designed to support early resolution and fair investigation where needed.
Your rights to pursue claims via external channels, including employment tribunals, remain unaffected.

Last reviewed: 06 May 2025