Policy · Organisational
Equality, diversity & inclusion policy
Version [0.X] · Owner [EDI LEAD] · Last reviewed [DATE] · Next review [DATE]
Working draft — not yet formally adopted
This policy is a working draft pending adoption by [COMMITTEE NAME] on [DATE]. Named post-holders, monitoring categories and review dates are placeholders. The college’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 apply now, independently of the drafting state of this document.
Section 1
Statement and scope
The college is committed to equality of opportunity and to treating people with dignity. This applies to applicants, students, staff, tutors, clinical supervisors, patients, volunteers, contractors and visitors — in teaching, in admissions, in employment, in the teaching clinic, at events, and in how the college communicates.
The commitment is not only about avoiding unlawful behaviour. It is also about whether someone can actually take part: whether they can get into the building, read the materials, afford the time, follow the teaching and be treated as a person rather than a category. Where those things are difficult, the college would rather change the arrangement than blame the person.
Nothing in this policy requires anyone to abandon their beliefs. It requires that beliefs are not used to justify unequal treatment of students, patients or colleagues.
Section 2
The legal framework
The Equality Act 2010 protects people from direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of nine protected characteristics:
| Protected characteristic | In practice here |
|---|---|
| Age | Applicants, students and staff of all ages; mature students are a substantial part of the college's intake, and the teaching does not assume a school-leaver's circumstances. |
| Disability | Including long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, neurodivergence and learning differences. Adjustments are made for study, assessment and clinical practice, subject to the limits of safe practice. |
| Gender reassignment | Applicants and students are addressed by the name and title they use; records, clinic lists and certificates are handled sensitively, and no one is required to disclose more than is necessary. |
| Marriage and civil partnership | Relevant mainly in employment. Timetabling and placement arrangements take account of caring responsibilities without requiring disclosure of personal circumstances. |
| Pregnancy and maternity | Interruption of study, assessment deadlines and clinic hours are adjusted for pregnancy, maternity and adoption leave. |
| Race | Including nationality, ethnic origin and national origin. The college teaches a Chinese medical tradition within a UK professional and legal framework, and it addresses cultural stereotyping in its teaching materials rather than reproducing it. |
| Religion or belief | Including the absence of belief. Adjustments are made for religious observance, dress, diet and fasting, and no one is required to participate in any ritual or practice. |
| Sex | Teaching, supervision and clinic arrangements avoid unnecessary single-sex assumptions; chaperoning and draping practices are explained and consented to. |
| Sexual orientation | Patients and students are not assumed to be heterosexual, and no one is asked intrusive questions that are not clinically necessary. |
The college is not a public authority for the purposes of the public sector equality duty, but it intends to follow the same approach voluntarily in how it monitors and publishes information: [CONFIRM — WHETHER THE COLLEGE WISHES TO ADOPT THE PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY VOLUNTARILY].
Section 3
What the college commits to
- Admissions decided on merit against published criteria, with entry requirements reviewed so that they do not exclude people for reasons unrelated to the ability to practise safely.
- Teaching that does not assume a single cultural background, first language, faith or family situation, and materials that represent the college's students and the public it serves.
- Clinical care delivered with dignity: privacy, appropriate draping, chaperones on request, and language the patient can understand.
- Accessible information — materials in advance, alternative formats, plain-English summaries and captioning where sessions are recorded.
- Accessible premises and events, with access requirements confirmed in advance rather than improvised on the day.
- Recruitment and promotion on merit, with shortlisting against the person specification and reasonable adjustments offered at every stage, including interview.
- A curriculum that addresses health inequalities honestly, including where a tradition's assumptions about bodies, sex or culture need to be examined rather than repeated.
- An environment in which a student or member of staff can raise a concern about discrimination without fear of detriment.
Section 4
Reasonable adjustments and accessible learning
An adjustment is a change to the way something is done so that someone can take part on equal terms. Adjustments are free, are agreed individually, and are recorded so that you do not have to ask repeatedly for the same thing.
