Current Initiatives

Policy review

As part of our commitment to becoming a family-friendly centre of excellence, we recently reviewed our family policies. We wanted to ensure that our policies embrace the diversity in parenting, including:

adoptive
foster parents
single parents
those experiencing the birth of premature babies
those undergoing assisted conception
parents of children from 0-18
anyone with any kind of unpaid caring responsibility

We consulted with colleagues with relevant lived experience to ensure that the new policies meet needs.

Our principle achievements

Removing all service qualification periods for all forms of family-friendly leave. Full occupational entitlement for time off and pay from the first day of employment.
Increasing our paternity/partner leave entitlement for staff to four weeks at full pay. This is also a ‘Day 1’ entitlement.
Enhancing provision for parents of premature babies (Employer with Heart Charter).
Introduced bereavement leave of up to two weeks for colleagues who experience an early miscarriage (<24 weeks gestation) and their partners.
Creating a ‘Family Time policy’ with paid provision and time off. Designed for foster carers (up to eight days paid leave) and those undergoing assisted conception (paid time off for up to 10 appointments for colleagues undergoing the treatment and their partners).
A ‘Time for grandparents’ provision of up to one week unpaid leave when there is a new addition to the family.
A ‘Time for school’ provision of a few hours off on your child’s first day of school.
Reviewing and improving our Returners Support Programme. We now provide flexible funded support (up to £10k) for all colleagues returning to work following a period of parental leave. This scheme is open to academics and professional services.
Decoupling our ‘maternity/adoption policy’ into two separate policies. Rewrote the ‘adoption policy’ so that it was fit for purpose. It now reflects the robust adoption process and building in more flexible timescales.
Conducting a carers’ survey and approving an action plan. This addresses challenges for colleagues and students in unpaid caring roles leading to a standalone carers policy (additional 5 days of leave).
Made the tone of our policies warmer and the language more inclusive. We renamed our maternity policy as ‘maternity/pregnancy policy’ and made the language gender neutral..
New online resources for colleagues and their line managers to guide them towards information and support (parents and carers one stop shop).

Returners Support Programme

Internal funding scheme for academic returners

Newcastle University commits to supporting the development of colleagues. We know returning from extended parental leave (maternity, adoption or shared parental leave) can be a challenging time.

The Returners' Support Programme (RSP) began in 2017. It provides flexible, tailored support for academics and researchers. The programme aims to reduce the impact of extended leave on the delivery of activities.

We have extended this programme to all colleagues. Colleagues can apply for funding to help them build momentum on their return to work and maintain career development.

The flexibility built into the programme means that you can use the funding in a way that suits you. Examples include:

additional childcare costs to attend a conference or training course
returners' coaching
reducing teaching time in order to focus on research activities

Please contact your Faculty EDI Director if you would like more information about this programme:

Sexual harassment and violence

The University's Executive Board established a Changing Cultures Working Group in 2017. This was in response to the Universities UK report on violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting university students. The Working Group recommended actions as part of a long term Implementation Plan.

We have since appointed a full-time officer to take the Implementation Plan forward. Progress with the plan includes:

basic awareness raising
consent training
signposting to information
asking new Undergraduate students to commit to a culture of respect as part of their formal induction programme

Find out more about our work around sexual violence

Technical staff engagement

NUTechNet E&D Working Group

NUTechNet is the new network for technical staff. The network have established an Equality and Diversity Working Group, chaired by the Mark Bendall.

He is currently a Technical Manager in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. Mark is also a member of the SAgE Faculty Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group.

The institutional Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team will work with the NUTechNet Equality and Diversity Working Group and support their activities.

Training initiatives and mentoring

Development of online training module

The Organisational Development team runs a variety of training and development opportunities for all colleagues. Online training modules around equality, diversity and inclusion include:

Equality and Diversity Essentials
Conscious Inclusion at Work
An Introduction to Prevent Duty in Higher Education
Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness
Zero Suicide Alliance - Suicide - Let's Talk

We also run a three-part training programme, ‘Be an Active Bystander’. We all need to be mindful of our responsibility to take action when we witness inappropriate behaviour. Being an active bystander means being aware of a situation and choosing to take action. This programme takes place both in person and online

We also have resources for new colleagues, career development materials and IT skills programmes. You can contact Organisational Development for more information.

Mentoring

Mentoring can offer fantastic networking opportunities and assist with career development. Mentors and mentees can benefit by developing skills and learning more about the University.

NU Mentoring is a University-wide mentoring scheme open to all University colleagues.

Find out more about NU Mentoring

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