Staff Equality Network Groups

The Staff Equality Network Groups were established in 2014 to provide a staff voice for equality-related issues at the university. They are run by staff for staff with support and co-ordination from the Equality and Diversity Team.

The areas represented by Network Groups were determined by staff during an open consultation process. There are currently Staff Equality Network Groups in the following areas:

  • Disability
  • Gender
  • LGBT+
  • Parents and Carers
  • Race and Faith.

What do the Network Groups do?

The focus and activities of each Staff Equality Network Groups varies. However, the broad remit agreed at the Equality Forums is for the Network Groups to:

  • Provide informal peer support and networking for staff
  • Inform university policy on equality-related issues and topics
  • Raise awareness of equality issues within the university to staff and students.

The Staff Equality Network Groups have been involved in varied activities, including:

  • Special events across campuses, including guest speakers and lectures, film nights, photography exhibitions, campaigns, traditional meals for staff and students and displays to mark events such as LGBT History Month, Black History Month, Diwali and Chinese New Year
  • Developing external relationships with local community groups, employers and service providers, including knowledge exchange with the Surrey and Sussex Police Staff Support Networks
  • Taking part in external community events such as Trans Pride 2016
  • Introducing new initiatives to support staff and address equality issues such as the ‘Gender Listener’ programme, which provides a safe space for members of staff to discuss gender-related concerns
  • Developmental opportunities such as the “Things Can Change” conference 2016.

Network Group successes

The Staff Equality Network Groups are run by staff for staff and decide on their own remit and activities. In order to ensure that grass-roots equality issues are heard by senior management and addressed in relevant decision-making forums, the Network Groups are embedded in the Equality and Diversity structure at the university.

Representatives from the Network Groups are key members of the steering and working groups that guide and implement the university’s work towards relevant equality charters and other benchmarking initiatives. 

The Network Groups also feed directly into the Equality and Diversity Committee through their Chairs and are represented at the University Executive Board by their Equality Champion.

Influenced by the concerns and needs of their members, the Staff Equality Network Groups have successfully:

  • Overseen the introduction of gender neutral toilets across campuses
  • Encouraged and advised on changes to Family Support Leave, enabling staff to take up to five days leave over a 12-month period (at the discretion of their line manager) for important family or domestic issues
  • Overseen the introduction of a Carers Policy to support members of staff with caring responsibilities, which is currently being developed by Human Resources
  • Encouraged the university to sign up to the Time to Change Pledge to end stigma around mental health, which is scheduled for May 2017.

The Network Groups are open to all staff and meet monthly or termly. Attending Network Group meetings is recognised by the University Executive Board as core university business.

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