To our members and staff
We recognise the importance of being a diverse and inclusive Royal College so that our staff and our members can be their true selves at work and are committed to taking deliberate action to ensuring everyone can thrive, feel included, valued and reach their full potential whilst working with us.
We understand that building an inclusive podiatry workforce is critical to ensuring the people we care for feel safe and listened to. We therefore embrace and value the different experiences, skills and ideas a diverse workforce and membership brings.
We encourage all members and staff to actively consider inequalities and how different experiences could affect a person’s interaction with the health service. It’s important we listen and learn in order to improve.
Additionally, we do not tolerate discrimination and harassment of any kind and we are committed to taking the necessary steps to tackle unprofessional behaviour, including if appropriate with reference to the regulator. We encourage all members and staff to support their colleagues and call out bias, abuse, racism and discrimination.
To those accessing podiatry services
Our mission is to improve healthcare for all people needing to access podiatry services.
We recognise podiatry services will be accessed by men, women, gender-diverse individuals and people whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. Therefore, we believe delivery of care must always be appropriate, inclusive and sensitive to the needs of everyone.
We also recognise that podiatry services will be accessed by patients from a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicity and ability and we believe that all patients should be welcomed and treated as individuals.
Service users may have different sexual orientations; different religious beliefs; be pregnant or carer; be young or more mature; or have different relationships than others. All are welcome.
The Royal College of Podiatry understands the importance of language in breaking down barriers for people accessing care and it is committed to using inclusive language in its communications, publications and patient information to meet the needs of all individuals.
We will strive to provide a healthcare service that does not stigmatise; one in which everyone feels that they belong and has equal access to information and care so they can make informed decisions.