Supporting our diverse community

Staff 

Imperial Health and Wellbeing advice and support, and free professional and Confidential Care assistance, which is accessible to all staff and members of their family living with them, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Confidential Care's help line, staffed by trained counsellors, can provide information and advice on a wide range of work and life issues.

Students

• Equip yourself to live life well at the Student Support Zone.
• Our department's Student Wellbeing Advisor, Kelly Greenwood k.greenwood@imperial.ac.uk, enhances the support students receive from their personal tutors and works collaboratively with Personal Tutors and Senior Tutors to provide wellbeing advice, support and mentoring to students.
• All students can make appointments to speak to Kelly about a whole range of non-academic issues such as settling into university life and independent living, relationships, friendships or family worries, mental health, physical health, loneliness, accommodation, financial difficulties or any issue that is having an impact on a student’s wellbeing and academic progress.
• The Imperial College Union has a network of Student Wellbeing Reps. The Rep network works with the university so departments can understand the issues students face outside their academic studies, ensuring that student wellbeing is considered.

Mental health

Imperial is committed to raising awareness of mental health issues and enhancing the mental wellbeing of our community.  Our Commitment to Mental Health

A Mental Health First Aider will provide you with a safe space to start a confidential conversation about your mental health, and direct you to the most appropriate support.

• Mental Health First Aiders wear a bright green lanyard
• You can speak to any Mental Health First Aider in the university. 
• Esther Perea and Kate Farrar are Mental Health First Aiders in the EEE Department.
  

Work-life balance

Imperial helps staff with flexible working arrangements which give a degree of flexibility on how long, where, and at what times staff can work.

Imperial recognises the demands of family life and is committed to supporting members of staff to obtain a good work life balance. We encourage all staff to take advantage of the Imperial's family and caring leave pay and policies, and will support you in doing so.

The Elsie Widdowson Fellowship Award allows academic staff (Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Reader, and Professor) to concentrate fully on their research work upon returning from maternity, adoption, surrogacy and/or shared parental leave. 

Parental Leave Portal

The Parental Leave Portal is a fully supported online platform, designed to support employees throughout the transition to parenthood. Whether an expectant parent, on parental or adoption leave or a recent returner to work, there are discussion forums, goal-setting progress trackers, interactive exercises, videos, checklists and case studies designed to help you. 

Managers have access to their own portal, which focuses on concise, just-in-time support for those who need a refresher on how to best support a team member through their journey to parenthood and their return to work.

More information on the Parents’ Network webpages.

For staff

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre provides support and advice for staff.

The Calibre Leadership Programme is open to disabled staff and aims to impart knowledge and techniques to overcome and master barriers in the workplace.

For students

Imperial's Disability Advisory Service is open between 9:30 and 16:30, Monday - Friday. Email disabilities@imperial.ac.uk.

The EEE Department Disability Officer for students is Emma Rainbow.

Imperial is committed to making our community an environment which is respectful and inclusive. This includes eliminating all forms of discrimination, especially direct and indirect forms of harassment, bullying and victimisation. The university will respond directly to those report unwelcome behaviour.

You have a voice. Please remember that:

• you can take action and should not tolerate poor behaviour;
• you don't have to suffer in silence - silence gives people permission to continue in their poor behaviour;
• you will be listened to and your concerns taken seriously.

Who can I talk to about harassment or bullying?

For staff

Imperial College Harassment and Bullying Support provides guidance and advice on reporting incidences of bullying, harassment, discrimination, victimisation and hate crime, and university policy.

• Report and Support With the Report + Support tool, you can disclose unwelcoming behaviours such as bullying, harassment, sexual violence, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Anyone can use the tool, including staff, students, and visitors to Imperial. It can be used if have witnessed an incident or experienced bullying or harassment directly. You can disclose either anonymously or you can provide your details to be contacted by an advisor.
• Confidential Care. All staff and members of their family living with them can get free professional and confidential help from Confidential Care, the College's Employee Assistance Provider, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Confidential Care's help line, and email service is staffed by trained counsellors, can provide information and advice on a wide range of work and life issues including Bullying/Harassment.

For students

• The Student Support Zone provides guidance and advice on reporting behaviour.
• Report and Support With the Report + Support tool, you can disclose unwelcoming behaviours such as bullying, harassment, sexual violence, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Anyone can use the tool, including staff, students, and visitors to Imperial. It can be used if have witnessed an incident or experienced bullying or harassment directly. You can disclose either anonymously or you can provide your details to be contacted by an advisor.

Active Bystander Training

The department encourages everyone to participate in Imperial's Active Bystander training. The programme aims to empower staff across the Imperial community to challenge poor behaviours and bring about cultural change.

Active Bystander training

The active bystander programme aims to empower staff across our College community to challenge poor behaviours and bring about cultural change. All staff and new students in the department receive Active Bystander training.

Unconscious Bias training

Unconscious bias is automatically making quick judgments and assessments, influenced by our background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context.

Unconscious bias can influence key decisions in the workplace and can contribute to inequality, for example in supervision, recruitment, performance appraisals, or promotion.

Unconscious bias e-learning course

Imperial EDI Training

The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Centre (EDIC) offers a range of training programmes to raise awareness of key diversity and inclusion topics, and to ensure Imperial's staff are able to apply and embed these values in our work.