Background to Equalities in Mind Cymru

fersiwn cymraeg

Achieving an integrated approach to addressing equalities issues throughout our work.

Statement of commitment to equalities

Mind Cymru is continuously working towards meeting the varied mental health needs of the diverse population of Wales. Our positive approach to the principle of equalities means that we work for everyone with mental health problems in Wales whatever their individual circumstances.

To do this Mind Cymru believes that everyone we work with and for has a right to feel safe, secure, valued and understood. We therefore aim to achieve an environment in which people feel confident and safe to challenge and to be challenged and where everybody's contribution is valued. This approach ensures that people feel positively included and not excluded in all our activities.

Mind Cymru's understanding of equalities issues

The words we use regarding equalities issues may often have different meanings for different people and in different settings. The following working definitions for Mind Cymru are therefore included.

Diversity - variety/differences/mixtures - it is in, and relates to, all of us. Embracing and celebrating all aspects of diversity must be part of the culture of Mind.

Equality - creating same access to opportunities for everybody, ie open to everybody, but not treating everyone the same - people's needs are different and they start from "different places". "I treat everyone the same" is a failure to recognise diversity.

Equalities issues (relating to people who are marginalised within society):
gender, race, disabilities, religious and/or spiritual beliefs, mental health, politics, language, age, class, status, social behaviour, physical appearance, sexuality, culture, lifestyle (eg travellers), displaced persons, marital status, dependants.

All of these attributes/issues have positive and negative sides as they are defined or perceived by others.

Marginalised - to be put outside the centre, to the border, to be ignored - pushed to edge. Can be by omission as well as by action. Can relate to issues and people.

Social exclusion - there are those doing the excluding and those being excluded, all may have low expectations of the excluded. The excluded face:

• alienation, being seen as not belonging to the mainstream - shoved to the side and kept there. Not part of a supportive group
• denial of citizenship - active and passive
• lack of access/choice eg poverty.

Why addressing equalities issues is important to Mind Cymru

In order to make a real difference - to make what we do in Mind Cymru of relevance to everyone in Wales - we need to turn the statement of commitment into action. Not to do so would lead to 'just another set of fine words' - we, however, want to make the statement come to life.

We also need to be able to know what we are achieving and what still remains to be done if we are to fulfil the statement. To this end we are setting ourselves a number of equalities targets across all areas of our work - to make equalities issues a part of the day to day work and experience of Mind Cymru, in an integrated way.

Undertaking this work demonstrates the valuing of diversity within Mind Cymru and the recognition of the benefits, including the richness that this brings to the organisation and the work we do - as well as the clear benefits to the people we aim to work for and with. It is about what we are doing and are here to do anyway - as set out in the Mind mission statement and values and we can't conduct our mission fully without these issues being core. In addition to end up excluding people from what we do in Mind Cymru is a mental health issue in itself.

Mind Cymru wants to be an exemplary organisation in the field, going beyond meeting legal requirements into developing best practice - an organisation that others can learn from.

Addressing equalities issues also means that we are more effective in doing that work - in our service delivery. It also means that we widen the funding opportunities open to Mind Cymru for the benefit of the people we are here to work with and for.

For the approach outlined throughout this document to work we need all people in Mind Cymru and the wider Mind network in Wales to be committed to and engage with the work. This is a personal as well as organisational responsibility.

How Mind Cymru works to address equalities issues

As stated above, in order to make the link between our work and the statement of commitment, and ensure that we are achieving what we set out to do, we need to establish clear targets for all areas of Mind Cymru's work. We also need to identify the actions that we need to take to achieve these targets. The actions need to be measured and reviewed.

Having identified 'where we want to get to' - that means what Mind Cymru would be doing if equalities issues were fully addressed across all of our work - we have then assessed which of the actions we are already doing. This has helped us identify the 'gaps', that is what still needs to be done. From this an action plan for prioritising the remaining work needed to meet all targets will be set and reviewed regularly.

February 2007