Conference Opening & Plenary 1 - The power of 7

Martine Wright is a survivor of the never to be forgotten day in 2005 when terror hit the streets of London. As 52 people lost their lives in a series of attacks across London, she was the last survivor pulled from the train in Aldgate, losing her legs, and very nearly her life. The events of 7/7 are one bookend of her life in which her remarkable fight for recovery and rehabilitation culminated in becoming a Team GB Paralympian, appearing at London 2012.

In tribute to those that died that day, Martine chose to wear the number 7 team shirt and will share with you how she developed and adopted her mantra of the ‘Power of 7’ to provide resilience, positivity, structure and new purpose into her much-changed world.

Her compelling story of survival to sporting success and her easy and refreshingly honest approach will provide inspiration and clear key messages to all who take part in Martine’s presentation.

A1: Responding to staff on student sexual misconduct cases

The workshop is aimed at:

• providing an awareness of the guidance developed by UUK’s Advisory Group to address staff to student sexual misconduct
• equipping staff with the skills to respond to the challenges and sensitivities of responding to incidents of staff-to- student sexual misconduct
• an opportunity to hear ‘what works’ from colleagues across the sector   

The workshop will start with a presentation on the recommendations of the guidance and then open up to questions on putting this into practice.

A2: Our journey to enabling a progressive, compassionate, and responsible culture during uncertain times

Through the Colleagues, Culture and Inclusion project the University of Westminster HR Team developed and delivered a series of connected strategies, initiatives and activities placing Wellbeing and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of our university. The project was initiated following an extremely challenging time with major restructuring and voluntary redundancies leading to extremely low levels of engagement and trust amongst colleagues. The project was developed collaboratively maximising the essential balance between; senior buy in, support and leadership through our Vice Chancellor and President, Peter Bonfield; sustainable engagement built over the long term through our colleague networks; measured impact, development and improvement, internally through regular engagement activities, externally through the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework and Impact Submission and most importantly the professional expertise and resilience of the HR Team in partnership with Everyday Juice Limited, the Juice platform provided the visible, clear and engaging brand for all activity and the opportunity to develop a distinct and diverse offer unique to Westminster but adaptable to other organisations. The beauty of the project is that this work is a constantly evolving learning experience for individuals, teams and the university. The work may have no end but therefore neither do the possibilities enabling us to change, innovate and continually improve the lived experience of all colleagues, students and partners of the University of Westminster.

We know that the volume of change encountered by universities is increasing. While accepting that change must be embraced to remain relevant and take advantage of new opportunities, however, resistance often makes it difficult to respond to change in a timely and efficient way. How do we deal with internal resistance to change amongst our colleagues and stakeholders? Is resistance to change merely an obstacle to be overcome or should it be valued as providing much needed balance? Could resistance become a source of new ideas and better ways of working? This session examines how resistance can be understood as a necessary - even positive - force in change.

Drawing on the lessons learnt from recent engagements with HEIs, we will take participants through practical and interactive exercises designed to help identify and understand resistance in its varied forms and convert the energy from resistance into a fuel for change.

B2: Leveraging the latest digital technology to improve Employee Experience

In this session, we take a closer look at why employee experience plays a critical role in driving organisational success. We will discuss new digital HR capabilities that enable universities to attract, develop, motivate, manage and engage their talent, and then take a deeper dive into what ROI you can expect from an HR transformation project.

B3: Designing and launching a highly-impactful Women’s Network during Covid-19 and Lockdown. Sharing key highlights and good practice

Designing and launching a highly-impactful Women’s Network during Covid-19 and Lockdown.  Sharing key highlights and good practice

B4: Digital Recruitment – Improving Diversity and EVP

A session looking at cutting edge recruitment advertising. Social media and programmatic are the way forward to get experienced candidates to join your institution. We’ll explore real-life case studies and speak with experts to demonstrate how digital can improve your diversity, your employer reputation and talent pools.   

Tristan Moakes, Strategy Director, Penna

Jane Johns, Head of Education, Penna

Rob Farace, Head of Recruitment and Progression at Imperial College London

Christopher Kenna, CEO and Founder of Brand Advance Group

B5: Leadership Lessons of Covid: Wellbeing Workload and new Working Practices 

Ewart Wooldridge gives key findings of his HE sector survey on the change management and HR challenges of leading the transition out of Covid

Diane Gilhooley, Global Head of Employment, Labour, Pensions and Education, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Chris Mordue, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Nicola Bennison, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Robert Gray, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Siân Jones-Davies, Senior Associate, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Naeema Choudry, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland LLP

Helen Mortlock, Legal Director, Eversheds Sutherland LLP