Hi, everybody, my name is Justine,
and I'm the university's Equality, Diversity,
and Inclusion Manager.
And, we are here at the New Look Round Table Discussion,
which is taking place at the David Putnam Centre.
And, I've brought together some of my colleagues
to have a discussion around the Staff Networks that we have
at the university.
So, first of all, I'd like to introduce to you Louise.
Louise, would you like to introduce yourself please?
Yes, my name's Louise Thompson.
I'm programme management assistant in academic registry
and I'm also the chair of the Menopause Staff Network.
Welcome.
Niamh.
My name's Niamh Gallagher,
and I use she, her pronouns,
and I'm a member of the Equality, Diversity,
and Inclusion Team
at the University of Sunderland.
And, as a part of my role,
I help to facilitate the functioning of the Staff Networks
by supporting the network chairs and co-chairs.
Thank you, Niamh.
Matthew.
And, my name's Matthew Lee,
and I'm a senior lecturer in CPD,
and I'm a co-chair
of the Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage Network.
Brilliant.
So, we actually have eight Staff Networks
here at the university,
and we will sort of discuss a few of them
in a little bit more detail whilst they're here.
But, just so you're aware,
some of the networks that we have,
we have our Pride Staff Network,
which is our LGBTQI+ colleagues,
we have one for Carers,
and you can be a carer of an adult or actually a child,
we have a Women's Network,
and also our Veterans and Reservist Network.
So, we have eight Staff Networks.
My first question, and I'd like to put this to you, Niamh,
is what do the Staff Networks that actually do?
Yeah, so the networks themselves actually operate
in very different ways.
And, some of them can actually take on
quite different roles as well.
So, for example, we have the Family Network,
and they've had quite a focus recently on policy development
and they've aimed quite a lot to influence HR
and executive decision
to include more inclusive policies,
such as the premature baby policy,
and also the baby loss statement of commitment as well.
So, we've had the Enabled Network,
which has been focusing quite heavily on awareness reason,
specifically of neurodivergent conditions,
such as ADHD and autism.
But, that's not to say that these roles don't change,
and they're not static,
and they're not within a fixed boundary.
So, they are constantly developing.
And, once an objective has been achieved,
they do tend to move on quite quickly.
And, they're really interesting
and rewarding spaces to be a part of.
So, would it be fair to say that the networks
can actually have a completely different emphasis?
So, some might be more in an advocacy role,
like you said,
influencing policy development.
Some might be more about creating a sort of environment
that people can come and discuss their concerns.
-Yeah, 100%. -So, they're quite unique?
-Mm-hmm, definitely. -Brilliant.
Louise, can I ask you,
do you actually have to be a member of those communities
to be a member of those networks?
No, absolutely not, Justine.
The menopause is stereotypically thought of
as a cis woman's issue.
However, it does affect everyone.
The vast majority of the network
are members of that community.
However, we do encourage, actively encourage,
others to join.
We have other members of staff
who could also benefit from the network,
for instance, trans people and non-binary people.
Most people also have a loved one, a family member,
or a friend who were suffering
the debilitating symptoms of menopause
and they're welcome to come along also.
And, I assume that that applies to all of the networks.
The networks welcome allies to learn,
is that what you are indicating?
That they could come along to sort of understand
the barriers that those communities face?
-Yes, most definitely. -Yeah.
And, can they be an active role?
Are they important for the advancement of the issues
that those groups face as well,
in terms of being allies?
Is that an important part of that?
It is, yes.
There's still a stigma of discussing the menopause.
And, by allies being a member of that community,
hopefully, there'll be different conversations taking place
within the workplace,
which is always beneficial.
Yeah, so it sounds like,
in some of the networks,
we talk about sort of sensitive topics, Matthew,
so can I come to you?
Is...
Are they a safe space, the Staff Networks?
Are they a place where people can feel
as though they can be honest and open?
Yeah, absolutely.
And, I think just to draw
on what Louise has just mentioned
in the sort of Race, Ethnicity,
and Cultural Heritage Network,
we have a range of members, some allies,
some members of the communities,
but we also acknowledge
that there are some members from minority groups,
such as travelling communities,
also those who are Jewish,
or from a mixed ethnicity background.
And, actually, that's one of the communities
that I'm from with mixed ethnicity.
So, I think in terms of a safe space,
we have a range of different members,
and that does create a really a great space for people
to be who they are
and to be able to talk about some really sensitive topics.
