Be able to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion is reflected and promoted in the organisation.

About this package

This package focuses on reviewing and improving equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across organisational policies and everyday decisions. It distinguishes between what a policy promises, how managers apply it and what employees actually experience. Learners examine flexible working, recruitment and selection, talent management, promotion, learning and development, and reward. The emphasis is on finding evidence of fair access rather than assuming that a written commitment produces inclusive practice. The review considers how organisational context and access requirements affect participation. Learners examine criteria relating to age, experience, qualifications, job duties, working hours, location, dress codes and appearance, questioning whether these requirements serve the work or create avoidable barriers. The package also addresses unconscious bias, stereotyping, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. It considers whether employee learning helps people recognise these behaviours and respond appropriately, alongside the contribution of coaching, mentoring and sponsorship to awareness and opportunity. A dedicated section explains equality impact assessment (EqIA): a structured way to examine how policies, practices or proposed changes affect different groups. Learners consider the assessment boundary, workforce data and stakeholder evidence, then connect findings to recorded decisions, barrier removal and reassessment. The approach makes disproportionate impacts visible and supports corrective action; it does not treat an assessment as a guarantee that adverse impacts cannot occur. Learning outcomes include producing an action plan with responsibilities, timescales and review arrangements. The final sections turn review findings into recommendations that can be applied and checked. They cover usable policy guidance, updates informed by changing communities, training for people who interpret policy, inclusive facilities and safe ways to raise concerns. Learners also consider confidentiality, protection from victimisation, escalation routes and reporting responsibilities. Measurement and accountability run through this work, helping organisations judge whether changes improve participation and whether further adjustments are needed.

Who it’s for

This package suits managers, HR and people professionals, EDI leads and others responsible for reviewing workplace policies or recommending organisational improvements. Its focus is on evaluating evidence, planning action and measuring change rather than introductory awareness alone.

What’s covered

1. Reviewing EDI across people policies and everyday practice

   Examine fair access to work, development and reward across people policies. Compare formal policy commitments with decision records and employee experiences to identify gaps between policy and practice.

2. Examining organisational context, access requirements and policy criteria

   Explore how working arrangements and organisational circumstances affect inclusion. Review access needs and eligibility criteria to distinguish necessary requirements from avoidable barriers, considering their purpose and less restrictive alternatives.

3. Reviewing employee learning about bias and discriminatory behaviour

   Consider whether employees can recognise and respond to unconscious bias, stereotyping, discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Review both the accuracy of learning content and evidence that employees can apply their understanding.

4. Evaluating EDI awareness through coaching, mentoring and sponsorship

   Compare how coaching, mentoring and sponsorship can develop awareness and widen opportunity. Evaluate whether these approaches change workplace experiences, support belonging and are equitably accessible.

5. Conducting an equality impact assessment

   Define an assessment's scope and use baseline evidence to examine actual or likely effects on different groups. Link identified barriers to recorded decisions, corrective action and reassessment.

6. Strengthening policy guidance and community-informed updates

   Explore how supporting guidance and procedures turn EDI commitments into consistent decisions. Consider how to clarify policy application, respond to changing communities and ensure changes receive appropriate approval.

7. Training, inclusive facilities, safe reporting and accountability

   Develop recommendations for training policy implementers, improving facilities and enabling employees to challenge discrimination safely. Address reporting responsibilities and the evidence needed to judge whether improvements work.

Learning outcomes

By completing this package, learners can:

• Explain how organisational context, unconscious bias, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, stereotyping and victimisation affect equality, diversity and inclusion in workplace policies and practices.
• Evaluate flexible working, recruitment and selection, talent acquisition and management, promotion, learning and development, and reward policies against EDI principles, documenting strengths, barriers and priorities for improvement.
• Analyse how access requirements and criteria relating to age, experience, qualifications, job duties, working hours, workplace location, dress codes and personal appearance may disadvantage individuals or groups.
• Apply an equality impact assessment methodology to an organisational policy or practice, using workforce data and stakeholder evidence to identify disproportionate impacts on individuals and groups with protected characteristics.
• Formulate an action plan arising from an organisational review and equality impact assessment, specifying actions to remove or mitigate barriers, responsible owners, timescales and review arrangements.
• Evaluate coaching, mentoring, sponsorship and access to development opportunities as approaches to promoting employee awareness of EDI and improving equitable participation and progression.
• Design learning and development activities for employees and policy implementers that address conscious and unconscious bias, dignity at work, cross-cultural communication, religion and belief, with measurable learning outcomes.
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for adapting people policies, supporting guidance, procedures and facilities to meet diverse access needs and reflect changes in the communities in which the organisation operates.
• Design accessible processes that enable employees to raise concerns, report discrimination and advocate for others safely, specifying confidentiality safeguards, protection from victimisation and escalation routes.
• Construct an EDI measurement and reporting framework that specifies indicators, data sources, reporting responsibilities and review intervals to assess progress and meet applicable reporting requirements.

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