CIPF recognizes that many individuals and groups are subject to negative discrimination on a variety of grounds including ethnicity, sexuality, impairment, gender, and age, and that such discrimination can and often does have a negative impact on the mental health of groups and individuals. CIPF is committed to combating such negative discrimination in all aspects of its work, and to encouraging and supporting others to do so.
Relevant legislation
Race Relations Act 1976 and amendments (2000)
Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 and 1986 and amendments (2003)
Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and amendments (1976)
Disability Discrimination Act (2005)
CIPF as a lobbying and representative organisation
CIPF is committed to the development and provision of a range of accessible, appropriate and acceptable mental health services that meet the needs of all sectors of the local population. CIPF believes that users and survivors of mental health services should, if they want, be supported to participate at all levels in the planning and management of mental health services.
Representatives of the Forum are expected to consider how best they can promote such developments and help counter negative discrimination. CIPF will take its lead from the expressed views of organised groups of people who are subject to disadvantage and discrimination, such as users and survivors of mental health services.
Representatives of the Forum are expected to cultivate awareness of the effects of past prejudice and discrimination on individuals and groups, and to do everything possible to challenge prejudiced or discriminatory behaviour when they come across it.
CIPF’s relationships with its member agencies
It is CIPF's policy to encourage and support member agencies to develop, implement and monitor equal opportunity policy and practice. CIPF encourages its member agencies to take action to assess the needs of disadvantaged and discriminated against groups and to provide services that are accessible and acceptable to them and that actively encourage, where possible, service-user involvement in the organisation's activities.
CIPF meetings and events
CIPF aims to hold its general meetings and other open events in fully accessible venues. Where this proves difficult, for example in the case meetings that are rotated around different member agencies' offices, publicity about the event will state that the venue is not fully accessible, and the organiser will offer to find an alternative, accessible venue if necessary.