Our strategy for equality, diversity and inclusion
Vision
Every person has the right to live a full life, and to do so while being their preferred “true self” - free from obstacles, fear, penalties or prejudice. This view is central to The College of Optometrists and underpins all of our work – with our members, with our staff and trustees, and for the public. It forms the foundation for our EDI strategy.
Foreword
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Dr Gillian Rudduck MCOptom, President of The College of Optometrists
Values
Championing EDI is at the heart of our values. We want everyone coming into contact with us, working for us, or being a member to feel they are treated equally, with dignity and respect. We want to learn and improve the way we approach and enact, pursue and achieve EDI and the related objectives. We want to champion EDI across eye care - not just legal compliance, but going further, taking a proactive, intersectional approach, which is informed by staff, members, trustees and the public, and that is practiced and actively embedded in the organisation.
review the data we collect and identify where we may be able to collect additional relevant data
make use of the data we have to understand where we are now with regard to EDI, and to identify targets for change and ways to measure progress toward objectives
identify the gaps in the data we hold, and work with others to find ways to fill the gaps where ever possible
work with partners across the profession to identify what data is held, and how it can safely be shared, while respecting the interests and rights of the data subjects
work with partners to identify gaps in the data currently collected, and develop solutions to enable those gaps to be filled where possible
monitor and report data as openly and transparently as regulations allow
work with others to establish a cross-sector working group on EDI data collection and use
offer training to our staff, Board and Council members on equality, diversity, difference, bystander apathy and unconscious bias
work with partners to develop and deploy model strategies, policies and processes that members can use
using our CPD channels, develop and provide career development programmes to support members to offer local and regional mentoring and coaching
explore the scope for additional leadership training modules with our CPD programmes
consult with the profession and sector partners as part of our work to scope the potential value, impact and viability of recognition schemes (for example, inclusive practices, local charters and EDI awards)
engage with employers to ensure clear channels of communication are open and used, and the members of the profession are in no doubt as to the importance that the College places on employers providing safe, progressive and EDI compliant work places
encourage existing Board and Council members to play an active role in mentoring and sponsoring staff with characteristics that are under or unrepresented currently, and who have the potential to get to an executive role
work with partners in the sector to identify and support effective regional approaches to improving workforce equality (gender, race, disability), encompassing the devolved nations and including different regions of England
identify and share innovative work that is already being carried out to promote good practice
work with NHS bodies to ensure that standards and approaches that are applied in secondary care can be replicated in primary and tertiary care settings. Conversely, where there is good practice and effective standards in primary care settings, the College will work to promote and share this
work with the profession to share stories about the benefits of making full use of the diverse eye health workforce, and to ensure that the lessons from these stories are embedded within key future workforce policies and strategies for the optometry profession, and the wider sector
work to implement actions and interventions identified by the Council, Board and HR team as being required internally to develop our performance with respect to EDI within the College
work with the profession (via our membership), and the wider sector, to identify appropriate actions, based on the evidence we have collected with our partners. We will use this to develop interventions that address EDI challenges identified within the profession of optometry, and advocate for actions and interventions for the wider sector of eye health
work with our partners, where possible, to develop interventions for areas of the eye health sector may have historically received less attention, supported by the evidence gathered in the discovery stage
promote and lead on the use of sophisticated and longer-term evaluation of EDI interventions to determine their effectiveness across different contexts within the profession, and working with partners, the wider eye health sector
work with other organisations across the sector to harmonise data collection methods across different parts of the eye health sector, as far as is practicable, and develop overarching EDI benchmarking data that is openly published and accessible, while rigorously protecting the anonymity of individuals
scope potential ways to encourage, recognise and reward individuals and organisations leading on EDI in optometry and eye health
