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How collaboration across Bishop Grosseteste University is supporting students to adapt in uncertain times
By Cassie Rainey - BG Futures Administrator Covid-19 has transformed the world we live in, pushing us to adapt to a ‘new normal’. One aspect of this ‘new normal’ is the way in which graduates will have to navigate their transitions into the labour market. At Bishop Grosseteste University, the support of academic and professional support teams is more vital than ever to students and graduates. Last month, the Primary and Early Years ITE team and the BG Futures: Careers, Employability and Enterprise team collaborated to deliver a virtual session for students across programmes on the format and logistics of online interviews. The sessions incorporated information on best practice, tips for different video calling platforms and guidance on possible interview questions. The sessions included a Q&A from a recruitment industry expert and BG Futures tenant with questions put forward by students. Sarah Howe, Senior Lecturer on the PGCE Primary programme said: “The Covid – 19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the job application process for some of our students and trainees. Lecturers in the Primary and Early Years ITE Programmes turned to the Careers, Employability & Enterprise team at BG Futures to ensure that support offered at our institution, met the needs of our students and trainees. Several on-line workshops and personal tutorials have taken place with encouraging feedback.” Emma McCarthy, Co-Director of McCarthy Adams Recruitment Specialists, a tenant within the Business & Enterprise Centre in BG Futures, was on hand to provide expert tips to succeeding in online interviews and assisted with a video Q&A for the session. Andy Wright, Careers, Employability & Enterprise Coordinator at BG Futures commented: “This has been a great partnership between teaching staff, BG Futures, students and one of our own tenant businesses. We’ve been very excited to extend our reach to those students who are not able to access face-to-face support at this time, and we have been delighted with the results.” George Rhodes, BA (Hons) Primary Education student, who used this session to help prepare for an upcoming online job interview commented: “After being recommended by a fellow student, I joined an online interview support session which not only provided invaluable advice but also built up my self-confidence. I was successful in my interview, running against 90 other candidates, and I believe without attending the session with Andrew this may not have been the case.” Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager, said: “The BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre offers 14 leasable office spaces for start-ups and is home to our Student Enterprise Club. With an emphasis on making a positive impact, we strive to attract tenants who will work collaboratively, to improve the lives of our students, bridging theory and practice. We are extremely thankful for Emma McCarthy’s time and input with this session” You can find out more about BG Futures here. You can explore our Primary and Early Years programmes here. -
Congratulations to All Final Year Students on Your Results
Following the release of academic results this week at Bishop Grosseteste University, we would like to congratulate all of our final year students. We hope that those of you who have received your final classification are happy with your result and proud of your achievements. Despite the unprecedented times that we find ourselves in, you have made it to the end of your studies and are now part of a new alumni community with lots of exciting opportunities ahead. Whilst we are not meeting together at a graduation ceremony this year to celebrate, your Vice-Chancellor, The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, would like to share some words with you which you can listen to by watching the video below. Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, would also like to congratulate you all and has shared the following words: “As Chancellor of the University, I am delighted to welcome all students completing their studies this year. “Bishop Grosseteste, as a university, has at its core, education and learning, training, and personal development. I know these are values that you will take away with you, and which will continue to be used by you in your future careers. “We wish you well for your future, however, we hope you will not leave us completely, and that you will join BG Generations. “I look forward to seeing all of you who are completing your degrees this year at our celebration of graduation in Lincoln Cathedral in July 2021.” Whether you are embarking on your new career, continuing your studies, or doing something else with your time, we are wishing you all the best for your future.We hope you will keep in touch and make the most of the services that are available to you as a graduate of BGU. -
Enterprising student’s journey to mastering the art of teaching and painting
The partnership between BG Futures, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise department at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and the Prince’s Trust continues to flourish with another of our students benefiting from the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme, which helps 18 to 30-year olds turn their big ideas into a business reality. Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures spoke to 1st year BA (Hons) Education Studies (SEDS) student Laurent McCready about how the Princes Trust webinar has helped him with his ideas for an Interior and Exterior Painting & Decorating Business. Laurent explains: “My degree choice was as a result of 3 years of voluntary work coaching primary school age children hockey for my Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. I felt the children connected with me and I enjoyed the sessions. Following 2 weeks of work experience at St Peters in Eastgate primary school I decided that I wanted to go into teaching as a career.” Teaching is very different to painting & decorating so what is the connection? “I also really enjoy painting and decorating and feel confident doing it, having started about a year ago. I heard about the Princes Trust webinar via a notification on my BGU account and decided to take part. I have now developed my knowledge of how to set my own business up. The most useful part of the webinar for me was being encouraged to talk about the idea and learning the key aspects such as taxation and national insurance, as well as being able to ask questions. I see my biggest challenge is to actually brave