“Looking back so the view looking forward is even clearer”

Hi and welcome to this, our last blog of 2017. Given that we’ve come to the end of another year, I thought it might be useful to reflect on the progress that we have made.

Reflection is a funny thing isn’t it. I recall the learning from a coaching qualification that reflection is a tool to learn from the past, to understand the present and improve behaviour into the future. Sometimes I think that we have a tendency to focus on the past without taking the learning into the future. I include myself in that.

Anyway, let’s take a look over the last twelve months.

We launched a Wellbeing Adviser team to enhance our support for students with mental health difficulties and continued to support disabled students. In addition, we marked LGBT History Month, Pride, Black History Month and World Mental Health Day.

We also had a number of firsts:

• Our first submission into Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index;
• Our first celebration of International Women’s day and Women’s History Month;
• Set up an LGBT Staff Network;
• Awarded our first Diversity Award as part of the annual Staff Awards;
• The Student Union awarded the first Legacy Awards. The two winners were recognized for work they had done to advance equality for the LGBT + community;
• Introduced a one day Interview Skills course and an e-learning recruitment and selection module;
• Achieved Level 1 of becoming Disability Confident, oh and had
• Our first Equality and Diversity intern.

Now I am going to hand over to Kayleigh, our equality and diversity intern. She is the motivation for the blog, so it seems fitting that she bring it to a close for 2017.

When I asked Clare for an internship it was with a keen desire to fight for equality and very little knowledge of what the job entailed. In my time here I have learnt so much, not just about the role of an Equality and Diversity Manager, but also about myself.

From the moment I arrived it was clear this wasn’t going to be a photocopying internship. I wasn’t just going to be making rounds of tea and filing, but doing real work that would contribute to the progression of the University. I’ve got involved in the Reciprocal Mentoring project, creating forms and contributing to the training. I arranged a series of events for staff on World Mental Health Day and ran some focus groups for our Black and Minority Ethnic students. As Clare has mentioned, I’ve also helped her to set up a twitter account and blog.

I’ve learnt how varied this role can be. Anything from policies, the practicalities of applying positive action measures, to finding new ways to communicate. I’ve met with managers and students and communicated to the masses via social media. I suppose you could say it’s a pretty diverse job.

It hasn’t just been about the work though. Being part of a supportive HR team who help each other to thrive has really boosted my confidence. They’ve inspired me to aim high, and encouraged me that if you put the work in a lot can be achieved. Working with a team who believe in me has made me believe that I can do anything I put my mind to. I can even answer the phone in the office without throwing panicked looks at my colleagues!

As we go into the New Year, many people start thinking about their next steps… and I’m no exception. I’ve got a degree to finish, and I’m looking into some graduate schemes. There are exciting things happening here too. We’re working to achieve Level 2 of becoming Disability Confident. Our focus groups are still meeting with the aim of challenging ignorance, ensuring all our students feel a sense of belonging. Of course, there’s also the Reciprocal Mentoring, which is well underway now!

2017 might be ending, but the future holds some exciting things for the journey towards increasing equality and diversity.

So from the both of us, have a great Christmas and we look forward to catching up again in 2018.