RCEM comply, and ensure compliance, with the requirements of equality and diversity legislation set out in the Equality Act 2010.
RCEM believes that equality of opportunity is fundamental to the many and varied ways in which individuals become involved with the College, either as members of staff and Officers; as advisers from the medical profession; as members of the Colleges’ professional bodies or as trainees and examination candidates.
LETBs/deaneries quality assurance will ensure that each training programme complies with the equality and diversity standards in postgraduate medical training as set by GMC. They should provide access to a professional support unit or equivalent for trainees requiring additional support.
Compliance with anti-discriminatory practice will be assured through:
- monitoring of recruitment processes
- ensuring all College representatives and Programme Directors have attended appropriate training sessions prior to appointment or within 12 months of taking up post
- LETBs/deaneries ensuring that educational supervisors have had equality and diversity training (for example, an e-learning module) every 3 years
- LETBs/deaneries ensuring that any specialist participating in trainee interview/appointments committees or processes has had equality and diversity training every 3 years
- ensuring trainees have an appropriate, confidential and supportive route to report examples of inappropriate behaviour of a discriminatory nature. LETBs/deaneries and Programme Directors must ensure that on appointment trainees are made aware of the route in which inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour can be reported and supplied with contact names and numbers. LETBs/deaneries must also ensure contingency mechanisms are in place if trainees feel unhappy with the response or uncomfortable with the contact individual
- providing resources to trainees needing support (for example, through the provision of a professional support unit or equivalent)
- ensuring all assessments discriminate on objective and appropriate criteria and do not unfairly advantage or disadvantage a trainee with any of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics. All efforts shall be made to ensure the participation of people with a disability in training through reasonable adjustments.