Note You are currently viewing a previous version of this narrative statement as published in previous iterations of the KEF (KEF1 and KEF2). View the latest version
Institutional Context
Summary
We are the Connected University, connected to the needs of our students, businesses and society. Our Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities span across our campuses in Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Shrewsbury, Lichfield and our Digital Institute in London. Our main city-campus in Stoke-on-Trent is the University’s nerve centre, fusing cross-discipline engagement with businesses and communities to drive a KE and innovation eco-system. Our strengths and KE activities are closely aligned with regional business and skill needs, addressing below average higher skills in the region, and underinvestment in research & development and innovation among employers. A significant proportion of our research (78 per cent) is world leading or of international importance (Research Excellence Framework 2014).
Institutional context
Our University
As the largest University in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire by student numbers, Staffordshire University has a significant economic footprint across the region, supporting an estimated 2,750 FTE jobs and £120m in GVA in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire (SSLEP) area.
The Connected Communities strand of our Connected University Strategy emphasises the University’s mission and vision in knowledge exchange to:
be the intellectual hub of our city and region
support employers to innovate and grow through our research and knowledge transfer
play a leading role to deliver the city’s and region’s ambitions and increase higher level skills in the population and the workplace
drive growth of the digital economy in the region.
To ensure we address the needs of the region, the University utilises a three-point approach to its role as a regional place-based institution with respect to its skills and innovation interventions, considering:
internal strengths, research, expertise and student base
strategic socio-economic challenges of the region
the expressed needs and requirements of employers.
Regional Challenges and Needs
The University operates primarily in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP (SSLEP) region -home to over 39,000 businesses, ~99.6% of which are small and medium enterprises. The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) geographical area the University operates in faces several challenges:
Lack of innovation-led growth and investment in R&D by employers – the SSLEP area ranks 29th out of 38 LEPs for overall business R&D expenditure, and 23rd out of 38 for business R&D expenditure per full time employee (FTE) (2013).
Below average productivity - £19,114 produced per person, compared to £22,301 for WM and £27,660 in England. In 2017, GVA per hour worked was £25.90 in SSLEP area. This puts the area in position 37 out of 38 LEPs.
Below average higher skills levels (Level 4+).
38 new business start-ups per 10,000 people in the SSLEP area, a lower proportion than the regional and national averages.
Severely deprived communities.
Business density of 410 businesses per 10,000 population, lower than the regional and national averages.
Growth in job numbers in manufacturing in the SSLEP area has been over half of total national net jobs growth between 2009-2017.
Our HEIF Strategy 2016-21 received a commendation from HEFCE, praising “commitment” to local and regional economic development in an under-performing subregion – Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire – that has a significant productivity gap with the overall national economy. Our strategy has continued to meet the evolving needs of the SSLEP Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) and Local Industrial Strategy, through the delivery of a large programme of knowledge transfer projects addressing the key sectors (advanced materials and manufacturing, energy, transport/ mobility, digital economy and business services).
Alongside our HEIF strategy, a Connected Communities Framework establishes our strategic positioning and community engagement priorities as a Civic University and provides a mechanism for community groups & members of the public to engage with us in our knowledge exchange work.
For further information, please send queries to Marek.Hornak@staffs.ac.uk
Local Growth and Regeneration
Summary of approach
Staffordshire University takes a three-point approach aligning (i) Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) regional socio-economic needs, (ii) university research, expertise, teaching and students, and (iii) employers’ needs. Our activities are driven by the fact that 99.6% of SSLEP businesses are SMEs. SSLEP Strategic Economic Plan and Local Industrial Strategy identify opportunities for innovation-led growth in key sectors including advanced manufacturing and materials, digital, transport, and energy, alongside a need for workforce development in higher skills. In response, we are developing a unified enterprise and innovation ecosystem that delivers expertise, research, facilities, skills provision and business support programmes to provide employers with collaborative opportunities. This will lead to new innovative products, services and processes, fostering growth and improving productivity.
Aspect 1: Strategy
Staffordshire University’s commitment to regional growth is demonstrated through the Connected Communities strand of our Connected University Strategy, which emphasises the University’s mission and vision in knowledge exchange to:
be the intellectual hub of our city and region
support employers to innovate and grow through our research and knowledge transfer
play a leading role to deliver the city’s and region’s ambitions and increase higher level skills in the population and the workplace
drive growth of the digital economy in the region.
