Jess Flack FHEA

Coming soon ... this months newsletter from Diversity+ If you wish to contribute please send you entries to us no later than 5pm on Wednesday 29th May for publication on Thursday 30th May. Regular EDI features included: ➡ News ➡ Events ➡ Career opportunities ➡ Opportunity seekers ➡ EDI reviews ➡ Book/learning tool reviews and much more. Contact us on: hello@diversityplus.info #diversityinlaw #diversityandinclusion #womeninlaw #legalprofession #legalcareers #EDI

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The Skills England report published last month illustrates the difficulty that officials and their advisors have with reconciling early 20th Century Fabian/Haldane planning mindsets with the 21st Century pace of change and the need to harness the full diversity of human talent, not just traditional filtering for memory and logic - "which any properly programmed computer can handle". The challenges of educating for an AI-driven world were identified over 40 years ago. See "Learning for Change", put on-line for me by the Oxford Internet Institute in 2010. Albeit we used the terms "Intelligent systems" and "Machine Learning" and the "systems" often needed air-conditioned mainframes to drive them. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT Better Hiring Institute (BHI) TechSkills.org Skills England Labour Digital WCIT Financial Services Technology Panel Real Time Club Digital Policy Alliance Digital Leaders https://lnkd.in/efSqwmEZ

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Bias isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a systemic one. For true progress in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), we need to go beyond awareness and commit to actively addressing and reducing biases across our organizations. Here’s why confronting bias matters: Bias Shapes Our Decisions — Whether in hiring, promotions, or daily interactions, biases often influence whom we trust, whose ideas we support, and who gets opportunities. If left unaddressed, they can create barriers for underrepresented voices and hinder true inclusion. Bias Undermines Innovation — Homogeneous perspectives are a barrier to creative problem-solving. When we allow biases to limit diversity in teams, we miss out on the fresh ideas, unique experiences, and broader perspectives that drive innovation. Bias Erodes Trust and Belonging — Employees who experience bias—consciously or unconsciously—are less likely to feel valued and included. This affects retention, engagement, and overall morale. Trust and a sense of belonging come when everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. Bias is Often Unconscious — Many of us hold biases we’re unaware of, shaped by societal norms, media, and past experiences. By raising awareness and creating tools for people to identify and counter their biases, we empower everyone to contribute to a more inclusive environment. Tackling bias takes effort, but the impact is profound—a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all individuals can succeed. Let’s start by listening, learning, and committing to continuous improvement. Together, we can build a culture where everyone feels valued.

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Bravo to the International Higher Education Commission (IHEC) Oxford International Education Group Rt Hon Chris Skidmore & all those involved in this report. It is worth noting that there has been no, Non-EU #graduateoutcomes data from HESA: Higher Education Statistics Agency since 2019, & at that point knowing how critical this data would be to the sector Asia Careers Group SDN BHD stepped in immediately to fill this significant data gap. Since then ACG has collected over 70,000 UK international graduate’s #career journeys, for over 60 UK universities & has undertaken this work unfunded by government &/or sector bodies. This data is now readily available to all UK #universities committed to “investing in international #futures” & data can be collected retrospectively for institutions if needed. The annual institution subscription cost is £9,950. Alternatively a report on the entire data set 70,000+ UK Non-EU graduates, could be made available to government &/or sector bodies for £350,000, if there is in fact a appetite to invest on behalf of a UK #highereducation sector under significant financial pressure at the present time. As one can imagine this has been a significant financial undertaking & one #hesa has been unwilling to take on. Let us hope the UK sector is now truly committed to understanding Non-EU #graduateoutcomes & supporting the transition of their #overseasstudents to the workforce both in the UK & even more importantly back in their home countries. Data also exists for all 40 #Australian universities should governments & or sector bodies wish to benchmark UK graduate outcomes against another English speaking study destination. “Graduate outcomes data was also a big part of the report – or the lack of it, which has been highlighted before by other organisations. “HESA stopped calling international students to save costs; the UK government mandated a 10% efficiency saving for HESA, & telephone follow-up… was a significant expense,” the report said, adding that such a decision was a concern for institutions & student bodies. Low response rates also mean a lack of evidence of the #employability of the UK’s #internationalstudents, – a critical decision-making factor for #students who are looking to the UK as a #study destination.” A Universities UK International report found just 3% of international student’s said they’re university #careersservice helped them find a job, up from just 2% in 2019. We all have to do a far better job in making good on our promise to international students & their successful transition to the workforce. Asia Careers Group SDN BHD AGCAS AUIDF British Council BUILA Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) Jisc Office for Students National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS) Russell Group of Universities UCAS UKCISA Universities Australia Universities Scotland Universities UK

