Some current projects

The action plan includes our current operational activities and these are subject to regular update and review. The following examples, while not exhaustive, give a flavour of current projects:

1. Recruitment to vet/veterinary nurse training and education
2. Retention and support within the vet/VN schools at under- and post-graduate levels
3. Recruitment within the profession
4. Retention and support within the professions
5. DIG member organisational (internal) policies and procedures
6. Culture change

1. Recruitment to vet/veterinary nurse training and education

   • Develop case studies, ambassadors and careers materials and communicate to children from a young age
   • Review work experience requirements
   • Update RCVS documentation around access requirements
   • RCVS consultation on new legislative requirements

2. Retention and support within the vet/VN schools at under- and post-graduate levels

   • Update RCVS veterinary school standards to reflect our diversity and inclusion aspirations

3. Recruitment within the profession

   • Encourage take up of workplace awards/ standards, for example, Stonewall, Disability Confident, Race at Work

4. Retention and support within the professions

   • Develop case studies and positive role models
   • Strengthen standards regarding staff support within RCVS Practice Standards Scheme

5. DIG member organisational (internal) policies and procedures

   • RCVS and other organisations to ensure policies around membership/registration, standards, complaints, meetings & events, grants & awards, marketing & outreach, and employment promote and support diversity and inclusion (where applicable)

6. Culture change

   • Work to improve diversity of governance and leadership via visibility, demonstration of core values and review of recruitment/nomination processes

1. Recruitment to vet/veterinary nurse training and education

   • Commission new research to better understand the barriers
   • Host joint RCVS/VSC roundtable to better understand issues

2. Retention and support within the vet/VN schools at under- and post-graduate levels

   • Implement outcomes of RCVS/VSC Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority student support roundtable and host similar for VN students
   • Training for faculty on diversity and inclusion, and how to support individuals

3. Recruitment within the profession

   • Help employers understand the business, moral and societal case for diversity and inclusion
   • Understand first-hand the barriers faced

4. Retention and support within the professions

   • Encourage members of the veterinary team in a wide variety of workplace types to attend diversity and inclusion training eg via RCVS Leadership MOOC
   • Produce materials that support difficult conversations

5. DIG member organisational (internal) policies and procedures

   • Develop a toolkit to support in-house conversations around diversity

6. Culture change

   • Ensure diversity and inclusion is included on congress agendas, within CPD etc and that outputs are disseminated

1. Recruitment to vet/veterinary nurse training and education

   • Work with organisations that support university applications from those from diverse backgrounds
   • Consider mentor schemes

2. Retention and support within the vet/VN schools at under- and post-graduate levels

   • Clear reporting systems and support for those who suffer from discrimination on extra-mural studies
   • Encourage setting up of student-led support networks

3. Recruitment within the profession

   • Work with employers to develop toolkit to support better recruitment advertising and practices and encourage people to call out poor examples

4. Retention and support within the professions

   • Inclusion of strong wording in the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct to enable more confident reporting of poor conduct and behaviour

5. DIG member organisational (internal) policies and procedures

   • Encourage all veterinary organisations to have regular discussion around diversity and inclusion and to have a visible statement

6. Culture change

   • Enable, via DIG, a safe space for organisations to discuss their progress and where they need help going forward; to support and communicate each other’s efforts