Where we are today
The UK population is diverse. Occupational therapists work every day with people of different race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, class and ability. But as a profession, we’ve historically lacked diversity.
Occupational therapists, learners, the people who receive our services and our staff, continue to have negative experiences. There are many voices and experiences that remain unheard and under-represented. This impacts everyone’s sense of belonging, health and wellbeing.
In 2020, our members spoke up louder than ever before. This brought into sharp and uncomfortable focus that we weren’t meeting the needs and expectations of members, staff and stakeholders. We understand that we made mistakes and took too long to acknowledge them. We weren’t showing the leadership that our members deserved. We were slow to listen, advocate, act and evolve. All of this affected the trust that some of our members had in us.
More widely, there is a lack of equity, diversity and belonging support within our profession. And we know that we’re not seen as the first port of call for those needing advice, support or further learning. We weren’t providing the resources and services that members needed. We haven’t been seen as a diverse workplace, and this meant that we didn’t feel equally welcoming, inclusive and safe for all our members.
Every experience of racism, discrimination, and injustice, within and beyond our profession, is unacceptable and inexcusable. Becoming an anti-discriminatory and anti-racist organisation, one that is underpinned by focused organisational values and those of our profession, will take time and effort. Getting there will be challenging, it will take a lot of learning and change. But we’re determined. And we’ll get there by working together with our members, volunteers, learners, staff, partners, stakeholders and the wider profession.
Equity, diversity and belonging is all our responsibility.
It’s not a ‘nice to have’ or something that only affects people from historically under-represented groups or those with differing needs, identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
We will work to exceed our legal obligations. We know that each of us is unique and that’s why our definition of diversity goes beyond that defined in equality legislation.
Society is changing and diversity is rapidly increasing. We need a profession that is culturally intelligent. That reflects, and is well equipped to serve and support, an increasingly diverse population. This strategy provides a foundation for that ambition, and it will evolve as we learn along the way.
We will be bold and progressive advocates for equity and social justice. We’ll do it through clear, impactful and meaningful actions, not just words.