MyEDI: Understanding equality, diversity and inclusion has never been so important

The HCPC has launched our annual Diversity Data Survey. This year, we need as many registrants as possible to respond, so we can gain a better understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion across the professions we regulate. This will help us better to assess the impact of our policies and processes on our registrants, and ensure we are an inclusive and fair regulator. Ultimately, it will help us to better protect the public, and ensure our services are accessible, and free from discrimination.

The HCPC Diversity Data Survey has never been more important

Although the survey is voluntary, it really is vital that we have an accurate understanding of the equality, diversity and inclusion issues our registrants have faced and how this varies between professions.  This is especially crucial because of the demonstrably different impacts the pandemic has had on groups of registrants.

Your input will help us identify what measures we need to put in place to better support them. It will also help us make sure that our registrants and patients and service users, are able to interact with the HCPC, in a way which is free from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.

As well as being beneficial for our registrants, the public and the HCPC, it will also bring benefits to the health and care sector as a whole. It will provide the most comprehensive picture of HCPC-registered allied health professionals, healthcare scientists and practitioner psychologists, in all four countries of the UK, and working in NHS and non-NHS settings. It will, therefore, support future efforts towards achieving a more diverse health and care workforce.

So, if you are from one of the HCPC registered professions, we encourage you to participate this year. Help us recognise some of the challenges faced, understand how we can help, and ensure all our registrants are represented in our policies and processes. 

This is just the beginning

Responding to the survey this year is more urgent and necessary than ever before. Our hope for the future is to be a leader in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in health and care regulation. We want our registrants, patients and service users, and employees’ diversity to reflect that of the world around us, on all levels, and we want them to feel a strong sense of belonging in their chosen profession. We want to encourage working environments within our professions where everyone can feel welcome and valued - employees, partners, registrants and service users alike.  For me, EDI is a central part of organisational and individual wellbeing, and a key requirement of leaders.

For now, we strongly encourage our registrants to respond to the survey. You can read more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at HCPC on our website. We will  be publishing our first EDI Strategy 2021-2026, in early 2021.

This is your opportunity to truly make a difference, and to help HCPC to become the fair and inclusive regulator we aspire to and know we can be.

Fill out the survey today. Deadline is 14 March 2021.

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