Inclusion officer event
The inaugural hybrid inclusion officer community event, led by the Community Support Committee (CSC) in collaboration with the BCS Community team, took place on 30/11/2023 at BCS’ London office. The event aimed to engage BCS inclusion officers and identify any areas which may require further support from both the CSC and BCS.
This in mind, the event was designed for inclusion officers to:
- Understand the principles and significance of Inclusion
- Learn practical strategies for running inclusive hybrid events
- Share experiences and support needed to conduct the inclusion officer role
- Network and collaborate amongst inclusion officers and develop a sense of community amongst role holders
The day saw keynote speaker Rebecca Crowther (Head of ED&I at Atkins Réalis) commence proceedings by discussing why equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) matters and sharing her experiences championing ED&I in the workplace, including the ways in which the organisation embraces uniqueness to its advantage, for example, via reverse mentoring – Pairing management with people lower in the chain of command to aid relationship building. Such initiatives enable management to keep a finger on the pulse of the day-to-day and develop more meaningful connections with the workforce.
The BCS community then hosted a workshop focused on building inclusive events and communities. This saw discovery presentations from a number of BCS equity groups including Digital Accessibility, EMBRACE, NeurodiversIT, BCSWomen, and Pride.
Each presenter shared insights into the challenges faced by their respective member group, as well as ways in which considerations can be made in order to be more accommodating to individual needs. These insights formed a process of appreciative enquiry which saw members asked to consider what our current strengths are, what our long-term goals may be and imagine what they look like, as well as the actions that are required to get there.
Aside from fantastic ideas being generated by the Inclusion Officers during the workshop, a huge takeaway of the day was the level of participation and general enthusiasm, representative of a real commitment to bettering the community experience for everyone and continually develop community best practices. Overall the session was a fantastic demonstration of inter-member group collaboration; developing a community in the truest sense.
You can catch the highlights from the session on the BCS Member Groups YouTube channel.
To find out more about the CSC and their work, as well as get in touch, check out their dedicated webpage.