EDB Insights sessions
Insights sessions
We are running several EDB (equity, diversity and belonging) Insights sessions with experts and colleagues looking at equity, diversity, and belonging, and how we can learn from it.
Questions and reflections
If you have any questions please contact Ketan Davé at hello@rcot.co.uk
You can use the five-minute reflection toolkit to capture your learning from any of these sessions.
Past sessions
1. OTs supporting menopause for World Menopause Day
On Thursday 17 October 2024, we welcomed Jo Gaffney, Occupational Therapist and Image Coach and Jacquie Da Costa-Myers, Occupational Therapist to talk about menopause. How can occupational therapy support people experiencing menopause when we may not even be managing our own? Whether we are there yet or not, how well do we actually 'OT' ourselves with anything anyway?
The session covered:
- Jo’s story from corporate leadership to style consultant, supporting clients and OT learners
- introduction to the menopause – what is it and how to cope
- how OTs can support people who are experiencing menopause
- where to find resources and get help
- EDB aspects of menopause including menopause for women of colour.
The Menopause JDCM Oct 2024.pdf (PDF, 265.44KB)
OT, Image and Menopause JG 2024.pdf (PDF, 12.65MB)
Menopause Resources for RCOT EDB Insight session 2024.pdf (PDF, 127.32KB)
2. Tackling and challenging anti-Muslim hatred together
The session was delivered by Tell MAMA, an independent, non-governmental organisation which works on tackling anti-Muslim hatred.
Its aims were to:
- highlight and raise awareness of how to identify and to address anti-Muslim hatred
- increase understanding of what anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia are, its scale and reach
- build an understanding of the drivers of anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia
- understand anti-Muslim hatred online, its impact and pervasiveness
- provide recommendations on how to tackle and challenge anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.
3. 'What is antisemitism?' with the Antisemitism Policy Trust
The Antisemitism Policy Trust presented a 90-minute training session that focused on antisemitism: what it is, its roots and modern manifestations.
The session aimed to leave participants with:
- increased understanding of who Jewish people are and the community in the UK
- increased understanding of what antisemitism is, its scale, and reach
- knowledge about the different manifestations of antisemitism including but not limited to; conspiratorial, Holocaust denial, Israel and Zionism-linked
- understanding of antisemitism online, its impact and pervasiveness
- the ability to identify antisemitism when they see it and explain why something might be antisemitic.
There were opportunities to put questions to the Trust.
4. Allyship in times of global conflict
This event was open to all Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and served as a call for compassion, led by Anita Atwal, Gita Ramdharry and Meera Sharma.
The event designed to support our members to enable safe and inclusive working environments, free from discrimination, promoting collaboration and respect.
5. An EDB perspective into incident reporting
With Simone Welch
These workshops explored case scenario discussions on real life anonymous incidents that have been reported. They discussed barriers to reporting and explore actions that can be taken. And, co-produced reflections on how support can be improved.
6. Increasing OT knowledge, skills and confidence for EDB incident reporting
With Simone Welch
On Tuesday 27 September 2022 we welcomed Simone Welch, Senior Occupational Therapist in Stroke, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to give us her talk about building confidence and skills in reporting EDB incidents across placements and work.
In this session, Simone looked at the impact of a workshop developed in response to the under reporting of EDB incidents and microaggressions by staff and students on placement.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness, educate and engage participants in co-production of support tools to increase the likelihood of reporting and challenge organisations to creatively consider support available post incident to protect wellbeing. Outcomes of the workshops were then presented to stakeholder managerial groups to explore how support for managers could be provided to increase confidence in responding to reported incidents.
7. Trans and non-binary awareness
With Hannah Spencer and Dr Rebecca Swenson
On Tuesday 19 July 2022 we welcomed Hannah Spencer (they/them), NHS Occupational Therapist, and Dr Rebecca Swenson (she/her), Senior Lecturer of Occupational Therapy, London Southbank University, to give their talk about trans and non-binary awareness, and occupational therapy practice. Both are also among the founding members of the LGBTQIA+ OTUK network.
