2021 Conference Workshops
Workshops
Genuine Race Equality Allyship – Oris Ikomi, Diverse Minds
This workshop built on the 2020 session on race equality and language. In this session delegates learnt about:
- The difference between genuine allyship and performative allyship.
- The ways in which you can be an ally in the workplace.
- How allyship is a journey not a destination.
- Actions to take forward and things they may want to do differently.
Disability Awareness – Jennie Williams, Enhance The UK
In this thought provoking and lively session Jennie helped delegates understand what disability means and explained the social model of disability and its implications. She covered how to appropriately discuss access requirements with a colleague or client, and helped delegates understand some of the unnecessary barriers that disabled people face every day, and what they can do to help change that!
Neurodiversity in the workplace – Amanda Hesketh
Key aims: to explain the terminology, benefits, but also from a HR & Operations perspective how to set up this recruitment stream and make it work alongside other talent pools.
- What is Neurodiversity
- What is the business & social benefits?
- Strengths based recruitment & reasonable adjustments
- Sponsoring & Planning
During this session Amanda provided an overview of what Neurodiversity is, how this talent pool can be incorporated into business in the best way for both parties and some resources to guide delegates through the process by well known companies who are doing this every day.
Active Bystander – Alex Turk, Active Bystander Training Company
The Active Bystander training programme aims to empower staff to challenge poor behaviours, and bring about cultural change through the reinforcement of messages defining the boundaries of unacceptable behaviour
Objectives:
- an understanding of the importance of being an active bystander;
- learn skills and techniques to positively challenge bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviours
- agreed steps to take to be an effective bystander
LGBTQ+ Awareness – High Speed Training
The High Speed Training LGBTQ+ Awareness course raises awareness of the issues faced in the workplace by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer + (LGBTQ+) people. The course helps you to recognise your responsibility for promoting equality and diversity, encouraging a zero-tolerance environment, and reducing the likelihood of discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying of LGBTQ+ staff members. By the end of the course, delegates felt confident in their knowledge of gender identity and diversity, LGBTQ+ terminology, the rights of LGBTQ+ people under UK law, and how to recognise and challenge unlawful behaviour in the workplace.
Workshop Leads
Oris Ikomi (he/him)
Associate at Diverse Minds UK LTD
Oris is a Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion consultant bridging the gap between organisations and talents from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. He has worked with leading brands in the private, public, third sector, and UK universities to engage and attract talents from Black, Asian, and Minority ethnic groups, and helps organisations develop DE&I strategies that are sustainable and fit for purpose.
His interest in DE&I stems from both his professional and lived experience having relocated to the UK as a teenager from Nigeria. When he is not working, Oris spends his past time reading books about psychology, the mind, and metaphysics.
Jennie Williams (she/her)
Founder and CEO of Enhance the UK
Jennie Williams is the founder and CEO of Enhance the UK (ETUK), a user-led charity which aims to help people with physical and sensory disabilities to live a full life. She set it up after working in the care sector and becoming frustrated with the lack of practical information and support available for people who wanted to know more about communicating with disabled people both professionally and personally.
Campaigning to change public perceptions of what disabled people can do, Jennie and her team link people up with life-enhancing opportunities and useful products and services.
Jennie, who has degenerative hearing loss, set out to create fun and interactive training that could be delivered by freelance disabled trainers, therefore tackling the issue head on whilst also offering working opportunities for disabled people around the country. Via face to face and virtual training their goal is to educate businesses and organisations on disability awareness. Search #EnhanceTheUK to learn more
Alex Turk (She/Her)
Associate, Active Bystander Training Company
Alex works as freelance media and communications trainer across all industries, counselling at a senior level, and with extensive experience coaching in the pharmaceutical sector. Having presented and reported news and current affairs from ITN studios and Pinewood, she now has twenty years coaching experience, advising on the preparation and effective delivery of messages via TV, radio and the press, and rehearsing pitches, seminars and presentations.
The Active Bystander Training Company
Amanda Hesketh (she/her)
Director of HB People
FCIPD qualified, worked in Recruitment & HR for 20+ years, Amanda has worked in house, recruitment agency and head of department in various businesses engineering, hospitality, and consultancy.
She is a Governor of a specialist school and sixth form. Mum to two children, her son, who is 14, Autistic & Dyslexic and her daughter, who has a first in accountancy and a trainee management accountant. Amanda started to research the job possibilities for her son in the future and found that his chances were not as equal as his sisters. Only 16% of autistic people are in full time work, 22% in any type of work, paid and unpaid ONS & NAS 2021. She has spent the past 18 months researching, training, networking, and working with employers and young people to bridge the gap of information for successful outcomes. Her focus and aim now is through her Recruitment & HR consultancy to educate employers and work with young people to enter the workforce with purpose & take up meaningful jobs.
High Speed Training
High Speed Training is a UK based company which has made it its mission to deliver training that helps people to be engaged, effective and safe in the career they’ve chosen.
They collaborate with experts and customers to share best practice and insight through a library of outstanding and innovative content.
Together with these partners, High Speed Training can be the most trusted online vocational training team, creating and delivering high quality, certified courses to millions of people.