A new campaign to raise awareness of the need to make reasonable adjustments for veterinary staff with physical or mental health conditions has been launched.

RCVS officials hope the Let’s Talk Adjustments programme, which will continue until July, will encourage professionals to seek support if they feel they need to do so.

The initiative will also offer guidance on a range of potential adjustments, including steps specific to veterinary practice, that could be used to help employers meet their legal obligations.

The campaign has been developed after more than a third of professional participants in a research project released last summer reported experiencing discrimination, bullying or harassment due to a disability or chronic condition.

Lack of knowledge

Concerns were also raised about a widespread lack of knowledge among managers and what campaign leaders described as a “substantial variation” in individual experiences.

A dedicated section has been set up on the college’s website for the project, which is being overseen by the college’s Diversity and Inclusion and Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) units.

MMI lead Rapinder Newton said: “We know that physical and mental health are deeply interconnected.

“Reasonable adjustments can support both physical and mental health, but also helps to safeguard mental health through allowing individuals with disabilities to thrive.”

A new Applied Mental Health Science series, including specific information on reasonable adjustments for common mental health conditions, is also set to be launched in the coming weeks.