In the session Hannah and Rebecca drew on personal, professional and research experience and considered:
- context and importance of insight session around trans and non-binary awareness in occupational therapy
- discussion around ethical, professional and legal duty to undertake best practice with reference to key legislation and professional standards
- reiterated evidence of how occupational therapy is ideally placed to support this population
practical suggestions around personal, environmental and occupational aspects of support for trans and non-binary people, and simple cues towards understanding.
Hannah Spencer and Dr Rebecca Swenson – Trans and non-binary awareness.pdf (PDF, 1.11MB)
8. Inclusion is an invitation to the master's house
With Musharrat J. Ahmed-Landeryou
On Tuesday 17 May 2022 we welcomed Musharrat J. Ahmed-Landeryou, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy and Student Success and Antiracist Education Practitioner, at London South Bank University, to give us her talk about the good intentions and lack of impactful change within occupational therapy.
To do this Musharrat evoked colonial terms in relation to the current efforts to improve equity, diversity, belonging and justice in occupational therapy to provoke critical thinking and invoke active change.
9. Occupational Rights
With Karen Whalley Hammell
On Tuesday 15 March 2022 we welcomed Karen Whalley Hammell, Honorary Professor, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, at the University of British Columbia, to give us her EDB Insight session on Occupational Rights.
This [session] seeks to highlight the ways in which occupational therapy promotes a particular ideological agenda that nourishes ableism, renders invisible the oppressions of racism, gender binarism, heteronormativity and patriarchy and obscures the structural inequities impacting people’s capabilities to be healthy and to engage in occupations they value."
10. Practising what we preach
With Dr Wendy Bryant
On Wednesday 20 April 2022 we welcomed Dr Wendy Bryant, Honorary Professor in the School of Health and Social Care, at the University of Essex, to talk to us about disability and inclusion in the occupational therapy community.
This session reflected on particular challenges that face disabled occupational therapists, and how working with disabled colleagues may challenge our professional practices. To do this, Dr Bryant took a series of different perspectives, revisiting disability theory, professionalism, two body practice, pragmatic reasoning and occupational form.
AbleOT UK, a UK occupational therapy network/advocacy group for practitioners, students, researchers, educators and people with disabilities/long term health conditions, worked with Dr Bryant to develop the workshop, and joined Dr Bryant for a panel discussion and Q&A with attendees.
Dr Wendy Bryant – Practising what we preach - presentation slides.pdf (PDF, 2.85MB)
Dr Wendy Bryant – Practising what we preach - Transcript.pdf (PDF, 193.1KB)
11. Anti-racism in social work
With Wayne Reid
On Wednesday 27 October 2021, we held our first session with Wayne Reid, BASW England Professional Officer, Social Worker and Anti-racism
Visionary who give his insight session on Anti-Racism in Social Work. Wayne has over 20 years of experience in the social care sector and spoke about anti-racism reforms that can be applied not only in social work but across all Allied Health Professions.
In the insight session Wayne covered:
- his social work background
- George Floyd’s murder
- Black Lives Matter and why it’s relevant to Social Work
- barriers to anti-racism in Social Work and organisational responses
- implementing anti-racism reforms in Social Work.
You can view Wayne’s full presentation and supporting documents below. A recording of the event is not available.
Anti-racism edutainment video clips - October 2021.pdf (PDF, 914.32KB)
Anti-racism in Social Work portfolio WR - October 2021.docx (DOCX, 95.56KB)
Authentic Anti-racist Allyship meme.jpg (JPG, 162.5KB)
BASW Anti-Racism in Social Work FULL presentation - 2021 -WR.pdf (PDF, 4.19MB)
Dodging Devils.jpg (JPG, 146.57KB)
SW Orgs Anti-racism infographic - standard.pdf (PDF, 233.51KB)