A number of EDI training sessions are available to University staff during January and February .

Sessions available to book include:

Domestic Violence Awareness (28 January 2021, 10.00-12.00 or 13.30-15.30)

People from all walks of life are affected by domestic abuse, so if you have the confidence and knowledge to talk about abuse and where someone can seek help, it will make all the difference! Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service is offering Kent two free training sessions around domestic abuse, in partnership with Clarion Housing.

This two-hour training session covers:
• the definition and dynamics of domestic abuse
• how it impacts survivors’ lives
• the barriers to seeking help
• how to respond if a survivor discloses abuse
• how to seek ongoing support

To register to attend a session, please use the Eventbrite links below
Session A 10.00 – 12.00
Session B 13.30-15.30

Trans Awareness: The Basics (Thursday 11 February 2021, 14.00 – 15.45)

This session will:
• explain what ‘trans’ means and describe the diversity of those who might use the term
• introduce key concepts crucial to understanding trans people
• list the main legislation relating to trans identities
• outline ways an organisation can work towards being trans-inclusive
• provide links to further resources and help

Managing Mental Health (February 4 (pm) and 12 February (am) – times to be confirmed

To support ‘Time to Talk Day’ on 4 February, this online workshop is being offered for all managers, team leaders and supervisors

The aim of the workshop is to enable and encourage managers to develop a management style that strikes the right balance between the needs of the individual/team and the needs of the business.

Content will include:
• signs that might indicate that a staff member is struggling
• impact of the Covid-19 pandemic – issues to be aware of
• two golden rules for managing stress and mental health at work
• practical problems for managers
• a good practice framework for managing mental health at work
• clarifying the role of the organisation, individual staff and the manager
• guidelines for managing sensitive conversations about stress and mental health
• practical support – ‘reasonable adjustments’ during and after the Covid-19 pandemic
• sources of support for staff and managers

How to book

To arrange to attend any of these sessions, please contact Talent and Organisational Development by emailing Ldev@kent.ac.uk

From Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President:

I wanted to write to you following yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister that we are now in a third national lockdown, and to update you on our current position. Unlike the second lockdown in November, schools and universities will be closed for face-to-face activities, with a few exceptions.

As a result of this news, we will now deliver all teaching online until the end of February apart from those studying medicine, pharmacy or social work. We will be writing to students today to let them know this decision supersedes all previous arrangements and to confirm that the start of term remains 18 January 2021. We will continue to provide essential services to those who are already living on campus.

All staff are to work from home apart from those designated by the Government as essential (or critical) workers who need to work on campus due to the nature of their jobs.  You will shortly receive confirmation from your line manager if this applies to you.

Many staff working at home also come under the critical worker category. If you need to have your status confirmed to enable children to go to school, please contact hrcovid19@kent.ac.uk.

We will continue to follow Government legislation and public health guidance. The health and wellbeing of our staff and students remains at the heart of all decision-making and the work done by the Silver and Gold teams means we are well-prepared to respond to this latest situation.

This third lockdown will impact on all our lives in very different ways and we will continue to support you during this worrying time.

We are aware of that many of you will once again be impacted by the closure of schools and are looking at how we might further help staff affected in this way.

We will continue to provide regular updates to staff over the coming weeks.

I appreciate the difficulties many of you are facing and I thank you for all your continuing hard work and support at this time.

With my very best wishes to you and your family,

Karen

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

Student Support and Wellbeing are looking to recruit staff to the existing Sexual Assault Responder (SAR) Medway team.

The out-of-hours support service commenced in 2016 and provides a crucial service providing immediate support to students reporting serious sexual assault or rape at the Canterbury and Medway campuses. The service operates out of hours (between 17.00 and 9.00) and at weekends and bank holidays. Full training is provided, and SARs operate on a rolling rota system. The role is to provide advice and guidance to victims of serious sexual assault or rape with regards to aftercare support procedures. The role is NOT a counselling role. Currently, we are providing both remote and face-to-face support for students, a SAR is able to choose which they are comfortable providing at the moment whilst we are impacted by COVID-19.

SARs receive a £100 remuneration for joining the team and completing the training, and receive £70 for the first hour of a call out, with time and a half for subsequent hours. Any transport costs are also reimbursed.

A Sexual Assault Responder must meet the following criteria:

• Be a University of Kent member of staff
• If a SAR chooses to provide face-to-face support, they must be able to access the University of Kent Medway campuses within 45 minutes (approximately) of receiving a phone call from Campus Security out of hours (considering the accessibility of a staff member’s usual mode of transportation when accessing the University)
• Attend a training session
• Have the permission of their line manager to register for the role of SAR.

For more information, to request a role description, or to express an interest in becoming a SAR, please contact Becky Wyatt in Student Support and Wellbeing on rfw@kent.ac.uk.

From Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

In spite of all our hopes and wishes for 2021, we have started the year in at least as difficult a position as we finished 2020. For many people, now faced with home-schooling younger children for the next 6-8 weeks, it is a worse position.

