Compliance doesn’t have to be a burden; there will be things you already have in place. These tips offer some simple and effective ways to check that your practice meets some of the EDI legislation.
These are quick, practical checks and include five key quick wins, which can be easily implemented where applicable.
1. Check Your Policies and Procedures
- Ensure your clinic has up-to-date EDI policies, including anti- discrimination, equality, and inclusion statements.
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How to check:
- Policies are written, accessible, and reviewed within the last 24 months.
- Staff have signed or acknowledged their understanding of these policies.
- Tip: Use templates to illustrate that your processes evidence compliance with the Equality Act 2010.
2. Staff Training Compliance
- Confirm all staff have completed EDI training according to your clinic timescales – the frequency is not mandated, but the reason why you use your timeframe.
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How to check:
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- Review training logs.
- Ensure training covers protected characteristics and take the HCPC- recommended unconscious bias test.
- Tip: Stipulate a timeframe for new staff to complete this within an agreed number of months of joining in your induction paperwork.
3. Patient Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments
- Make sure patients can access services without barriers.
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How to check:
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- Where is your list of adaptations that illustrate your reasonable adjustments (e.g., translation, mobility aids, hearing support). Signage and communication are inclusive.
- Tip: Walkthrough the clinic from a patient’s perspective.
4. Data Collection and Monitoring
- Confirm your clinic collects diversity data safely and legally.
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How to check:
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- Patient records include protected characteristics (such as ethnicity, disability, and religion) if provided voluntarily. Use the data to monitor outcomes and identify disparities in care.
- Tip: Check this information regularly and document this – if there are any increasing trends, illustrate how you are adapting based on this patient equality monitoring.
5. Complaint and Feedback Mechanisms
- Ensure there’s a clear, accessible process for raising concerns about discrimination.
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How to check:
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- Patients and staff understand how to complain, and the information is available to all, e.g., large font, braille.
- Complaints are logged, reviewed, and acted upon.
- Consider periodic audits to spot recurring issues.
Share your checklist with your team to ensure everyone is aligned on compliance best practices.
If you would like to know how to become a Partner, or know more about these tips, please book a cuppa, and we can chat.
We are here to help you understand and work through any of the steps above. We answer your queries and can provide templates with advice to help. Book a free HCPG/virtual-cuppa via this link to share ideas.
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