Diversity Champions

The purpose of Diversity Champions schemes is to create a cohesive group of people at all levels within an organisation, who can act as change agents within the organisation.

Diversity Champions are supported over a period to influence improved diversity practice in their areas (teams / departments / organisations). Diversity champions are important because equality and diversity is an issue that is played out in day-to-day interactions between people, and often people are unaware of things they do and say in those interactions. By having champions operating at ground level, a ‘ripple effect’ can be produced across the organisation.

 

Champions, with the right support, can provide a resource to:

🏠 Ensure that diversity issues are raised and kept on the agenda

🏠 Advise the rest of their teams on good equality practice

🏠 Challenge bad practice as it happens

🏠 Help to develop clear objectives to improve diversity practice

🏠 Give feedback to the organisation’s management on what equality and diversity practice is actually like on the ground.

 

Objectives – The Learners will be able to:

🏠 Have an awareness of how equality and diversity operates in organisations and what Diversity Champions can do, individually and collectively, to improve equality and diversity practice in the organisation.

🏠 Gain an understanding of the Diversity Champion’s role as a ‘change agent’ and practise change agent skills

🏠 Gain an understanding of organisational and personal change

🏠 Set objectives for their work as Diversity Champions

🏠 Discuss issues and difficulties in equality and diversity practice in their area, and be assisted to work out ways to take action to move those issues forward.

 

Target audience

Anyone in an organisation who wishes to improve their skills and knowledge on equality and diversity and improve outcomes for service users is suitable to be an equality champion.

 

Duration

The equality champions scheme is designed to be an on-going supported scheme with no set duration.