IOPC: Staff Network Away Day

The IOPC staff network away days were created to give a space for colleagues from all walks of life (and all six IOPC staff networks) to come together and engage in dialogue, shape ideas and celebrate our achievements over the year. It has allowed us to work in partnership with other areas of the business to create a better working place, while feeling valued by our employer. The away days have created a fantastic learning, motivating and inclusive environment for every person that attends. The beauty of the staff network away days are that they are run by staff, for staff, and bring together people from all departments in one location.

On 13 June 2019, the Race, Religion and Belief staff network facilitated our first away day and it was a jam-packed agenda, to say the least! The day began with a panel of staff members engaging in discussion about comparative religion and taking questions from the audience, followed by a presentation from our welfare provider reassuring staff of our employer’s support mechanisms. Our key note speaker was next up, Wendy Williams from the HMICFRS, who delivered a thought-provoking lecture on self-development and how she overcame the challenges and hurdles she faced in getting to her senior position, while being a person of colour. We were then given an opportunity to hear from all of our other staff networks and the impact they have had in the organisation, which was refreshing to hear, before bringing the day to a close with final comments made by our People Director and our Director General. This was a great day filled with networking, peer support and personal development while contributing to our organisation’s values, policies and working practices. We really look forward to the next one!