How to promote equity, diversity and belonging in your professional network, including using the EDB awareness tool.
Why networks should reflect diversity
Ensuring our volunteers reflect our membership is a key target in the CSP equity, diversity and belonging (EDB) strategy. Aim 4 is to increase representation of members marginalised due to their protected characteristics among those leading and influencing the profession at all levels. The strategy was developed with members from marginalised communities and reflects their expectation of their organisation.
While we are unable to direct professional networks, in the spirit of the EDB strategy, we ask that you reflect on your membership and identify potential gaps and possible actions so that networks are as reflective of the broader membership as possible.
The CSP’s strategic approach to engagement considers both the barriers to and enablers of engagement. Our approach has been developed with the EDB goals in mind and using input by members from marginalised communities about how they want the CSP to develop opportunities for them.
Representation in leadership roles
A key barrier to engagement is someone not seeing people 'like me' in leading roles in the CSP, including professional networks. Our objective is to ensure that all groups provide equal access to membership, reach out proactively to potential members and have an inclusive approach to recruiting and maintaining a diverse membership base.
It is important that professional networks work towards more diverse representation on their executive committees because:
- It demonstrates alignment of aspiration and action between the CSP and its member groups and networks
- It is ethically right
- It could improve engagement with existing and new members
- It will improve your performance by allowing you to draw on the ideas and talent of the whole membership
In December 2020, the CSP ran a survey to understand our members' views and experiences of EDB (previously referred to as equality, diversity and inclusion). We used the data from this survey to help inform the development of the CSP’s strategy.
We can share with you how we work to support principles of EDB at our events and conferences, and how we collect information about CSP members. There is also data available on the UK physiotherapy workforce, which you can request. If you would like further guidance, email pnenquiries@csp.org.uk.
Equity, diversity and belonging awareness tool
PhysioFirst and the CSP LGBTQIA+ network have developed a tool to promote EDB in the recognised professional networks of the CSP.
The aim of this awareness tool is to prompt, guide and support the leadership teams of all professional networks to open the conversation and to reflect on EDB within their own network and how they align with the CSP’s EDB strategy.
We would like to invite professional network leadership teams to use the tool and provide feedback for possible future versions. We acknowledge that each professional network has its own size, structure and resources, and we encourage you to use the tool as you see fit.
Please note that this tool is only for professional networks and you can access it once you are logged into our website.
Full article content is only available to CSP members. If you are a member you will need to log in.