The Campbell Group - Women Staff in ECS

The Campbell Group, a forum for women staff in ECS, was established in February 2019. Meetings are held monthly. There are also separate special sessions with distinguished women speakers, mentors and role models. The Campbell Group is available and relevant to every woman in ECS, irrespective of their level of seniority and job family. 

The Campbell Group was set up to: 

• discuss matters of importance to women staff in ECS
• raise mutual concerns
• generate ideas on how to improve the working environment for all staff in ECS
• offer support to women staff
• provide advice and give collective opinion on processes, strategy and initiatives from a woman's perspective
• propose solutions
• share information on emerging opportunities and risks.

The Group helps inform the strategy of ECS and has come up with numerous recommendations so far, including the introduction of a monthly newsletter to improve internal communication, development of an ECS Induction Programme to offer better support for new joiners and the appointment of Wellbeing Champions. The group is led by Dorota A. Sikorska, Executive Officer. To learn more about the Campbell Group, contact Dorota on dask1n11@soton.ac.uk.

ECS Quiet Room

The ECS Quiet Room was designed to support ECS staff and PhD students who are:

• expectant mothers who suffer from pregnancy related conditions or discomfort like swollen legs, back pain etc.
• mothers who breastfeed their babies or express milk
• parents who feed their babies with a bottle
• managing a condition that requires privacy (diabetes etc.) – it does not include chronic fatigue, narcolepsy, stress or depression, as they require individual adjustments as agreed with the line manager and Occupational Health

Comfortable furniture is available to provide a homely environment. This includes a power recliner and a nursing pillow. A fridge is provided for storing milk and formula. There is also a bottle warmer, and an emergency phone is available.

Access is granted by administrators. The request can be made directly or via a line manager, Executive Officer, Senior Mentor, a mentor listed under the Life Changes category, the Head of ECS or by a trusted colleague.