Investors in Diversity
The British Psychotherapy Foundation (bpf) has been re-accredited with the Investors in Diversity Silver Award by the National Centre for Diversity (NCD). Find out what the award recognises, what we have achieved since 2024, and our inclusion priorities for the next two years.
Silver
Investors in Diversity award retained after reassessment in 2026
2026–2028
Accreditation valid from July 2026 to July 2028
43rd
in the NCD’s Top 100 Most Inclusive UK Employers Index 2025
4 pillars
Leadership, policy, recruitment and monitoring assessed
Award documents
The award recognises the progress we have made in embedding Fairness, Respect, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, known collectively as FREDIE, across our organisation. It reflects the contribution of our colleagues, members and trainees, whose experiences and feedback informed the assessment.
What the award recognises
The National Centre for Diversity concluded that the bpf has developed a strong and increasingly mature approach to FREDIE. Its assessment also identified areas in which we must continue to listen, learn and take action.
Since our initial accreditation in July 2024, we have taken a more strategic approach to inclusion, developing new initiatives, policies, processes and ways of working. The assessment found that this work is producing positive results and helping to embed FREDIE within the bpf’s culture.
We have also published summaries of what we have done for each part of our community since 2024:
For employees
New policies on wellbeing, menopause, flexible working and gender equality, plus fairer recruitment and appraisal.
For trainees
Student-facing policies, learning support, additional considerations and changes to student finance and support.
For members
A growing, more diverse membership, bpf North, the equivalency route and new membership categories.
What we have done well
The assessment found significant strengths across the four pillars of the Investors in Diversity framework.
Pillar 1: Diverse and inclusive leadership
Our leaders and trustees have made inclusion a strategic priority. Staff described feeling supported, trusted and able to approach senior leaders with ideas or concerns. The report also acknowledged our efforts to challenge traditional perceptions of psychotherapy and make our external communications more representative.
Pillar 2: Policy, practice and process
We have introduced and revised policies to support colleagues, members and trainees, including clearer approaches to recruitment, complaints, behaviour, student support and operational practice. Policies are developed with FREDIE in mind, including consultation and reflection where appropriate.
Pillar 3: Recruitment, retention and progression
We have strengthened recruitment and onboarding, developed clearer behavioural and competency frameworks, and embedded FREDIE within appraisal. Flexible and hybrid working, exit interviews and improved training and development support have also contributed to a positive culture.
Pillar 4: Recording and monitoring
We are increasingly using evidence to understand experiences and guide improvement. The assessment particularly recognised our analysis of student demographic and financial-wellbeing information, which has informed changes to training support, student finance and graduate opportunities.
Where we need to develop
Silver re-accreditation is an important milestone, but it is not an endpoint. The assessment identified several areas in which our approach needs to become more consistent, accessible and visible. These include:
- Improving the visibility of accessibility and reasonable-adjustment support.
- Continuing to address the physical accessibility of our premises.
- Strengthening communication and engagement with members and trainees.
- Ensuring that policies and procedures are accessible and that engagement with them is monitored.
- Reducing the potential for unintended bias within recruitment.
- Providing more advanced EDI-related learning opportunities.
- Improving the collection and analysis of staff demographic data.
- Strengthening support for inclusive practice with clients from different backgrounds.
- Listening more closely to feedback about neurodiversity and differing experiences across training programmes.
- Continuing to examine progression, remuneration and development opportunities within the constraints of a relatively small organisation.
Our priorities for 2026–2028
Our Inclusion Improvement Plan 2026–2028 sets out actions across the four Investors in Diversity pillars.
1. Strengthening participation and shared leadership
- Establish a student management committee with a student co-chair.
- Improve communication with members through a wider range of accessible formats and platforms.
- Create further opportunities for colleagues, members and trainees to shape our inclusion work.
- Help members and trainees strengthen inclusive practice when working with clients from different backgrounds.
2. Making our policies more accessible and effective
- Monitor engagement with new policies and procedures.
- Make it easier for members, trainees and colleagues to find the policies relevant to their roles.
- Use equality impact assessments and consultation when developing policies.
- Consider progressing our Disability Confident accreditation.
- Strengthen induction and quality-assurance arrangements for external consultants.
3. Developing fairer recruitment, progression and learning
- Introduce the redaction of applications to help reduce unintended bias.
- Invite feedback from successful and unsuccessful candidates.
- Analyse recruitment, retention and progression data for trainees.
- Provide more advanced EDI-related development opportunities.
- Evaluate the impact of training and awareness activities.
- Continue to review remuneration and communicate relevant outcomes.
- Seek external assurance of our HR processes.
4. Improving evidence, monitoring and accountability
- Report on staff demographic data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
- Examine whether training and membership costs create barriers for particular groups.
- Gather feedback on the inclusivity of training content and delivery.
- Follow up participation levels through pulse surveys.
- Use the findings to inform measurable action.
Listening, learning and acting together
This achievement belongs to everyone who contributed to the re-accreditation process. The report thanked all the colleagues, members and trainees who shared their views.
18
staff survey responses
22
staff in interviews or focus groups
35
member survey responses, plus 3 in focus groups
46
trainee survey responses
We know that people’s experiences of the bpf are not identical. Re-accreditation therefore does not mean that every barrier has been removed or that every voice yet feels equally heard. It means that we have established a strong foundation, demonstrated meaningful progress and committed ourselves to further action.
Over the next two years, we will continue to listen openly, report on our progress and work with our community to make the bpf fairer, more accessible, more representative and more inclusive.
Investors in Diversity Silver is both a recognition of how far we have come and a commitment to where we go next.
Our first accreditation (2024)
Investors in Diversity Silver Mark, July 2024 – July 2026
In July 2024, the bpf was first awarded the Investors in Diversity Silver Mark by the National Centre for Diversity. The award acknowledged the work we had done to embed the FREDIE principles into all areas of the charity, including our strategy and business plan, operational and line management systems, selection and recruitment practices, retention, reward and progression processes, performance management systems, procurement procedures and communications.
We achieved the following 10 standards:
- The bpf is effective in advancing the FREDIE principles across the organisation.
- The bpf has a culture that makes people of any background feel safe, valued and included.
- The bpf has made the FREDIE principles core to its strategy and business plan.
- The bpf values good mental health and wellbeing for all staff.
- The bpf has effective operational and line management systems, aligned with FREDIE principles.
- The bpf can demonstrate that our selection and recruitment practices are fair and seek to address underrepresentation of people with different protected characteristics in our workforce at all levels.
- The bpf has fair retention, reward and progression processes and, where appropriate, is working towards eliminating any unfair pay gaps.
- The bpf is using our performance management systems to improve inclusion, engagement and productivity.
- The bpf has fair and inclusive procurement practices.
- The bpf communicates FREDIE principles effectively to bpf staff, members, trainees and stakeholders.
If you have questions about our inclusion work, please contact:
Dr Wayne Full
Director of Academic and Strategic Development
Deals with: Projects, Diversity & Inclusion and Fundraising
