The Bowlby Centre’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy (EDI) is a statement of our commitment to ensuring our organisation is diverse, inclusive and provides equality of opportunity for all.

The Bowlby Centre adheres to the Equality Act 2010 and the Equal Opportunities Policy of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.

The Equality Act (2010), including the public sector equality duty, consolidates and replaces all previous equalities legislation such as the Race Relations Act, Disability Discrimination Act and Sex Discrimination Act.

As a charity and registered company, The Bowlby Centre seeks to implement an equality, diversity and inclusion policy, to ensure that no individual will be discriminated against, harassed, victimised, or excluded as a consequence of their identity either on the grounds referred to, or on the basis of any other appropriate distinction. We require all staff, members and students, to follow this policy.

We are committed to promoting and upholding a culture which eliminates discrimination, harassment and victimisation and enables equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Equality Act (2010) protects individuals against direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of nine protected characteristics.

The nine protected characteristics are:

• Age – not including under-18s
• Disability
• Gender reassignment – including people who have proposed, started or completed a process to change their sex but who are not under medical supervision
• Marriage/civil partnership – not including those who are not married/in a civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity – defined as all stages of pregnancy and the 26 week period following the birth of a child
• Race – including caste, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour
• Religion or belief – including atheism or agnosticism
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

It is important to remember that the law sets out the minimum standard of access and equality. It is also important to remember that it is not only the differences that are protected by law which can create disadvantage. Of the many other factors that can cause barriers to access, some examples include:

• Education, employment and socio-economic status
• Gender identity (as defined by the individual, and not covered by the protected characteristic of ‘gender re-assignment’
• Immigration status
• History of abuse or addiction
• Mental well-being
• Political belief

The Bowlby Centre believes that all members, trainees, employees, staff and clients have the right to expect that all individuals will be treated with dignity and respect and that an environment will be created where unfair discrimination is not tolerated.

The Bowlby Centre recognises that equality, diversity and inclusion is part of good practice, and is committed to the continuous development and implementation of the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy, in the employment and advancement of therapists, trainers and other staff; the selection, teaching and assessment of trainees; and the provision of its services to the public. The Bowlby Centre therefore seeks to implement and actively adhere to our equality, diversity and inclusion policy.

The policy reflects good practice as well as statutory obligations under national legislation. The Bowlby Centre will seek to adopt practices required under future legislation.

The Bowlby Centre has a responsibility to bring its equality, diversity and inclusion policy to the attention of all members, trainees, staff and others working in conjunction with The Bowlby Centre.

All members, trainees, staff and others working in conjunction with The Bowlby Centre have a personal responsibility to ensure that this policy and practices are reflected in their day-today dealings with colleagues and clients.

General Principles

The Bowlby Centre Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

• All staff, students and members of The Bowlby Centre and members of the public to whom The Bowlby Centre is providing services have equal access to The Bowlby Centre facilities wherever it is appropriate and reasonably practicable to achieve this.
• Language used in The Bowlby Centre ’s correspondence and literature reflects the spirit of this policy
• The Bowlby Centre provides an environment, and promotes a culture, in which no-one from a disadvantaged group in society will be subjected to discrimination, harassment, or vicitmisation on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment, and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief.
• Monitoring of these procedures will be carried out regularly along with monitoring of The Bowlby Centre’s employed staff, student population, and client population and referral procedures
• Training and guidance in the implementation of equality, diversity and inclusion is provided for all relevant Bowlby Centre members, staff and trainees, particularly those who deal with the recruitment and support of staff, or the selection, guidance or support of students and trainees
• Serious breaches of this policy are dealt with through the appropriate complaints procedure

The Bowlby Centre will strive to ensure that:

• Fair and open procedures are operated in respect of the recruitment, selection, training, promotion and dismissal of persons employed by The Bowlby Centre
• Advertisements of employment, and any written information sent to applicants, are non-discriminatory, and do not impose requirements other than those based upon clear, consistent and justifiable criteria
• No applicant for any position will receive less favourable treatment than any other applicant on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment, and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief.
• No applicant will be placed at a disadvantage by the inclusion of requirements or conditions, which have a disproportionately adverse impact upon members of any group to which the applicant belongs, where these requirements or conditions cannot be shown to be necessary for the satisfactory fulfilment of the demands of the position
• Selection procedures and criteria will ensure that individuals are selected on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. The Bowlby Centre recognises that there may be a range of candidates, each of whom would bring different and valuable qualities to a particular post. In these circumstances The Bowlby Centre will ensure that selection of the successful candidate will be made on the basis of clear, consistent and justifiable criteria.

