A leading college group has become a member of a network which raises awareness and provides resources for employers to play their part in tackling domestic abuse as part of its commitment to creating a healthier environment for employees.
WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, has joined the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) network.
It comes as WCG announces the launch of a new domestic abuse awareness and support initiative for staff as part of its Wellbeing @ WCG programme, which is offering tailored support to its 1,400 employees on a number of different topics throughout the year.
EIDA works with employers to enable the implementation of effective internal policies on domestic abuse, as well as providing awareness and signposting to updated resources.
The initiative will see WCG launch a video to educate staff about spotting the signs of domestic abuse and how they can respond and offer support.
It will also share posts on its intranet platform to raise awareness and signpost people to services where they can receive support with domestic abuse, and there will be posters in areas such as toilets to help start conversations.
WCG includes Royal Leamington Spa College, Rugby College, Warwick Trident College, Moreton Morrell College, Evesham College and Pershore College, and the initiative is being run by the college group’s Human Resources Department.
Jo Hodgson, Head of Human Resources at WCG, said: “WCG is committed to supporting its employees and we are proud to join EIDA as part of this.
“Domestic abuse is a complex issue so we are taking a sensitive approach by raising awareness and signposting people to resources where they can get further help and support, and we are working with EIDA to ensure the information we are sharing is relevant and will meet the needs of our staff.
“We want employees to know that they are safe to talk at work and anything we are told will be treated confidentially. We’re also stressing that we understand that domestic abuse is not always gender specific and can affect anyone.
“Another aim is to also educate staff about spotting the signs and how they can help others experiencing domestic abuse.
“It is an extremely important topic, particularly at a time when pandemic-related restrictions have seen a rise in domestic abuse globally, and we want to provide as much support as possible to our staff through our Wellbeing @ WCG programme.”
Lorraine O’Brien, CEO of The Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, added: “We are delighted to welcome the WCG team to our network, particularly to expand our network deeper into the education industry.
“The role of employers in tackling domestic abuse has become even more apparent during the pandemic and ongoing commitment from local employers provides not only support for their own workforce, but adds value to the wider sector aim of stopping domestic abuse in all its forms, once and for all.”
Further information about careers at WCG is available at https://wcg.ac.uk/jobs