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New Social Housing Qualifications: Collaborative Workshop for Training Solutions https://lnkd.in/e4VaJXih The recent Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 introduces mandatory qualifications for senior staff. South Devon College is here to support a smooth transition for your organisation. Join our FREE collaborative 1hr online workshop to: Understand the Act's requirements for qualifications ✅ Collectively assess your training needs ✅ Explore potential solutions, including curriculum and delivery options ✅ Workshop Details: Date: Friday, May 17th, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM BST Platform: Microsoft Teams Workshop Highlights: 📑 Senior Housing lawyer Richard St. John Smith from Trowers & Hamlins will unpack the Act's requirements for qualifications. ⚖️ 🔭 Gain insights from Kate Philp (South Devon College) on relevant training options and delivery models. 💪 Facilitate discussions to identify your organisation's specific needs and explore collaborative solutions. Benefits of Attending: Gain clarity on the Act's impact on your training needs. Shape solutions to meet regional qualification requirements. Network with colleagues and build partnerships. Gain insights into potential training providers (neutral perspective). Don't miss out on this crucial first step! Register now to secure your spot and ensure a smooth transition for your staff. https://lnkd.in/e4VaJXih #SocialHousing #Qualifications #Training #Workshop #Collaboration P.S. Please share this post with your network!

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A Community Consultation and Co-Production Approach to Transforming the Primary to Secondary Transition Thank you to all the participants who took part in the community consultation online session on Friday. The session was full of rich conversations and invaluable contributions from parents, teachers, school staff, and a range of other professionals. The scariest, yet most exciting part of a community consultation is having the boldness to leave the outcome open-ended, truly centering the voice of the community rather than just paying lip service to another buzzword. Over the past four years, I've built Paradigm Project and our "My Next Steps" program with a determination to empower and equip children through this critical transitional period. We also explore methods to identify risk and vulnerability at an earlier stage. Some insights from Friday's session: - Communication needs to be improved between primary and secondary schools. - Vulnerable groups need additional support to ensure they don't get left behind. - Parents need more support and to be listened to throughout the process. - Schools need support to provide comprehensive transition aid. - While there are examples of good practice, they are fragmented, lacking a universal approach. Paradigm Project might be small, but we have big ambitions to be a catalyst for reform, helping protect and empower our children. Addressing children's needs at this age is a proactive approach to mitigating more complex needs down the line. I look forward to delivering the same session to students on May 8th and adding their insights before we rebuild and scale our offer. Big thanks to Daniel Pink for helping spread the word and recruit for these sessions, and to Eve Froude for all her help behind the scenes.

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This could be really concerning. As evaluation and learning practitioners, we *know* that charities don't have the capacity and resources to do evaluation and learning well most of the time. Most of the contracts we encounter are undercosted, and under-resourced (in terms of time). It's also in danger of regulating for one particular idea of what 'impact' is—which we can probably all guess will be based in quantitative measures. How many people did you manage to get to 'travel some distance' on your outcomes? Organisations need the freedom to do evaluation and learning in ways that work for them, in ways that match their practice and the needs of the people they work with, and not have strict requirements around impact and outcomes reporting foisted onto them. My PhD research was centred on how exactly these circumstances lead to 'justification practices', which direct people's labour towards the production of justifications, rather than good practice. In a week or two, we'll be talking about justification practices over at fractals co-op, and how open and trusting evaluation and learning can help to avoid this. We can't advocate for system-wide practices that result in evaluation and learning experiences like one young person described to me back in 2019: "They ask you certain questions—and you start giving a detailed description and then they’ll cut you off! They’re like ‘okay, that’s fine’. They’ve got what they’ve needed to gather from you, and then they move on... they just take what they need to sign their paperwork sometimes."

