Do you provide unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health condition or requires extra help as they age? Many of our colleagues are performing this role and don’t realise that they are a carer. One of the missions of NUCarer’s network is to help carer’s identify themselves as a carer, acknowledge their role and get the support they are entitled to.
What defines unpaid care? This can be something as simple as doing a weekly shop for a person or taking someone to visit relatives. Conversely, it can be a complex role of administering medication, providing transport to hospital appointments or providing personal care. The range of activities which defines a carer is vast. If you think you might be a carer but are not sure, use this simple checklist of daily or routine tasks to determine whether or not you are.
Introducing NUCarer’s Network Representative for FMS: Dr Kelly Coffey
The theme for #CarersWeek2021 is “Make caring visible and valued” and is the perfect time to introduce myself as the FMS representative for the NUCarer’s Network. I work within NUTCRI as a tenured research fellow and have been an unpaid carer for around 20 years and a mum for 5 years. Like many people, I didn’t realise that I was a carer for many years. Indeed, it is often when caring responsibilities become overwhelming that a person finally realises that they perform a caring role.
My caring journey began with my Gran, simply taking her for her weekly grocery shopping. It was actually something I looked forward to doing and never once thought of it as a caring role. Subsequently, I then became a carer for both my parents.
My caring role was negligible to begin with. During my PhD I found that I was having to deal with more of their financial matters as the internet became more established. My father was a miner for all his working life until he retired due to colliery closures. My mum was a homemaker for all of her married life as was the tradition in Northumberland. Neither one knew how to turn a computer on never mind navigate the internet!
Meanwhile, in my working life I was doing OK. I got my PhD, I did a couple of post-docs, published my research, helped write grants that were funded and then to my amazement I got an external fellowship to start my own research group from Prostate Cancer UK. I had done it, against the odds (a miner’s daughter from one of the most deprived areas in the UK) – or was it luck? Yes, imposter syndrome – lovely to meet you! A couple of years into my fellowship I welcomed my son, Matthew, into the world and life would change forever. It was at this time that my caring role started to evolve ever bigger into a perfect storm that would rage for 5 years with a grand finale of Covid-19.
The hard manual labour that Dad endured for well over 30 years took its toll on his body. During that time dad had a pacemaker fitted, a new hip fitted, skin cancer removed, to name but a few issues. Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the same time which progressed very quickly and I developed gall bladder disease all whilst getting used to motherhood and being a new group leader. It became commonplace that I would be called out at 2am to deal with a fall or hospital admission and then go to work with no sleep at all. To this day I don’t know how I did it. But it was becoming apparent to others that I was killing myself and needed help and this would come from an unexpected place – a progress review interview for my fellowship. That was the first time I “confessed” everything in the work environment in its raw and unedited form and it was the best thing I ever did.
Since then, a lot has changed. I joined NUCarer’s and discovered there were so many others in my position or had done it all. I got practical advice from the experience of others and much needed peer support. I know I have the Employee Assistance Programme should I ever need to call upon it.
Sadly, in May, one week before her 80th birthday, mum passed away holding the hand of a stranger, to whom I will be forever grateful. On New Years Day 2021, I sat with my dad as he took his last breath. Neither caught Covid, which I consider a minor victory in all this. So, for now, my caring journey is over and a journey of healing has started.
I feel very passionate about helping colleagues to acknowledge that they are carers and to be proud of what they do. Passing on our knowledge to other carer’s once our journey is over is so important which is what makes NUCarer’s such an important resource. I can’t recommend this network enough.
For more information about NUCarer’s, events during Carer’s Week 2021 and how to join can be found within the latest NUConnections article.
Hear from our EDI co-directors, Amy Reeve and Damian Parry, on our EDI strategy for building a more diverse & inclusive medical faculty.