Students and trainees

The Bowlby Centre is committed to ensuring that:

• Procedures ensure fair and equitable treatment in relation to the selection, teaching and assessment of students, and the referral of training clients to trainees
• The training provides an enabling and supportive framework in which students and trainees are free to develop their own learning whilst respecting and valuing differences
• The training provides students and trainees with an environment in which they will not be subjected to discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief.
• The training takes into account the impact of the nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment, and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief, upon both students and clients, and that consideration and study of aspects of difference are integrated throughout the training

Psychotherapy and Other Services

The Bowlby Centre will strive to ensure that:

• Referral and psychotherapy services are provided which are sensitive to the impact upon clients of gender, colour, ethnic or national origin, race, disability, age, sexuality, socioeconomic background, religious beliefs, and family circumstances
• Where appropriate, and particularly where clients request it, and where it is reasonably practicable for The Bowlby Centre to do so, clients will be referred to therapists of a specific relevant background or who have specific expertise in working with issues arising from the impact of the above factors
• No participant in The Bowlby Centre ’s services receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment, and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief, participants may include clients, students, conference delegates and speakers
• No participant in The Bowlby Centre ’s services will be placed at a disadvantage by the inclusion of requirements or conditions, which have a disproportionately adverse impact upon members of any group to which the applicant belongs, where these requirements or conditions cannot be shown to be necessary for the satisfactory fulfilment of the demands of the position
• Training and conference accommodation provided or used by The Bowlby Centre will, so far as practicable, offer full mobility access, and be able to make available appropriate services for students, trainees and other users with disabilities

Responsibility for implementation and monitoring

The Bowlby Centre as a whole is responsible for implementation of this policy. The Executive Committee has overall responsibility for coordinating the operation of the policy and the development, maintenance and monitoring of supporting procedures.
Personal responsibility for the successful operation of this policy lies (a) with every member of The Bowlby Centre, particularly those responsible for recruitment, selection, supervision and development of staff and students and (b) with all Bowlby Centre students and trainees.

Complaints

Complaints of discrimination, harassment, or victimisation from students, trainees, members and employees of The Bowlby Centre shall be considered in accordance with the provisions of The Bowlby Centre’s complaints procedure.

Bowlby Centre Students – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion is about developing awareness of the real world issues that face all of us including our clients. Many of our clients, may have previously been excluded from therapeutic support.
As a student at The Bowlby Centre you are working towards integrating the values of the organisation into your understanding of the world so that they can feed your relationships with your colleagues and therapeutic practice as a psychotherapist in training and ultimately as a member of The Bowlby Centre.
The nuances of difference and power are an inevitable part of human interaction and a therapy organisation is not immune to these dynamics, but by naming and working openly and confidently with difference we can hopefully alleviate some of the harm caused by unconscious prejudice.
The Bowlby Centre has a commitment to accessibility and equality for all which means that all members of the organisation share the responsibility for anti-discriminatory, anti-harassment, and anti-victimisation practice in relation to the nine protected characteristics as well as education, employment, and socio-economic status, gender identity, immigration status, those with a history of abuse and/or addiction, mental well-being and political belief.

Some things to consider:

• Composition of your training group – The diversity ‘make up’ of the training group that you are part of may not be readily apparent. Members of minority groups may feel silenced, you may be a member of a group where you feel marginalised for example with only one Black member, or where gay and lesbian students are in the minority or where your history of surviving trauma leaves you feeling more like one of “them” than “us”. Mindful of collective responsibility are there ways in which you could contribute to making your group feel safer for all members? As a student it is important for you to recognise the variety of perspectives other than that of the majority. The Bowlby Centre are currently engaged in outreach and development to address the lack of representation of certain communities in the student body and membership.
• The relationship between the group members and the subject matter. Students are a fantastic resource for each other as you bring incredible diversity of understanding and life experience. It may also be helpful if we all take responsibility for noticing what perspective (or who) is absent or silent when discussing seminar material, for example in an all white or a single gender group ensuring that someone from a minority within the group does not end up having to hold sole responsibility for voicing that perspective – for example a black student habitually having to speak about race issues or a gay student having to make the rest of the group aware that the material is excluding can be a process which reaffirms the marginalisation of that individual.
• Conflict and Challenge – Whilst exploring the (often evocative) teaching material we all have the tough job of managing the tension between the values that we uphold at The Bowlby Centre and reaching our full potential through authentic relating from our unique perspective. It can be freeing to remember that we all carry with us the prejudices of our upbringing within our given familial and socio cultural context and in voicing what we feel may at times be unaware of how this impacts upon others. Things can be said in the heat of the moment that we may later regret. None of us are perfect and concepts of respect, ‘rupture and repair’, and collegiality can be helpful in the way that we share our thoughts and opinions and in coming back from the inevitable breaches between us and colleagues. However, it is also important to be clear on what constitutes a serious breach of our values – Racism, sexism, homophobia, disability discrimination, transphobia, biphobia, pathologising and so forth are not acceptable.
• The Curriculum – It is fair to say that many of the papers that we make reference to can display bias or uncomfortable use of language – for example some very useful papers are Eurocentric, written from the perspective of heterophilia or pathologising of certain groups. It can be helpful to remember the original context of that material in terms of socio cultural bias, for example where statistics see overrepresentation of certain communities explaining why in relation to historical context or who is making the assessment. If you feel marginalised, please remember that you are not alone and you can ask for support. Talk to your colleagues, and course tutor or approach a member of the organisation who you feel safe with.

