The T&OD are happy to share a number of upcoming Training Opportunities, open to all staff, which will be running from February to April. A full overview on what’s on offer can be found in our latest SharePoint News Story – Training Opportunities: February – April 2022.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s on offer to you:

RPD Process and Preparation Training, Wednesday 24 February, 15.00 – 16.30

At the end of the session you will:

•Understand the purpose of appraisals (RPDs)
•Be aware of how the process for recording appraisals (RPDS) via Staff Connect
•Be able to prepare for and participate/ hold an effective, informed, transparent discussion, understanding your own needs and those of the organisation

Eligibility Checking Refresher Training, Monday 28 February, 14.00 – 15.00

This training is for staff who are current right to work signatories and who have attended the main session, but may not do right to work checks on a regular basis, or have not done a check recently and would like a refresher in the process. The training will ensure staff feel confident to continue undertaking right to work checks.

Menopause Awareness, Wednesday 2 March, 12.30 – 13.30

This Positive Pause’s empowering session is designed to help you feel more confident talking about & understanding menopause!

• Myth busting Menopause – what everyone needs to know: the phases, stages and impact on personal & work life.
• Recognising & understanding the symptoms of perimenopause & menopause.
• Outlining options & strategies available for managing symptoms.
• Signposting resources that may help.
• How to have conversations about menopause, as a woman and/or as part of the line management process.

From Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Thank you to everyone involved for the prompt response to today’s campus closure following the impact of Storm Eunice. Whilst an Amber warning remains in place until 21.00, the Met Office’s ‘Red’ warning for the South East has now passed and at this stage the impact on our campuses has been largely contained. 

With the forecast improving, our assumption is that our Canterbury and Medway campuses will return to being open as normal tomorrow. Any planned activity can therefore continue as scheduled over the weekend. 

Please do continue to take care and limit any unnecessary travel into this evening while the storm continues to pass through. There are also a number of road closures and other transport disruption affecting Kent and Medway so please check ahead before you travel. 

Thanks again and safe journeys home to all of our essential workers on campus.

Nikki

Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support. 

Due to the stabilisting situation of Covid, they’ll be doing a side-range of webinar topics. Here’s the schedule for the next two weeks:

Week commencing 21 February 2022

Monday 21 February – ‘Your counselling call to Care first’ – This webinar provides an overview of what you can expect when making a call to the counselling help line. 
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 23 February – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first. 
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 25 February – ‘Supporting care givers – In line with ‘You can care week’– This session looks at the role of care givers and how compassion fatigue and burnout can impact mental health.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Week commencing 28 February 2022

Monday 28 February – ‘Practical information and advice through Care first’ – The webinar provides detail about our Information Specialists and their role as part of your EAP service.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 2 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first. 
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 4 March – ‘Regaining confidence in social interaction’ – A webinar providing tips and encouraging discussion on how to reintroduce social interaction after a difficult two years
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

From Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Following last night’s update, the Met Office has upgraded the weather warning for the South East to ‘Red’, meaning they expect significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to the wind. As a result, to ensure safety our Canterbury and Medway campuses should be considered closed today. Do not come onto campus unless you have been classified as an essential worker and are required on campus for the ongoing safety of students and staff.  

Teaching and Research  

All teaching should be moved online wherever possible, with in-person labs etc postponed. Any research activity that cannot take place online should also be cancelled today. Teaching staff should communicate clearly with students what the online arrangements will be – please contact your Divisional Education teams if you require further guidance.  

We will also be contacting all students to confirm these measures are in place.  

For those that need to come onto campus  

If your role requires you to be on campus, such as those in certain roles in Hospitality or Estates, please liaise with your line managers and avoid travel between the peak storm hours of 10.00 – 15.00. You can also refer to the Adverse Travel Advice from our Transport Team for guidance on how to travel as safely as possible.  

Key teams will be on campus to support students and complete all necessary checks throughout the day. We will also provide a further update later today if the situation changes.  

The Templeman Library is closed but online support remains available. See Templeman Library update for more details. 

Thanks everybody – and stay safe,  

Nikki

Nikki Hyde | Deputy Director HR and Organisational Development

Congratulations to Professor Adrian Podoleanu from the Division of Natural Sciences for his appointment as a member of the executive committee of the International Commission for Optics (ICO), as Associated Secretary. This is from a secret vote of worldwide territories of the ICO after the ICO General Assembly on the 13^th September 2021. Professor Podoleanu will hold this post for the next three years.

“I can bring to ICO my enthusiasm to serve the community of Optics and identify modalities to match the expectation of society members to the best that ICO can deliver in an ever changing world.” –  Taken from Professor Podoleanu’s statement in support of his election.

Professor Podoleanu has a long association with the ICO having been elected Chair of the IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Optics in 2017, 2018, 2019 and again in 2021. He was also one of the eight elected Vice-Presidents from 2017-2021.

The role of Associated Secretary involves continuous activity with emphasis on two aspects.  One being a judge for applications to conferences submitted by ICO territories. There are two deadlines for application in April and October. You can find further information under the sponsorship page on the ICO website.

The second is looking at the landscape of ICO prizes, given the new affiliation of the ICO to the International Council of Science, which Professor Podoleanu says needs ‘delving into more’. Plus, this year is the 75th anniversary of the ICO, hence there will be more work for the bureau soon.

ICO is an international society, territories can be seen at: http://www.e-ico.org/blog/

The Bureau is at http://www.e-ico.org/blog/about/people/