An arm’s length project of the Elizabeth Casson Trust exploring diversity, inclusion and equity within the profession.
The first forum in the ‘Focus on‘ series Focus on…Education was held on 18 January 2022.
32 participants from across health and social care, research and education, occupational therapy professional bodies (Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), Council of Occupational Therapists for the European Countries (COTEC), World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)), our regulatory body Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), NHS England / Improvement and other allied health professions met to discuss diversity and equity in occupational therapy pre-registration programmes. It was a full room!
The meeting was held under Chatham House rule* and led to ‘deep conversations from a wide range of voices’ in a ‘positive learning environment’ (participant feedback). Baroness Hilary Armstrong co-chaired the event alongside Prof Jane Melton.
* the identities of the attendees cannot be disclosed, nor their affiliations, outside of the meeting
The focus was on education with particular emphasis on occupational therapy education for people from diverse backgrounds, including ethnicity, gender, (dis)ability, sexuality and religion, with discussions taking place in small groups. Each group focussed on one of the following four themes:
Each group identified actions which they believed had the potential to make a positive impact on supporting diversity and equity in occupational therapy education. By the end of the afternoon, several key priorities had been proposed and agreed upon. These were themes or areas of focus agreed to either have the most importance or most pressing need at this time. Three small focus groups followed to take these ideas and consider them in more detail, giving them better shape for the projects and outcomes desired.
The Observatory core team, led by Prof Jane Melton, presented a paper to trustees at the April 2022 board meeting of the Elizabeth Casson Trust. Funding for three work streams were approved and calls for proposals were issued in the summer.
The projects shown to the right have been commissioned and are underway:
Similar to our newly-qualified occupational therapist pocket guides, this is intended for individuals to engage with in a quiet moment, adopting a reflective approach towards self-awareness and the consideration of our personal impact on individuals, our environment, the profession, and the services we deliver. The guide is available on our pocket guides page. ACCESS HERE: Diversity and inclusion guides – Elizabeth Casson Trust
The opportunity to participate will be offered to representatives from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that deliver occupational therapy programmes. The reflective space allows ideas and proposed actions to be shared, witnessed and supported. The programme is based on the Solution-focused Approach, a structured method that focuses on what works – in the present, past and imagined future. The Equity Champions series featured four spaces over seven weeks and will be hosted by Anita Volkert (Glasgow Caledonian University) and Rayya Ghul (University of Edinburgh). This project had five cohorts of OT educators, including individuals from OT schools and the NHS.
One of the equity champions told us:
“I have developed my confidence in talking about current issues and challenging ideas in a positive way. I have learnt that small steps can make big changes. By becoming an Equity Champion, I am not only advocating for myself but also for any injustice experienced by any minority group within academia.”
If you have any interest in this project, please let us know at [email protected]
Stay tuned for a co-produced checklist and pocket guide for supportive and equitable placements!
One to explore minoritised occupational therapy students’ experiences at the University of Bradford: Participatory action research developing student-led actions to address inequities and promote inclusion. Dissemination products will support the sharing of actions with HEIs. The study will be complete by December 2024.
Another research project to explore Black and Minority Ethnic Individuals’ experiences applying to study Occupational Therapy. Sarah McGinley and Belinda Williams are conducting this research at the University of Southampton. The study is due to be completed in 2025.
~
Several ideas were also generated at the Observatory event beyond the Trust’s sphere of activity; for example, some ideas were recognised as belonging to the professional occupational therapy body. These ideas were shared with our colleagues at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), who have taken the baton and work is underway. An update will be added to this page when appropriate. These ideas concern the educational standards for pre-registration programmes, including equity statements and requirements, considering the recruitment of accreditors with expertise (lived or acquired) in diversity and equity, as well as learner participation and partnership in programme design. It was also suggested that fine-tuning the annual monitoring reports completed by universities could provide an excellent opportunity to facilitate the monitoring of change.
