Equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging framework 2024-30
Introduction
As the statutory healthcare regulator for the practice of osteopathy in the UK, our approach to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) is critical to the successful delivery of our Strategy, through to 2030.
To be a robust, effective regulator, it is critical that EDIB is embedded through our entire business approach and at the heart of our activities.
We are committed to the timely and transparent delivery of our approach to EDIB. This framework will therefore be reviewed at least annually by the Council of the General Osteopathic Council. About the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).
We are the independent statutory regulator for the osteopathy profession in the UK, established through the Osteopaths Act 1993.
The over-arching objective of the GOsC is the protection of the public and this involves the pursuit of the following objectives:
- Protecting, promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the public
- Promoting and maintaining public confidence in the profession of osteopathy, and
- Promoting and maintaining proper professional standards and conduct for members of the profession.
We also have responsibility to develop and regulate the profession of osteopathy as outlined in Section 1(2) of the Osteopaths Act 1993.
We achieve our over-arching objectives and responsibilities by:
- Keeping a Register of all those permitted to practise osteopathy in the UK.
- Working with the public and osteopathic profession to promote patient safety by registering qualified professionals and setting, maintaining and developing standards of osteopathic practice and conduct.
- Helping patients with any concerns or complaints about an osteopath including having the power to remove from the Register any osteopaths who are unfit to practise. Patients can mean patients, carers, their families and the public.
- Assuring the quality of osteopathic education and ensuring that osteopaths undertake continuing professional development.
EDIB is a fundamental component of how we meet our over-arching objectives. Taking account of, and meeting, different needs as well as recognising the strength of diverse experiences and perspectives throughout our work, can help us better achieve our aims as an organisation.
To do this means we will behave consistently and fairly towards everyone we work with, valuing and respecting their views and interests, and we will seek to eliminate any activities that may result in bias or discrimination or exclusion based on individual characteristics.
We understand that we have a critical role to encourage and promote EDIB to osteopaths so they are able to identify the benefits this can have in how they interact with, communicate and work in collaboration with patients to avoid bias or discrimination.
We understand that to be the best possible version of our organisation, we must attract, develop, motivate and retain talented people across the breadth and depth of our business and that every member of staff and non-executive has a key role within our organisation. It is therefore important that our culture and values reflect EDIB and that our people are able to be their true selves within our workplace.
We require our staff and non-executives to be committed to promoting and demonstrating EDIB and meeting our equality duties and the objectives of this framework, which support the delivery of our Strategy.
Our vision: to be an inclusive, innovative regulator trusted by all.
Our priorities:
Strengthening trust: We will work to enhance and improve our relationships with those we work with so together we can help protect patients and the public.
Championing inclusivity: It is important to us that people who interact with us, or who work for us, can be their true selves and that we understand and break down any barriers which prevent them from doing so
Embracing innovation: We will continually seek out and take opportunities to improve what we do and how we do it, so we continue to improve as an organisation.
Our values
Our values underpin the way we work now and in the future. This includes how we work with patients and the public, osteopaths and stakeholders and how we work within our organisation in and across our teams. We work collaboratively to be an influential and respectful regulator with an evidence-informed approach.
Our EDIB objectives are best described against our commitment to:
- Promote equity
- Value diversity
- Embrace inclusivity
- Create belonging
Promote equity
We will ensure that our regulatory activities are fair, taking account of existing inequalities, and free from unlawful discrimination, and that this approach is reflected in the standards we set for the osteopathy profession. We will ensure the fair treatment of people so that our practices and policies mean identity is not a predictor of opportunity or outcome. We will strive to recognise and take account of the barriers already existing for some people in order to promote equal opportunity and access.
Value diversity
We will listen to, engage and communicate with a diverse range of stakeholders, using a variety of channels, in an accessible and timely manner. We will recognise the equal value of diverse voices and make strong decisions based on diversity of views. We will value diversity in our recruitment and development of staff, non-executives and stakeholders and in the ways that we work.
