Equality in action
The College is committed to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded within all it does, for existing and future members, associates, affiliates, staff and visitors. Here are some of the actions we are doing to deliver on the Colleges Equality Action Plan.
At the 2023 Charity Times Awards, we were thrilled to win the 'Campaigning Team of the Year Award' for work on equality, diversity and inclusion.
(Add or replace Charity times award - Picture of Raj holding it) We were delighted to receive the 2022 memcom UK membership sector award for best EDI campaign. Find out more about
RCPsych scoops host of accolades at membership sector awards ceremony
In 2022, we signed up to the Disability Confident Employer Scheme, which encourages employers to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Having received Level 3 status in December 2023, we will continue to review policies and
practices to create more inclusive workplaces.
RCPsych delivers work experience programme as part of Disability Confident Employer scheme
In February 2023, the College won a Stonewall Gold Award, having been ranked the 90th top employer for creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace. This followed our winning a Stonewall Silver Award one year earlier.
To
help understand our LGBTQ+ member experiences, we undertook our first ever LGBTQ+ survey earlier this year. The survey revealed worrying levels of discrimination, with one in two psychiatrists experiencing hostility at work because of their sexuality
or gender identity. Read our LGBTQ+ Research 2022 report here.
The Advancing Mental Health Equity Collaborative (AMHE) was established in 2021 by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH). It uses Quality Improvement to advance equality in mental health care, supporting organisations to implement the AMHE resource.
We were delighted to be named Charity of the Year at the European Diversity Awards.
The award recognised our commitment and outstanding work in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion, specifically addressing the equalities agenda in healthcare.
Tackling racism in the workplace
We've launched new guidance and resources to help mental health employers tackle racism in the workplace. Act Against Racism is our campaign to get organisations to adopt the guidance, and take vital steps towards addressing this huge problem.
We established a working group, including representatives from Faculties, members with lived experience, and patient and carer representatives, to develop our guide to tackling racism in the workplace, in mental health services.
The guide is aimed at preventing instances of racism experienced by members in the workplace and ensuring an adequate response is provided and support is available.
Other activity
The College continues to celebrate key diversity events throughout the year. You can access member activity for these events on the links below:
Our SIGs lead on key issues within psychiatry and mental health, such as diversity, marginalised groups and sustainability. Each Special Interest Group has a Chair and an Executive Committee:
Women’s SIG – We work to improve the mental health of women, everywhere.
Rainbow SIG – We aim to promote and research the mental health of LGBTQ+ people.
Transcultural (TSIG) – TSIG supports policy and practise to improve the care of socially excluded and marginalised groups where culture is influential in the expression and management of mental distress.
Black History Month - Thursday 27 October – 4-5pm - Free Members' Webinar: Black History Month: Proud to be me. My journey, my learning..