RCVS launches ‘Let’s talk adjustments’ campaign

Today [Thursday 27 February 2025] we are launching our new 'Let’s talk adjustments' campaign, to raise awareness of reasonable adjustments, address common myths and misconceptions surrounding them, and highlight the legal obligations of leaders and managers around implementation.

Reasonable adjustments are changes that an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to an employee’s disability (physical and/or mental health condition) and this could include changing working arrangements and/or providing equipment, services and support.

The campaign, which will run until the end of July, is being launched in light of findings from the joint RCVS and British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BCVIS) Disability and Chronic Illness in Veterinary Work and Education Survey carried out by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES), published in July last year. Findings indicated that there is a need to increase awareness about reasonable adjustments, promote wider discourse, and equip individuals and organisations with the knowledge to ensure they are effectively implemented in the working environment.

The research also indicated that improved knowledge of legislation is needed, with communication also being raised as a key issue. It was cited as important to encourage two-way dialogue so that individuals feel empowered to request the support they require, and so leaders and managers can effectively provide support through good quality conversations and adjustments.

RCVS Leadership and Inclusion Manager, Gurpreet Gill, said: "Respondents reported a substantial variation in the experience and provision of reasonable adjustments in veterinary workplaces.   

“Under equality legislation in the UK, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to any elements of the job which place a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.”

"Under equality legislation in the UK, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to any elements of the job which place a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people."

This is a joint campaign being run by the RCVS Diversity & Inclusion and Mind Matters Initiative teams, which both sit within the RCVS Advancement for the Professions Directorate.

MMI Lead, Rapinder Newton, added: "Our 'Let’s talk adjustments' campaign will support people to have these important conversations by sharing information, educational resources and guidance on good practice. It will also provide examples of different types of adjustments, including examples that are specific to the veterinary context.

"Our ‘Let’s talk adjustments’ campaign will support people to have these important conversations by sharing information, educational resources and guidance on good practice. It will also provide examples of different types of adjustments, including examples that are specific to the veterinary context."

"We know that physical and mental health are deeply interconnected. Reasonable adjustments can support both physical and mental health but also helps to safeguard mental health through allowing individuals with disabilities to thrive.

"We will be keeping people updated on the campaign, which has its own dedicated section on the RCVS website, via the RCVS social media channels, as well as providing information in RCVS newsletters, so do keep an eye out for this over the coming months."

 The campaign will be delivered through a series of small projects and activities, initially focussed on raising awareness of reasonable adjustments and legal obligations and then moving on to explore different types of adjustments, including veterinary specific examples. The new Mind Matters Applied Mental Health Science Series is also due to be launched in the spring, which will also include information on reasonable adjustments for common mental health conditions.

For more information on the campaign, please visit our dedicated ‘Let’s talk adjustments’ campaign page.