Equality Action Plan
Our new Equality Action Plan sets out how we plan to promote equality and equitable outcomes for College members, staff, mental health staff, and patients and carers. Published on 14 January 2021 it contains 29 key actions, which will be rolled out between now and the end of 2023.
To help develop this plan we appointed a taskforce with representatives from our staff, College members, trainees and patient and carer experts.
We also organised a series of four roundtable discussions to advance equality within the College and for all groups of members and trainees as well as patients, carers and mental health services.
Roundtable panellists were chosen from diverse groups representing College staff and its members, as well as representatives from national charities and individuals with expertise in reducing inequalities. The roundtables were open for all members and staff to attend and contribute.
The taskforce reviewed a total of 29 previous reports along with their recommendations and used these to inform the current action plan which is identified as one of the College's key objectives in our new strategic plan for 2021-23.
For more information please email equality@rcpsych.ac.uk.
College’s work on equality to date
Here is a summary of some of the positive steps that the College has taken:
- publishing the College position statement Supporting transgender and gender-diverse people (PS02/18) in 2018
- publishing the College report Suffering in silence: age inequality in older people’s mental health care (CR221) in 2018
- embedding a values-based approach across the organisation, based on the College values of Courage, Innovation, Respect, Collaboration, Learning and Excellence
- celebrating a variety of important, internationally-recognised, events:
- encouraging the setting up of two staff-led forums; the Sexuality and Gender Equality and Inclusion Forum and The African and Caribbean Forum
- publishing our Gender Equality Action Plan with 18 actions points
- publishing reports and recommendations from the task and finish group chaired by Dr Ananta Dave regarding the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on those with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds (2020)
- on being elected President in January 2020, Dr Adrian James announced Equality and Diversity as one of his four key areas of priorities for his three-year presidential term – along with Parity of Esteem, Workforce Wellbeing and Sustainability
- rolling out a zero-tolerance approach towards bullying among College staff
- in November 2019, the College was named Charity of the Year in the European Diversity Awards. The judges commented on the College’s significant body of work in promoting diversity in many areas and to ensure that this made a difference to the experience of care for people with mental illness.