Event policies and terms and conditions

The information you provide when registering for an event will be used to:
 
  • Provide you with services or information that you have requested from us such as attendance at one of our events or inclusion in a mailing list.
  • Contact you with information about an event that you’re attending.
  • Email you about other RCPsych events that may interest you.
  • We may share your details with subcontractors if necessary for the purposes of your event registration. For example, if you include accommodation as part of your booking we will share your details with the hotel or if an external company is appointed to produce the badges, your details will be shared with them. External companies will be allowed to use your details for the purpose of your event attendance only.
  • We will never share or sell your details to third parties for any other purposes.
  • Information about non-members of the College will be held for 6 years.
  • You can unsubscribe at any time by emailing calc@rcpsych.ac.uk or contacting your local division or devolved nation’s office

If you need to cancel your booking, we will be able to refund you as follows: 

  • 80% up to one month before the first day of the event 
  • 50% between one month and up to two weeks before the first day of the event 

We will not be able to offer any refunds where cancellation is received with less than two weeks’ notice. 

For Mental Health Act Section 12 and Approved Clinician courses, changes to your booking will incur a 20% administration fee, so please ensure you are available on the date you book and have allowed enough time to complete your eLearning.

All cancellations must be received in writing. 


If the event is online, please ensure you have read and understood the technology requirements. RCPsych assumes no liability if you cannot connect, view or participate in the event.  

Please note that online events may be recorded and made available to attendees of the event for a specified time period. If there is an interactive element of the course and you do not wish to appear in the recording then please keep your camera turned off. 

RCPsych reserves the right to amend the programme or cancel an event. 

If an event has to be cancelled or rescheduled we will contact you as soon as possible to notify you of the change. You will be offered an alternative or a full refund. 

We cannot reimburse travel, accommodation or other costs related to the event. 

RCPsych assumes no liability if an event is cancelled or rescheduled resulting from fire, strike, terrorism, industrial action, pandemic, extreme weather or any cause beyond our control. 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has absolute discretion in the admission of participants and reserves the right to decline any registration.  
 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is dedicated to providing a safe, harassment-free environment for all event participants.

All participants – delegates, attendees, speakers, exhibitors, staff and volunteers — are required to follow this Code of Conduct at all times. This includes social events at off-site locations and communications and social media before, during and after the conference itself.

All individuals attending RCPsych events must agree to conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner. This includes respect for the intellectual property of others, proper display and use of name badges and respect for everyone regardless of their gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age or being or becoming transgender.

These behaviours, in any form, will not be tolerated at RCPsych events:

  • Harassment: unwelcome or hostile behaviour, including verbal or written comments that intimidate or create discomfort
  • Intimidation, deliberate stalking or following
  • Abuse of any kind
  • Discrimination
  • Inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Use of sexualized language, images, or clothing. This includes presentations, slides, and speaker content.
  • Offensive banter, insults, taunts or exclusionary jokes
  • Recording: video or audio recording of lectures, speakers, delegates, staff, exhibitions, venue, slides, posters, breaks or any other conference spaces, materials or individuals is not permitted without prior consent of the organisers. Photographs of participants are permitted with the permission of those being prominently photographed. Photographs of slides, posters and other academic content are permitted only with the permission of the author.
  • Disruption of any lectures, sessions or masterclasses.
  • Emails or any form of written communication that is aggressive, rude, upsetting or which could amount to sexual or racial harassment, or harassment on the grounds of someone’s disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age or being or becoming transgender. Email harassment can arise simply from unreasonable repeated or unwanted requests, or messages containing sexual or racial innuendos.
  • Participants may not publicise, distribute, canvass, display, carry out activities or demonstrations, or distribute materials or inducements. Any materials found, unless by previous agreement, will be removed and disposed of.

This is a non-exhaustive list.

If an individual believes that these rules have been violated, he or she should contact College staff at the registration desk.

Participants found in violation of these rules may be asked to leave the conference without a refund at the sole discretion of the conference organisers.

Introduction 
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has strong values, and under its value of ‘Respect’ is committed to ‘promoting diversity and challenging inequality’.
 
The College believes that everyone should be respected, regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, religion or faith, gender reassignment, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or age.
 
The College is also a diverse organisation. For instance, 45% of its members are female and 37% of its members are from a BAME background.  
 
Therefore, as a consequence of the College values and the demographic profile of its membership, College events should always strive to reflect diversity. This is something that historically has not always been the case. 
 
Diversity at College events 
Each year, the College runs around 130 events, both through its central events team (CALC) and through its Divsions.
 
Other parts of the College, such as the Special Interest Groups (known as the SIGs) also run events.
 
In addition, a certain number of events run by external organisations, bear the College logo.
 
It is critical that those RCPsych members and employees involved in creating College event programmes strive to ensure that the speakers represent the diversity of the College membership.
 
Recommendations 
It is recommended that, in order to ensure diversity and inclusion, both at College events and those that bear the College logo:
  • Committees, advisory boards and working groups involved in creating or approving event programmes strive to reflect the diversity of the College membership.  
  • Calls for papers and posters include a diversity statement, making it clear that the conference would welcome and encourage submissions from women and minority groups. 
  • Calls for symposia and workshops include a diversity statement encouraging a diverse Faculty
  • College members and employees are mindful, where possible, to check whether events, run by external organisations, that bear the College logo have a diverse range of speakers.

It is proposed that henceforth, if a committee or individual presents a conference programme that does not reflect the College’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, College staff should be encouraged to challenge the content before  publicising the event. If necessary, this can be escalated to the relevant College director. 

If representing the College, members, officers and staff should consider whether it would be appropriate to speak at events that do not reflect the College’s values, as they pertain to diversity.
 
In the future, the College may decide against co-badging or sponsoring any events that it does not consider to feature a diverse and gender-balanced group of speakers. 
 
Approved by Council, 12 October 2018

Conference attendees are welcome to bring babies under 12 months of age into lectures, but we ask that babies are taken out of the room if they become unsettled.

Nursing mothers are welcome to breastfeed their babies anywhere in the conference venue but a private feeding room will be available for those who prefer it.

You are also welcome to have you baby with you in any of our online courses or events.

For College events taking place in-person or face to face, we request that all attendees comply with the following:
 
  • You should not attend an event if you have or believe you have COVID-19, or any other serious infectious disease. 
  • You should sanitise or wash your hands on arrival.
  • Please feel free to wear face masks anywhere at the event.
  • We strongly encourage attendees to be triple vaccinated, or at least to have had two jabs.
Additional protocols and procedures may be put in place at individual events to meet additional local restrictions or venue requirements
 
These measures are reviewed regularly and may be subject to change at short notice.

Read more to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry