Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at Camden and Islington Talking Therapies
Our NHS Talking Therapies teams are dedicated to working towards meaningful change with regards to equality, diversity & inclusion.
In light of this, we have several equality, diversity and inclusion committees that aim to improve equitable and equal access to our services in the following ways:
Making service level changes that foster and encourage anti-discriminatory practices across our organisation – we have protected time for reflective practice spaces devoted to this.
Reducing barriers to access our services through regular all staff training in neurodiversity, cultural awareness and humility, gender, sexual and relationship diversity and intersectionality – such training equips our staff members with competence and confidence to tailor psychological interventions to address minority stress and other relevant individual differences that might impact on mental health.
Further reducing barriers to access through conducting service audits (annually at minimum) to identify needs in specific communities alongside our outreach work to specific community groups.
We are keen to develop a diverse workforce that reflects the populations that we offer psychological assessment and treatments to and hope that our local communities can support us in this ambition.
Camden and Islington NHS Talking Therapies GSRD/LGBTQIA+ Mission Statement:
Our mission is to cultivate a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming LGBTQ+ sensitive therapeutic space and workplace that appreciates and empowers individuals across the expansive spectrum of gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity.
We strive to reduce the minority stress burden associated with coming out to mental health professionals and colleagues, and instead provide a safe-haven where individuals can share their authentic selves without fear or judgment. We acknowledge the impact of living a world that makes assumptions about gender, sexuality and relationships.
Our committed team places a strong emphasis on intersectionality, recognising the intricate interplay of various identity factors that shape each person’s experience. Through training and ongoing staff consultation, we support staff in considering all aspects of the person’s identity in therapy, informing a better understanding of the difficulties they face.
We are dedicated to promoting equity and creating an environment for service users and colleagues where diversity is not merely acknowledged but embraced, and where every individual is presumed to be unique and valued.
Please contact us if you like what you have read above and would like to hear more. If you would like to join our workforce then meet the team and read more about our teams and how to join us. There are also many routes into psychological therapies careers which you can find out more about on the Health Careers NHS page.
Our Camden Diversity & Inclusion Working Group developed the following video about ‘Exploring Career Options in Psychological Therapies Services (IAPT)’ with some tips on writing applications, interview tips and support networks for applications for roles in psychological therapies services:
