UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Equality and Diversity Network
Notes of the Meeting held on 30 April 2012
Present:
Kate Hughes (Chair)
Darani Anand, Sandra Beaufoy, Georgina Copeland, Kathryn Fisher,
Gloria Harris, Brenda Jones, Janet Keene, Claire Martin, Kay Martin,
Anna Preston, Nasir Rajpoot, Margaret Shewring, Julie Taylor,
Apologies:
Lynn Clarke, Mairi-Ann Cullen, Maria Heredia-Fernandez, Rona
Freeman, Emma King, Alistair Kirk, Andrea Klaus, Rachel Moseley,
Heather Pilbin, Carolyn Quinney, Naila Rabbani, Jenny RooneyKennedy, Stephanie Smart, Stephen Williams
1.
Notes of last meeting
RESOLVED:
That the notes of the meeting of the Equality and Diversity Network held on 23
January 2012 be approved.
2.
Matters Arising
(a) Athena SWAN Charter
REPORTED:
(i)
Warwick Medical School has been successful in its submission for an
Athena Bronze award. It is the first Medical School in the UK to receive
this award and a one-day event is planned to share information on the
process with other medical schools considering their own applications
(likely to be held in June 2012)
(ii)
WMG has submitted a proposal for a Bronze award and Psychology
have re-submitted for a Silver award in the April 2012 deadline.
(iii)
Physics Department is preparing its submission to renew its JUNO
Championship award, first gained in 2009 and renewable every three
years.
(iv)
The University is very keen to support this initiative in all other STEM
departments and has provided funding for an Athena Project Officer to
assist with future Athena submissions and support the Athena Steering
Group, chaired by Professor Tim Jones, PVC Research (Knowledge
Transfer and Business Engagement). Caroline Peck has been recruited
to this position and will start work on 1st May 2012.
(b) Dignity at Work Contact Officers
REPORTED:
No candidates from an ethnic background had expressed any interest in
becoming a Dignity Contact.
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RESOLVED:
To hold a Windows on Warwick session to increase staff awareness of the
role of a Dignity Contact.
(c)
Managing Reasonable Adjustments in Higher Education
REPORTED:
The presentation to be given by Despina Weber, Disability Coordinator, and
Sandra Beaufoy, HR Adviser – Equality and Diversity, to the Senior Officers
meeting has not yet taken place, due to other business pressures at senior
management level. It is still proposed to make this presentation and Kathryn
Fisher, who is covering Despina’s maternity leave will move this forward.
3.
Standing Item – Terms of Reference of the Equality and Diversity Network
The Equality and Diversity Network provides a forum for all members of staff and
Students Union representatives to discuss issues relating to equal opportunities
and diversity.
4.
Returning Parents Mentoring Scheme and Network Group
REPORTED:
(i) Following feedback from the Network Group, HR is examining ways to improve
the process for returning parents by providing guidance for line managers, to
ensure that the return to work is undertaken as efficiently and effectively as
possible for all concerned.
(ii) Six people have offered their services as mentors for returning parents, four of
which have already undertaken the necessary mentor training with the Learning
and Development Centre. To date only one person has requested a mentor
and members were asked to publicise this facility in their departments.
RESOLVED:
(i) Vicky Strudwick and Claire O’Leary to be invited to the first meeting of the next
academic year to give an up-date on the Network.
(ii) That at a point in the future a returning Mentee feature be prepared for the
Warwick People Profile on InSite.
5.
MIND Bus
REPORTED:
(i) Following the success of the National University Mental Health and Wellbeing
Awareness Day held in February 2012, the MIND bus will be returning to
campus on Wednesday 9th May, 10:00 – 15:00 hrs and Wednesday 13th June,
10:00 – 15:00 hrs, located in the Piazza in front of the Students’ Union.
Members were asked to publicise the dates in their departments.
(ii) Sarah Ashworth, Mental Health Coordinator, is now qualified to deliver a twoday certificated Mental Health First Aid course. Sarah hopes to deliver some
training sessions later in the year and will also run shorter courses at a
Windows on Warwick session.
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RESOLVED:
That the HR Adviser – Equality and Diversity seek further information from Sarah
Ashworth about Mental Health issues, especially in relation to exam stress, and
distribute this information to departments to be publicised via their departmental
staff meetings and through SSLC representatives.
6.
Training
REPORTED:
(i) Further training courses given by Laurence Harvey from Actuate had been well
received and now over 150 members of staff have received E&D training.
(ii) A new on-line Bullying and Harassment module is being sourced through the
Learning and Development Centre. This is currently being checked for
compatibility/security by IT Services. Once this check has been completed,
E&D representatives and Dignity Contacts will be asked to pilot the module
before it is rolled out to the wider university audience.
7.
Equality Analysis (Equality Impact Assessments)
REPORTED:
The Forum Group is currently looking at the training package that accompanies the
equality analysis module. Further progress will be reported at the next meeting.
8.
Staff Network Groups
REPORTED:
Two Network Groups have been formed, the Returning Parents Group, which has
met twice and a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Group (LGBT) which
has also met twice. Information on both groups is available via the Equality and
Diversity web pages.
RECOMMENDED:
That Departmental Equality and Diversity representatives continue to publicise the
existence of these groups and encourage staff to participate.
9.
Items for the Equality and Diversity Committee
There were no items to be taken forward to the Equality and Diversity Committee.
10. Any other business
There was no other business to report.
11. Date of next meeting
TO REPORT:
The next meeting of the Network will be in the new academic year, date to be
announced.
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