Support for members seeing/experiencing discrimination 

The College opposes all forms of discrimination and wants to ensure members who witness or experience it can ensure these instances are challenged.

Below is a description of what discrimination can look like from the perspective of someone working in mental healthcare, as well as possible steps available to challenge such instances.

A 'safe space' to speak about your experiences

Following the publication of the MWC's report,  Racial inequality and mental health services in Scotland (PDF), we now have a greater understanding of the experiences of our ethnically diverse communities in services. Of particular concern was the finding that one third of staff who provided details of experiences of racism, of whom almost all were white Scottish, reported that they had colleagues who had been racially abused.

With that in mind, we wanted to create a space on our website (see below) for all our members who have witnessed or experienced racial discrimination in the services they operate to highlight these to us. We ask that these experiences:

  • Are kept anonymous, including  the removal of any identifying details
  • Come with a clear understanding that this will be used to inform the College's response to this report and as part of its forthcoming strategy, rather than for any incidents to be directly responded to (guidance on seeking a direct response from your health board is above)
  • Are kept to incidents relating to racial discrimination/ abuse, reflecting the MWC report's focus on these.
By submitting your experience, you can confirm that you have read the above key guidance points for members who are submitting experiences, and are happy for your's to be used by the College in Scotland's staff to inform it's response to the MWC's report on racial discrimination in mental health services and it's forthcoming strategy?

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