Our approach and objectives are led by the needs and opportunities identified in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) Strategic Economic Plan and Local Industrial Strategy, highlighting key intervention areas including:
(SME) innovation through knowledge exchange and enterprise support and investments
upskilling the regional workforce to higher skills at level 4 and above
productivity gains
providing business start-up support and a new venture nurturing environment.
LEP priority sectors are reflected in our HEIF strategy to support drive, innovation and productivity with a focus on manufacturing, digital, materials and creative.
We have been involved in shaping the Local Industrial Strategy with representation on the Steering Group, and so have positively influenced the strategic direction and socio-economic development of the region, as supported by broader stakeholder consultation. We are also actively engaging with employers through primary research and industry advisory boards. Industry Advisory Boards are used to scope the need of the regional employers, along with supplementary market demand assessments, to inform the knowledge exchange activities. We are active participants in Local Enterprise Partnership forums and Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce networks to understand specific challenges, opportunities and needs to inform our support priorities for innovation, start-ups and skills provision. The University has also participated in regional practitioner networks of business advisors, community outreach and skills panels to ensure awareness of complementary initiatives and referral routes.
Our University is committed to upskilling the region, as only around a third of working age residents in the SSLEP area have higher level (NVQ 4+) qualifications compared with two-fifths nationally. In Stoke-on-Trent, the proportion of residents with higher level skills is 17 percentage points below the national average. Priority growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital, health and social care, logistics and distribution, and agri-tech will need access to higher level skills in order to be competitive, close the productivity gap, attract investment and respond to the demands of automation.
As a result of the regional SSLEP needs, the University has been developing its Enterprise Zone status into an innovation and enterprise eco-system to benefit the regional economy and encompass (i) infrastructure and facilities (ii) people and skills (iii) University research centres, and (iv) business support programmes as support mechanisms.
The particular strengths that the University is injecting into Staffordshire LEP area are:
digital, including data science, Internet o Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)5G-era digital infrastructures
health and social care working in collaboration with local authorities
engineering and electronics in support of our manufacturing base
advanced materials
creative building on our heritage in ceramics
higher skills through provision of higher and degree apprenticeships.
Aspect 2: Activity
Our approach is focused on the needs and opportunities identified in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) Strategic Economic Plan, the Local Industrial Strategy and the specific needs of the employers, highlighting key intervention areas including:
(SME) innovation-led growth
workforce upskilling to higher skills at level 4 and above
business creation/ start-up support
access to specialist innovation infrastructure and facilities.
As a response to the regional needs and opportunities in priority sectors, the University:
developed the Innovation Enterprise Zone, - a transformational knowledge exchange platform that serves as an enterprise and innovation ecosystem
launched The Staffordshire Deal - a strategic initiative in partnership with Staffordshire County Council with a clear focus on regional socio-economic needs around higher skills and digital economy
Secured and invested in knowledge exchange and innovation projects in regional priority sectors, including digital, advanced materials and manufacturing, automotive and development of higher-skills CPD provision for SMEs.
Strategic Shift
Our University has shifted its regional regeneration and KE approach from small and scattered ‘pots’ of knowledge exchange activities, to focused development of large-scale ‘enabling’ strategic projects. The approach is driving regional growth through delivery of SME and start-up support in SSLEP’s strategic sectors via an enterprise and innovation ecosystem framework (Figure 1), focusing on:
people and skills
place and infrastructure
enterprise and knowledge exchange support mechanisms and
utilisation of University research.
The University engaged strategically with the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), Innovate UK and the Research England Development Fund, and invested its own resources to develop key regional projects in priority sectors. All of these activities were endorsed by the LEP as part of the business case development. We developed incubation, the Hatchery and RD&I infrastructure together with a flexible CPD programme, totalling approximately £9m worth of innovation, start up support and infrastructure-enabling knowledge exchange.
The University’s ecosystem framework approach (Figure 1) will ensure regional growth, regeneration and prosperity through knowledge exchange and better utilisation of the University’s assets in a regional context.
Figure 1: Staffordshire University - companies’ ecosystem
Throughout the ecosystem approach we are actively engaging with employers and regional stakeholders, ensuring we develop and deliver knowledge exchange that meets the regional needs, in channels including:
LEP Strategy Group
Area Opportunity Committee
Covid-19 Recovery Group
Industry Advisory Boards
Enterprise Roundtable led by the Growth Hub
Growth Hub Partnership Meeting and Steering Group
Market Demand Assessments
Regional ERDF managers network
Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering partnership
Staffordshire Partnership for Education and Skills
REGIONAL GROWTH PROGRAMMES
Start up support – ‘Be Inspired’ project
This ERDF-and-HEIF-funded regional flagship start-up programme supports students, graduates or associates of the University who want to start their own business. The project addresses SSLEP priorities, which sees the role of HEI and Staffordshire University as drivers for a collaborative support provision, aimed at stimulating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.