And, I think that is what it's all about,
having discussions, generating ideas,
talking to people about some of the issues
they may have faced,
and actually talking about
some of the positive aspects as well.
Yeah, can I just ask you a little bit more on that?
Because, I know that one of the questions
that I get asked a lot around,
or the concerns that people express,
is that they're going to say the wrong thing,
or they're going to upset somebody.
So, is part of that safe space being able to not worry
about the words that you use
and how you say something so long as of course
your intent is positive?
Is that part of the same,
the safe space aspect of the Staff Networks?
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, the thing is
I think part of the networks is about learning together,
and the intent is really important.
As long as someone isn't being offensive
or isn't being discriminatory,
it is about sometimes asking those questions
about the best ways that we can approach certain topics
or certain sensitivities.
We've got three network co-chairs,
and we all sort of represent ourselves,
and to some extent the communities that we come from.
But, we don't represent every community.
And, I think it's really important that,
especially in a network like ours,
that we don't pretend to.
We value discussion, we ask questions, we talk to people,
and we listen.
And, I think that's really important.
Brilliant, thank you.
Niamh, I think you've talked about earlier,
the fact that the networks can actually
do quite a lot of influencing around the university,
and I'm sure that some of the support
that they need to get that done is quite important,
and we've just appointed some senior sponsors
to the Staff Networks.
Can you tell me a little bit about the senior sponsors,
and what's their role, and what do they do?
So, we did actually have John Thimus
as the senior sponsor
and executive representative for each network.
And, that was for the past two years.
And, although we did enjoy it quite a lot,
it is, as you can imagine, a very demanding task,
and he would come to the networks twice a year,
and now that we've expanded to eight networks,
we have decided to expand that role
to include another seven senior sponsors.
So, for example, we have Claire Lester
who's the director of Human Resources
as the sponsor of the Carers' Network,
and we'll have Abby Mariari as...
Who's the provost Chancellor of Teaching and Learning,
and she's sponsoring the Women's Network.
And, even from those two examples,
I think you can say a clear link
between that individual and the nature of the network.
So, we are very excited to see
how the relationship's going to develop
between those partnerships.
That's brilliant.
We, yes, we're really looking forward to that.
Louise, and another thing that I guess asked a lot about
is how much people have to engage.
I think they're worried
that it's an all or nothing scenario,
that they have to come to every meeting,
and they'll be expected to speak at the meeting.
So, can you talk a little bit about that?
How often do people have to attend,
and are they expected to come on camera,
and talk--
Not at all.
No, not at all.
There's no expectation that all members
would attend all meetings,
because that's simply not realistic anyway,
because of other workloads.
I would however strongly encourage the members to attend,
because other members have found
that it's really beneficial.
We do a lot of experience sharing
within the Menopause Network
and that's really worthwhile for all of the members.
But, no, there's no expectation
that people should attend every meeting.
Yeah, and that too,
actually, what we'd encourage people to do is,
if they didn't want to attend meetings at all,
for example, I know that you have a male ally
within the Menopause Network,
and they're more interested
in getting information, aren't they?
From the network, rather than attending the meetings.
So, effectively, we're saying you can engage
as much or as little as you want to--
-[Louise] Most definitely. -Depending on your needs.
Most definitely.
Yeah, so the Menopause Network,
we have a teams area,
and there's lots of really useful resources
contained within that.
And, so if members don't join the meeting,
they can always just look at the file section
for different information that they might need.
Brilliant, thank you.
So, Matthew, can you sort of share
what people might get from being a member of the networks?
What are the benefits do you think for them?
Yeah, I think one of the first ones is about networking.
I mean, the clues in the title a little bit,
but by engaging with networks
as either being a member of that community or being ally,
you can meet different people from across the university,
sometimes people that you Niamhr would've met
if you didn't join the network,
which I know is something that I've benefited from.
I think shared experiences,
lived experiences is really important.
I know Louise was mentioning that before,
and I think that's really valuable.
I think that career development aspect of, like I said,
it connects with the networking,
but being able to talk to people from different areas,
it's really, really important.
And, I think really,
something that I was going to mention actually,
is we really encourage male members.
I know you were saying to with Louise before
about men being part of the networks,
and I think it's something historically that hasn't...
That men haven't often engaged with networks
as readily as some of the female members.