March 2020 will long sit in the U.K.’s consciousness as it was the point at which the country entered its first ever lockdown. For us it has the added significance that it coincided with us taking on the roles of FMS co-directors for EDI. It was quite a time to take up the role and we only managed to meet in person once before the Country went online. We had to adapt to not only change in the way we worked, but also to new roles and responsibilities. One of our mutual primary aims was to develop a Faculty strategy for how to build a more diverse and inclusive faculty, for all students and colleagues, across all roles and career stages. As the year progressed the complexity of the role became more and more evident, the intricacies of understanding and communicating in a way that was fitting to the role and yet personable and approachable became one of our ambitions.
This is why it’s taken us a year to reach the point when we feel able (following a year of education and reflection) to put the strategy together. In the our strategy we want to get across the message of respect and understanding, and so we based it on three words that came out of last year’s FEB away-day which describe the type of Faculty we strive to be –
Kind Respectful Bold
We are currently developing an action plan based on this document. In this we will determine SMART actions by which we can determine the extent of progress towards a more equal, diverse and inclusive Faculty. Culture change won’t result from policy change (although policy has to be a driving force), but rather it needs to come from deeper understanding of an individual’s needs and a greater acceptance of the benefit of difference.
Take a look at the official EDI strategy below.
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Vision and Strategy
‘In pursuit of excellence, we value equality and diversity and endeavour to embed these principles in all that we do.’ Professor David Burn, Pro-Vice Chancellor, FMS
OUR MISSION
The vision of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) is to ‘use our strengths in research and teaching to improve the health of the population’. We are only able to achieve this if our teaching and research is conducted in an environment built on a foundation of equity and inclusion, and undertaken by a diverse community.
As Directors of EDI, our mission for EDI in the faculty is to encourage a Kind and creative environment with a sense of belonging for all who work and study within our walls, ensuring there is no space for discrimination or negative behaviours. By engaging in discussions with gentleness, openness and understanding, and by valuing and listening to the voices of all within our Faculty, we will be Respectful. We will be Bold, aiming high in our teaching and research endeavours, but also in our approaches to supporting our colleagues and students. By constantly evaluating and reviewing the strategy below we will ensure it evolves to strengthen this mission.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy, built around the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) priorities, will ensure continuous improvement in this area. We are one university and cannot work in isolation. To enact change we learn and share best practice with colleagues in other faculties and beyond, to ensure that we are well placed to be able to respond to current and future challenges. Therefore, within FMS, as part of Newcastle University we will uphold the principles set out in the Institution EDI strategy and have used them as a foundation for our FMS EDI strategy;
Co-create a culture which is inclusive and supportive.
Act to remove any barriers which hinder the aspirations of any Faculty member.
Embed the principles of EDI in all teaching and research activities.
Ensure the accessibility of our Faculty buildings and ensure inclusivity of our education and research for all our colleagues and students.
Positively engage with communities and organisations both nationally and internationally to benchmark, learn and continually improve our EDI culture.
OUR STRATEGIC AIMS WITHIN FMS
Within FMS our strategic aims, against which we will measure progress and evaluate every 12 months, are to;
Diversify our learning environment including the curricula and wider Faculty
Build a diverse Faculty and enhance equality for all its members
Help shape an accessible and visible Faculty, supporting accessibility of members to training, support and opportunity, as well as ensuring the provision of accessible spaces and facilities.
Support the ONE University project, to share best practise. We will listen to, learn from and support EDI teams in our overseas Campuses.
Increase awareness of the importance of embedding good EDI practice through training and development for Faculty members.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Over the next three years, we will work to fulfil the following objectives to support the delivery of our strategic aims.
To support Diversification of our learning environment we will;
Support ongoing projects and uphold the principles of the Race Equality Charter, and the BMA Racial Harassment Charter.
Actively look to diversify our learning environment and increase the inclusivity of teaching materials by hearing from learned experience across the protected characteristics and including learned experiences in our teaching materials. To build diversity and equality we will;
Address the terminology we use as a Faculty to describe all facets of protected characteristics, to support inclusion and sensitivity and encourage open dialogue and create a sense of belonging for all students and colleagues.
Actively engage with our EDI Networks, listening to and consulting with them to action change within FMS.
Encourage the formation of UG and PG student EDI committees within all schools and Institutes and ensure the inclusion of student UG and PG EDI representatives from these committees on all EDI committees across the faculty, providing a clear communication path to the Faculty Executive Board.
Work to fulfil the principles of Charter Marks including Race Equality, Advance HE, Stonewall and Athena Swan, and others that we will engage with over time, aspiring to go above and beyond these.
To promote accessibility and equality we will;
Act to proactively reduce the Awarding Gap in our student populations to ensure all individuals have the opportunity to achieve their potential.
Increase the diversity of all interview and promotions panels, and review and support changes to ensure equality in pay and promotions across the Faculty.
Review our recruitment policies to ensure equality and diversity in recruitment, of both students (both UG and PG) and colleagues at all grades (both academic and Professional Services/Technical).
Support the Estates team to provide and make visible Prayer rooms, Reflection spaces, lactation rooms and accessibility to ensure that all members of the community have space to engage and feel that they belong and their needs area met.
Challenge current policies to support colleagues and students with seen and unseen disabilities.
Engage with our community to break down divides, for example we will engage with local schools to support the widening of participation.
To support ONE University we will;
Support and share our EDI policies with NUMed EDI teams, remaining aware of cultural sensitivities.
Support their Family policy and the formulation of their EDI strategy.
To embed good EDI practise we will;
Remain responsive to ongoing challenges and demands.
Ensure that we expand the range of EDI training courses offered to all Faculty members, through increasing visibility and communication of training course this will include (but is not limited to) training on unconscious bias, macroaggression, active bystanderism and White privilege
Link with the EDI Training Officer highlighting areas in which there is an unmet need for training.
Ensure improvements in data collection across the faculty for both colleagues and students. This will provide metrics against which impact and improvements in all areas can be measured.
OUR EDI DIRECTORS
Dr. Amy Reeve, Senior Research Fellow, Translational and Clinical Research Institute.
Wouldn’t it be amazing, if there was no need for Directors of EDI. It would reflect the fact that we had fulfilled all aspects of our philosophy and had created a Faculty which was truly inclusive and in which all members felt that they belonged.
However, until we achieve this and for the remainder of my time as Co-Director I will support all aspects of our strategic aims, but with a particular focus on improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for our Researchers. I came to Newcastle as a 22-year-old PG student, to commence my PhD studies and now I manage my own research group. I have applied the principles of EDI in all aspects of my research career, striving to support all members of my team irrespective of their role, ensuring that all their needs are met and constantly taking time for self-reflection to examine how I can do better.
My specific priorities over the next 12 months are;
To work in partnership with my co-director, Damian, together with the wider EDI team across the University, to ensure continued support and development of this strategy
To design and implement post-graduate studentships to support Black Home students through their PG studies, creating studentships which don’t just provide financial support, but also tailored mentorship and career development support.
To work closely with our Dean for Research Culture and Strategy (Prof. Candy Rowe) to ensure a positive research culture across all our research laboratories and an understanding of why such a culture is beneficial.
To further enhance communication within the EDI team and between the EDI team and the Faculty, to ensure EDI requests and communications are responded to and communicated in a time sensitive and delicate manner.
To support PG mentorship schemes to ensure that Mentors and Mentees have shared experiences and understanding.
To learn from the events of 2020 to ensure equality in the support of all Faculty members, to support flexible working policies, to help create an Anti-racist environment and to understand how to support the needs of all our Faculty.
Dr. Damian Parry, Lecturer, Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Sciences
Prior to taking on the role of co-director in the Faculty, I led EDI in the school of biomedical, nutritional and sport sciences. During this time, it became apparent to me that education is far from a level playing field, both in terms of access and progress. This inequality starts prior to entry as undergraduates and persists through education and employment. It seems to me one of the first steps needs to be more open discussion and transparency so that this inequality can be exposed and thereby addressed.
