Launched in Canberra in May 2024, the RANZCP’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2024–2026 marks a significant step in our dedication to reconciliation. It outlines 20 actions and 91 deliverables across 4 focus areas – Relationships, Respect, Opportunities and Governance – to be achieved over the next two years, with progress reported annually to Reconciliation Australia. 

Over the past three months, we have made strong progress against the Plan with 20 deliverables now completed. Many activities have centred around NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week events and resources, engaging our senior leaders and other staff in the delivery of RAP commitments, and establishing appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms. 

Early achievements have included communicating our commitment to reconciliation publicly, establishing a working group of staff and members to oversee our RAP progress, and developing systems to track and report on our commitments including to relevant committees and the RANZCP Board. We have updated Acknowledgement of Country protocols to be more localised and tailored for different parts of Australia, and are actively supporting staff to be able to undertake appropriate and meaningful Acknowledgements of Country. Additionally, College staff have been encouraged and supported to learn more about and attend events during National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. A new Racism Awareness Steering Group, reporting to the Board, has also been formed to address racism within the practice of psychiatry and provide recommendations about actions to reduce and remove experiences of racism in the community and workforce.

While we have made a good start, this is only the beginning and there’s much more to achieve in the coming months. Some of our priorities for the rest of this year continuing to work with the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association to support more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to become psychiatrists, reviewing the College’s recruitment procedures and policies to remove barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in our workplace, and consulting with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders to develop guiding principles for future engagement.

By continuously aligning our actions with our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2024–2026, the College strives to build a more inclusive and respectful environment for all, ensuring that our commitments translate into tangible, positive change.