UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 23 FEBRUARY 2022
Birmingham City University has been awarded top marks in a prestigious standard recognising businesses’ commitment to LGBT+ inclusion.
The University has been handed Gold in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, a benchmarking tool which was established to allow organisations to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace.
Participating companies are tasked with showcasing their work in eight areas of employment policy and practice, and staff are given an anonymised survey about their experiences of diversity and inclusion at work.
The University made its first submission to the Index following the 2019 launch of a project aiming to embed best practice in LGBT+ inclusion for staff and students, and was today awarded Gold accreditation – the top standard available for organisations.
Working closely with the Staff LGBT+ Network and stakeholders across the University and the Students’ Union, the project has seen a number of key developments including:
- Launching facilitated LGBT+ Allies training, which has since been completed by over 270 staff members
- Supporting major activities including LGBT History Month and Birmingham Pride
- An LGBT+ student mentoring pilot, now embedded into the Careers+ Professional Mentoring Scheme
- A review of internal policies for LGBT+ inclusive practices and language
- The creation of information resources including a pronouns guide to ensure inclusivity
- An annual LGBT+ student welcome highlighting relevant support with speakers from local LGBT+ services
- Granting staff access to bespoke training modules on transgender and non-binary awareness; a guide for managers to support transgender and non-binary members of staff, and guidance on being an effective bystander.
Ross Strong, Stonewall Project Manager at Birmingham City University, said: “This fantastic result demonstrates the value of building an effective partnership between staff, students and across departments to drive LGBT+ inclusion work forward.
The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index provides employers with Gold, Silver or Bronze accreditation based on their submissions demonstrating commitment to inclusivity.
You can read more about BCU’s LGBT+ inclusion work on the Stonewall Project webpage.
Stonewall is the UK’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality. Information and FAQs about their Diversity Champions programme can be found on their website.