up and start the business. The next step is to do this once I have conducted a little more research about gaining customers and my competitors” Laurent is already succeeding in balancing his University work, position as a Student Ambassador, part time work at the Doubletree by Hilton, and his role with NCS running workshops with older children leading to a community-based project. When asked what the future may hold Laurent said: “Currently my training to become a primary school teacher comes first, however this may differ if I set up my own business and if that happens, I hope to be running Duvalsdecorating (Duval being my middle name) and perhaps a couple others!” To see Laurent’s painting & decorating projects follow duvalsdecorating on Instagram. Contact sarah.moseley@bishopg.ac.uk to discover more about the work of the Enterprise Team at BG Futures Explore BGUs range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching programmes For further details of The Prince’s Trust programme contact John Holliday on 07766 778341 -
BGU Armed Forces Support Wins Ministry of Defence Award
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been awarded a prestigious Silver Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award from the Ministry of Defence. The ERS Awards recognise employers who have actively demonstrated their support for the Armed Forces community through implementing practical policies in the workplace. Under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, employers support Defence personnel and encourage others to do the same. The Scheme has three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold for organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support for Defence and the Armed Forces community. To achieve Silver, organisations must proactively demonstrate that the Armed Forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruitment policies. They must also actively ensure their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards Defence people issues for veterans, Reserves, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, and spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces. Speaking following the award Katy Nevitt, Armed Forces Lead at BGU, expressed her pride and reiterated the University’s commitment to support members of the Armed Forces: “Two years ago BGU signed up to the Bronze Armed Forces Covenant award, so to receive the Silver Award within such a short space of time is something the University is extremely proud of. We recognise the contribution and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces community, and have pledged to support our service personnel, veterans and their families. This award also reflects our commitment and support for colleagues who both work at BGU and serve in the Reserve Forces and Cadet Forces. Employees with an armed forces background at BGU also bring valuable skills and experience to the business of the university, which reinforces our commitment to wider diversity within our student population and workforce.” You can find more information on the avenues into Higher Education and the support available at BGU for members of the Armed Forces on our website. -
Lecturer Helps Develop New Risk Assessment Tool for Animal-Assisted Interventions
Dr Mirena Dimolareva, Lecturer in Psychology at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), together with colleagues and the University of Lincoln and Virginia Commonwealth University, USA has published a risk assessment tool for animal-assisted interventions in any settings. The tool is free to use for staff and practitioners nationally and internationally, in any setting (including education, nursing homes, hospitals) and aims to provide unified, standardised guidelines for animal-assisted therapy as well as animal-assisted interventions and activities. It is a comprehensive tool which takes into consideration the animal and human care and welfare. Speaking following the publication, Dr Dimolareva discussed what drove the research and what users could expect from the new tool: “Animal-Assisted Interventions in various settings have become extremely popular in recent years. Most often, therapy dog visits are organised for hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other educational settings with some scientific research showing beneficial effects. Other animals such as cats and reptiles also provide visits, but the beneficial effects are less known. As a new area of work and research there is lack of clarity around these visits and interventions. Furthermore, thorough risk assessments which consider all involved- the service users, staff, therapy animals and handlers are often overlooked. This free-to-use detailed Risk Assessment Tool was created to provide information on the risk related to Animal-Assisted Interventions as well as a Risk Assessment Template for any setting. The aim is to unify the field and thoroughly consider the safety and well-being of all involved. It is flexible and easy to use, providing the opportunity to incorporate procedures and protocols relevant to the different institutions hosting the animals and handlers.” The publication and attached tool is available for free by clicking here.. If you have a subject you’re passionate about exploring then BGU is perfect place for you to start. Find out about our supportive and collaborative learning environment, by visiting our website, booking onto one of our Open Events or by speaking to our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Master's Students Plan Expansion for Social Care Business
As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is reassuring to note that despite so much uncertainty and bad news some businesses are not only surviving, but thriving.EarlyBird Lifestyle Support (EBLS), an award winning, friendly well-being service, has found the pandemic presented the opportunity to expand their workforce and move into a larger office space within BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Originally based in a smaller unit within the Centre, EBLS, created and run by BGU students Damian Taylor (MA Health and Social Care Leadership) and Neil Martin (MA Education with TESOL) prides itself on striving to empower the most vulnerable in society to lead the life of their choosing.Damian expands:“We support people throughout the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas with tasks such as cooking, cleaning, collecting prescriptions and medication, food shopping, trips out, escorting individuals to appointments and more.We work with many groups left most vulnerable due to COVID-19, primarily our older clients but also younger individuals suffering from mental health