2024-25 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion annual report published

We have published our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) annual report for the year ending March 2025, setting out our progress over the past twelve months to strengthen fairness, accessibility and public confidence in how we regulate the optical sector.  

The report highlights how our EDI work is supporting fairer outcomes, inclusive access to eyecare and effective, trusted regulation. 

• Completed 21 out of 25 of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion projects, marking great progress in meeting our 2024-25 action plan. 

• We revised our Standards of Practice to reflect developments in optical practise and public expectations, helping to ensure clearer, more consistent standards that support safe, fair and effective eyecare across the sector. 

• For the third year in a row, we met all 18 of the Professional Standards Authority’s (PSA) Standards of Good Regulation, providing independent assurance that our approach to regulation is fair effective and focussed on protecting the public. We are proud of the practical steps we’ve taken to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion across our work. 

• We conducted research to better understand the barriers some people face in accessing and using eye care services, helping to shape how we engage with patients, the public and the sector to support more equitable access to eyecare. 

Alongside our regulatory work, we continued to invest in an inclusive organisational culture that underpins good decision-making, accountability and public trust. 

• All staff received training on the history and culture of the Welsh language and the Welsh Language Scheme, continuing to embed Welsh language access as part of our organisational culture and maintain compliance with the standard. 

• We conducted our annual Registrant and Workforce Perceptions survey, using its findings to support our focus on ensuring fairer outcomes, increasing awareness of our regulatory role, and addressing disparities in workplace experience and progression across the optical sector. 

• We launched a working group to investigate potential causes of unfairness in our fitness to practise (FtP) process, strengthening our evidence-led approach to delivering fair consistent outcomes for our workforce, registrants, and the public. 

• We achieved the Disability Confident Level 2 standard for our employee recruitment, ensuring high levels of support for people with disabilities at the GOC. 

• We achieved the Bronze TIDEmark award from Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion, acknowledging our progress in cultivating a positive and inclusive culture. 

• Continued our participation in the Get Set Progress internship programme, which supports blind and partially sighted individuals into meaningful employment. 

• Published our gender pay gap analysis for 2024-25, which shows that female employees now earn more on average than their male colleagues at overall organisational level, showing progress in our work to promote pay equity while recognising this remains an important area of ongoing focus 

• 100% attendance at structural discrimination and reasonable adjustment training sessions, building employee’s understanding of how to support others facing discrimination or with disabilities. 

• We developed a GOC Management Style document to ensure that all staff receive line management which reflects the diverse experiences and needs of our workforce. 

• We revised our speaking up policy in line with the Freedom to Speak Up model promoted by the National Guardians office, strengthening routes for staff, members, and workers to raise concerns safely and with confidence. 

• Our staff networks held various events throughout the year, sparking important conversations on topics such as LGBTQ+ History Month, equity, representation, and access, and social class and social mobility in the UK. 

Read the full 2025 EDI Report to learn more about our progress and the priorities shaping our work in the year ahead.