It’s therefore my aim, together with Amy, to have more open discussions; but these discussions need to be held under the keywords highlighted in our Mission with respect kindness and boldness. Specific aims include:
Fully disclose and address the Awarding gap.
Assess and address recruitment both to the student body and to the workforce to determine why there is imbalance in the demographics.
Building equality into working practices between academic and professional staff, whilst also engaging postgraduate researchers in more balanced and supported working practices
Supporting staff in gaining training so they can better understand and support colleagues and students coming from different backgrounds in dealing with complex situations
Building networks and support for the less “seen” groups within the faculty, for example PGR students and technical support.
Improving communication within the EDI team and between the EDI team and the Faculty, to ensure EDI requests and communications are responded to and communicated in a time sensitive and delicate manner
Supporting PG mentorship schemes to ensure that Mentors and Mentees have shared experiences and understanding.
OUR FACULTY
Supporting EDI is everyone’s business. We have developed this strategy to inform all members of our Faculty. To be a truly Kind Faculty, we must ensure all colleagues and students are supported, valued and rewarded, irrespective of any protected characteristic. We can only be Respectful by listening to the voices, needs and concerns of all and by supporting appropriate and positive actions. These foundations will allow us to be Bold, and constantly aim to achieve more, to support ground-breaking and inventive research projects and train the next generation of scientists and clinicians.
Together we can have ‘a powerful and measurable impact’ on the world.
The theme of International Women’s Day this year was #ChooseToChallenge. Here in FMS, we believe strongly in challenging gendered assumptions on working in science. It’s important to celebrate the hard working & powerful women leading our department, who set an example every day of just how much women are capable of. To all fellow women scientists out there: remember to celebrate yourselves everyday!
The seventh (and final) interview in our #ChooseToChallenge series is with Eileen Kaner, Professor of Public Health and Primary Care research. Once again, enjoy!
Please describe your role.
I am a Professor of Public Health and Primary Care research at Newcastle University and also Director of an NIHR Applied Research Collaboration which crosses the North East and North Cumbria. The main focus of my work is to develop, deliver and disseminate research findings on health and well-being which have a bearing on the ‘real world’ of peoples’ lives. We are also focused on addressing inequalities in health status, experiences of health and social care and its outcomes. Hence the vision for the ARC is ‘Better, fairer health and care at all ages and in all places’.
What would a normal day look like for you?
Currently, it is hard to say what ‘normal’ is, I have worked from home since the 12th March 2020. I am lucky to have an office at home and also older children who have not needed specific home schooling from me. Typically, round 60% of every day is spend in video-conferences conducting interviews, project meetings, funding panels and NICE guidance work. It is extraordinary how most people have managed to convert work activity into remote processes. I miss human contact – but – do not miss the travel associated with office work.
How have you found a balance between work and homelife during Covid?
I have tried to find a balance between work and homelife – although this can be difficult when working at home. I am a bit of an owl, so I do not mind working a little later – for me this is the perfect time to catch up after days full of meetings. However, I do not work at the weekend. So this helps make a clear separation between home and work-time.
What does it mean to you being a woman in your role?
I am proud to be a research leader and a mother of four children. I feel that each part of my life informs the other. Life can be hectic (work demands have certainly not slowed down during the pandemic) but my research work seems useful to others in a very direct way.
A massive thank you to Eileen for taking the time to talk to us.This brings us to the end of our Choose to Challenge series. We hope you’ve enjoyed the insight into the lives of these empowering women as much as we have!
Newcastle University is committed to developing careers for all colleagues, with some great success stories of women who have developed full and rewarding careers across the institution. Historically we have supported specific women into leadership programmes such as the Aurora programme and the Women in academia – coaching and mentoring (WiCAM) programme in collaboration with Durham University, alongside broader coaching and mentoring opportunities. As part of the university commitment to this agenda, work is currently underway to review our development offerings with a view to launching a refreshed offer in the autumn to ensure we have the right support in place.
