Mediation Policy & Procedure
S75 Equality And Good Relations Screening Form
| General Information |
| Service/ Function ☐ |
Policy/ Procedure ☒ |
Project ☐ |
Strategy ☐ |
Plan ☐ |
Guidance ☐ |
| Is this an existing, revised or a new function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? Existing ☐ Revised ☐ New ☒ |
| Operational Area | Organisation Wide |
| Title | Mediation |
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Brief Summary The Mediation Policy and Procedure aims to increase the choices available to individuals in a dispute. It offers a more creative way for employees to resolve their concerns through collaborative problem solving. Mediation is a versatile process, which can be used not only as an alternative to formal procedure but also as a rapid first intervention to prevent escalation of the dispute or even to repair the working relationship after formal procedures have been concluded. |
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What is it trying to achieve? (intended aims and outcomes) Mediation is a confidential, voluntary, informal process by which an impartial, trained mediator or mediators assist two or more colleagues to try to resolve a workplace dispute. They do so by using a range of mediation techniques in a facilitated and structured way that aims to enable colleagues to work through their issues and towards an agreement / solution that is satisfactory to both / all parties. Unlike the formal grievance / dignity at work procedures, the outcome of mediation will not be a decision as to whether a complaint should be upheld or not upheld. The focus of mediation is on reaching a level of agreement unique to the circumstances that gave rise to the workplace dispute in the first place, that enables colleagues to address constructively with each other what has brought them to mediation, but also to discuss and agree how colleagues will work differently with each other in the future. |
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Who owns and who implements each element of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? OD/HR own the policy Where a line manager or OD HR identifies a dispute or indications of stress or disharmony between colleagues, they may approach both colleagues and ask if they would be prepared to voluntarily to enter into a mediation process. In these circumstances OD HR should outline why they think mediation may be helpful but as before, they should not get into lengthy discussion of the issues. |
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Other policies etc. which have a bearing on this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? Code of Conduct |
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Available Evidence Evidence to help inform the screening process may take many forms. Public authorities should ensure that their screening decision is informed by relevant data. |
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| Section 75 Category | Details of Evidence/Information |
| Religious Beliefs |
n/a |
| Political |
n/a |
| Racial Group |
n/a |
| Age |
n/a |
| Marital Status |
n/a |
| Sexual Orientation |
n/a |
| Men and Women Generally |
n/a |
| Dependants |
n/a |
| Disability |
Reasonable adjustments will be considered where appropriate and in line with Occupational Health advice |
| Screening Questions 1. What is the likely impact on equality of opportunity for those affected by this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? |
| Section 75 Category | Positive impact |
Neutral | Negative impact |
Reason | |
| Gender | Women | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation |
| Men | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Transgender men/women | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Other please specify | ☐ | ☐ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Race (As used in the 2011 census) |
Asian | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation |
| Black | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Chinese | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Mixed race White |
☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Other please specify | ☐ | ☐ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Disability | Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc. | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation |
| Sexual orientation | Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation |
| Age | Older People | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Younger people and children | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
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| Political Opinion | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation | |
| Religious Belief | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation | |
| Marital Status | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation | |
| Dependants | ☐ | ☒ | Major ☐ Minor ☐ |
Agreed Policy which will be applied consistently across the organisation |
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| Screening Questions 2. Are there opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for people within any of the Section 75 categories? |
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| Section 75 Category | If Yes, provide details | If No, provide details | ||
| Gender | Women | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | ||
| Men | ||||
| Transgender men/women | ||||
| Other please specify | ||||
| Race As used in the 2011 census. |
Asian |
No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. |
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| Black | ||||
| Chinese | ||||
| Mixed race White | ||||
| Other please specify | ||||
| Disability | Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc. | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | ||
| Sexual orientation | Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | ||
| Age | Older People, Younger people and children |
No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | ||
| Political Opinion | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | |||
| Religious Belief | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | |||
| Marital Status | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | |||
| Dependants | No specific opportunity to better promote equality of opportunity for people within the section 75 equality categories has been identified. | |||
| Screening Questions 3. To what extent is the policy likely to impact on good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group? |
| Section 75 Category | Details of policy impact | Level of impact major/minor/none |
| Religious Belief | The policy does not impact on people of different religious belief. | |
| Political Opinion |
The policy does not impact on people of different political opinion. |
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| Racial Group | The policy does not on people of different racial groupings |
| Screening Questions 4. Are there opportunities to better promote good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group? |
| Section 75 Category | If Yes, provide details | If No, provide details |
| Religious Belief | No specific opportunity to better promote good relations for people of different religious belief. | |
| Political Opinion | No specific opportunity to better promote good relations for people of different political opinion. | |
| Racial Group | No specific opportunity to better promote good relations for people of different racial groups. |
| Additional Considerations | |
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Generally speaking people can fall into more than one Section 75 category. Taking this into consideration, are there any potential impacts of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities? (For example: disabled minority ethnic people, disabled women, young Protestant men, young lesbians, gay and bisexual people.) No |
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| Provide details of data on the impact of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities. Specify the relevant Section 75 categories concerned. | |
| N/A | |
| Disability Considerations Is there an opportunity to better promote positive attitudes towards disabled people by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? ☐ Yes ☒ No |
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| If yes, please give further information and examples: |
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| Is there an opportunity to encourage participation by disabled people in public life by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance? ☐ Yes ☒ No |
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| Please give further information and examples: |
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Screening Decision
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If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact = None), please provide details of the reasons for this: The Mediation Policy and Procedure aims to increase the choices available to individuals in a dispute. The policy will ensure all employees have the opportunity to undertake mediation to achieve healthy relationships and to provide ways in which differences can be resolved as amicably as possible. Through the process of developing the policy and the screening process we have not identified any significant issues that require further consideration. |
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| Mitigation | |
| When the Council concludes that the likely impact is ‘Minor’ and an equality impact assessment is not to be conducted, the Council may consider mitigation to lessen the severity of any equality impact, or the introduction of an alternative policy to better promote equality of opportunity or good relations. Can the policy/decision be amended or changed or an alternative policy introduced to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations? ☐ Yes ☒ No |
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If YES, give the reasons to support your decision, together with the proposed changes/amendments or alternative policy: |
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| Timetabling And Prioritising | |
| If the policy/decision has been ‘screened in’ for equality impact assessment, then please answer the following questions to determine its priority for timetabling the equality impact assessment. On a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the lowest priority and 3 the highest, assess the policy in terms of its priority for equality impact assessment. |
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| Priority Criterion | Rating (1 to 3) |
| Effect on equality of opportunity and good relations | N/A |
| Social Need | N/A |
| Effect on people’s daily lives | N/A |
| Relevance to the Council’s functions | N/A |
| Monitoring | |
| Please outline proposals for future monitoring of the policy/decision: The Council will keep this process under review as required and may make any changes in line with legislation and/or relevant codes of practice, and in consultation with trade unions. |
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| Approval And Authorisation | |
| Screened By Position/Job Title Date | Date |
| HR Business Partner Org Development | 9 September 2020 |
| Approved By Position/Job Title Date | |
| Director of Corporate Services | 29 October 2020 |