An ethnic minority leadership mentoring programme has been launched for psychological professionals working in the NHS.

The scheme has been funded by Health Education England as part of a strategy to tackle inequalities in senior leadership roles within the NHS in England.

It will offer mentoring to up to 70 ethnic minority practitioners  who work in the NHS at bands 5 to 8a – including counsellors and psychotherapists – and is aimed at developing their leadership skills

Mentors will receive training, remuneration and peer support.

Mentees will be able to choose who they are paired with.

The RISE Ethnic Minority Leadership Mentoring Programme, launches in March and will run for 12 weeks.

It’s being led by Dr Masuma Rahim,  Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Association of Clinical Psychologists (ACP) and the programme is a collaboration between the ACP, us, the Association of Child Psychotherapists, the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Applications are now open for mentors. The deadline is 23:59 on Wednesday 10 February.

Applications for mentees will open soon.

Visit the RISE programme’s website for more information.