The theme of International Women’s Day this year was #ChooseToChallenge. Here in FMS, we believe strongly in challenging gendered assumptions on working in science. It’s important to celebrate the hard working & powerful women leading our department, who set an example every day of just how much women are capable of. To all fellow women scientists out there: remember to celebrate yourselves everyday!
The sixth interview in our #ChooseToChallenge series is with Paula Salgado, Senior Lecturer and Theme Lead for Molecular Mechanisms of Life Research. Enjoy!
Please describe your role.
I’m Theme Lead for the Molecular Mechanisms of Life Research Theme in the Biosciences Institute, at the Faculty of Medical Sciences and a Senior Lecturer.
What would a normal day look like for you?
At the moment, normal is hard to define and we’re constantly having to adapt to these challenging times.
Currently, a typical day starts with a daily walk to take my son to nursery – it’s an opportunity for some exercise and tends to help charge up my energy for the day. I’ll then have part of the day reserved to Zoom meetings and always try to block time in my diary for teaching and/or research activities.
I will typically have group meetings and one-to-one discussions with my group members at either end of the week, giving them time to carry out experiments and analyse data.
Theme and management related meetings and tasks tend to be carried out throughout the day and week, as needed.
At the moment, I’m preparing a grant application so focusing on reading and writing for a few hours a day – when I can!
How have you found a balance between work and homelife during Covid?
There have been many challenges to balance leadership roles, my research group, teaching commitments and family life during the last year. During lockdown, when nurseries were closed, it was particularly difficult and I had to adapt working hours, focusing on early afternoons and evenings. There has been an impact of COVID in my work, but we have been able to continue our research, thanks to a fantastic group of postdocs and PhD students, a huge thank you to them for their dedication and hard work! Of course, support from colleagues and collaborators is also essential. We all know it’s been a difficult year but together we can continue to do great science and provide a good learning experience for our students.
What does it mean to you being a woman in your role?
Being Theme Lead is an opportunity to create a supportive, nurturing and collaborative research environment. Women in leadership positions face many challenges but we also have an opportunity to affect change and inspire others. We have to continuously work to make our working environments inclusive and fair and I hope I can contribute as Theme Lead to make this a daily reality.
A massive thank you to Paula for taking the time to talk to us.
Newcastle University is committed to developing careers for all colleagues, with some great success stories of women who have developed full and rewarding careers across the institution. Historically we have supported specific women into leadership programmes such as the Aurora programme and the Women in academia – coaching and mentoring (WiCAM) programme in collaboration with Durham University, alongside broader coaching and mentoring opportunities. As part of the university commitment to this agenda, work is currently underway to review our development offerings with a view to launching a refreshed offer in the autumn to ensure we have the right support in place.
The theme of International Women’s Day this year was #ChooseToChallenge. Here in FMS, we believe strongly in challenging gendered assumptions on working in science. It’s important to celebrate the hard working & powerful women leading our department, who set an example every day of just how much women are capable of. To all fellow women scientists out there: remember to celebrate yourselves everyday!
The fifth interview in our #ChooseToChallenge series is with Lynn Rochester, Professor of Human Movement Science (and much more!) Enjoy.
Please describe your role.
I have multiple roles as the following description will highlight and therefore, wear many hats! However, I like to think somehow, collectively, they form a coherent whole – although its not always so clear…… Let me give some examples of key roles.
I am Professor of Human Movement Science based in the Translational and Clinical Research Institute in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. In this role I am proud to lead the Brain and Movement Research Group (http://bam-ncl.co.uk/). In this role I lead strategically, provide supervision, mentorship, lead and contribute to research projects, aim to provide a dynamic and supportive environment, support the team to progress through their careers.
