Equality Policy

Statement from President of Business Operations

Aston Villa Football Club Limited, Aston Villa FC Limited, Aston Villa Women’s Football Club Limited, Aston Villa Foundation and its group of companies (together the “Club”), are fully committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone who wishes to be involved in the Club.

We believe that everyone stands to benefit when we embrace and value the diversity of thoughts, ideas and ways of working which people from different backgrounds, experiences and identities bring. It helps our employees to grow and learn, enables them to realise their potential, improves decision-making, boosts engagement and innovation, and enables us to better meet the needs of our diverse players, staff, and the local community. We appreciate that a culture which promotes equality will create a positive environment and a shared sense of belonging for all.

We recognise that equality will only be achieved by the Aston Villa Family continuously working together to build an inclusive environment where opportunities are open to all, diversity is valued, and where everybody can reach their full potential without fear of harassment, prejudice or discrimination and where a zero-tolerance approach is taken.

Chris Heck, President of Business Operations

Equality Statement

The Club is committed to and endorses the principle of equality and strives to ensure that everyone who wishes to be involved in the Club and its activities whether as a supporter, player, the local community, customer, community outreach participant, employee, Executive Board member, contractor, volunteer, partner or supplier:

can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and individual worth are respected, and in particular that they are able to enjoy their engagement at the Club without the threat of intimidation, victimisation, harassment, bullying and abuse; and
have a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, without regard to their age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to embed equality across all levels of the Club. Through this Policy, the Club aims to ensure that the message of equality is followed and actively practised.

Legal Obligation

The Club is committed to avoiding and eliminating discrimination of any kind in the Club and recognises that it is unlawful to discriminate directly or indirectly because of an individual’s age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity. These are known as protected characteristics.

Individuals will be protected if they have a protected characteristic, are assumed to have a protected characteristic, are associated with someone who has a protected characteristic or with someone who is assumed to have a protected characteristic.

Protected characteristics - Equality and Human Rights Commission

Types of Discrimination

An individual may experience different forms of discrimination. Discrimination may take the form of:

Direct discrimination – this occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic they have.
Indirect discrimination – this occurs when a condition, rule, policy or practice applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic.
Discrimination by association - this is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.
Discrimination by perception - this is direct discrimination against someone because an individual believes that another individual possesses a particular protected characteristic when they do not have that protected characteristic.
Victimisation – this occurs when someone is treated less favourably because of making or supporting a complaint about discrimination, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion because they made/supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act 2010, or because they are suspected of doing so.
Harassment – this is where there is unwanted conduct, related to one of the protected characteristics (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity; or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It does not matter whether or not this effect was intended by the person responsible for the conduct.
Bullying – this is a form of personal harassment involving the misuse of power, influence or position to persistently criticise, humiliate or undermine an individual.
Failure to make reasonable adjustments this is where a physical feature or a provision, criterion or practice puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with someone who does not have that protected characteristic and the employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments to enable the disabled person to overcome the disadvantage.

Positive Action

As well as complying with relevant legislation, the Club is committed to promoting equality by taking positive steps to counteract the effects of physical or cultural barriers – whether real or perceived – that restrict the opportunity for all sections of the community to participate equally and fully in Club activities. The Club seeks to implement, support or contribute to appropriate measures or initiatives that enable access to the Club by:

Committing to a programme of:
- raising awareness;
- educating;
- investigating concerns;
- applying relevant and proportionate sanctions;
- widening diversity and representation across all areas of the workforce and fan base; and
- promoting diverse role models.
Developing an Equality Working Group which will review and measure initiatives that the Club implements and promote equality to all.
Not accepting any form of intimidation, bullying or harassment including direct or indirect discrimination or victimisation, or any other form of unacceptable behaviour.
Monitoring and reviewing this Policy regularly with an action plan developed and implemented to address any areas of concern.
Commitment to the Disability Confident scheme since 2020.
Commitment to the FA Leadership Diversity Code since October 2020.
Commitment to the Premier League Commitment Regarding Discriminatory and Abusive Conduct since August 2021.

