our equality and diversity policy
As a public-service provider, a statutory body and an employer, the Financial Ombudsman Service is fully committed to the fair and equal treatment of everyone we deal with.
the provision of our services
We aim to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders by:
- creating a work culture which values diversity, inclusiveness and respect, and empowers our employees to reflect those values in their dealings with the people who use our service and all other stakeholders;
- promoting equal access to the Financial Ombudsman Service for all users and potential users;
- ensuring that we provide an accessible service to all of our customers;
- providing clear, meaningful information about what we do and how we do it to our customers, potential customers and other stakeholders, in ways that best suit their individual needs;
- identifying as early as possible any individual requirements that may need to be met in order for a customer to fully access our service; and
- being responsive to changing needs and requirements.
equal opportunities
We are fully committed to treating everyone equally – irrespective, for example, of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief.
As an equal opportunities employer, we recognise that equality and diversity are positive attributes, and we understand and welcome the differences that a diverse culture brings.
we value openness, accessibility, fairness and transparency
Our equality and diversity policy covers all areas of our responsibilities as an employer – including recruitment, promotion, training, performance management, pay and benefits.
training
We will provide equality and diversity training to all employees to help them:
- understand equality and diversity issues that may arise during the course of their employment;
- understand their rights and responsibilities in law; and
- create a working culture which values diversity, inclusiveness, equality and respect.
our employees' responsibilities
We expect each of our employees to help us meet our commitment to creating a positive, diverse culture, by upholding this policy.
Our HR director, Peter Stansfield, has overall responsibility for overseeing how we apply our equality and diversity policy across the organisation.