Goodbye to ESTA - The Ethical Small Traders Association

With some sadness after 10 years of involvement, I have made the difficult decision to leave ESTA - the  Ethical Small Traders Association - as I have not been able to participate in any ESTA events for some considerable time. Thank you to all the ESTA members who have supported and inspired me over the years, especially those in the 'Health and Wellbeing' sector - and I wish you and your businesses all the best for the future. 

Self-Care for Our Own Health and Wellbeing as Manual, Bodywork or Massage Therapists

A survey on injury among American massage therapists found that an astounding 77% of practitioners complained of work-related pain and discomfort during the previous two years. From the same survey we learn that 64% of practitioners had symptoms that were serious enough to cause them to seek medical treatment, and 41% were diagnosed with a musculoskeletal disorder. The American Massage Therapy Association reveals that the average massage career does not last more than eight years. 
From: Save Your Hands! The Complete Guide to Injury Prevention and Ergonomics for Manual Therapists 2nd Edition Lauriann Greene CEAS and Richard W Goggins CPE LMP

This is American statistics but the likelihood is that the situation is not much better in the UK, so self-care becomes essential for anyone who wants to have a long, happy and healthy career in  Manual, Bodywork or Massage Therapy. 

Those ESTA(*1)  businesses who work in the area of Health and Wellbeing have started having Sector meetings - and at the last one we discussed what we did to be more ethical in our business practice. I read out the commitments I had written back in March (see blog post here) but realised - particularly after discussing the experience of one of our members of having to take a month off after getting repetitive strain injury and extremely painful hands - that I could add some information about self-care to the fourth 'Bottom Line' (BL4).With this in mind I have updated my ethical policy in the section on personal wellbeing and ongoing personal development:

BL4. Personal well-being and ongoing Personal Development

Self-care - making sure I look after my own holistic health and wellbeing:
 -  by striving to have a healthy lifestyle
 -  by developing a treatment style with an awareness of posture, body mechanics, ergonomics and injury prevention (*)
 -  by looking after my body pre-and post treatment with joint mobilisations, stretches, Yoga and self-massage.
 -  by going to local practitioners for complementary health and wellbeing care myself, including massage and reflexology.
Engaging in ongoing learning and personal and professional development to improve my knowledge and skills in service to others and for my own interest and satisfaction.
Developing social, networking and educational opportunities and relationships, groups and communities that support them.
  -  In this respect - I co-founded and am the lead co-ordinator of the FHT LLSG which is a local group in association with the Federation of Holistic Therapists which supports practitioners in the fields of complementary health care, holistic beauty and sports therapy, and puts on talks, and demonstrations, on a broad range of related topics and practices. This provides the opportunity for myself and other practitioners in the area to do Continuing Professional Development and get 'CPD points' as required by the FHT and other professional associations. 
  -  I also initiated the start of a 'Health and Wellbeing' sector group within ESTA(*1) to explore how we can support each other, encourage each other in ethical practice, and promote Complementary Health and Wellbeing locally.


*1 ESTA is the The Ethical Small Traders Association - a framework for mutual benefit and co-operation between local self-employed people and small businesses who are committed to environmental sustainability and community well-being. For the prosperity and common good of the wider community and a sustainable local economy in the Lancaster area 

More info at http://lancasteresta.org/

Being Ethical and ESTA: Ethical Small Traders Association

I joined The Ethical Small Traders Association - ESTA - in January. ESTA is a framework for mutual benefit and co-operation between local self-employed people and small businesses who are committed to environmental sustainability and community well-being. For the prosperity and common good of the wider community and a sustainable local economy in the Lancaster area. This has prompted me to share with you some of the ways in which I strive to be an ethical business. As a condition of joining ESTA, all members agree to a quadruple 'Bottom Line' as an ethos. I have used the four 'Bottom Lines' as headers for my own ethical commitments. 

Economic Development:
Participating in and creating opportunities for collaborations with and support to other ethical local businesses, community groups and projects to work towards local wealth and wellbeing in an ethical way. Eg through participating in ESTA and co-ordinating and participating in the FHT LLSG

Environmental Care and Sustainability:

• Reducing my carbon footprint
• Not using a car myself, and minimising transport miles on the products I buy.
• Reducing,  reusing, recycling, composting as much as possible: I have made fleece sheets and wraps to use in place of paper where possible for hygiene; my couch roll is recycled paper or sourced from managed forests with minimal bleaching; most of my furniture I bought or traded pre-owned. 
• Reducing energy usage 
• The skin care products I use are as much as possible pure and simple, natural, organic naturally farmed or wild-crafted, fairtrade, free of human made chemicals, non-toxic, not tested on animals, and have not undergone processes with by products or effects that are harmful to the environment. I have one non-vegan product, a balm containing beeswax. 

Social development, Wellbeing and Inclusiveness:

• High quality work, high quality customer care.
• Keeping the wellbeing and welfare of clients and prospective clients as a top priority at all times, in particular in regard to promoting health. 
• Accessibility and non-discrimination - I do not discriminate on grounds of sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry/ national or ethnic origin ('race'), religion creed or belief. Age - for babies, infants and young children, and the very elderly, I may refer you to someone with more training and experience with those age groups. Disability - it depends on the issues - I will do my best to be accessible but I may recommend you go to someone with more training, experience or specialist equipment, resources or support where there is good reason to do so. If you have mobility issues, for example are a wheelchair user - be aware that there are steps at my door at the back of the property. However if this is the only obstacle to me providing you an accessible service I can arrange for use of the front door.
• Openness and honesty in person and in my marketing.
• Listening to my clients and adapting my service to their needs where appropriate.
• Awareness of limits to my scope of practice - where appropriate recommending or referring to others.
• Good practice in care and safeguarding of minors, elders and vulnerable people.

Personal well-being and ongoing Personal Development:

Developing social, networking and educational opportunities and relationships, groups and communities that support them. Engage in ongoing learning and personal and professional development and enabling others to do so. 
Eg through the creation and co-ordination of the FHT LLSG  which supports practitioners in the fields of complementary health care, holistic beauty and sports therapy, and puts on talks, and demonstrations, on a broad range of topics and practices.

More info on The Ethical Small Traders Association and the Fourfold Botttom Line at http://lancasteresta.org/