1. Definitions 

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is an organisation that values the inclusion of people from diverse backgrounds. The definition of a Diversity Plan is to include more people within the organisation that reflect all genders, communities, and people that have been, or feel they are, underrepresented within the industry.
We have specific goals in mind and will to continue to work hard to ensure our members embrace the same intent. The mission is that not only that we have employees from diverse backgrounds but provide them equal opportunities to move forward with their careers within the organisation and continue to set an example to the SPA membership and the wider screen industry and by implementing and overseeing the Respectful Workplaces initiative and training module.

Screen Producers Australia identifies diversity as: gender identity; people whose first language is/was not English; Indigenous identity; disabilities; the LGBTQIA+ community; members of racial, ethnic, and ethnoreligious minority groups. Other elements may include, but are not restricted to, geographic locations (remote regions and urban neighbourhoods in particular), age, and socio-economic background.

2. Scope

This Diversity Plan applies to our Council as well as staff and contractors, including temporary employees, of SPA.

The Plan covers the following areas:

1. recruitment and selection;
2. terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, work assignment, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment; and
3. with our employment decisions based on merit.

3. The Purpose

Our priority is to continue to have a reputation for inclusiveness and for having a diverse workforce. We undertake to promote the importance of diversity to the wider industry of producers, screen professionals and storytellers to practice equal employment opportunities for groups who are under-represented.

The purpose of this plan has three different objectives: firstly, we want to recruit and welcome people from diverse backgrounds; secondly, to ensure the organisation provides equal opportunities to progress and move forward within the company and thirdly; we want to influence and encourage our members, and the screen industry in general, to follow our plan to increase diversity within their own organisations and provide equal opportunities to all.

4. The Plan

Following are the areas of focus for our Diversity Plan:

a.    Recruiting and Welcoming Diverse Employees

1. Advocates for a diverse environment by:

• advertising and promoting positions vacant with reference to this policy; and
• referencing this policy in communications as standard practice.

      2. Actively advertise that we recruit and support people from different backgrounds to engage in our workforce

      3. Ensure that we are inclusive and accessible in the selection process:

• include specifics, e.g., lift and wheelchair access to the workplace, feeding and changing facilities.

b.    Ensuring a Pathway to Success

1. Develop opportunities for under-represented groups through individual Personal Development Plans (PDP).
2. Promote diverse groups to progress throughout the organisation.
3. Ensure that our leaders, managers, and staff support these outcomes by referencing this Policy in the staff handbook, include in the employment training programme and reference in all staff PDPs as a standard.

c.    Our Executive Council, Staff and Members

1. Make sure that our members are aware of our diversity plan and goals:

• This policy is posted on the SPA ‘About’ webpage.
• Updating staff signatures to reflect our general policy and altering them to support key events or celebrations of diverse groups throughout the year. Examples may include, but are not exclusive to: International Women’s Day; Harmony Day; National Sorry Day; Reconciliation Week; NAIDOC Week; Wear It Purple Day; R U OK Day?; International Day of People with Disability; International Migrants Day.
• Referencing this policy in communications as standard practiceEncourage our Council and members to influence the wider industry in support of creating job opportunities for underrepresented groups.

      2. Encourage the development of programs to help people from diverse backgrounds to enter and/or progress within the industry:

• Partner with industry groups and representative organisations to promote opportunities whenever suitable situations arise.
• Provide pathways to support attendance to SPA events, classes and SCREEN FOREVER.

      3. Included in the SPA membership agreement.

     4. Where casual vacancies exist for positions on Council, appointments should be made with reference to this diversity plan.