Key definitions from the Equality and Human Rights Commission

Direct discrimination

This is when you are treated worse than another person or other people because:

• you have a protected characteristic
• someone thinks you have that protected characteristic (known as discrimination by perception)
• you are connected to someone with that protected characteristic (known as discrimination by association)

Your circumstances must be similar enough to the circumstances of the person being treated better for a valid comparison to be made.
If you cannot point to another person who has been treated better, it is still direct discrimination if you can show that a person who did not have your protected characteristic would have been treated better in similar circumstances.

To be unlawful, the treatment must have happened in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act. For example, in the workplace or when you are receiving goods or services.

It is possible to be discriminated against by someone who shares the same protected characteristic as you.

If you have been treated worse due to your age, this may be allowed if the organisation or employer can show that there was a good reason for the difference in treatment. This is known as objective justification. If you are treated worse due to any other protected characteristic, it is unlawful direct discrimination whether or not the organisation or employer has a reason for it.

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination happens when there is a policy that applies in the same way for everybody but disadvantages a group of people who share a protected characteristic, and you are disadvantaged as part of this group. If this happens, the person or organisation applying the policy must show that there is a good reason for it.

A ‘policy’ can include a practice, a rule or an arrangement.

It makes no difference whether anyone intended the policy to disadvantage you or not.

To prove that indirect discrimination is happening or has happened:

• there must be a policy which an organisation is applying equally to everyone (or to everyone in a group that includes you)
• the policy must disadvantage people with your protected characteristic when compared with people without it
• you must be able to show that it has disadvantaged you personally or that it will disadvantage you
• the organisation cannot show that there is a good reason for applying the policy despite the level of disadvantage to people with your protected characteristic

If the organisation can show there is a good reason for its policy, it is not indirect discrimination. This is known as objective justification.

Harassment

Harassment is unwanted behaviour that you find offensive, where the other person’s behaviour is because:

• you have a protected characteristic
• there is any connection with a protected characteristic (for example, you are treated as though you have a particular characteristic, even if the other person knows this isn’t true)

Unwanted behaviour could include:

• spoken or written abuse
• offensive emails
• tweets or comments on websites and social media
• images and graffiti
• physical gestures
• facial expressions
• banter that is offensive to you

Anything that is unwelcome to you is unwanted. You don’t need to have previously objected to it.

The unwanted behaviour must have the purpose or effect of violating your dignity, or creating a degrading, humiliating, hostile, intimidating or offensive environment for you.

To be unlawful, the treatment must have happened in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act. For example, in the workplace or when you are receiving goods or services.

Victimisation

This is treating someone badly because they have done a ‘protected act’, or because an employer, service provider or other organisation believes that you have done or are going to do a protected act. The reason for the treatment does not need to be linked to a protected characteristic.

A protected act is:

• making a claim or complaint of discrimination (under the Equality Act)
• helping someone else to make a claim by giving evidence or information
• making an allegation that you or someone else has breached the Equality Act
• doing anything else in connection with the Equality Act

UKCP’s Diversity and Equalities statement

UKCP is committed to promoting equality, inclusion and diversity, and works to ensure that its processes are fair, transparent, objective and free from discrimination. UKCP expects that everyone who is acting for the UKCP uphold these values.

The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) promotes an active engagement with difference and therefore seeks to provide a framework for the professions of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling that allows competing and diverse ideas and perspectives on what it means to be human to be considered, respected and valued.

UKCP is committed to addressing issues of prejudice and discrimination in relation to the mental well being, political belief, gender and gender identity, sexual preference or orientation, disability, marital or partnership status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, heritage identity, religious or spiritual identity, age or socio-economic class of individuals and groups.

UKCP keeps its policies and procedures under review in order to ensure that the realities of discrimination, exclusion, oppression and alienation that may form part of the experience of its registrants as well as of their clients are addressed appropriately.

UKCP seeks to ensure that the practice of psychotherapy is utilised in the service of the celebration of human difference and diversity, and that at no time is psychotherapy used as a means of coercion or oppression of any group or individual.