Implementation

The following steps will be taken to publicise this Policy and promote equality at the Club:

A copy of this document will be published on the Club’s website.
The Club’s Executive Board will take overall accountability for ensuring that the Policy is observed.
The Club’s Executive Board will take full account of the Policy in arriving at all decisions in relation to activities of the Club.
The Club will implement regular audits and create surveys and other initiatives designed to assess the level of participation of different sections of the community in the Club and will take account of the findings in developing measures to promote and enhance equality in the Club.
The Club will provide access to a rolling programme of training (for example, online, face-to-face, briefings) for all of its Executive Board, players, match-day fans, staff, participants in outreach programmes and other people engaged with the Club’s activities to raise awareness of both collective and individual responsibilities.

Complaints and Compliance

The Club consider all forms of discriminatory behaviour, including (but not limited to) behaviour described in the Legal Obligations section of this Policy as unacceptable, and is concerned with ensuring individuals feel able to raise any bona fide grievance, report or complaint related to such behaviour without fear of being penalised for doing so.

Appropriate sanctions will be taken against any Executive Board member, staff, player, match day fan, participant in outreach programmes and other people engaged with the Club’s activities who violate this Equality Policy.

Any individual who believes that he or she has been treated in a way that they consider to be in breach of this Policy by an Executive Board member, staff, player, match day fan, participant in outreach programmes and other people engaged with the Club’s activities should in the first instance, complain to that person. If that does not resolve the matter, or in the case of allegations against the Club itself, the individual may raise the matter by writing directly to: equality@avfc.co.uk as well as adding a case on ‘MyConcern’ and adding EDI as a tag. Please click here for ‘MyConcern’ process.

Club Investigation

The Club will investigate the reported allegations. The investigation will be conducted impartially, confidentially and without avoidable delay. Any person against whom a complaint is made will be informed of what is alleged and given the opportunity to present their side of the matter. The parties in question will be notified of the outcome of the investigation, in writing.

If the investigation reveals unacceptable discriminatory behaviour, then the Club may impose sanctions on that person or organisation. In imposing a sanction, the Club will consider the severity of the matter and take into account any mitigating circumstances. Sanctions may range from a written reminder concerning future conduct extending to temporary or permanent exclusion from Club activities.

In addition, if the Club believes that there may be a violation of this Policy by way of harassment, victimisation or discrimination which amounts to a criminal offence, the appropriate authority will be informed. The Club will co-operate fully with any investigation carried out by the appropriate authorities and, subject to the outcome, may consider taking action as detailed above in relation to the matter concerned.

Hate Incidents

The Club supports the work of West Midlands Police in tackling hate crime. The police and Crown Prosecution Service have agreed a common definition of hate incidents. They say something is a hate incident if the victim or anyone else think an incident was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on one of the following things:

disability;
race;
religion;
transgender identity; or
sexual orientation.

This means that if you believe something is a hate incident it should be recorded as such by the person you are reporting it to. All police forces record hate incidents based on these five personal characteristics.

Police Actions

In response to a hate incident, the Police:

may make an arrest.
will deal with any incident in which a person who receives or views an offensive post or message perceives them to be threatening, abusive, homophobic or racist. There are no set terms or phrases.

West Midlands Police Reporting Process

If possible, take a screen shot of the post/message in question either using your phone or computer. Please try and capture within the picture/s the time and date the item was posted, the name of the user/profile and any news feed below (This will prove to the court how fellow users have reacted to the post/message).
Please do not begin your own investigation into the origins of the sender by accessing their accounts as this may hinder the prosecution.
There are a few ways you can report incident of this nature:
Call Police on 101 – Quote “Operation Valdivian”
www.west-midlands.police.uk
www.twitter.com/wmpolice
www.kickitout.org/forms/online-reporting-form

The Police will require you to provide a statement and produce stills of the messages whether hard copy or digital in order to prosecute the offender in court.

Potential Outcomes

There are a number of potential outcomes depending on the offence. The majority of cases are dealt with in court where there is sufficient evidence. However, in certain circumstances, we can look for out of court disposals. Many of these will be alongside education programmes supported by Kick It Out. Any out of court disposal requires an admission of guilt and evidence of remorse. We aim that every potential outcome is victim led.

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