Embrace inclusivity
Diverse and inclusive organisations outperform homogenous businesses. We will ensure our culture and values enable those who wish to work with us – including our staff, members of governance, our key stakeholders and patients – are confident that they will feel valued, enabled and empowered to contribute as equals, and that their views will be taken into account fully with respect and dignity.
Create belonging
We will create a psychologically safe organisation where our people (staff and non-executives) feel confident to be themselves, without risk of embarrassment or rejection, to help us to be the best possible regulator we can. We will ensure our people feel can be creative and innovative, and can constructively challenge existing practices for the benefit of patients, osteopaths and stakeholders.
Our policy and legal duties
Ensuring we meet our legal duties as a designated public authority subject to the public sector equality duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. You can find more information on these from the Equality and Human Rights Commission or Government Equalities Office. We also regulate education, training and practice in Northern Ireland. The Equality Act does not apply in Northern Ireland.
In the exercise of its functions the GOsC must have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The relevant protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
- Foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.
Having due regard means we must think consciously and carefully about these duties in our day-to-day work, so that equality issues and recognition of inequalities influence our decisions in developing policy, in delivering services, and in our role as an employer.
Advancing equality of opportunity involves having due regard to the need to:
- Remove or minimise disadvantages experienced by people due to their protected characteristics.
- Take steps to meet the needs of people with certain protected characteristics where these are different from the needs of other people.
- Encourage and support people with certain protected characteristics to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.
Complying with the duty may involve treating some people differently, recognising the impact of inequalities. For example, the duty recognises that the needs of people who have an impairment are different from the needs of others, which may mean making reasonable adjustments.
Recognising that we must foster good relations also means recognising that we must tackle prejudice and promote understanding.
In addition to our duties under the Equality Act, as a UK-wide body, the GOsC has legal duties to comply with the Welsh Language Standards (No.8) Regulations 2022.
Ensuring that we strive to continuously improve our approach to EDIB in accordance with best practice.
It is important to recognise there will never be a point when we will be able to say our work on EDIB has concluded. We must therefore always strive to continuously improve across all aspects of our work. This will include:
- how we develop and implement policy
- how we develop and maintain our culture
- how we enable and ensure the diversity of the people we work and contract with and those who engage with us and our services
- how we communicate
- how we plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and learn.
The Chief Executive and Registrar is responsible for ensuring that EDIB is integral to the organisation’s work and they will be held accountable by the Council.
The Council of the GOsC has overall responsibility for ensuring that the organisation meets its statutory duties under the Act. Council will receive an annual report including performance against our next steps outlined in the Annex to the framework.
As part of every paper presented to Council and one of its committees, EDIB implications will be identified on the cover paper and within the content of the discussion document.
Audit Committee and People Committee will support Council by, where appropriate, conducting reviews into aspects of the EDIB Framework to ensure compliance and will advise Council accordingly.
In our Annual Report to Parliament, we will report on the arrangements that we have put in place to ensure that we apply good practice in relation to EDIB, as required by section 40A(1)(a) of the Osteopaths Act 1993. We will also explore how we report on our EDIB activities and whether we should introduce a formal report we produce and publish each year, similar to the Fitness to Practise Annual Report for example.
Our current position
By understanding our current position we will be able to determine what progress we make in the future.
The annex to the framework, available in the PDF version of this framework, summarises our baseline position on EDIB in 2024. By articulating where we are today, we will be able to track our future progress, be outcome focused and assess our added value.
Where do we want to be
By describing what the future looks like within our context, we can take practical steps to deliver that outcome.
The annex to the framework articulates where we would like to be by 2030. By describing the future, we can work towards delivering successful outcomes.
The steps we will take
Ensuring that EDIB is threaded through all that we do.
We recognise the importance of EDIB, and in particular ensuring that EDIB implications are considered at the beginning, and then throughout, the development or updating of a new policy, procedure or project.
The annex to the framework, available in the PDF version of this framework, highlights the practical steps we will take to deliver future success and to ensure EDIB is threaded throughout our organisation.