In the past few years there has been an awareness within the College of Paramedics about the low level of diversity within the profession and the College.
In 2018 a College podcast entitled 'Rewound: The Changing Face of the Paramedic Profession' captured a conversation between Gary Strong, Islam Faqir and Shirmilla Datta, all members of the College. This helped to raise awareness further and the Board of Trustees agreed that a Diversity Steering Group was needed to work on this important agenda. You can listen to this podcast here.
In spring of 2019 recruitment resulted in a group with a broad experience and expertise. The Steering Group will advise the College on equality, diversity and inclusion issues and focus on the five strands of BME, LGBTQI+, disability, gender equality and socio-economic status, working with universities and employers to increase diversity within the profession.
See our group members here
The work of the Steering Group aligns with the College of Paramedics 2019/24 strategic aim to grow an engaged membership.
Some of the highlights of work by the group includes…
- Here, Some of our Steering Group members met at the University of Gloucestershire in November 2019 to discuss actions for the group and the College:
From left to right - Islam Faqir, Delia Reilly, Matondo Manzeninga,
James Bridge, Sharon Hardwick, Colm Buckley, Graham Clark,
Imogen Carter and Gemma Howlett
- Our Vice-chair Gemma Howlett presented on conscious and unconscious bias at the Yorkshire Best practice Day CPD event 2020:
- Ongoing planning for our first national diversity event along the theme of inclusive leadership and values (postponed from July 2020 until July 2021).
- Communication, promotion and awareness raising is a key area of focus for the group, who will be increasingly using multi-platform communication with members and the paramedic profession on key diversity related dates in the calendar and key messages such as, #BlackLivesMatter and #bethechange #thisparamediccan
- We have a series of articles in Paramedic INSIGHT on diversity issues, authored by Gemma Howlett. These are available to members of the College of Paramedics and can be found in the December 2019, March 2020 and June 2020 editions of Paramedic INSIGHT magazine which can be accessed and downloaded here
- Islam Faqir, Chair of the Diversity Steering Group, recorded a Happy Eid message to our members, wishing those celebrating Eid a safe, socially distanced, joyful time. This was posted on the College social media platforms and is also available to watch below...
We would like to share the diverse voices of our members in a diversity blog series that can be accessed here. We want to hear from you if you have something to share on other aspects of diversity; working in the profession as a minority, overcoming or still trying to overcome barriers, aspects of your diversity that you find strength in, instances of feeling excluded, instances of feeling included, or any other relevant lived experience. It is important to us as we grow and develop further that we are representative of our profession and the public we care for, but we need your help and support to achieve this effectively. Please email imogen.carter@collegeofparamedics.co.uk for more information or if you would like to contribute to this work.
Collaboration is a key area of importance to us in order to combine and coordinate our efforts and resources. We are building important connections with the AACE National Ambulance Diversity Forum, the National Ambulance BME Forum and the National Ambulance LGBT Network.
For more information on the Diversity Steering Group please contact imogen.carter@collegeofparamedics.co.uk