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With the dawn of a new government, there are many opportunities for our sector. Ensuring that every individual thrives at work and has opportunities for learning and career progression across their lifetime is key to the success of the UK economy and to sustaining a fair and inclusive society. This is our focus at the Education and Training Foundation In my article in FE News I discuss the following areas: * Quality initial teacher education * Embedding professional status and recognition nationally * Ongoing professional development * Investment guided towards quality education and training Now is the time. As the dust settles in Whitehall, Department for Education minds will be turning from the whirlwind of campaigning to the seriousness of government and policy making. What we do know is that improving the quality of technical and vocational education and training, and the futures of its learners, requires a focus on high quality teaching and learning – and this ultimately rests upon the shoulders of policy makers, teachers and education leaders.

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So, it's been a strange time for VCSE organisations as we ride the waves of a new government and what that means. The Civil Society Covenant has been announced, and for so many people working or volunteering in community organisations, this is what we have been hoping for, for a very long time. Then the Autumn budget has come out and, whilst there are some positive long-term investments in there that we are pleased about, the impact of the rise in Employers NIC (national insurance contributions) are going to have an immediate impact on VCSE organisations' budgets... and their ability to be there in the future. This comes on top of the ongoing situation of rising costs, rising demands that the sector has been experiencing since the cost-of-living crisis took hold...and that's on top of the impact of the pandemic, and the reliance on reserves across the sector to subsidise it all. There is real risk, and genuine, well-founded concerns in the air. Next week, I will be joining NCVO and others to speak to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Charities at Westminster about what we think the Covenant should be. If you're in a VCSE organisation in Bristol or the West of England, here's your chance to tell me and the team at Voscur your thoughts on the proposed Covenant, and on the impacts (both positive and negative) of the Autumn Budget. This quick-fire survey will take you approximately 5-8 minutes to complete - and thank you for doing so, and trusting us to carry your voice to key decision-makers. https://lnkd.in/dNm4ZbxK AND if you want to come along to share and learn from one another about what the Autumn Budget means for your organisation, and how we can mitigate where possible for it, book into this event here: https://lnkd.in/dUZihxji This event is being delivered by Voscur and our partners on the West of England Civil Society Partnership (the local infrastructure organisations across the region) - it's open to all VCSE organisations in the West of England. #VCSE #Bristol #WestofEngland #AutumnBudget #finances #voluntary #community #socialenterprise #charities #employers

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Did you know that recruiters are battling to find candidates with disabilities to participate in their learnership programmes? Rustim Ariefdien explains more in his article for our first issue of Rolling Inspiration for 2024. Click on the link to read the full article: https://buff.ly/3VVCvKz #Learnership #Employment #Disabilities

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As we reflect on the UK's apprenticeship landscape in 2024, it's clear that these programmes have become a cornerstone of the nation's approach to skills development and career progression. This comprehensive analysis explores the key trends, success stories, and emerging opportunities in the UK's apprenticeship sector, offering valuable insights for students, professionals, educators, and industry stakeholders. Read more: https://zurl.co/NqFe #UKApprenticeships #ApprenticeshipProgrammes #SkillsDevelopment #CareerProgression #VocationalTraining #EmployabilitySkills #Lurnable #UKEducation #Lurnable #ApprenticeshipSuccessStories #CareerOpportunities2024

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🌟 Encourage students to take control of their academic journeys 🌟 Watch Sioban's webinar as she explores the different approaches in learning and assessment to consolidate learner understanding ✨ View here: https://lnkd.in/erE6u6QU

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📢 NEW Article on HE Professional today written by me - Linking Learning Across Space and Time: Learning Design for Better Student Outcomes >> https://lnkd.in/ecbhHTqD #LearningDesign #EducationalDevelopment #HigherEducation #StudentOutcomes

