LJMU Events and Appointments

Liverpool John Moores University is excited to collaborate with the expert management consultancy, MM Creative Solutions, to offer staff the chance to participate in an online session titled ‘Respecting Difference for Inclusion.’

This opportunity is completely FREE and available to LJMU/JMSU staff. However, spaces are limited, so be sure to secure your spot by using the provided registration link. 

During this session attendees will develop their skillset to aid understanding of different equality, diversity and inclusion scenarios they may encounter and begin to understand how they can intervene.  Aspects this session will cover include:

• Key terminology (incorporating aspects of inclusive language).
• Relevant UK legislation.
• Relevant LJMU policies.
• Approaches to conflict resolution.
   

To learn more about MM Creative Solutions, please visit: https://mmcslimited.com/.

For any inquiries, feel free to reach out via email at equality@ljmu.ac.uk.

Liverpool John Moores University is excited to collaborate with the expert management consultancy, MM Creative Solutions, to offer staff the chance to participate in an online session titled ‘Active Bystander.’

This opportunity is completely FREE and available to LJMU/JMSU staff. However, spaces are limited, so be sure to secure your spot by using the provided registration link. 

During this session attendees will:

• Gain understanding how to define bullying and understand what it can look like.
• Gain understanding of cultural differences in confrontational situations.
• Be introduced to models / tools to challenge negative behaviours in person and online.
• Explore the practicalities of being an active bystander through case studies.
• Commit to positive actions to take forward.
   

To learn more about MM Creative Solutions, please visit: https://mmcslimited.com/.

For any inquiries, feel free to reach out via email at equality@ljmu.ac.uk.

We are pleased to invite back Helen Musgrove, Director of Psychological Consulting at Lexxic to deliver this session.

Lexxic, a renowned psychological consultancy, is dedicated to the belief that every mind deserves recognition and acceptance. With a steadfast mission to foster a world that embraces and appreciates the unique abilities of neurodivergent individuals, they strive to empower each person to reach their full potential. Lexxic actively works towards creating inclusive and supportive environments.

This workshop will equip line managers with an understanding of the value of neurodiversity in the workplace and how to empower, support and develop neurodivergent team members. By the end of the session, participants should understand:

• The concept of neurodiversity.
• Neuro-inclusive language.
• Characteristics of the most common neurodifferences and how they might impact an employee at work.
• The value of neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion to your organisation.
• How to create a safe space for team members to share their neurodifference.
• How to have sensitive conversations about neurodiversity.
• Principles of workplace adjustments and the legal requirement for reasonable adjustments.
• The Access to Work scheme and how to apply for funding.
• Examples of adjustments and support that can empower neurodivergent employees.
• How to support career development and wellbeing of neurodivergent team members.
• How to access support in your organisation, including your Neurodiversity Guide for Managers.

The Diversity and Inclusion Team have planned a session with Advance HE on, 'Addressing Islamophobia in Higher Education'. This session will be an interactive discussion on different definitions of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, including the 2018 All-Party Parliamentary Group's definition of Islamophobia.

The session will cover the below, and an opportunity to reflect on learning from the workshop and identify individual action points. 

Defining Islamophobia – building a shared understanding
Interactive discussions on different definitions of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, including the 2018 All-Party Parliamentary Group's definition of Islamophobia. Highlight how Islamophobia is often multifaceted, affecting perceptions, policies, and interactions on campus.

Data on Islamophobia in Higher Education
Presentation on recent data on Islamophobia's presence in UK universities and how such normalisation impacts academic choices, career progression, and mental health for both students and staff.

Beyond data: lived experience and impact on staff and students
There will be activities to explore how Islamophobia affects Muslim students and staff with personal testimonies to provide a humanised view of the challenges faced by Muslim individuals in educational environments.

Practical steps to fostering inclusion
Participants will look at practical examples of positive behaviours that promote inclusion including allyship/equity accomplice and active bystander practice and signpost to LJMU internal processes and support mechanisms to address Islamophobia and promote inclusion

Signs4Life are back to deliver the Deaf Awareness and Sign Language Workshop to LJMU Staff. Signs4Life is leading efforts towards a society in which people with disabilities have full access and are working to raise the public and political awareness of disability provisions.

Learning Outcomes (Deaf Awareness)

• Identify the barriers that deaf and hard of hearing people face
• List the ways in which deaf and hard of hearing people communicate
• Understand and demonstrate how to implement positive methods of communication, and offer an equal service to deaf and hard of hearing people
• Apply the finger-spelling alphabet
• Explore the deaf community and culture

Testimonials

"A fantastic course. This program has really complemented our existing knowledge in equality and disability, and in meeting the needs of all our students" (Elspeth Mackie, Leeds College of Art)

"The session went very well, and the feedback from staff was overwhelmingly positive. Staff thought that the session was very helpful, that it was engaging and interesting and that Jeanette was an excellent trainer. One member of staff qualified the session as 'brilliant'. Everyone thought that Jeanette was amazing at keeping our interest for almost 3 hours and for making us think of serious issues in a fun way without needing any props!" (Catherine Lauriol, library officer, Birkbeck University).

