Events

Caring for somebody who is elderly, disabled or ill can be very stressful and demanding.  It can sometimes help to talk to others who are in a similar situation.  For this reason, the Equality and Diversity Team has established a Carers’ Network bringing together staff who are balancing work with caring for an ill, elderly, or disabled family member, friend or partner.   This provides working carers with the opportunity to come together and share experiences.

Planning a family? Pregnant? On maternity leave? Partner of someone who is?  This is for you! An informal event designed to provide you with all the information you require about maternity leave and pay, flexible working, childcare vouchers, pensions etc and a great opportunity to meet other people in the same situation.

The session is divided into two halves, with lunch in the middle.  The first half concentrates on what you need to know before and during maternity leave, and the second half focuses on providing useful information for your return from maternity leave.  

Lunch is provided and if you prefer you can attend for just one half of the session, including lunch. Partners are welcome - just let us know in advance so that we can cater for the right number of people. If you are already on maternity leave, you are very welcome to bring your baby/babies with you too however, please note that you will be responsible for your child while on University premises.

The law surrounding maternity and paternity leave is fast-changing and complex, with significant implications for employers.  This workshop has been designed to provide managers with up-to-date information on all aspects of managing maternity and paternity leave (including individual rights and responsibilities, planning cover arrangements, and agreeing keeping in touch days and reasonable contact).  It will also cover issues relating to the subsequent return to work (such as managing requests for flexible working, parental and dependents leave). 

The Working Parents' Network enables employees to support each other as they make the transition into parenthood.  It also provides an informal setting within which to discuss the various challenges that are presented as children grow up.

The last meeting of the Network was a workshop called 'Divided Selves', where attendees discussed the emotional impact of dividing attention between family and work, such as feelings of guilt, stress and tiredness, and ways to negotiate this by focusing on their successes and the benefits of being a working parent.

This workshop will be running again, as well as other events.

Dates will be publicised in due course.

Feedback on what type of events people would be interested in attending is always welcome.

A PhD researcher at the University of Exeter is conducting a piece of research on thinking styles in mothers and how this impacts the mother-infant relationship and infant development. The research seeks to better understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between a mother’s mood, child development and early mother-infant interactions.

This study consists of an online survey that asks mothers to answer some questions about their mood, thinking styles and their infant’s development. Participants will then be asked to complete a similar, shorter questionnaire at 3 time points over the next year, so we can follow your progress!

This workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to recognise and deal with potentially hazardous situations. The emphasis is on prevention through awareness, as a pre-cursor to adopting a physical strategy.
During the workshop, participants will learn:

• why standard responses often prove ineffective

• ways to improve their awareness of potentially hazardous situations

• how to overcome distraction, harassment and physical techniques used by assailants

• valuable self-defence strategies, including posture, language, gestures, the art of deception and low impact physical techniques.

There will also be a chance to ask questions during the workshop.

Future dates for this event will be publicised in due course.

This three-hour course run by St John’s Ambulance is open to all University staff. The knowledge and skills that you learn will enable you to act effectively in an emergency situation.

Future dates for this event will be publicised in due course.