Racial Equality Working Group
OVERVIEW
The Race Equality working group (REWG) focuses on identifying and tackling equality issues regarding race and ethnicity in the department. We aim to reduce discrimination and inequalities based on race and ethnicity, to support people who experience racism, to facilitate an open culture for discussing race and ethnicity, and to cultivate the diversification and inclusivity of our department. We take an intersectional approach (i.e. consider the ways that gender, class, religion and other factors interact with race) and try to tackle these issues with a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches.
We formed in September 2021, have a monthly hybrid meeting, and report directly to the People and Culture committee. The group is open to all members of the department, though we particularly encourage anyone who identifies as a person of colour or being from a minoritised/racialised ethnic group to join.
If you are interested in finding out more, please email Amy Gillespie amy.gillespie@psych.ox.ac.uk or Anutra Guru anutra.guru@psych.ox.ac.uk who both co-chair the Race Equality working group.
There is also a wealth of race-related research going on within the Department, which you can read a summary of here and have the chance to discuss in the Race and Psychiatry journal clubs.
Members
Activities TO DATE
FOCUS GROUPS AND ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT:
In 2021, we successfully applied for funding from the Research Enhancement Culture Fund, primarily to allow us to hire an external EDI specialist to conduct focus groups and surveys covering issues of race equality, as well as issues related to bullying and harassment and challenging work environments/relationships (concerns that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities). Adisa Djan from Challenge Consultancy conducted these surveys and focus groups between October-December 2022, reported the results back, and senior management developed a departmental action plan in consultation with the REWG and whole department. On the Sharepoint, the department provides an Executive Summary and FAQ regarding this project.
The action plan includes broad-ranging items which both directly tackle areas of concern for racialised staff and students specifically as well as tackle areas of concern for all staff, but which disproportionally affect racialized staff and students. Some of the departmental actions taken, driven by this work from the REWG, include:
-
The ongoing pilot of an anonymous feedback form on how to improve working lives in Psychiatry, inviting comments and feedback on processes, structure, environment or culture in the Department: Anonymous Feedback Form - Department of Psychiatry (onlinesurveys.ac.uk)
-
Launch of a Quiet Room, which can be used for prayer
-
The launch of Principal Investigator (PI) monthly meetings, to reflect on own and each other’s practices, share best practice, and engage in training
-
The launch of collaborative team handbooks to promote consistency within and between research groups, and initiate discussions about how teams tackle authorship and career opportunities.
-
More prominence of People and Culture work and Departmental values, including P&C updates in HoD briefings and the launch of the Department Behaviour and Values Framework, which outlines the department’s commitment to rewarding a broader set of values in academia (workplace good culture, respect and EDI).
TALKS AND TRAINING:
-
In November 2021, we arranged a talk by Dr Roberta Babb (a clinical psychologist with expertise in diversity, inclusion and antiracism) on the subject of "Courageous conversations about race: anti-racism and how to be an ally".
-
In February 2023, we arranged a Micro-behaviour & Bystander workshop.
-
We have promoted – and have members of the REWG – attending Inclusive Leadership training.
RACE AND PSYCHIATRY JOURNAL CLUB:
Since October 2023, the REWG has supported and funded the monthly Race and Psychiatry Journal Club. The JC was co-founded by Maya Georgia Ogonah (DPhil student) and Anabelle Paulino (MScRes Student in Psychiatry), and is currently led by Maya Ogonah and Briana Applewhite (DPhil student). The journal club is a collective of researchers who are interested in advancing racial health equity and investigating how racism and discrimination affect mental health outcomes.
-
You can find previous presentations from the journal club on the Race and Psychiatry Journal Club SharePoint
-
To hear about upcoming presentations, you can subscribe directly to the Race and Psychiatry JC mailing list here or by sending an empty email to sympa@maillist.ox.ac.uk with the subject “subscribe race-psychiatry” (without quotation marks).
If you are interested in speaking at the journal club or helping with organisation of the journal club, please email Maya (maya.ogonah@linacre.ox.ac.uk) or Briana (briana.applewhite@psych.ox.ac.uk).
BULLYING AND HARRASSMENT: Members of the REWG have fed into updates of the webpage outlining the options and support for reporting bullying and harassment, with clearer information and stronger messages around departmental commitment to tackling this issues.
CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH: In October 2023, we celebrated significant contributions to psychiatry and mental health by Black academics, clinicians and activists – including students from our own department.
LAUNCH OF RACE EQUALITY RECOGNITION AWARDS: In March 2024, we gave recognition awards to people from around the department working towards efforts to improve race equality or positive contributions to psychiatric research from people of marginalised ethnicities.
