The lack of diversity in the AHP workforce is fuelling inequality

Lower representation in lead roles

Like many health and care professions, as allied health professionals, we are faced with a challenge. Our norm is a lack of diversity which ultimately fuels inequality. AHPs make up the third largest clinical workforce in health and care in the UK, but we have one of the lowest percentages of black, Asian and minority ethnic workers, at 12.2 per cent – below the UK population average of 13.9 per cent, and significantly below the NHS workforce average of 19.9 per cent.

To make matters worse, BAME representation in management and leadership roles (bandings of 8a and above) is even smaller – below 10 per cent. In occupational therapy specifically, we are overwhelmingly white and female. Only 7 per cent of the UK workforce is male and just 9 per cent is from a BAME background.

This matters, and it needs to change. Occupational therapy is about acknowledging differences and finding person-centred approaches to recovery. Occupational therapists work with adults and with children, in the public and private health and social care sector, addressing mental health and physical rehabilitation. We support all of society, but our profession is clearly not representative of the communities we serve.

Need for a diverse workforce

Why is a diverse workforce important? If the future of healthcare is to support people to manage their health conditions, then we need to understand their lives, their culture, beliefs and perspectives to make sure our advice and support is communicated in the best way possible.

We often hear the term “hard-to-reach communities”, but without a diverse workforce and an intelligent, respectful way of approaching them, these communities will continue to be out of reach.

It is our job as a professional body to set an example and drive change by identifying the areas of influence and what we can deliver. This can’t happen in a vacuum though – all work on diversity needs to be in consultation with the workforce.

This applies to all AHPs. We need to work together to develop plans of action which support collective achievement.

A great example of this collaborative work is the BAME strategic advisory forum, launched by the chief allied health professions officer. The forum has two main priorities – ensuring diversity amongst the pre-registration degree student population, and retaining them once they qualify and begin to work; and also to support BAME colleagues to succeed in leadership roles.

We call on NHS trusts and local authorities also to adopt these two priorities. By doing so, they will promote an inclusive culture from the very first rung in the ladder – ensuring students are supported in their practice placements without bias or discrimination.

RCOT is clear that any equality, diversity and inclusion plan must cover all protected characteristics regardless of race, religion, sexuality, gender or disability. We need to guarantee immediate support for anyone facing inequality, discrimination or micro-aggressions and create an environment where there are safe spaces to discuss actions and solutions to a problem.

Equally, to inspire and empower those from a minority background who have been held back for generations by societal barriers, we must ensure a more diverse top team too. This involves building diverse multidisciplinary leadership teams and allowing more allied health professions to lead across health and social care.

All health professional bodies have their part to play in making impactful and lasting change. Over the long-term our aim must be to grow an inclusive and diverse workforce.

That is why RCOT have focused Occupational Therapy Week 2020, our national awareness week, on celebrating and communicating occupational therapy as a career to people from all backgrounds.

Our #ChooseOT campaign is reaching school students and the people who support them to emphasise that our profession needs more people from different and minority backgrounds and experiences.

We know this action alone won’t produce results overnight and this is just the beginning of our journey – there is much more that we will and can do. A culture of zero tolerance to discrimination will only be achieved if a shared collective approach is adopted by everyone – employers, professional bodies and government bodies alike.

To do this, we need to be aware of each other’s initiatives, share intelligence, mirror priorities and commit to strategies that go beyond this summer’s headlines and lead to lasting change.

Source: This content was originally published by HSJ Intelligence. All credit goes to the original author.