All Equality & Diversity courses

We would like to have more conversations going into the detail of how we can best support members and potential members of the Disabled Staff Network.

If you would like to take part, please sign up to one of the two Focus Group sessions running in January 2022.

More information to follow.

Working with Fatigue or Energy Impairment

Many disabled staff find ourselves trying to work while managing our Fatigue or Energy Impairment. Doing this is, at best, difficult, and made more-so by our sense that if we mention it, we risk being labelled “lazy”. Hence we tend to struggle on, alone and in silence.

As more colleagues with long-Covid return to work, now feels like a good time for us to begin talking openly about what it feels like and how we can start to improve things.

We are holding an Online panel discussion, beginning with Dr Anna Ruddock from the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project, plus members of the DSN talking about our lived-experience and opening into a wider conversation about working with Fatigue and /or Energy Impairment.

To maximise inclusion we invite you to join our 1 hour discussion over lunch time. Find a comfortable place to sit and feel free to bring your lunch.

We are pleased to be holding the first informal social event for members of the Disabled Staff Network during this year's Mental Health Awareness Week programme.

From the focus groups held when the Staff Network was first set up, social isolation was identified as an issue for the network members. We hope that by running regular drop-in sessions such as this, we can help individuals make connections, share experiences and provide peer support.

We look forward to seeing you at the Disabled Staff Network’s first event, which will be on the subject of loneliness.

Members of the DSN Committee will open the conversation by reflecting on their experiences of loneliness and isolation. This will be followed by an informal discussion where everyone is welcome to share their thoughts, in whatever format is most comfortable.

We hope that the event will be an opportunity to get to know one another, listen to and reflect on each other's experiences.

This event is for members of the Disabled Staff Network. To join, please sign up using this link

Is mindfulness training like physical exercise but for the mind, that will improve our health and wellbeing?

This is a frequent comparison, but how far can it be stretched?

We will discuss the scientific evidence available and explore its most critical issues before you decide to go for some mindful pull ups.

Dr Julieta Galante, Department of Psychiatry

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Delivered in a safe and supportive environment, this sexual harassment prevention training offers individuals the opportunity to learn about the different factors that might create and perpetuate a work environment in which harassment and bullying occur, and strategies for how to address this.

This session is only for MML staff.

Staff Review and Development (Appraisal) provides the opportunity for supervisors, managers and academics to engage in constructive discussion with their staff or academic colleagues about current and future work and their personal and career development.

This session is to clarify the nature of SRD and its objectives, and consider best practice for individuals and those supporting SRD more broadly in Departments.

Loneliness and isolation are increasing in societies all around the world, particularly in young people. Yet, the effects of loneliness on brain function and cognition are not clear. In this talk, Dr Livia Tomova, will present recent findings on how loneliness impacts brain function and cognition in young adults and adolescents. The implications of this research in the light of mental health problems will be discussed.

Dr Livia Tomova, Henslow Research Fellow and Director of Studies for Psychological and Behavioural Studies,

Have you ever wondered what training GPs receive about the menopause or how to discuss your menopause symptoms with your GP? We are delighted to welcome Dr Madeleine Lameris who will discussing her own medical training, how this has evolved and what current undergraduate medical students are now taught. Madeleine will also provide her top tips as a GP for accessing better menopause care.

Dr Madeleine Lameris is the General Practice Education Group Year 5 and Curriculum lead in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University, and also has a role at Cambridge Clinical School curating Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) content. Madeleine is in the process of completing her Masters in Medical Education, and she is a salaried GP at Buckden and Little Paxton Surgery. Madeleine has an interest in women’s health and menopause, and with her medical education hat on, is currently working with the team at the Newson Health Menopause Society to widen undergraduate access to menopause resources.

In this session, the Legal Services Office will provide staff in HR related roles with an employment law update, including the latest in case law and forthcoming legislation changes.