And, I think it is a real opportunity
to bring men into networks and have discussions,
because it isn't just about talking.
That's important,
but it's also about that sort of engagement side as well.
Yeah.
Matthew, I'm really interested to hear
about some of the subjects that you've discussed
in the Reach Network,
because, as I said earlier,
I know a lot of people feel a little bit frightened,
particularly in the current climate
around having discussions,
particularly around things like racism.
So, what was the last thing that the Reach Network
had a discussion about?
Yeah, so we...
One of the last things that we talked about
was really topical,
was talking about Gary Lenika,
and it was talking about the use of words in media,
in sort of general life,
and how that can be perceived,
and some of the issues that can come from that.
We also talked about some celebrities,
and high profile figures,
and the use of language,
and the importance of that can have,
and the impact that that can have.
And, I think that was really useful,
because it was a contemporary issue.
It was all around everyone at the time,
especially around Gary Lenika.
And, we were able to have this discussion
from different people's perspectives,
and it just allowed, I think,
some free form discussion,
and it allowed people to be aware that we, as a network,
can advocate for members,
people can engage as they choose to,
but they don't have to.
Some people join and listen.
Some people will join and they will maybe write comments.
Some people will put the microphones on.
Some people will maybe even message afterwards
and just sort of talk about some things.
And, that's absolutely fine.
It's all about connecting
in the way that you want to connect.
Yeah
And, actually that brings me beautifully on to Louise
and the Menopause Network.
So, we've talked earlier about the networks
that can be very different depending on the communities.
And, one of the things that I think you'd like to talk about
is the check-in that you do at the Menopause Network,
which has actually become one
of the most important aspects.
Yes, most definitely.
Did you want to talk about that?
So, we...
A continued focus of our Menopause Network Meetings
are the check-in, the member check-in.
This is an opportunity for members
to air any issues that they have,
any problems that they've been having
with regards to the menopause.
Members can contribute as much or as little as they choose,
as Matthew has said.
But, I think it's one guarantee
that someone else will have experienced the same thing.
And, actually, that,
as Matthew had said earlier,
that shared experience is so very important.
It is obviously voluntary.
And, we completely understand
that some may not feel able to contribute,
perhaps they're in a busy office,
and so they don't want to be overheard
by people around them,
or perhaps they just want to sit and listen.
But, we have found that members who have been hesitant
to do a check-in
have actually found it really beneficial afterwards.
Brilliant.
Thank you, Louise.
Before we bring it to a close, Niamh,
can you share with everybody
what other opportunities people have
to engage with EDI work
as a result of being a member of the Staff Network?
What else can they get
from a resource point of view for example?
So, one of the benefits of
being a part of the Staff Networks
is that any training and awareness sessions that were run
will be directly sent as a calendar invite
to that member's inbox,
so that they can pick and choose which sessions
that the feel as well they may benefit from.
And, another aspect
that we find really interesting about this
is that the members actually have an influence
over the sessions that we do choose to run.
So, for example, in the Enabled Network,
there's been quite a large focus on neurodiverse conditions,
and that has influenced the sessions
that we've decided to offer to the network members.
Another way that members can get involved
is through the newsletters and it...
We often release them each week.
And, that can include a topic
that's relevant to a national inclusion day
or something relevant in the calendar.
So, it...
They're quite topical and informative,
so they are quite beneficial for members to receive.
Brilliant.
So, thank you all very much.
I just want to conclude by saying
that we are exceptionally proud of our Staff Networks.
They actually started just before the lockdown in 2020.
So, we've been going for about three years now,
and we currently have over 400 staff
engaged within our Staff Networks
in some capacity or other.
And, it's really important for you to be aware
that myself and Niamh, as the EDI Team,
don't decide which Staff Networks exist.
We very much listen to what our staff say
and try to encourage people to set up their own networks.
And, our role is to try and support them with that.
So, if you don't feel as though you are represented
within a network
or feel that you want to be an ally to those communities,
please do have a conversation with myself and Niamh,
and we will see if we can support you
in setting a Staff Network up.
As you can see,
they provide a range of benefits to our staff,
from being a safe space in which you can talk.
For me, it's the learning I get from them,
in terms of the language
and the understanding that those communities
actually experience on a day-to-day basis.
And, we hope that you found this information interesting
and we'd love to hear from you
if you have any questions in the future.
Thank you very much.