KEELE . AC . UK | 9
• Ensure career enabling opportunities are provided in a fair and transparent manner . For example , positions on influential committees or management roles have role descriptions and are advertised to all relevant staff .
Best practice guidance has been shared across the University and will be reviewed by Faculty EDI Committees . We are in the process of introducing a new operating model for professional services staff and a key objective of the project is to provide improved career development opportunities for this group , who are predominantly women .
• Provide women-only leadership and development training , such as Aurora or Springboard , and further developmental activities such as shadowing those in leadership positions at Keele . We will continue to make these opportunities available to both academic and professional service staff .
In 2019 / 20 , 16 participants registered to attend the Aurora Programme . Their attendance was delayed due to the pandemic , but all participants will have completed by Spring 2021 . 2020 / 21 is the eighth year we have run the Springboard programme , currently there are 18 participants .
• Provide support during maternity or adoption leave e . g . in providing adequate maternity cover and offering Keep in Touch ( KIT ) days , and in providing extra support to research-active women on return from maternity or adoption leave .
In 2017 / 18 we ran a pilot scheme to provide extra support to researchactive women on return from maternity or adoption leave . Funding to extend the scheme for a further 3 years was approved in May 2019 . Guidance on maternity cover has been issued to all managers .
Fundamental activities to help address all action areas include :
• Provision of a clear and managed equality and diversity action plan , which has senior leadership and oversight .
• Promotion of a greater awareness , and improved management , of equality and diversity issues including the effects of unconscious bias , through training , improved equality analysis of policy and practice . In 2020 we rolled out mandatory EDI training to all staff and are due to launch a mandatory unconscious bias training module in early 2021 .
• Improvements to work-life balance by promoting flexible working , where practical , and encouraging a focus on health and well-being . Our new health and well-being strategy was launched in January 2020 and sets out 5 strategic themes for health and wellbeing .
• Learning from best-practice elsewhere in the sector and , in particular , through peer-reviewed literature .
• Learning from our staff ; through consultation , through our network of EDI Leads and self-assessment teams and through consultation with Trades Unions .
• Continuing to develop targeted Faculty , School and Directorates action plans , recognising that different areas of the University have different issues and priorities
The world is currently facing the extraordinary and difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic . We recognise that the impact of the pandemic is variable depending on individual ’ s circumstances including caring responsibilities and have committed to take steps to consider the immediate and ongoing impact on the professional careers of women through our EDI committees .