Last Updated on 09/08/2023
The Anti- Racism Accountability Group (ARAG) was set up in 2020 in response to the ongoing systemic racism within our course, the profession, and wider society. We wanted to ensure that on the DClinPsy there is a group that is embedded in the course’s process and structure that can hold the course to account on its anti-racist practice.
The ARAG sits above the Development and Implementation Groups (DIGs) and guides and holds them accountable to anti- racist practice. The Terms of Reference for the group can be found below. The ARAG currently consists of (white) staff, and service users and trainees who identify as experiencing racism. The membership of the ARAG is something that we have ongoing, careful conversations about with current members, and we are currently developing a proposal for white trainees to join ARAG. Whilst it is not the responsibility of the trainees and service users who experience racism on the course to hold the course to account, there is also a current safety in the group that may be lost with the addition of white members. The staff team members are all white, and take the responsibility of actioning any items that are raised.
The ARAG meets once a month and its overall aims are:
- To explore, assess, collate and report systemic racist practice on the Lancaster DClinPsy programme
- To guide the Development & Implementation Groups (DIGs) regarding anti-racist practice
- To hold the DIGs to account for their actions regarding anti-racist practice
- Where appropriate, to address incidences and offer case by case solutions
- Where appropriate, to develop policies on anti-racist practice
- To provide an annual report on ARAG activity.
In conjunction with the ARAG, there is a peer-led reflective practice space for trainees from the global majority who experience racism. This group meets once every month for about an hour.