Buddies Clubs & Services					       

Equality in Service Delivery

Buddies Clubs & Services acknowledge the many sources of inequality and injustice, such as age, disability, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, sexuality and social status which can affect the lives of the children/young people in our care.

1.  Language difficulties - In Buddies we have a number of children/young people without speech and language.  All efforts must be made to communicate with children via an appropriate communication system, and to let them understand what happens around them. No child/young person attending Buddies Clubs should feel excluded due to communication difficulties.
Buddies Clubs staff use Makaton and Board maker symbols depending on the system used by individuals.  All daily programs are presented in pictorial as well as written form.

If we require assistance for children/young people’s whose first language is not English Buddies Clubs will approach Leaders in Early Learning for advice and support.

2.  Same-sex personal care – Buddies Clubs & Services recognise that no staff member should be excluded from caring on the basis of their gender however Buddies Clubs & Services are sensitive to parental/carer choice in this matter and if their preference is for a same-sex carer for the personal care of their child/young person this is ensured by Buddies Clubs staff.