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Teaching | Materials provided in advance; a seat near the front; permission to record audio; lecture notes in large print or accessible digital format; rest breaks in long practical days. |
| Assessment | Additional time; a separate room; a scribe or reader; alternative formats such as oral examination where the assessment criteria allow; adjusted deadlines for extenuating circumstances. |
| Clinical practice | Adapted couch height and equipment; adjustments to the physical demands of a technique; longer appointment slots; pairing with a particular supervisor. Adjustments never remove a required safety competence — if a core competence cannot be met safely, the college will say so early and discuss alternatives honestly. |
| Access and environment | Step-free routes, accessible WC, a quiet space, adjustments for sensory needs, assistance dogs, and advance information about the layout of a venue. |
| Flexibility | Interruption of study, adjusted attendance patterns, and timetabling that takes account of caring responsibilities or medical treatment. |
How to request an adjustment
Step 1
Tell us what you need
Contact [EDI LEAD / STUDENT SUPPORT] at [EMAIL], at any point — before you apply, at interview, or during your studies. You do not need a diagnosis to ask, and you do not have to wait for a crisis.Step 2
We discuss what would help
Usually a conversation is enough. For some adjustments, particularly in clinical practice, the college may ask for supporting evidence from a clinician or an educational psychologist. Any evidence is handled under the privacy notice and is shared only with those who need it.Step 3
The adjustment is agreed and recorded
The agreed adjustments are written down and shared with the staff who need to apply them. In most cases the decision is made within [XX] working days.Step 4
It is reviewed
Adjustments are reviewed with you at least annually, or whenever your circumstances change. If an adjustment is not working, it can be changed — asking for a review is not making a fuss.
Section 5
Reporting discrimination or harassment
If you experience or witness discrimination, harassment or victimisation, you can raise it informally with the person concerned if you feel able to, or go straight to a formal route. Either way, you are entitled to be taken seriously and to be told what happens next.
- Named contact: [EDI LEAD], [EMAIL], [TELEPHONE]. This person can advise on options without a formal complaint being made.
- Formal complaint: under the complaints and appeals procedure, normally within [XX] working days. Complaints about a member of staff are not investigated by that person.
- No detriment: raising a concern will not affect your marks, your place on a programme, your treatment or your employment. Victimisation is itself a breach of this policy.
- Support: independent advice and support is available from [SUPPORT SERVICE], and you may be accompanied at any meeting.
- External routes: the Equality and Human Rights Commission provides guidance for individuals; staff may also take advice from ACAS. Time limits for legal claims are short, so advice should be sought promptly — the college cannot give it.
Serious incidents
Harassment, hate incidents and threats of violence are treated as serious matters. The college may involve the police or another statutory agency, and may act to protect others even where the person affected does not wish to make a complaint.
Section 6
Monitoring and reporting
The college cannot know whether it is meeting this policy unless it looks at the data. It monitors, in aggregate:
- Applications, offers and enrolments by age, disability, ethnicity, sex and other characteristics volunteered by applicants.
- Assessment outcomes, progression and completion, to identify unexplained gaps between groups.
- Reasonable adjustments requested and provided, so that recurring barriers are fixed at source rather than case by case.
- Complaints and reports of discrimination, and the outcomes of investigations.
- Staff and tutor recruitment, and participation in training.
- Access to the teaching clinic and to public events, including who does and does not attend.
Monitoring data is used in aggregate and is not used to make decisions about individuals. You are not required to provide it, and declining to do so has no effect on your application, your studies or your care. The categories used are [CONFIRM MONITORING CATEGORIES].
An annual equality report, including any gaps identified and the actions taken, goes to [COMMITTEE NAME] and a summary is published on this website.
Section 7
Roles and training
The governing body is accountable for this policy and reviews it every [XX years]. The [EDI LEAD] is responsible for day-to-day implementation, for advising staff and students, for monitoring and for the annual report. All staff, tutors and clinical supervisors complete equality and inclusion training as part of induction, refreshed every [XX years], including specific training on reasonable adjustments and on inclusive clinical practice. Students are introduced to this policy during induction and are expected to follow it in the clinic and the classroom alike.
This policy is reviewed every [XX years], and after any upheld complaint of discrimination. The next review is due by [DATE].
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Something not right?
If you have been treated unfairly, or you need an adjustment to take part, tell us. Concerns are dealt with on their merits, and raising one will not count against you.