Views sought on PSA Standard on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets out that to accredit a voluntary register, the PSA may assess it against criteria that it sets and publishes (the Standards for Accredited Registers). A voluntary register under this definition is a register of people working in health care roles in the UK, and social care in England, who do not have to be regulated to work.

The PSA consultation findings have now been published in a report which sets out that 60% of respondents agreed that the addition of a new EDI Standard would improve focus on EDI within the programme and that the addition of an EDI Standard would allow the PSA to facilitate learning and sharing good practice within the Accredited Registers programme.

A key consideration flagged was that a new EDI Standard would help the PSA to comply with the general public sector Equality Duty (PSED) that is set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 in the exercise of its functions, namely to have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010;
• advance of equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not;
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

How we can help

Blake Morgan has significant expertise in advising on equality, diversity, inclusion, human rights and consultation in the context of professional regulation and accreditation. If you have any questions regarding this, then please do contact Eve Piffaretti, Trish D’Souza or Clare Strickland.