Working for change – our 'two years on' report on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are pleased to publish the latest report documenting our work to date on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Alongside this we share the latest diversity data of our members, volunteers and staff, and launch a new reciprocal mentoring programme.
Colourful swirls

The publication of the RCPCH Equality Diversity and Inclusion Working for change: two years on report marks the end of the second phase of our EDI work. This has seen the delivery of a comprehensive two-year programme called Working for change. In our report we hold ourselves accountable and report against the actions we committed to implementing over the two years.

Building on our original report, Putting ladders down, published in 2020, Working for change has been a significant step in building equal, diverse, and inclusive spaces for paediatricians, children and young people, volunteers at the College and College staff.

The closure of the Working for change programme is by no means the end; it merely marks a transition in how we see EDI at the College. Our focus is turning to fully embedding EDI practice into all areas of the College as business as usual. This transition will happen with the continued assistance from our dedicated member reference group (MRG), oversight group and staff reference group to ensure EDI remains at the forefront of all of our work. 

Alongside the Working for change: two years on report, we have also published the latest summary of the EDI data of our members, volunteers and staff. In our first Working for change report from 2021 we committed to annually reporting on EDI data held for our members and staff, along with aggregated disclosure rates relating to protected characteristics. We'll continue to keep this page updated on a yearly basis.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, RCPCH President and Chair of the EDI Oversight Group, said: 

This latest EDI report comprehensively lays out how much progress is being made in this vital area of work. The simple truth is that the very same child victims of health inequalities are also children with disabilities or experiencing racism or discrimination because of sexuality or gender. As advocates for the children and families we care for, we need to be able to speak with confidence on this topic and understand what our roles and responsibilities are.

Doing nothing is not acceptable and I see RCPCH as playing a very important role in helping paediatricians feel more confident and capable in having these kinds of conversations with children and knowing who they can work with to address some of these very challenging issues.   

It's also great to see the EDI data for our members and volunteers being published in an exciting new format alongside this report. Demographic data provides important insights into the representation of our members and assists us in implementing initiatives that target inclusivity and improve the working lives of paediatricians. We urge all members to complete their diversity monitoring forms in full, so we have a better understanding of member representation.

In addition to the actions set out in the Working for change programme, we have also been able to deliver further items to support our members and staff. In February 2022 we launched a reciprocal mentoring pilot programme, matching five members from the EDI MRG with five College Officers. Over six months the pairs came together to discuss their work experiences, routes into leadership and how diversity has affected their working lives. Following positive feedback, we have now launched a wider reciprocal mentoring programme open to all underrepresented members. We already have eleven College Officers signed up to take part in this programme and applications are currently open for new participants [now closed].

For more information on all of our EDI work from the last three years, please visit the EDI landing page.