A full list of our company policies and procedures

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

We strive to provide unique, accessible low impact sustainable surfing without compromising on luxury or the environment. Our aim, through our holistic approach, is to introduce our clients to the benefits of surfing and encourage personal, collective and corporate responsibility ‘down the line’.

Global Boarders is committed to being the best by:

• Assisting clients achieve some of the true and far reaching benefits that surfing has to offer in a sustainable, safe and accessible manner
• Ensuring that principles of sustainability underpin our best practices
• Training, optimising and retaining key staff year round
• Leading by example within the surf industry

Global Boarders Environmental Strategy includes:

Management

• Setting up an Environmental Management System certified according to the international ISO 14001 standard and verified according to the European Emas II Directive
• Providing positive and good leadership role models to staff and clients and maintain our high level of customer satisfaction
• Maintaining an open, client and team focused environment
• Ensuring that the well being of staff is balanced by the satisfaction of the clients

Personal, recruiting, training

• Recruiting local staff who can act as suitable role models to our clients
• Ensuring each member of the team has at least one environmental and one management qualification
• Facilitating staff to attain the maximum CPD
• Nurturing one socially excluded local person annually from ideally from non-surfer to Surfing GB Coach Level 1 or relevant lifeguarding qualification

Purchasing and procurement

• Investigating existing and future suppliers and favor those with suitable environmental and social policies
• Phasing out and eliminating products, where feasible, which involve toxic products or processes in their manufacture or supply chain
• Supplying fair trade, local & organic food; recycled and low impact products where feasible
• Supplying a balance of fair trade and recycled surf wear and kit

Marketing

• The promotion and encouragement of electronic communication by marketing primarily via email, telephone and minimum use of paper products

Finance

• To balance economic concerns in line with our social and environmental policy

Administration

• Reducing the quantity of paper and paper based products

Legislation

• Conforming to all Surfing GB, health & safety, and employment law guidelines

Transport

• Continuing and encouraging the use of our free arrival and beach transfers
• Increasing the use of cleaner fuels in our vehicles by fuelling all diesel vehicles with Bio Blend 95/5 when possible; otherwise 7% Bio Blend will be used when possible

Communication

• Maintaining open, honest and transparent communications internally
• Showing everyone with whom we come into contact some of the ways in which surfers can make a difference
• Respecting the traditions of the locals and residents of each area we surf
• Maintaining and improving upon our “within 24 hour response service”

Quality standards

• To maintain the quality of service and product and retain our 100% customer satisfaction to date

Production

• To continue to source products for sale promotion, which are either all or partly:
• Local
• Fair Trade
• Organic
• Low impact

Normal operating procedures

• By offering transfers we cut down significantly on the number of cars driving around West Cornwall and lessen the impact of climate change globally
• We use a 95/5 bio-blend fuel in our transfer vehicles when possible
• We use multiple beaches and keep to paths to protect the dunes against erosion. We also travel to the beach with the best conditions and we do not over-use any one beach and try our best to be responsible in our use
• We operate mini beach cleans on the way to and from the shore and recycle appropriately
• We also encourage people to put shells and rocks back how they found them
• We try not to use glass objects outside as these can form hidden, lethal weapons to human and animals alike – if we do we ensure that that they are packed away for recycling immediately after use
• We aim to leave the spaces better than we found them
• We aim to use a combination of wetsuits from recycling programmes – all suits [and boards] which are no longer usable by us are recycled through a local surf school or sold on second-hand to local people in need of affordable equipment
• When we clean our kit we try to stick to the following: reduce the temperature to 30 degrees [so long as the items are being cleaned in line with H&S guidelines
• Where possible we try to use an ecological phosphate free washing medium; we are continually researching low impact disinfectants (but we still use Dettol as this remains the only secure way of disinfecting whilst using the dip method)
• Line dry any items where possible as UV rays are a natural disinfectant
• We have taken the straightforward ABC Surfing GB lesson and added some sustainability aspects to it
• Where possible we use natural, biodegradable, locally produced sunscreen and hand soaps. The micro-fine titanium dioxide (which is a naturally occurring element) has to be processed so as it can be used in a sun screen

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

Policy statement

Global Boarders is committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all both internally (Directors, Employees and Volunteers) and externally (Clients). Global Boarders values the rich diversity of the community it serves and will take all necessary steps to ensure that its services reflect the needs of all people within the community. All individuals can expect to receive fair access to learning opportunities, employment, promotion (where appropriate) and training. The framework for this is provided by the obligations and duties placed upon employers by comprehensive equality legislation and statutory regulations together with associated codes of practice.

The duties to actively promote disability, race and gender equality includes recognising that fundamental change is required, not just in the physical environment, but also in people’s perception of these issues and this will be undertaken through training and awareness raising and consultation with directors, employees and volunteers, clients and the wider community.

Key principles

Global Boarders will do more than merely adhere to anti-discriminatory legislation. It will take appropriate positive action to promote equal opportunities for all and maximize the potential of all directors, employees and volunteers and clients through valuing their different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds, genders, sexual orientation, ages, skills and experiences.

