Figure 1. SHS SR-EDI governance structure.

Our SHS Social Responsibility (SR) team is led by SR Director dr Karolina Kluk and EDI team is led by dr Juhi Gupta. Each Division has one SR and one EDI lead as depicted in fig.1. 

Our SR vision is to ensure that SR principles are embedded in all aspects of SHS work, including how we work as a School, how we do research and teach, and the support we provide each other and for the local community through equality diversity & inclusion (EDI), widening participation, patient and public involvement and engagement, environmental sustainability.

The new Social Responsibility and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (SR-EDI) governance structure at SHS is depicted below (fig.1), which includes newly set up EDI Committee and SHS Champions Networks.

The aim of the SHS EDI committee is to ensure that the School’s EDI strategic prioritises are being addressed across SHS. These prioritises are integrated with the School’s ‘Champions Networks’. These networks will help build an inclusive community of staff and students where everyone can work and learn with a sense of belongingness, as well as meaningfully engage with the local community. This EDI committee will be feeding into and acting on the outcomes or action points identified from relevant charters.

To sustain our long-term SR and EDI prioritises (in line with the University’s and Faculty’s prioritises) SHS Champions Networks have been proposed to enable ‘task and finish’ style projects in consultation with members of the School.  

These networks are expected to lead on relevant ‘task and finish’ activities based on established areas of interest within SHS. Network members are encouraged to collaborate with each other, across themes and more importantly, across divisions, to maximise impact of the outcomes. Networks may also interact with the Universities staff networks and other relevant groups.  

Each Champions Network will help build an inclusive working and learning environment for staff and students and engage with the local community or stakeholders and are therefore strongly embedded with SR and EDI principles. These will play a key role in feeding back information that SHS will contribute to all University charter e.g. Athena Swan, Race Equality Charter, Stonewall, Two Ticks and other relevant campaigns. 

In October 2023, the SHS SR-EDI team started pilot Champions Networks with the following six networks and suggested overall aims per theme: 

• Public Community Involvement and Engagement (PCIE) Champions Network
  Aim: to encourage sustained interaction between academic groups and the local community or stakeholders (e.g. patient groups). 

• Widening Participation (WP) Champions Network
  Aim: to engage with schools and youth groups from under-represented groups to raise awareness of higher education opportunities. 

• Environmental Sustainability (ES) Champions Network
  Aim: to actively support environmentally friendly initiatives and consider sustainable options to improve our workplace, lifestyle and the local community.  

• Disabilities, Long-term conditions and Neurodiversity (DLN) Champions Network
  Aim: to advocate inclusive and diverse research participation or support for colleagues in the workplace. 

• Health and Wellbeing (HW) Champions Network
  Aim: to promote positive behaviours that enhance health and lifestyle and support the wellbeing of colleagues. 

• Inclusive education (IE) Champions Network
  Aim: to diversify and participate in inclusive and good quality teaching and learning practices, including addressing attainment gaps. 

All staff (including academic, research and professional services) and post-graduate researchers (PGRs) are invited to sign up to any, or multiple, of these champions network. Students from undergraduate and post-graduate taught communities can also be involved. All participants are expected to be actively involved in the networks they choose to register to join. The network will elect/nominate a Champions Network Lead whose main role will be to ensure effective team leadership and to communicate updates to SR&EDI team.
These networks receive £500 start-up funds each and are expected to lead on relevant ‘task and finish’ activities based on established areas of interest within SHS.  

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