At the November Board meeting we provided an update on our work on equality and diversity matters, setting out the progress which has been made in a number of key areas during 2016.

In terms of our data collection, we have enhanced our online services facility to enable registrants to provide their equality and diversity details at the same time as they update their contact details. A further digital project is underway to amend the examination database to accommodate E&D data in order to make better use of the information currently collected.

Training has also been a key focus area, with the staff team undergoing training on mental health awareness and equality impact analysis. Additionally, equality and diversity sessions were provided for members of the Professional Conduct Committee and the Investigations Pool, and training specifically for Board Members will take place in 2017.

We continue to build relationships with organisations working in the equality and diversity sector to gain their insights and tap into their networks. In 2016, we met with the Judicial Appointments Commission which is recognised as a leader in this area following previous criticism. We also met with Elevation Networks, a youth employment charity to discuss barriers faced by young people in particular.

You can read more about our work on equality and diversity matters in the recent Board report.