We are now experts at dealing with Covid 19 lockdowns but that only makes them somewhat less arduous to live through. With this one, probably the worst aspect is the length of time the politicians are projecting it will go on for. Mid-February, the end of February, the end of March? The weeks feel as if they lay heavily on us, like layers of blankets on cold nights in winter. They are there to keep us safe and warm, but they press down on our very being. But, as with the blankets, as spring approaches, they can be discarded as the weather improves. One by one, as the weeks pass, we can start to feel less oppressed.

This does feel like the beginning of the end. As one person I spoke to today commented, ‘There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t a train.’

It’s important to continue doing all the good things you’ve been doing so far. Keep exercising; keep getting out to do this when you can, despite the winter weather. Be gentle on yourself, lowering your expectations of what you might be capable of, especially if you are juggling lots of additional Covid triggered pressures. Keep connecting with others as you can. This may be telephone calls or virtual meetings, but these contacts are essential at a time when the lockdown can make us feel alone and vulnerable.

In the other article I prepared this week, I’ve noted the health themes for January 2021. One of these is ‘Brew Monday’, scheduled to coincide with, the now infamous, ‘Blue Monday’. This year, it’s 18 January. This is a campaign organised by the Samaritans encouraging us to connect on that day by taking some time to share a virtual cuppa. You might want to use the day to reach out to a family member or friend for a natter over a hot drink. Workwise, it could be an excellent day to schedule in a group catch up. The emphasis is on connection as a way of supporting good mental health so maybe the agenda could be how we’re all doing in lockdown rather than specific work issues.

The Samaritans’ website emphasises that you can have a Brew Monday any week. Maybe the one in January could be the first of a series to help people cope with pressure and isolation while working remotely.

If you are finding life overwhelming, do speak to your manager so that consideration can be given to adjusting your work commitments, if this would help. You can use the COPE framework to do this. Your manager may believe that referring you to OH for assistance could be beneficial. If your issues and problems are inherently non-work related, remember that the Staff Employee Assistance Programme is available to take your call at any time of the day or night. The telephone number is 0808 168 2143 and it doesn’t cost you anything to call.

[05.01.2021 Please see latest update following the announcement of a third national lockdown which supersedes the 31 December update.]

From Alison Ross-Green, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

Dear Colleague,

I hope you have had an enjoyable and restful winter vacation.

You will be aware that the Government announced yesterday a further tightening of COVID-19 restrictions in England as result of the rising infection rates.

As part of these restrictions, the Government has requested that universities delay the return of the majority of students to campus after the winter vacation. The Government has stressed that university campuses are regarded as COVID-safe and this is simply an effort to reduce the number of people traveling across the country at this time.

This means that we have asked students not return to campus or to their term time address for the start of term unless they are studying medicine or social work or fall under the following exemptions including

• being an international student who is unable to make reasonable adjustments to their travel arrangements
• not having access to appropriate study spaces or facilities in their current location
• requiring additional support, including mental health support
• being on a placement where the provider is permitted to open under the current restrictions
• being a postgraduate student and requiring specialist facilities for their work

You can read the email we are sending to students online.

The start of term remains 18 January 2021, and we have been asked by the Government to ensure that all teaching is online for the first few weeks. Students have been told that they are expected to attend all timetabled sessions.

While the latest position replaces previous plans for a staggered return to campus, I hope that the preparations that have already been made to move teaching online for the start of term will mean that we can comply with the Government’s recommendations without increasing workloads.

We have been informed that the return to campus will be paused at least until the week commencing 25 January. The Government will review this decision in the week commencing 18 January. We will update you shortly after.

We will continue to offer asymptomatic COVID testing for staff and those students who have to return to their term time address. Please be assured that there will be sufficient booking slots available for all those who need them once we are all back on campus.

University staff who are needed on campus to provide essential services continue to be regarded as essential workers and can travel to and from work. Please ensure you carry University ID (such as your Kent One card) on your commute. If you are working on campus, we strongly recommend that you book an asymptomatic COVID test on campus if you have not already done so,

I also wanted to flag that we are aware that that some staff will be impacted by the delayed reopening of schools in Kent. I would like to reassure you that the University has measures in place to support staff during times such as this and to ensure that your pay is protected as far as possible if you are unable to work due to the impact of COVID.  If you are affected, please liaise with your line manager as soon as possible.

We will continue to keep in touch with staff and students over the next few weeks as we develop our plans in response to this latest change and will update the staff coronavirus webpages with new information as it becomes available.

My best wishes to you and your family.

Yours sincerely

Alison

Alison Ross-Green | Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development

From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience

I want to let you know about asymptomatic Covid-19 testing arrangements for the New Year. Asymptomatic testing is specifically designed for people who are not displaying symptoms of Covid-19. Please note that if you do have symptoms of Covid-19 you should follow our Isolate Test and Inform procedure for staff and book a PCR test via the NHS Coronavirus website.

• For appointments at Canterbury please book via the University’s booking system. Tests are available from 5 January 2021.
• For appointments at Medway please book your appointment via the Medway Council website. Tests are available now and you may book up to 7 days in advance so bookings for next term can be made in the New Year.