I have a national leadership role in the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network where I provide strategic leadership and oversite of the NIHR research portfolio covering a cluster of health conditions with the aim of optimising and ensuring delivery of high quality clinical research. In this role I also lead national research projects to improve the clinical research landscape and optimise trial delivery.
I have an international leadership role as the co-ordinator of Mobilise-D (https://www.mobilise-d.eu) funded through the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative. Mobilise-D is an international consortium of 34 academic and industry partners from 13 countries that is aiming to use digital technology to develop better methods to measure mobility in the real-world. We are applying the approach in multiple conditions so we can better measure and treat mobility loss.
But in reality irrespective of the title my role is to support, nurture, mentor, lead, create, problem solve and deliver – its never dull!
What would a normal day look like for you?
I would imagine my daily routine can appear – to an outside eye as chaotic – because as you can tell by the response to the previous question – I juggle multiple roles. For many of us a normal day at present isn’t a ‘normal’ day because of the remote nature of work. In reality for me however, multiple ZOOM calls were already part of my routine – because of the international nature of my work. What has changed is the intensity of each day, as there is no down time moving from one meeting to another. This means that your brain has to catch up quickly – moving from a conversation on algorithms to measure mobility, to inclusion of under-served populations in clinical trials, to PhD supervision, to chairing or speaking at national/international meetings. But its all good – there is no such thing as a boring day. I really enjoy the different interactions and I get to work with some amazing people as well as the pleasure of seeing members of my group progressing in their careers. I am looking forward to some face to face meetings however, as I miss the spontaneity of conversation, bouncing ideas around and just the general joy of interacting with other human beings J.
How have you found a balance between work and homelife during Covid?
Like everyone this was a challenge and has continued to evolve over the duration of the pandemic. I am someone who works best in a team – both as a clinician (as a physiotherapist) and as an academic. So initially I found it very difficult to suddenly find myself working from home and adapting to the new normal. However, it was essential – and it became clear that my working space/environment was critical – as well as the need to create some clear boundaries. I am fortunate in that there was space to create a separate office. This allowed me to set up better routines and help create a balance. I have always been active and enjoyed exercise, however this became even more important for me. I have prioritised getting outside each day and taking regular breaks to move around (nothing more exciting than getting up to sort out the laundry – one of the benefits of home working – the chores don’t have to wait until the weekend 😊). On some levels it has made life easier as commuting to meetings around the country and overseas took a lot of my time. So in some ways I have also gained.
What does it mean to you being a woman in your role?
Not an easy question to answer. There are the obvious responses of course – but in reality – on a day to day basis I don’t really think about this – I just see myself as one of the team – either leading it or working within – depending upon what is going on. However, I think I bring a different perspective and that is good. I am also tuned into the competing challenges that female colleagues may have and this awareness is important to help create a harmonious and inclusive workplace. My own research team is very diverse – so the experience of working in a diverse team is embedded within the research culture of my group. I am also able to reflect on my own experiences and use those to inform interactions with colleagues. I mentor female scientists and one of the key areas I find important is building confidence to lead. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing people who have influenced me in my career. I hope in turn I can pass this on to the talented women who I work with in my group and more broadly. One advantage of being in a senior leadership role is that I can use my voice where needed to highlight issues and celebrate success – both of which are important. I find that there are more celebrations than problems when things are approached with a positive and collegial frame of mind. As with everything in life – balance is important!
A massive thank you to Lynn for taking the time to talk to us.
Newcastle University is committed to developing careers for all colleagues, with some great success stories of women who have developed full and rewarding careers across the institution. Historically we have supported specific women into leadership programmes such as the Aurora programme and the Women in academia – coaching and mentoring (WiCAM) programme in collaboration with Durham University, alongside broader coaching and mentoring opportunities. As part of the university commitment to this agenda, work is currently underway to review our development offerings with a view to launching a refreshed offer in the autumn to ensure we have the right support in place.
Talking Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in the Faculty of Medical Sciences and at Newcastle University.
