Valuing equity, diversity and belonging

Black History Month is another important reminder of why and how we came to develop the Right To Rehab campaign alongside members.

It was early in 2020 when one of the CSP’s very experienced and active members of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic network was rightfully unapologetic when she explained that rehab was not about health equality. I am forever grateful for her deep and broad knowledge and experience.

She explained that what matters most is access to services – importantly rehab – to live as well as possible for as long as possible.

This was – and remains – at the core of health equity. And at the heart of our ambition for a universal right to rehab. 

Here you’ll find a new, immersive digital tool developed by the CSP that helps you to bring that message to influencers. 

By the time you read this, CSP colleagues and I will have showcased the tool at the Labour conference to champion rehab at a national level. We look forward to hearing about how you’ve used it where you are. 

As a profession, physios, support workers and students should value equity for one another as much as for patients. 

But Olympic physio Gareth Ziyambi finds that the bar is set higher for him than his white peers. It is a painful reminder of how harmful racism is for some of our colleagues, as well as the people our profession serves. 

No member should feel their contribution doesn’t belong on the basis of the colour of their skin, or any other characteristic. 

It’s a prompt for us to increase efforts to ensure members with different needs, identities, backgrounds and experiences do belong, are valued, listened to and seen for the expertise they have to offer. 

Sara Hazzard is a CSP assistant director