Athena SWAN Action Plan
Our department's Athena SWAN Action Plan supports the promotion of inclusive working practices across four distinct themes: culture and continuous improvement for a better workplace, holistic development of our staff, improving job security and career progression, be a beacon for other institutions and groups.
The Action Plan was created in 2017 and was revised and extended by the Self-Assessment Team in 2020 to focus their work until the next Athena SWAN application in April 2022.
Here we present our top three actions across each of the four themes. View our full action plan to see the rationale for each objective and progress to date.
Culture and continuous improvement
We aspire to be a department where equality, diversity and inclusion is no longer an agenda item but a way of working, one which benefits all current and future staff and students.
To achieve this consistently across the department requires senior leadership who are actively learning and open to feedback and ideas so diverse perspectives are truly welcome by all.
Our top three actions are:
Action 3.1
Ensure equality, diversity and inclusivity is embedded in the strategic planning of the department and data used to inform decision making
Action 3.3
Encourage two-way communication with staff and students across the department
Action 3.6
Improve support for staff and student wellbeing
Holistic development
Become a better citizen and colleague
We believe developing talent goes beyond supporting great academics.
To become a beacon of good practice in equality, diversity and inclusion requires a collective effort which is embraced across all aspects of working life.
Learning and development requires time and investment in people and from people for the benefit of the department, our colleagues and ourselves.
Our top three actions are:
Action 1.1
Engage department members in equality, diversity and inclusivity issues
Action 1.2
Personal Development Reviews: Improve uptake and consistency of completion
Action 1.4
Develop and support new and future managers
Improve job security
As a foundation for career progression
We recognise the importance of job security as a foundation for career progression.
Working within the constraints of a national and university system which can prove challenging at times, we are committed to working together to provide support for all colleagues.
There are various work-life pressures which can impact the choices individuals make to progress their career. To support this, we strive to improve the transparency and management of contracts, workload, and long-term (including parental) leave.
Our top three actions are:
Action 2.2
Support research staff to secure sustainable funding
Action 2.4
Ensure transparent and fair approaches to workload allocation
Action 2.5
Improve experience of part-time and flexible working as well as return to work after long-term leave
Beacon
Share with the world
We champion and promote good practice across our priorities, to the wider community.
The process of sharing and exchanging will help us continue to challenge ourselves and reflect what further action we can take to sustain our advancements and achievements.
Our top three actions are:
Action 4.1
Help to demystify academic careers in science
Action 4.2
Develop information and support resources for staff with disabilities
Action 4.4
Host a series of 'Better Workplace Culture' events