INCLUSIVE RESEARCH: We have shared and promoted resources and guidance for conducting more inclusive research, including external resources (see links below) and reporting back on key messages from BRC Race Inclusion Training in March 2024. One of our members has written a blog on conducting inclusive participatory research in NHS settings.
LIBRARY OF RACE EQUALITY THEMED BOOKS: In March 2023, we initiated a self-monitoring library, in the Psychiatry Common Room, with books on racism that anyone can borrow. It was drawn from this anti-racism reading list. The library has since grown into a broader People and Culture themed library, with many working groups contributing books.
MEMBERSHIP OF WORKING GROUP: Our REWG has grown from 8 members to 14, and is now formed predominantly of staff from a racialized ethnic background.
CAREERS WORKSHOP: In March 2024, we organised a careers coaching session for staff and students from a racialized ethnic background, facilitated by Dr Wayne Mitchell (Imperial) to identify and discuss issues relating to career progression. The aim was to proactively target discrepancies in career progression, by helping provide specific support and empowerment. Dr Mitchell then discussed any common barriers indicating the need for departmental level action back to the P&C committee.
FUNDING FOR CO-PACT TAKEOVER DAY: In January 2024, we provided funding for a departmental exhibition of work from Co-PACT, an NIHR project by the CHiMES collaborative exploring innovative approaches to reduce ethnic inequalities in use of the Mental Health Act.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW (PDR) QUESTIONS: In the 2024 round of PDR, two new questions developed by the REWG were included. The first asks staff what they are doing to foster a more inclusive working environment, and the second asks about barriers to career aspirations (with prompts that this could include factors such as race, ethnicity, religion and more).
FUTURE ACTIONS
PI monthly meetings: We will contribute to organising PI monthly meetings on topics of race and ethnicity
Departmental action plan: We will continue to monitor and contribute to implementing the departmental action plan
Celebrating achievements: We will continue to promote and celebrate the contributions of racialized staff and students within the department, and within the field of Psychiatry.
Monitoring of representation: We will collaborate with the Oxford Health BRC on a project to determine how we can appropriately and ethically collect data on ethnicity, to monitor diversity of staff, students and speakers at departmental events
Diverse hiring: With the department, we plan to do a review of diverse hiring practices, linking in with WIN diverse hiring guidance, and expanding our school outreach.
Peer support scheme: We are discussing the best way to develop peer support for racialized staff and students. This may include a peer support group, a specific welfare officer, an online community, or an alternative form of peer support – we would like the format to be guided by feedback from racialized staff and students.
Mentoring and/or internship scheme: We are discussing the possibility of developing a specific mentoring or internship scheme, focused on race and ethnicity.
If you have any comments on the above plans or further ideas of what you would like to see, you can contact Amy and Anutra, join the working group (for a one-off meeting or indefinitely), or give anonymous feedback to the department here Anonymous Feedback Form - Department of Psychiatry (onlinesurveys.ac.uk). This will be discussed in the People and Culture Committee, with senior management and representatives from all the culture working groups (including the REWG).
UNIVERSITY ACTION ON RACE
The university has an Equality and Diversity Unit with staff dedicated to tackling issues across the university, including race. The EDU website includes resources for anti-racism within the university and externally. Their website also includes information about welfare and support for racialized staff and students, as well as information and advice about bullying and harassment.
-
2018 - The university joined the Race Equality Charter
-
2020 - A Race Equality Task Force was formed to accelerate this work
-
2021 - A Race Equality Strategy was created. This includes specific commitments such as: increasing the racial diversity of staff in senior academic, research and professional roles; embedding anti-racist and inclusive research practices in the University; and closing the Ethnicity Pay Gap. This is now led by Professor Tim Soutphommasane, the University's first Chief Diversity Officer.
-
2024 - The Universities Race Equality Charter Bronze award was renewed.
university networks
-
BIPOC STEM Network: for staff and postgraduates within the University’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) departments who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), or Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME). Sign up to be a member or ally here.
-
Race and Resistance Network: brings together researchers, students, and activists in the history, literature, and culture of anti-racist movements. To sign up, send a blank email to race-and-resistance-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk
-
MPLS ED&I Network: monthly updates to anyone interested in equality, diversity and inclusion related activities within the Division/University. To subscribe, email diversity@mpls.ox.ac.uk.
FURTHER READING
Ted Talk by Professor Jason Arday, the youngest black professor ever appointed at Cambridge
Clear simple guidance from the Inclusive Research Collective, on how you can make your research more inclusive at each stage, from hypothesis formation to publication.
The Race Equality taskforce guidance on terminology around race and ethnicity
Blog post on conducting inclusive participatory research in NHS settings.