Athena SWAN in SHW
Professional services (PS) staff issues, aspirations and development
Chairs
Suzy Syrett and Magdalena Gamrat
Aim
The main aims of this group are:
- to identify and address any apparent inequities or imbalances in treatment and conditions experienced by PS staff;
- to have input to the annual staff consultation exercise to ensure that the interests of PS staff are properly represented;
- to identify and address any aspects of the overall working environment or underlying culture which has potential to impact adversely on the day to day or long-term workplace wellbeing of PS staff, or which would seem to disadvantage particular groups e.g. part-time employees;
- to report on career development and training opportunities for PS staff;
- to monitor support for PS staff before, during and after maternity or shared parental leave;
- to monitor support for PS staff choosing to work part-time.
The group convened for the first time in September 2015 and meetings currently take place every two months. Membership includes representatives from a range of PS staff grades and job families (Management, Professional and Admin, Technical and Specialist, and Operational), and a mix of genders, ages, and full/part-time staff members.
Activity/achievements
Our most significant activities and achievements during the past year have been:
- Devising and launching a mentorship scheme for PS staff.
- Organising an event about the impact of invisible disabilities in work and study environments, and how managers and colleagues can best support those affected.
- Running a career development workshop with the aim of enabling PS staff to pursue training and career development opportunities.
- Investigating opportunities for leadership training for PS staff.
Future plans
Going forward, work will focus on:
- Monitoring and evaluating our mentorship scheme for PS staff.
- Implementing guidelines to support PS staff to explore shadowing opportunities.
- COVID-19 transformed how we work. We are assessing its lasting effects on Professional Services staff and exploring how best to support them in this new environment.