Please note you should avoid close contact with others before you are tested and until you have received your second test result.

In accordance with Government guidelines, we are recommending to students that they are tested before they attend their first face-to-face teaching session. To facilitate this, students are being provided with a recommended arrival and testing window.

We know this will not be convenient for all and we will support them whatever their travel arrangements and intended arrival date back to University.

Postgraduate students may of course return to campus to use specialist facilities whenever required. However, if possible, they should be tested before accessing laboratories.

If you have any problems with the University’s Asymptomatic Testing booking system, please email AsymptomaticBookings@kent.ac.uk.

For other questions about Covid-19 related health, welfare and support issues please check our Coronavirus webpages or email StaffWellbeing@kent.ac.uk.

Best wishes

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

From Professor Richard Reece, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience

Testing across this term

As we approach the end of the Autumn term, I’d like to share with you our achievements in testing our students and staff for Covid-19. Our asymptomatic testing facilities opened on 30 November and closed on 15 December 2020. During this period, an incredibly 4155 tests have been carried out from 5197 booked appointments. This equates to a 79% attendance rate. I am pleased to say that the number of positive cases through our testing facilities has been incredibly low, with only 16 positives identified.

We are currently busy planning our asymptomatic testing programme for the Spring term. This will open on 5 January 2021 on the Canterbury campus for students and staff. I am pleased to say that the booking system is now available should you wish to make appointments to be tested at Canterbury. For staff based at Medway, testing is available through Medway Council and you may book up to 7 days in advance.

Tier 3 restrictions

Following the Government’s announcement on 15 December 2020, Kent and Medway are still within the Tier 3 Covid level. This unfortunately means that restrictions are still in place as we move into Christmas. We can however look forward to some respite over the festive period and I do hope you take the opportunity for some much-needed relaxation time with your family and loved ones.

With my best wishes for the festive season,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

The University has been working to put plans in place to ensure the University remains operationally viable in the event of a no-deal Brexit. As part of this work, we have a policy to support managers and staff in the event that staff working on campus experience difficulties in getting on to campus due to increased congestion and delays on the roads across Kent after 31 December.

Under the Brexit Short Term Travel and Pay Policy, if you are a member of staff whose agreed way of working is on campus, you are expected to attend work in the normal way during any period of disruption and make all reasonable efforts to identify practical travel routes during a period of travel disruption.

If agreed by your line manager, the University will consider claims for reasonable additional expenses if you have to use public transport instead of your normal road journey in order to get to work.  Staff who are unable to get into work must let their line manager know as soon as possible.

Staff (including timesheet paid staff) who are not able to attend for work due to the travel disruption and who are unable to work from home will have their normal pay maintained for the first day of travel disruption provided this has been agreed in advance with line managers. After this, you will be expected to either take annual leave or TOIL.

Further details about the Brexit Short Term Travel and Pay Policy are available here.

Information to support your travel plans is available on our Transport webpages.

Article from Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager:

Change is a constant in life and sometimes, we need to mentally reframe, or redecide our approach to something to be able to accept the change it brings.

One of the major traits of resilient people is how they cope with change and they usually do it by reframing how they see the situation that has developed.

Take Christmas. Once solely a religious festival, in many ways it now represents a family-centric mid-winter fest, with lots of opportunity to party alongside any praise and thanks related to the coming of salvation.

Christmas though is not a season of joy for everyone. If you are one of those people dreading Christmas, for whatever the reason, remember that the University Employee Assistance Programme is staffed to take your call at any time, day or night. The telephone number is 0808 168 2143 and it doesn’t cost you anything to call.

Our relationship with Christmas changes over time. When we are children Christmas means mystery, anticipation and excitement. Teenage years bring the angst of not knowing whether to be a child or a grown up. We then mature into young adults without responsibilities, partying through Christmas; then young parents with children and the cycle begins again. All our family losses are marked at Christmas, the person not at the family get-togethers, the card that doesn’t arrive for 2 years running. They are balanced by the joys of new members of the family, especially children. Our relationship with Christmas shows we can cope with change and have the skill to psychologically reframe as we go through life.

The essence of Christmas is hope. The Christmas Story is that the Child is born, the wait is over; when He grows, He will usher in a time of love, kindness, and forgiveness for all. This year, we really need hope back in our lives. And the glimmers of hope are there on the horizon, with the roll out of the Covid 19 vaccine.

I wish everyone who reads this a peaceful, restful and happy Christmas Holiday period. I hope that those who have been touched by sadness and loss over the past 12 months can start to heal and move forward. 2021 is very near and, hopefully, it’s going to bring solutions to the problems of 2020.

‘What is Resilience? Defining Resilience’: by Emma Ogilvie on resiliencetraining.co.uk
‘Reframe Unhelpful Thoughts’: YouTube video by Every Mind Matters
‘The Importance of Hope; How to be more Hopeful’: by Paul Thomas on selfhelpforlife.com, article and video Information on the Employee Assistance Programme on OH website