Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (EDIC)

The EDIC, a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees and Council of Management advises the Board of Trustees and Council of Management on issues relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  

The Chair of the Committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees.  

The Chair on behalf of the Board of Trustees and Council of Management may invite members of ACAT to join the Committee for a term of two years, in order to bring together expertise in this field. Non-ACAT members may also be seconded at the Chair’s discretion.  One member of the Committee will be a representative of the Board of Trustees and another will represent the Training Committee and Exam Board.

The Terms of Reference and Work Plan for the year ahead are agreed between the Board of Trustees and Council of Management and Chair of the EDIC thus providing a mandate for the work of the Committee.

Recommendations arising from the work of the Committee will be submitted to the Board and Council of Management meetings (held three times a year). The Chair of the EDIC will be seconded to the Council of Management and is welcome to attend these meetings. Final decisions on the implementation of recommendations will be made at these meetings.

Satellite working groups reporting to the EDIC can be established at the Chair’s discretion.

The EDIC will be supported by:

• Space to host an Equality and Diversity Forum on the first day of each annual ACAT conference.
• Website support to allow on-line discussion and dissemination of information.
• Funding for members to attend two face-to-face meetings per annum (one to coincide with the E&D Forum at the conference).

Terms of Reference

1. To report to the Board of Trustees and Council of Management on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion within ACAT and with a view to facilitating equal access to CAT therapy and ACAT training courses within the NHS and other settings.
2. To act as a hub for dialogue about how to address issues of diversity and equality in our theory, our curricula and our training programmes.
3. To consider the needs of particular groups who have been marginalised within the theory and practice of psychotherapy and specifically CAT.
4. To put in place sensitive but informative monitoring so that ACAT can make evidence based decisions about the extent to which we are addressing diversity and equality issues in our teaching and training and recommend positive steps to address barriers in our courses and curricula and encourage innovation.
5. To support individual practitioners and psychotherapists through the development of resources, scholarship and research on these issues.
6. Other projects as agreed by the Board of Trustees.

Revised February 2017; updated January 2022