I am the HR Manager at Aspire.  I chair all of the Champions Meetings and provide a monthly agenda to follow.  My responsibility is to ensure that all champion areas have a voice and that we are utilising resources like the cultural calendar and awareness/ celebration days to ensure appropriate content is shared with staff and learners. We always start with a review of any previous actions, as well as ensuring that all champions have a voice.

I am the Head of Operations, Quality and Engagement.  My role within the champions team is to act as vice chair.  I ensure that content and ideas discussed are imbedded into the delivery of our curriculum and offer, support, advice and guidance where necessary.

I am the Operations Manager for Aspire Education Academy.  I am part of the Champions meetings to provide additional support to the champions and feedback to everyone on what is happening on the cohorts with our learners. I offer advice on any developments I feel could help to move us forward on both internal and external platforms. I organise and plan charity events for our staff members and learners.  I provide internal updates and competitions for the togetherness and culture of the business.

Awareness of good mental health habits is vital in a vocation like education as we all know how much time, energy, and commitment is put into making sure our learners are safe and fulfilling their potential. Mental Health champions work to provide support for all learners and staff in prioritising and reflecting on their mental health through consultation, advocacy, providing a listening ear, and signposting - when our mental health is good, we are able to shine.

I aim to promote mental health and wellbeing events and provide resources and guidance for raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing. I set up activities that that promote health (Walking Month) or social interaction (Bingo).  I create One File announcements and information to go onto social media.  I am here should you need help or advice on your mental health or wellbeing.

How can you help?

Provide screenshots of teaching and learning activities where mental health and wellbeing events have been delivered.

Create and share resources / ideas amongst colleagues.

Take part in health and wellbeing activities if it will provide enjoyment (it is not mandatory!)

Share your own ideas for health and wellbeing activities or events.

I aim to be an advocate for those who are neurodivergent and to promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion at Aspire. I am here to support those who are neurodivergent, both learners and staff. I will listen and empathise, following from my own experiences of being ND, and support you to my best ability. We are striving towards becoming an inclusive work and learning environment. We want everybody to feel welcome and for our strengths to be celebrated. I aim to do this by raising as much awareness as possible and developing our understanding around this topic. At Aspire, we understand that these are goals that need to be collaboratively worked towards together.

The role is to promote environmental sustainability for the company, staff and learners. This includes looking at ways where we can be more sustainable within business and personal life. We celebrate calendar days/weeks especially those that a learner could then promote in a school such as gardening week. We provide resources such as PowerPoints and useful links so environmental sustainability can be promoted and further awareness provided. This has been a harder subject to include in our curriculum but this appears to be changing after our recent training week.

As bereavement champion, I am here to offer support to learners and staff who have experienced a bereavement. This can be in the form of offering a listening ear, sharing experiences, and offering advice and guidance on accessing mental health support. Tutors can offer the same support to their learners, or sign-post learners or fellow staff members to myself if this makes them feel more comfortable. Those who have experienced a bereavement offer suffer in silence, and people may not know that someone is experiencing loss. This can be the loss of a parent, a sibling, a friend, or even a pet. We need your help to break that barrier, allowing learners to still get the most out of their learning and by putting reasonable adjustments in place if necessary. This extends beyond our learners, and sometimes your colleagues need help too. Help break the silence by sharing important information for where individuals can access support or speak to someone who understands what they are going through. This can include informing learners during the induction that bereavement support is available, sharing my contact information, and raising awareness on national bereavement days.

I am part of the Mental Health & Wellbeing team however I like to focus mainly on reading for pleasure and how it has such a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing. I am really passionate about the impact I have seen books make on children and their behaviour, and I worked closely in my teaching assistant role with children with different behavioural issues and helped them develop a passion for reading, which made a huge impact! I will be finalising the details for a book club soon for all staff who wish to join, so if you are a reader then please let me know! I also strive to create recourses around RFP and link it in with different EDI events going on too.

I aim to spread equality, diversity, and inclusion within Aspire to its staff and learners. As a company we have staff and learners from various backgrounds, so it is important we give everyone a fair opportunity to reach their potential. Everyone should be made to feel welcome. I aim to raise as much awareness as possible using the various platforms at Aspire such as Teams & OneFile.

As the Menopause champion, my role is to help break any stigma that could be associated with the Menopause – the Menopause is a natural journey that affects everyone; households, relationships, family dynamics, physical and mental health.

I am here to offer information, advice and guidance as well as a supportive ear, a chance for people to share personal experiences in a safe space, discuss potential reasonable adjustments to work or learning and help with any further signposting that may be needed. I work with other Champions and relate specific Awareness Days or Months.

Many females continue to work or learn through their menopause journey and for many years beyond; all without knowing what to do or how to seek help and advice which could make them feel isolated and withdrawn. It is best practice for employers and training providers to offer the right guidance through the individual’s Menopause change as it’s about supporting their well-being and welfare. Being proactive about the Menopause can support a woman's quality of life – during as well as before the menopause even starts. The Menopause can start at the age of 45 – or even earlier – and it can last for up to 15 years. Having a positive attitude towards the Menopause is important as it promotes inclusion, warmth and empathy; I aim to support Aspire’s colleagues and learners in helping to build a supportive community to educate and enlighten people of the signs, symptoms and avenues available relating to the Menopause.

I aim to educate and promote sustainability with staff and learners, looking at how we can take steps to live more sustainable lives. I will look at creating resources to support staff in their delivery to educate their learners. We’ll inform staff of key topics and events that are happening throughout the year raising awareness and starting conversations. Environmental sustainability is a topic that impacts us all and all organisations are taking steps towards this, this is evident in schools where children are educated on this topic. Through educating our learners we are preparing them for employment in school.

The safeguarding champions play a key role in ensuring that learners are provided with a safe, supportive, and respectful environment throughout their educational journey. Promoting an understanding of clear reporting processes for learners and fostering a proactive environment where everyone feels comfortable in raising a concern. Additionally, the champions ensure that safeguarding is embedded into all of the programmes, promoting awareness of key issues and supporting the development of safeguarding resources, including informative materials and interactive content, that are easily accessible to both staff and learners.

The safeguarding champions play a key role in ensuring that learners are provided with a safe, supportive, and respectful environment throughout their educational journey. Promoting an understanding of clear reporting processes for learners and fostering a proactive environment where everyone feels comfortable in raising a concern. Additionally, the champions ensure that safeguarding is embedded into all of the programmes, promoting awareness of key issues and supporting the development of safeguarding resources, including informative materials and interactive content, that are easily accessible to both staff and learners.

The safeguarding champions play a key role in ensuring that learners are provided with a safe, supportive, and respectful environment throughout their educational journey. Promoting an understanding of clear reporting processes for learners and fostering a proactive environment where everyone feels comfortable in raising a concern. Additionally, the champions ensure that safeguarding is embedded into all of the programmes, promoting awareness of key issues and supporting the development of safeguarding resources, including informative materials and interactive content, that are easily accessible to both staff and learners.