Calibre Leadership Programme for Disabled Staff at Liverpool John Moores University

The Online Programme for Higher Education

Originally, Calibre was only hosted as a face-to-face programme for universities for their disabled employees. While this has been successful since Covid-19 the trend towards flexible working has meant increasing requests by disabled staff, in particular, for an online programme. It is in response to this that the calibre online programme was developed. A programme that enables more disabled employees from a given university to attend. As such, it this is now viable alternative option for universities across the United Kingdom.

Delivery 

To ensure that the maximum number of disabled employees from can participate each session will be hosted using Microsoft Teams and last approximately half a day. Documentation will be shared through Microsoft teams and email, as will each recorded session. Being able to record the sessions is one significant advantage of an online programme. Another is ability to drive provide detailed summary and transcript of that discussion as well. These are two resources that would be difficult to provide for a face-to-face programme.

Eligibility

To be eligible to enrol on the Calibre programme, you must be someone with a disability, a long-term health condition (physical or mental), or someone who is neurodiverse. We ask that you ensure that you have disclosed your disability to LJMU. If you have yet to do so, we advise that you discuss this requirement with a member of your HR Department.

Disclosure is an essential requirement to enrol on this programme. However, if this does present you with a problem in terms of confidentiality, I would be happy to discuss this with you.

In addition to meeting the above criteria we only admit degree level participants. We can only offer places to staff who can attend all the modules and can commit to the key dates. However, under special circumstances, we will consider participants who can commit to four out of the five sessions on a case-by-case basis.

Please note:
There are only twenty available spaces, and they will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

The commitment

The time commitment will be approximately five weeks for the taught online sessions. Each one three or four hours long (the latter if BSL interpreters are present). Personal project must be completed one month after the completion of the final online session.

The support for participants

The Personal Project

The personal project is a mandatory. Participants will not complete the Calibre programme if they fail to submit a completed project. You order to ensure participants are able to complete their projects, a range of support is offered.

One-to-one meetings

During the month after the online sessions, every participant will be offered a one-to-one meeting with Dr. Stuart to evaluate learning and aid an participant’s planning of their personal project. Remember, the project is a required step to complete Calibre successfully.

Post Calibre Mentoring Offer

Each participant will be entitled to two 1 hour online mentoring sessions with Dr Stuart. this offer will be available to all participants in the academic year 2024/25. They will also be able to contact Dr Stuart my email on matters related to their career development throughout that period. (Please note, this Dr Stuart does not provide legal advice no provide guidance to advice concerning such matters)

Key dates for the Autumn 2024 Calibre Open Programme

Wednesday 23 October 2024
Module 1: Introduction to Calibre; what is disability?

Wednesday 6 November 2024
Module 2: Actors not victims; leadership and disability

Wednesday 20 November 2024
Module 3: Personal project design: thinking about the future

Wednesday 27 November 2024
Module 4: Disability and Law; our rights and responsibilities at your NHS Trust

Wednesday 11 December 2024
Module 5: Guest speaker; Building Confidence; personal project design

Friday 17 January 2025
Completion of personal project

Academic Year 2025
Premium: Mentoring support

Thursday 19 June 2025
Premium: Final assessment of progress meeting with participants

Completion of Personal Project - The weekend of January 17 2025

Detailed description of Modules and personal project can be found in the appendix.

How to apply

For the LJMU Calibre Programme, kindly fill in the Expression of Interest form (Word, 68.9KB).

Please note:
This programme is for disabled employees only. Applications from non-disabled employees will not be accepted.

If you wish to participate, kindly fill up the form and send it to the DI Team via equality@ljmu.ac.uk by Friday 30 August 2024 at 5pm. Please remember that you need to evidence that you have declared a disability to LJMU to participate in this programme.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Calibre programme please contact the DI Team at LJMU at equality@ljmu.ac.uk.


Appendix

The 2024 Calibre Leadership Programme: Each session and the personal project explained.

Faq Items

Session one (October 23 2024): Introduction to Disability

Session two (November 6 2024): Leadership and Disability

Session three (November 20 2024):Personal Project planning; thinking about the future

Session four (November 27 2024): Disability and the Law

Session five (December 11 2024): Building Confidence, planning personal projects

One to one sessions

Personal projects (to be completed by weekend of January 17, 2025)