"Memnos was great. I had excellent feedback from the session and everyone was impressed at how effectively he presented and many came back saying they'd like to be as good as him! Memnos has a way of inviting us into his world which is so incredibly welcoming and open. I look forward to him training a new group on Friday!" (Tatiana Pavlovsky, Hackney Learning Trust).

The Diversity and Inclusion Team is excited to offer upcoming workshops on the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA).

When developing a new policy or reviewing a current one, we want to ensure that it will be fair, transparent, legal, and consistently applied. Therefore, it is good practice to use this Equality Impact Assessment Policy Checklist to support this. These workshops will cover how best to approach the Equality Impact Assessment Policy / Guidance Development Checklist.

EIA is a way of knowing if a process, practice, or procedure will directly or indirectly have an adverse or differential impact on any of the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act 2010 (age, disability, gender reassignment, race/ethnicity, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity).

This opportunity is FREE and open to LJMU/JMSU staff. Places are limited and can be booked using the registration link provided.

Objectives

By the end of the session, delegates will understand:

• What is Impact Assessment (EIA)?
• When we need to conduct an EIA.
• How to complete the EIA Checklist.
• The benefits of using the checklist in considering policy intentions and outcomes and their impact on diversity and inclusion. 
• The value to the University of having a consistent and transparent approach to policy making.

In our previous Embracing Neurodiversity event held in December 2023, we had the privilege of having Helen Musgrove, Director of Psychological Consulting at Lexxic, deliver an insightful session on Neurodiversity and Adjustments: Key Principles and Practical Examples. Through this partnership with Lexxic, the Diversity and Inclusion Team strives to empower staff to create positive differences in their areas and contribute towards a more inclusive organisation.

This interactive webinar is an hour long, and will include an activity and questions/polls for participants during delivery (using Slido) and around 10 minutes for Q and A at the end.  

Lexxic, a renowned psychological consultancy, is dedicated to the belief that every mind deserves recognition and acceptance. With a steadfast mission to foster a world that embraces and appreciates the unique abilities of neurodivergent individuals, they strive to empower each person to reach their full potential. Collaborating with both organisations and individuals, Lexxic actively works towards creating inclusive and supportive environments.

This webinar will equip participants with an understanding of valuing neurodiversity in the workplace and how to empower and support neurodivergent colleagues.

By the end of the session, participants should understand:

• What we mean by neurodiversity.
• Neuro-inclusive language.
• Characteristics of the most common neurodifferences and how they might impact an employee at work.
• The value of neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion to your organisation.
• How to create a neuro-inclusive culture in their team.
• Examples of the adjustments and support that can empower neurodivergent colleagues.
• How to access support in your organisation.

The Diversity and Inclusion Team is excited to lead sessions on Cultures and developing Intercultural Competence Skills. Cultural competence or intercultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures. In our increasingly interconnected world, this skill is invaluable as we frequently encounter individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, each shaped by unique values, beliefs, and experiences.

This session will cover topics such as:

• Understanding culture and its impact on individuals/society.​
• How cultures intersect and influence individual/society’s thinking and perspectives. ​
• What is intercultural competence, and why is it important?​
• Cushioning culture shock​
• Benefits of intercultural competence​
• Identifying intercultural skills and putting them into practice in the workplace/classroom

For any inquiries or specific learning requirements, feel free to reach out via email at equality@ljmu.ac.uk. 

The Diversity and Inclusion Team have planned a session with Advance HE on, 'Addressing Antisemitism in Higher Education'.

This session is designed to equip university staff with the knowledge and skills to call out antisemitism on campus and support their Jewish students, colleagues and staff members. Advance HE is a charity that works with higher education institutions to improve the experience for students, staff, and society.

This session will start with a brief introduction to antisemitism and its historical context, covering: 

• Overview of the experiences of Jewish individuals in the UK.
• Understanding Antisemitism in Higher Education 

Interactive presentation covering:

• The IHRA definition of antisemitism. 
• Recent data on antisemitism within UK universities. 
• The impact of antisemitism on campus life, career progression, and mental health for students and staff. 

Case Studies: Lived Experiences and Impact

• Real-life case studies highlighting the impact of antisemitism on Jewish staff and students.
• Interactive activities to explore the effects of antisemitism, featuring personal testimonies to humanise the challenges faced by Jewish individuals in educational environments.

Practical Steps to Fostering Inclusion 

• Practical examples of positive behaviors to promote inclusion, including:
• Allyship/equity accomplice practices.
• Active bystander strategies.
• Signposting to internal LJMU processes and support mechanisms to address antisemitism and promote inclusion.