Royal College of Nursing (RCN)

The situation:

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation representing over 450,000 nurses, midwives, nursing support workers and students across the UK.

The organisation recognised the need to develop a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy that would reflect the scale and complexity of its membership, while setting a clear and credible direction for the future.

The brief was ambitious: to design a five-year strategy within a four-month timeframe that would be both impactful and practical something members and stakeholders could understand, stand behind and see reflected in action.

What we did:

We partnered with the RCN to design a strategy grounded in evidence, engagement and organisational reality.

Our work began with a review of the existing strategy and delivery. Then we designed a national survey and listening exercise open to the full membership. We also facilitated workshops with leadership and wider member groups to understand lived experiences, expectations and priorities for DEI.

Drawing on these insights, and our research-led approach to culture and behaviour, we developed the core principles and structure of the new strategy. This ensured that the strategy was not only aligned to organisational ambition but also rooted in the real experiences of members across the profession.

We crafted a clear and accessible narrative for the strategy articulating what DEI would mean in practice over the next five years, and what members could expect from the organisation. Co-designing with RCN measures to monitor and evaluate progress, ensuring the strategy could be translated into meaningful, measurable change over time.

The results: 

The process generated strong engagement across the organisation, bringing together leadership and members in a shared conversation about the future of DEI.

Leaders were closely involved throughout, building alignment and ownership of the strategy as it developed. Involving the wider membership helped ensure that the final strategy resonated with those it was designed to serve.

The strategy was successfully launched and has established a clear, credible direction for DEI across the organisation, with year one activation already underway.