EAPA UK POSITION STATEMENT

EAPA UK acknowledge that there are ethical, business, economic and legal drivers for equality and inclusion and it is clear that we as a professional organisation must play a central role in improving the quality of services that EAP’s deliver in the UK. We are committed to understanding and removing barriers for all who share protected characteristics to enable improved access, health outcomes and experience and ultimately to reduce health inequalities

EAPA UK is committed to equality, inclusion and was founded on the principles of fairness and that all regardless of their background should have the same opportunities and access to care and support. We will support EAP members in working to eradicate all forms of racism, whether overt, insidious or structural

EAPA UK pledge to actively work with all of our members to do everything we can to bring about a positive and long lasting change. We recognise that EAPA UK represent the interests of the EAP industry, and is instrumental in expanding knowledge and understanding of EAPs in the UK.

It is imperative that there needs to be an increased awareness regarding diversity within the profession and we are actively working to ensure that all groups have appropriate representation within EAPA UK.

Members have been in touch with us and suggested a number of actions, which the EAPA UK has already committed to undertake:

The COVID-19 outbreak has disproportionately affected BAME groups and now, more than ever, we need to ensure we provide the right services and support for people from a BAME background in the right way, with the appropriate skills and knowledge, and at the right time.

There are no easy answers, however EAPA UK continues to engage our membership and continues to listen and learn in order to address this issue. EAPA UK as an organisation, and to represent the profession as a whole, sees itself as part of the solution and so we will continue to address this head on.

What are we going to do?

To create a platform that is a safe space for BAME members, to express the challenges that they face without judgement or fear of repercussion.
To encourage our membership to learn and engage more through literature to support greater understanding, awareness and active change of racist and/or discriminatory practice and to create a culture of challenging those behaviours.
To hold a profession-wide online event, led by members of the BAME community, in order to have a candid conversation about racism and discrimination, to support cultural change within the profession.
To promote greater visibility of BAME members across EAPA communications channels in order to improve representation across the website and social media channels.

It is essential that we as professionals take it upon ourselves to research more into these issues. The onus is not on people of colour to educate white people on issues of racism and discrimination. EAPA advocate our members to engage with members of BAME communities, to understand their reality and to understand the ongoing and longstanding challenges they face. .