or other disability related problems.Ultimately our team works to promote independence for vulnerable people, allowing them to lead their choice of lifestyle. That choice can be so easily lost at times like this and I’m proud to think we’re helping them to keep some level of freedom.”Damian explains that the success of EBLS is owed to his dedicated team of support professionals:“I’d like to thank all our staff for their hard work during this time. Their enthusiasm and professionalism haven’t dropped once. They’re truly the backbone to the business, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Aslan, who has also completed the MA Health and Social Care Leadership, as our new Care and Services Manager who has a wealth of knowledge in this field. This means our service can grow even bigger and reach a larger demographic of people within Lincolnshire and also supports us to now enter the world of running regulated services.”On moving into a bigger office space, Damian hints at EBLS’s next venture: “A larger office will allow us to expand our workforce, provide more support in the community and presents the opportunity to increase revenue and to create stronger connections in the network. The larger space provides practical solutions to social distancing guidance, so we are able to hold inductions and training sessions in a safe environment to ensure our service runs safely.We are almost at the end of the registration period for the Care Quality Commission which means we will be able to include other vital services to our remit. We are currently recruiting for a new apprentice administrator and applications are still open for support worker roles.”Support from EarlyBird is available to anyone in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area, to find out how they can help you can visit their website, or get in contact via email or phone on 01522 424161.Damian added:“The team at the BG Futures Business & Enterprise Centre have been such a vital service & support network for us. They really did go above and beyond to help us in our start-up journey and the most exciting thing is that we have been able to support the centres vision by incorporating our business to widen the support to students. We have supported the BA Health and Social Care with work experience placements and offer voluntary opportunities to all students who would like to get involved, we are also happy to offer mentoring to students seeking an insight into business and would strongly welcome any students of the University to come and get involved in what we do. For example: be it students from drama who would like to put on a show for our vulnerable service users or those in the field of social sciences wanting to further understand mental health, disability or aged care, we really do welcome and encourage collaborative working”Damian and Neil are the one of the many success stories to emerge from the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre at Bishop Grosseteste University. If joining our community of start-up businesses appeals to you find out more on our website or contact the BG Futures team. -
Collaborative BGU Nursing Programme makes Finals at HSJ Awards
The Postgraduate Certificate in General Practice Nursing (GPN-ST), a collaborative project between Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), HEE East Midlands, University of Northampton and Lincs Healthcare community has made it to the final of the 2020 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Value Awards. Although there will be no face to face event to announce the winners there will be an online HSJ Value Awards Day on 4th September. The online day is open to all and will begin at 9am and end at 4pm. It will be held on twitter, via @HSJ_Awards, and there is no need to register in advance. A 20-min slot will be dedicated to each category, in which the shortlist will be showcased and details surrounding the winner including their project synopses and judge’s commentary will be highlighted. The category for the GPN-ST, ‘System or Commissioner Led Service Redesign Initiative’ starts at 3pm. Addressing workforce shortfalls is a key priority for England’s Chief Nursing Officer. General Practice Nurse Specialty Training (GPN-ST) successfully creates a pipeline of new GPNs across STPs and resolves inter-practice poaching and recycling from the diminishing pool of experienced GPNs. GPN-ST offers nurses a way into an exciting and dynamic first destination GPN career, providing invaluable ‘on the job’ exposure, postgraduate education and supervision whilst also financially supporting practices to train. Showcased nationally as a model of good practice and a forerunner of the Long Term Plan’s ‘GPN Fellowships’, GPN-ST is delivering a viable solution to the GPN workforce crisis. Kirsty is a General Practice Nurse in Market Rasen and completed the course earlier this year. She shared her experiences and what the course could offer her career: “I had always wanted to work within General Practice right from my placements as a student nurse. After working in secondary care for 2 years from qualifying I got a job in General Practice but with no real experience I applied for the PG Cert in General Practice Nursing. Completing the course has given me the skills and underpinning knowledge to provide great care to patients and it has helped me understand the role of a practice nurse and enabled me to fulfil the role. I love my job as a practice nurse and the course really helped me achieve where I wanted to be.” The PG Cert In General Practice Nursing is a fantastic opportunity for health care professionals to up skill and provides a pathway into the developing course portfolio within the School of Social Science at BGU which reflects current and future needs of the health and social care sector. Other current courses include Master's in Health & Social Care Leadership and Primary & Community Care. To find out how these courses can help develop your healthcare skills visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Academics Awarded €178,000 Erasmus Funding for Well-being Research
