The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Leadership and Management Fellowship Scheme (LMFS) is aimed at accelerating a fellows’ leadership and management development using a combination of structured leadership development programmes and a local apprenticeship model. It is open to all higher trainees, utilising special interest time over 12 months.In most establishments, certain groups are more prone to prejudice; whether due to age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religion, career progression or disability. Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust (LYPFT) values diversity and strives to foster growth within a multicultural workforce and patient group. Equity accepts the difference between persons and ensures everyone reaches full potential, using individualised support. The aim was to create a culturally aware, inclusive and dynamic workforce. This project set out to achieve its objectives through four pillars.

Pillar 1-Initiating the local Medical Workforce Race Equality Standards (MWRES) LYPFT action plan: Appointment of the MWRES lead through advertisement and interviews. Pillar 2-Raising awareness on patient, carer and community involvement through a transcultural workshop: A virtual workshop anchored by four professionals and three patients, with lived experience was held, after which survey results were analysed. Pillar 3-Supporting International Medical Graduates (IMGs): Supporting IMGs through raising awareness on challenges and completing the regional handbook. Pillar 4-Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Education: Raising awareness on diversity and inclusion through undergraduate interdisciplinary education.

Pillar 1: An MWRES lead was appointed after interviews and is now in office. Pillar 2: Results of survey questions from the workshop around awareness of barriers minority groups experience, available transcultural resources, transcultural issues, local protocols and resources, and likelihood to intervene against discrimination; showed an improvement of 41.2%; with average pre-workshop scores of 55% and average post-workshop scores of 96.2%. Pillar 3: The Health Education England, Yorkshire & Humber IMG handbook has been completed and results from the survey included. Pillar 4: Students reported an improvement in their learning following the session. The weighted improvement on equity and transcultural issues for the pre and post teaching intervention improved from 5.391 to 7.126.

Overall, the aims of the four pillars of the project were successful achieved, with positive feedback received. LMFS encourages trainees to develop their leadership and management skills through local mentoring structures and should be encouraged. This is a clarion call to all professionals to adopt a culturally informed approach in all aspects of their practice; related to the workforce and patient care.