How diversity and inclusion will improve our industry

One of the greatest things about the U.K. is its cultural diversity. It is evident in the food we eat, the music we listen to and the sportsmen and women we support. A culturally diverse workforce and leadership team will ensure that an organisation make smarter decisions under pressure and are more open to developing their service and delivery models, which will ensure better client outcomes. As allied health professionals, our primary duty is to our client. Without diverse representation at all levels within our field, it can be difficult to fully support our clients’ needs.

The challenge

Within the U.K. behaviour analytic and speech industry, representation of senior professionals from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (BAME) are scarce in numbers. The Black Lives Matter movement here in the UK and the US has shone a light on the dire need for tangible change and inclusivity in order to create a more diverse profession.

Many BAME groups face a greater number of challenges when making the choice to become a Behaviour Analyst or Speech and Language Therapist. This can mean that commitment to a course sequence is frequently too high a barrier to overcome without adequate support. The continued dearth BAME BCBA’s and SaLT’s progressing to senior positions within our respective fields is a failing of our industry and yet another example of systemic and institutional racism that perpetuates middle-class whiteness as a default characteristic of our profession.

Over the last few weeks when discussing or challenging other professionals about culture and what it means to be aware in the U.K., I have interacted with many people who think that learning about cultural awareness means only that they share or raise awareness of race and ethnicity. This is not true. Cultural awareness means to have a mindful approach of people from diverse backgrounds that is informed by the experiences of people themselves.

The solution

Be mindful and reflective

Acknowledging a lack of diversity and the need for systemic change is crucial to creating a more cohesive industry and one that serves the need of clients more successfully. Today, our industry requires us to nurture and support BAME professionals at all levels by creating an environment that recognises and respects the full range of differences in the BAME person’s experience. As service providers, we need to acknowledge diversity and learn about the various perspectives of people within different communities.

Organisations need to openly address the issues of diversity and multiculturalism by implementing tangible changes into their day-to-day work culture to ensure that the organisation changes from the inside out.  Working with BAME professionals to use their culture, including their experiences, will enhance organisational learning and promote diversity. This in turn will allow leaders to learn about the other experiences of others from diverse backgrounds and this will lead to better understanding and more inclusion.

Create leadership

In order to create an inclusive culture in the U.K. behaviour analytic and speech and language industry, there must be the inclusion of people from different cultural backgrounds. This inclusion must be at all levels including senior professional and academic positions. The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted that importance and the need for systemic change.

Support tangible change

These changes are simple and effective:

1.    Continue to educate yourselves on issues of race, systemic and institutional racism so that you are better able to recognise it when it happens

2.    Support your organisation in creating pipeline programmes to train, support and mentor new and current BAME professionals.

We are proud to say that our organisation is diverse. This is very visible in our leadership positions and therapist positions. Although we are proud of this, we know that we need to build further and want to be the active leaders in change for our clients and industry as a whole. The Black Lives Matter movement has indirectly lead the way for the next generation of leaders who will be needed in the U.K. We need to encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to take the lead in making our organisations and society more inclusive. This is the only way that we can achieve true cultural diversity and improve services for our clients.

Written by Cynthia Ewers-Cobb

Behaviour Analyst and Speech and Language Therapist

Co-Director

At HeadStart we understand the importance of providing information in accessible formats to meet the diverse needs of our service users. We can provide information in different forms for example in another language, large print, easy-read materials, and technologies such as text-to-speech or audio. To request information in another format, contact us by phone or email. Shanay.nj@headstartaba.org or mobile 07988860033.