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Well-being and Workload in Education RKEU group have been awarded 178,000 euro of Erasmus+ funding to research and develop the well-being of initial teacher education students. The group from BGU, who will be leading this international project, consists of Dr. Emma Clarke, Dr. Phil Wood, Shaun Thompson and Aimee Quickfall. They will be working with colleagues at the University of Eastern Finland and Kobenhavns Professionshojskole, University of Copenhagen. Aimee, who is Head of Programmes for Primary and Early Years at BGU, commented that: “It is great to be working with our Finnish and Danish colleagues again on a topic that is dear to all of us – the continued success and happiness of our teacher trainees.” The aim of the project is to produce a package of resources for ITE students, school mentors and university staff, including ‘well-being toolkits’ that will be tailored to Finnish, Danish and UK contexts. Shaun, who is Regional Partnership Lead at BGU explained this: “It is really important to consider different education systems and also the different people that need support with well-being. If a student struggles with their well-being during their training, mentors and university tutors also need resources to support their trainee in their context; on placement, in tutorials, at a distance and in person.” The project will run for three years and include events in all three countries to share findings with students, school mentors and initial teacher educators. Emma pointed out: “The project has a real activist aim – we want to improve the experiences of teacher trainees as widely as we can.” To that end, the project outcomes will include a website with free to access online resources, blogs and advice, as well as the toolkits for supporting trainee well-being. Phil explained that: “Although the toolkits and resources will be based on research carried out at BGU, UEF and Copenhagen, there will be useful materials and findings for teacher trainees, mentors and tutors in other contexts and countries.” If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps. -
Award Nomination for ‘Cooking with CELT’ Video Series
The Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been shortlisted for a prestigious HEIST award for its innovative YouTube-series ‘Cooking with CELT and friends’. ‘Cooking with CELT and Friends’ was launched in September 2019 to support student engagement and ran throughout the first half of the academic year. This inventive project sought to make every student at BGU feel part of their learning community and involved the production of short cooking demonstrations by professional support staff as they introduced themselves and their student support services to new students. “The videos really broadened my knowledge on the services on campus and made me more aware of the support available to me." Kieron Treacher, History and Education. A launch event was held at the Freshers’ Fayre in 2019. Free gifts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar were offered to students, as well as cupcakes and the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a food hamper. During the event, students were also able to sign up to a mailing list to receive information about each video as it was released. Continuing promotion through the semester included the use of printed posters and pull-up banners, as well as digital promotion via social media and the electronic student portal. "I watch the Cooking with CELT videos every week and they are all really good recipes for students. This is the perfect start in helping them cook for themselves as well as talking about what is on campus to help them academically, socially and mentally.” Jasmin Reid, BA (hons) Primary Education. As a Student Engagement project, Cooking with CELT was tailored to the unique and atypical nature of Higher Education at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). A small, specialist university which focuses on initial teacher training and education-based courses, BGU’s students often learn away from campus on work-based placements. Consequently, when the CELT team set out to create a resource to familiarise our students with BGU’s professional support services, it needed to be something innovative Cooking with CELT is certainly innovative. Its mission was three-fold: to make information about support services accessible; to provide guidance for cooking simple recipes; and to facilitate a sense of a learning community by allowing students to match real people to services. It also offered the benefit of delivering this information throughout the first semester, avoiding the information overload that can occur within the first few weeks of term. Staff at the University also enjoyed the series and learnt something new about the professional support services at BGU. “When you work in one specific area, it’s easy to lose sight of the work of other departments – Cooking with CELT helped my understanding of what we do across a range of services for students and has helped me signpost students better.” Fran Trzeciak, Learning Development Tutor. The project has been shortlisted in the Best Low Budget Initiative category by the HEIST team who are celebrating their 30th year rewarding best practice in the higher education sector. The winner of the category is due to be announced in October 2020. The Cooking with CELT videos have now been compiled into a playlist to run on the CELT area on BGU’s student portal -
Enabling Gender Equality in Leadership: an exploration of leadership and self-awareness at Bishop Grosseteste University
Thomasin Nicholds, Lecturer in Psychology at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has been successful in leading a cross University application to the Church University Fund, which will provide funding for a two year project to develop further understanding of leadership and gender. Through this research project the University will be better placed to promote inclusion, enable shared learning and knowledge transfer. Thomasin’s successful bid utilizes a cross-university approach to develop dialogue, and develop an understanding of the experiences of leaders in our campus community. Speaking after the successful application Thomasin discussed some of the project's aims: "The project will provide a programme of activities to raise awareness, share learning and promote progress, using Community Participatory Action Research. The University Chaplaincy is central to Bishop Grosseteste University’s ethos and identity and the project presents an opportunity to place our Church University status at the heart of our development, by working with the wider University community in our understanding of diversity and leadership" The research team lead by Thomasin Nicholds comprises Dr Sue Becker, Dr Jonathan Wainwright and a new student researcher role (applications for which can be made here). A Steering Group is being established and will have representation from within the University and externally. The funder has encouraged that the project is shared nationally across the Cathedral Universities group and wider Higher Education and non-academic contexts. To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days.
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