Broadcast: News items

PS Essentials - October 2023

Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications

Last updated: Friday, 27 October 2023

PS Essentials highlights the key priorities for Professional Services colleagues and recent news which you and your teams may find useful. Please take five minutes to read the full PS Essentials below.

If there is information you would like included in a future edition of PS Essentials, please email the Internal Comms team at: internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk.

Quick links

About you

Free flu vaccinations available for staff

The University is supporting staff wellbeing by paying for flu jabs for those who are not eligible for a free vaccination. This benefit, available to all staff, is a great way to help you stay well this winter. The easiest way for you to take advantage of this offer is by booking your vaccination free of charge with the independent University pharmacy on campus. There are also alternative options for those who may opt to have their flu jab elsewhere. Find out more and book.

Update your equalities information on MyView

HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Agency) has made changes to the data categories it collects from the University and following this, we ask all staff to complete and update their equalities data on MyView if they haven’t already done so. This is vital to help make sure that the data we collect continues to be accurate. Equalities data helps the University to monitor diversity, informing the action we take to improve policies and practices. Your data is confidential and processed in line with our data policies. We provide the data to HESA as part of our reporting obligations but otherwise, equalities data is only available as aggregated data for reporting purposes.

You can review and update your equalities data by logging into MyView and selecting the ‘My Personal Details’ tab, followed by ‘My Equality Data’. Please also take a few minutes to ensure your personal details are up to date in MyView.

Reminder to complete your Achievement and Development Review

Please make sure you complete your Achievement and Development Review (ADR) as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so ahead of the 30 September deadline. Your ADR offers the opportunity for you and your manager to reflect on the successes and challenges of the past year and consider your future development. Forms, information and guidance are available on the ADR webpages and you can access the recorded version of the ADR training session on LearnUpon, which supports both reviewers and reviewees. As this is the first year for the ADR process, we will be gathering feedback from staff on the process in the coming months and would welcome your views.

Recognising exceptional staff performance through Discretionary Pay Review

The University’s Discretionary Pay Review (DPR) process is launching on 9 October. The scheme is a way to recognise staff and is designed to encourage and reward exceptional performance results, values and behaviours which help to drive the University’s mission and strategic goals.

The University is keen to acknowledge the additional work undertaken within Professional Services teams to support our students and reorganise panels and boards (and other impacted activities) as a result of the marking and assessment boycott. An additional Team Bonus Discretionary Pay Review category has been added for this year in order to recognise the work of staff during this period.

Each School and Division will hold its own moderation session before submitting their nominations to the Reward team, so please speak to your line manager about the submission deadlines in your area. Full details of the DPR process will be communicated shortly, if you have any further questions please email: reward@sussex.ac.uk.

About Professional Services

Improving access to the Library

The Library entry gates will be open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday for Semester One of the 2023/24 academic year. This allows for freer movement during busy periods and will improve the experience for students. At all other times, the gates will revert to being closed and staff and students will need their University ID card to enter and exit the building. This is a pilot, and future arrangements will only be put in place following a period of evaluation, including staff and student feedback.

We have also introduced new floorplans for the Library building, using service design principles, following multiple rounds of user testing over the summer. The floorplans have been added to the Library website and kiosks on site, and printed versions are available at the Library Service Desk.

Stay up to date with the Transforming Sussex newsletter

Take a look at the Transforming Sussex newsletter for the latest updates on our projects and programmes as we start the new academic year. You can find out about changes to the catering offer, building improvements underway and progress with our University systems.

Please sign up to our mailing list to receive future issues of our newsletter directly to your inbox. Further information is available on the Transforming Sussex webpages.

Coming up

World Mental Health Day and wellbeing webinar: 10 October

World Mental Health Day (WMHD) on 10 October aims to increase awareness around mental health, mental wellbeing, self-care and seeking assistance when it’s needed. Read more about WMHD and support and resources available for staff at the University.

Wendy Carey, Staff Wellbeing Manager, is hosting a webinar on 10 October from 10.30am – 11.30am on Exploring Wellbeing Support at Sussex and Beyond. During the session you’ll learn more about Sussexsport, the Menopause Network, the Mental Health First Aid Network and more. Our newly-launched Wellbeing Support Guide is also available on the Wellbeing Hub, offering a range of useful internal and external resources to support your wellbeing.

PS Bigger Picture: 16 November

Tim Westlake and members of the PS Leadership Team will be hosting the next PS Bigger Picture on Thursday 16 November. Join us either in person or via the livestream to hear about what’s new in Professional Services. There will also be opportunity to ask questions during the event. Look out for more details coming soon.

Organisational Development events now available to book

Many events are now open for booking on the OD termly calendar, including Effective Skills for Mentors and Debunking the Menopause at Sussex in October.

To keep up to date with upcoming learning and development opportunities, subscribe to the OD newsletter, or follow OD on Viva Engage/Yammer, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Join an Open Listening Space in November

Open Listening Spaces offer an opportunity to explore the dynamics of conflict and consider what helps or hinders us in speaking and being heard. These experiential and practical workshops, which are in-person and open to all staff, offer a safe environment to develop your capacity to participate in inclusive conversations, speak about your own experiences and allow different perspectives. No previous experience is required, just an open mind and a willingness to engage. Sessions are available between 14 and 21 November and you can book your place now.

Share your questions about periods as part of a collaborative event series

What have you always wanted to know about menstruation but were too afraid to ask? Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) and the Period Dignity Project are hoping to help answer questions from anyone within our University community, regardless of gender, as part of a series of collaborative events on campus.

The next event in the series will be during the autumn term - details to be confirmed soon on the BSMS events webpage. A number of questions have already been collected from across campus, and you can ask your own questions by popping them in one of the orange ballot boxes found in the Library, Student Centre, John Maynard Smith building, Engineering and Informatics, BSMS, the Meeting House, Sussex House (HR), and Maths and Physical Sciences.

A reminder

Consider an apprenticeship to develop new skills

Apprenticeships are one of the many development opportunities we offer to enhance your skills and knowledge, gain a qualification and prepare for the next stage of your career. An apprenticeship is based on current and real work, which means it can provide a highly developed set of transferable skills so the employer benefits while the apprentice is learning. There are over 600 different apprenticeships to suit people across a range of different career stages in administration, business, digital, creative and design, marketing and management to name just a few. Find out more.