HR Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training

Practical HR equality, diversity and inclusion training covering fair employment practice, recruitment, reasonable adjustments, employee relations, policy and inclusive decision-making.

HR professionals discussing inclusive workplace practice

HR Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training

HR and People teams influence equality and inclusion throughout the employee lifecycle. This practical course helps HR professionals and managers translate EDI principles into recruitment, employee relations, performance, policy, workplace adjustments and everyday people decisions.

In‑House vs Open Courses

In‑house courses are private sessions delivered exclusively for a group of people from your organisation, on a date that suits you, with the option to tailor the content to your staff and setting.

Open courses are public Equality and Diversity UK training dates that anyone can book onto, ideal when you only need training for one or two people.

Looking for an open training course?

Moving EDI Into Everyday HR Practice

Equality, diversity and inclusion can easily become separated from ordinary HR activity and treated as a specialist project. In reality, EDI considerations arise throughout employment.

Recruitment, promotion, absence, performance, disciplinary decisions, flexible working, workplace adjustments and organisational change can all affect people differently.

This course helps delegates identify where equality considerations arise and build them into normal HR and management practice.

Fair and Consistent Decision-Making

Consistency is important, but consistency does not always mean treating every employee identically.

Delegates explore how clear criteria, evidence, appropriate discretion and awareness of individual circumstances can support better decisions.

Particular attention is given to avoiding decisions based on stereotypes, assumptions or an overly rigid application of policy.

Equality Law in an HR Context

The programme provides a practical overview of Equality Act considerations relevant to HR, including protected characteristics, discrimination, harassment, victimisation and disability-related responsibilities.

The aim is not to turn delegates into lawyers. It is to help them recognise when equality considerations may be relevant, ask better questions and know when specialist advice is appropriate.

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for HR and People professionals, managers, supervisors, business owners, learning and development professionals and organisations without a dedicated EDI specialist.

It is particularly useful where responsibility for equality sits within a broader HR, management or organisational development role.

The Employee Lifecycle

Delegates consider where barriers and inequalities can enter employment processes, from attraction and recruitment through to development, promotion, employee relations and exit.

Looking across the employee lifecycle helps organisations identify patterns rather than treating each EDI concern as an isolated incident.

Recruit

Build fairer attraction, selection and onboarding processes.

Decide

Strengthen consistency, evidence and equality awareness in HR decisions.

Include

Develop policies and practices that remove unnecessary barriers.

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Inclusive Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment decisions shape who gains access to an organisation. Delegates consider job design, advertising, shortlisting, interviews, selection criteria and reasonable adjustments.

The focus is on strengthening processes rather than relying only on individual awareness of bias.

Reasonable Adjustments and Disability Inclusion

HR teams frequently support managers to understand and implement reasonable adjustments.

Delegates explore how to identify workplace barriers, discuss adjustments constructively and avoid assuming that people with similar impairments will have identical needs.

Employee Relations and Equality Concerns

Complaints involving discrimination, harassment or exclusion can be complex and emotionally charged.

The course considers the importance of listening carefully, maintaining appropriate neutrality, avoiding premature conclusions and ensuring that concerns are handled through proportionate and fair procedures.

Equality Should Be Built Into the Process

Good EDI practice is stronger when it is embedded into recruitment, performance, employee relations, policy and organisational change rather than added as an equality check after decisions have already been made.

Performance, Capability and Conduct

Fair management does not mean avoiding difficult conversations or legitimate performance expectations.

It does require managers and HR professionals to distinguish relevant evidence from assumptions and consider whether disability, communication needs or other circumstances may affect the process.

Flexible Working and Family Responsibilities

Decisions about hours, location and working patterns may have equality implications, particularly where policies create disadvantage for particular groups.

Delegates consider how HR can help managers assess requests objectively, explore alternatives and avoid unnecessary assumptions about commitment or availability.

Policies That Work in Practice

An inclusive policy is not simply one containing an equality statement. HR teams need to consider how rules actually affect different employees and whether managers have enough guidance to apply them fairly.

Delegates can review how equality considerations are reflected in recruitment, absence, conduct, flexible working, grievance, performance and other organisational policies.

Using Workforce Data

Workforce data can help organisations move beyond anecdote and identify where outcomes differ.

Depending on available data, this might include recruitment, promotion, retention, employee relations, development or engagement patterns.

Delegates consider how data can prompt better questions while avoiding simplistic conclusions about cause.

Sector-Specific Application

The course can be adapted to the legal, regulatory and operational environment of your organisation.

Education & Training

Workforce equality, inclusive employment practice, learner-facing responsibilities and relevant inspection or regulatory expectations.

Health & Social Care

Inclusive employment alongside workforce wellbeing, dignity, accessibility and equitable service considerations.

Public Sector

Equality duties, workforce monitoring, fair decision-making and organisational accountability.

Private Sector

Recruitment, retention, workforce culture, people risk and practical EDI for SMEs and larger employers.

Charities & Voluntary Sector

Inclusive approaches across employees, volunteers, governance and community-facing work.

Learning & Development

Embedding EDI into learning design, facilitation, talent development and access to development opportunities.

Course Content

  • EDI throughout the employee lifecycle
  • Equality Act essentials for HR
  • Inclusive recruitment and selection
  • Disability and reasonable adjustments
  • Employee relations and EDI concerns
  • Fair performance and conduct processes
  • Inclusive HR policy development
  • Workforce data and organisational action

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:

  • recognise where EDI considerations arise throughout employment;
  • support managers to make fairer and more consistent decisions;
  • identify barriers within HR policies and processes;
  • respond more confidently to equality-related employee issues;
  • embed EDI more consistently into everyday HR practice.

Course Structure and Cost

All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, HR practices and priorities.

Delivery Options

The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.

Delegate Numbers

To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:

  • Online sessions: we recommend up to 10 delegates, although we can accommodate up to 15 if required
  • Face-to-face sessions: we recommend up to 20 delegates, with larger groups available depending on the course and your requirements

Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.

Course Fees

  • £595 for a half-day session
  • £895 for a full-day session
  • Two half-day sessions delivered on the same day are charged at the full-day rate

Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.

What our delegates say

Trusted by organisations across the UK

Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.

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