This means:

I.         Actively promoting the right that all Directors, Employees and Volunteers and Clients have to be treated equally and have the same opportunities

II.         Reaching out to groups of people who are marginalised or traditionally or socially excluded

III.         Working together to identify and eliminate all forms of discrimination whether deliberate or unwitting and making it clear that such behaviour will not be tolerated

IV.         Embracing and promoting the understanding and benefits of diversity in our workplace and within our programmes

V.         Ensuring that all marketing, publicity, learning materials and information includes positive and appropriate representation where images are required

Equal opportunities for employees and volunteers

This Equality and Diversity Policy seeks to ensure the effective use of human resources in the best interest of Global Boarders and its directors, employees and volunteers. It is a commitment by the organisation to the development and use of employment procedures and practices that do not discriminate and which provide genuine equality for all directors, employees and volunteers. All employees and volunteers of Global Boarders and all applicants for employment will be given equal opportunity, irrespective of their age, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins in all aspects of employment and training.

No job applicant or employee will be disadvantaged by conditions or requirements, which cannot be shown to be justifiable. Global Boarders is committed not only to the law but also to the promotion of equality of opportunity in all employment fields. The operation of recruitment, training and promotion policies to all individuals will be on the basis of job requirements and the individual’s ability.

In respect of people with disabilities:

I.         Full and fair consideration will be given to people with disabilities for all types of vacancies. All applicants with declared disabilities who meet the minimum requirements for the job will be guaranteed an interview

II.         Wherever possible, employees who newly acquire disabilities will be encouraged and supported to continue in employment

III.         Wherever possible, the organisation will modify equipment, use special aids to further employment, or job restructuring to enable a person with disabilities to be employed or remain in employment

IV.         Premises used by the organisation are in progress in order to be adapted to ensure that they are accessible to Directors, Employees and Volunteers with disabilities. This process will continue until all reasonably practical modifications have been made. The Line Managers will be responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the policy. Any complaints of discrimination by Directors, Employees and Volunteers will be pursued through the Grievance Procedure [within 3 months of initial grievance] but this shall be with out prejudice to the individual’s rights

Equal opportunities for clients

Global Boarders will contribute towards the creation of an accessible learning and working environment, which is free from discrimination and prejudice and one that encourages and helps clients to achieve their full potential. Global Boarders will seek to deliver equality of opportunity to all clients, irrespective of their age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, whether or not they have a disability or learning difficulty or any other characteristic. Global Boarders will do this by:

I.         Developing a learning environment in which the needs, interests and concerns of all clients are equally valued

II.         Enabling all clients to develop self-esteem and reach their full potential

III.         Treating every client according to their individual needs through client differentiation

IV.         Increasing awareness within the organisation of stereo-typing, discrimination and equal opportunity issues and of their negative consequences

V.         Providing learning resources and communications which are free of bias and include positive and representative images of clients where appropriate

VI.         Encouraging clients to understand issues relating to equality and diversity as appropriate

VII.         Ensuring that the Global Boarders ethos promotes equal opportunities and that this image is projected to the community

VIII.         Monitoring the extent to which participation in learning reflects the diversity of the local population in terms of gender, age, ethnic background and disability

IX.         Setting targets to increase access and participation by Clients from underrepresented groups

X.         Identifying strengths and weaknesses in the promotion of equal opportunities

XI.         Ensuring that development planning includes ways of widening participation to embrace under-represented clients

Access Statement

Accessibility

All Global Boarders staff will take details at the time of booking of any known disabilities, so we can organise a staff member to be available on arrival/departure, and to be ready to deal with any issues that may arise during the customer’s time with us (Notification of any allergies/health conditions should also be make during the booking process). If required, we will advise on any available support available on public transport for people with disabilities, to assist with their journey to and from Global Boarders.

All Global Boarders staff will adhere to the following:

• Provide assistance to anyone with a wheelchair, or who require physical assistance during their visit to Global Boarders
• People with physical disabilities will be taken only to the most accessible beach we can find locally; and the instructor/client ration would be higher in this instance
• Global Boarders will ensure clear diction is used for those individuals with impaired hearing, who can lip read, and who have notified us at the time of the booking
• Global Boarders will be happy for clients to call us and we will verbally go through the content of our website
• Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome

Parking

Global Boarders will always source out appropriate car parking to accommodate those with specific disabilities.

Disability training awareness

Global Boarders are continuingly researching various ways in which we can improve access for all those who take part in our provision with regards to age, sex, disability, culture, race and sexual orientation.

COMPLAINTS POLICY

In the unlikely event of Global Boarders having to cancel a session any payment will be refunded in full.

Weather and surfing conditions

Global Boarders is not responsible for the weather or surfing conditions and will only cancel sessions if safety is a concern. In this unlikely event there will be no re-imbursement or alternative activity scheduled. Otherwise Global Boarders will adhere strictly to the Surfing GB guidelines. You will be fully refunded if you have paid for any optional extras, which for whatever reason are cancelled by Global Boarders. There is no refund available if you choose to cancel optional extras at any time.

All clients must provide Parental Consents (where appropriate) and must detail any medical issues that may affect or be affected by participating in the session.

Complaints and issues

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the session or the service received from Global Boarders, or should the matter concern the safeguarding of children, or concern health and safety, please contact Chris Brown (07980432313) or Steve Hancock (07817202656) who will deal with the matter in the first instance.