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Navigating the digital marketing landscape can be overwhelming, with constant changes making it a daunting space. With this in mind, we introduce the Digital Landscape, your bi-monthly guide crafted by Core Optimisation’s digital experts. This report covers actionable insights on current trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the education sector. Key topics include detailed analysis and trends around Digital Strategy, PPC, Paid Social and SEO. Access the full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/evuRPpf9 Retail Excellence Ireland Digital Business Ireland eComm Live™ & eComm Awards | eCommerce Events Ecommerce Europe EdTech Ireland HEAnet

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A great article on the perception of certainty and its impact on the career choices school-leavers make from the brilliant Chris Targett RCDP A lot of our data confirms that students will generally go with what they perceive to be the 'safer' option, even when that takes them down a less desirable path. One of the things we try to do at Study Work Grow is explain ALL the pathways (including the zillions of alternative ones) so students can see and understand all their choices, but there's more to do in this space.

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This is a great summary of the differences between KCSIE 2023 and 2024. You can still access my training on Statutory Safeguarding Priorities for Special Schools on The National College where I go through last years priorities particularly focusing on extra levels of vulnerability and serious case reviews. https://lnkd.in/evbmvHU4 https://lnkd.in/eBTSmyFs However, I'm frustrated with the deliberate exclusion of race in KCSIE, in particular the impact racial abuse and race based bullying has on mental health. Nic Bailey, Ann Marie Christian FRSA and I had great chats about this for BAMEed SEND termly talks. The NSPCC have released something around this- https://lnkd.in/ejSbzKvw They highlight that there are disparities in how children from different backgrounds come to the attention of child protection services due to racism and bias. When the needs of children and young people are deliberately ignored, they suffer long term harm and in sad cases, preventable deaths are not stopped. Why is this still being ignored by the Department for Education in its statutory guidance? #safeaguarding #SEND #specialschools #mentalhealth #wellbeing #intersectionality #racism #systemicdiscrimination

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*** ONLINE TRUSTEE TRAINING COURSE *** I am pleased to announce the return of Public Leaders Appointments Trustee Training 'Understanding and Strengthening Governance' Whether you are new to being a Trustee and are wanting to learn more about the role and what you should be doing, or if you have been a Trustee for some time and want a refresh and update, then this course is for you. You will go away equipped with the tools, knowledge and confidence needed to make an effective contribution to your Board. We will be learning about the role of being a charity Trustee, both the legal and formal governance responsibilities, and also the inter-personal aspects of working with fellow Trustees, and staff. The training will involve teaching, as well as interaction and opportunities to share your own experience and explore case studies. This will take place online over two sessions: - Thursday 19th September 2024 – 10am – 12.30pm - Thursday 26th September 2024 – 10am – 12.30pm The number of places on this course are limited to ensure that these are fully interactive sessions, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are £100 + Eventbrite booking fee (includes both sessions) Booking via the link below. #trustee #chair #charity #charityboard #cic #socialenterprise #training #trusteetraining #onlinetraining #governance

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*** 2024 GRANT FUNDING NOW OPEN *** Cornwall Women's Fund is now accepting applications for our 2024 grant funding! We aim to support community projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly supporting women’s mental health. For this round of funding projects with a focus on perinatal mental health will be given preferential consideration. In 2021, a team from Oxford University undertook in-depth research into the needs of women and girls across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. They considered existing research where it was available and interviewed charity and community leaders, and women from across the county to get a true picture of what really mattered to them and which areas it was difficult to find funding for. (Read the report here: https://bit.ly/3QLpgdv) One of the 4 key areas in their report “Understanding what matters to women and girls in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly” was women and girls mental health, identifying a particular lack of support for those accessing perinatal mental health services. Our Members have voted the area of Women and Girls Mental Health for our 2024 grant funding and we are now accepting applications. Grants range from £500 to a maximum of £1,000 Our grants are administered by Cornwall Community Foundation and you can find more information and details of how to apply here: https://lnkd.in/gY3Ryzy

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