Digital innovation: Staffordshire Digital Innovation Partnerships (SDIP)
programme is a collaboration between Staffordshire University and Staffordshire County Council to drive transformation through regional digital innovation. The programme creates 50 partnerships between Staffordshire SMEs and Staffordshire University to improve business processes and support the development of new digital products and services.
Advanced manufacturing: Staffordshire Advanced Manufacturing, Prototyping and Innovation Demonstrator (SAMPID)
This ERDF-and-HEIF-funded project aims to stimulate innovation and new product development through the showcasing, demonstration and utilisation of cross-disciplinary manufacturing capabilities. In turn, this supports 36 SMEs with prototyping, product design and small-scale advanced manufacturing.
ENGAGING WITH INNOVATE UK
Micro Turbine Renewable Energy Combustor (MiTREC)
The University partnered with Bladon Jets, who have identified that small scale micro turbine biogas power generators are the ideal technology to provide decentralised clean, affordable, and resilient energy in developing countries. Based on the existing Bladon Jets' 12kWe recuperated micro turbine architecture, the project designed, manufactured and validated a combustion system that can run on renewable gaseous fuels.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Since 2016, the University partnered with four employers on KTP projects in areas of design and development, industry 4.0, software development, AI and machine learning to help companies develop new and better products and improve processes.
PLACE AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Staffordshire Advanced Materials Incubator and Accelerator Centre (SAMIAC) – Research England Development Fund – Enterprise Zone
SAMIAC provides specialist locations (the Hatchery and incubator), and opportunities for small companies at the heart of our Stoke-on-Trent campus. It also equips businesses with unrivalled access to specialist innovation labs, a CPD Academy, and research to aid new product development and innovation in materials and advanced manufacturing.
The University’s Partnership with SSLEP and investment through the Skills and Equipment Fund has delivered a technology enabled space to upskill current and future workforces to meet employer needs in priority sectors such as manufacturing, electronics, digital, and creative.
SKILLS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The University’s Unitemps team provides students and graduates with job roles, and valuable knowledge exchange with SMEs and large companies in areas such as software, data, design, and digital marketing. Students and graduates are engaged in knowledge exchange directly throughout their studies through part-time roles, internships or placements.
COVID-19 response
Throughout the pandemic we continued to support and engage with businesses utilising digital means, with key activities being:
Staffs Innovation webinar series
Virtual Internships
Survive and Thrive webinar series
Supporting the redundancy Triage programme through access to Careers services and support and facilities for start-up companies.
Aspect 3: Results
BeInspired results
BeInspired supported 161 start-ups since 2016 and provided start-up grants to 166 start-up businesses.
The project created 131 graduate start-ups and 211 start-ups which survived 3 years. The 331 active firms who participated on BeInspired since its origin created over 500 jobs and over ~ £7million in turnover.
The independent evaluation confirmed that the BeInspired return on investment is £2.41 for every £1 spent and that 90% of our start-ups sustain that business, exceeding the UK average by 20%. This drive in economic growth can increase productivity and improves Quality of Life (Average GVA).
Summary
• £1 investment returns £2.33 in gross turnover for each business created
• £1 investment returns £2.06 in gross turnover (scaled to the programme level)
• £1 investment returns between £0.90 (low) and £3.92 (high) in GVA
Staffordshire Digital Innovation Partnerships
The project has 14 ongoing collaborations with SMEs that have resulted in positive outcomes. For example, a 6-month knowledge exchange project between the University and Woolcool company resulted in the automation of stock control and monitoring, reduction of irregularities within production levels, reduction of manual data input, real-time production oversight, accurate traceability of each product, and reduction of waste. Woolcool is now ready for scaled growth and are able to use with real-time information, making them more agile and responsive.
Micro Turbine Renewable Energy Combustor (MiTREC)
The project designed, manufactured and validated a combustion system that can run on renewable gaseous fuels, based on the existing Bladon Jets' 12kWe recuperated micro turbine architecture. This combustor has been designed for a recuperated micro gas turbine engine and a high efficiency is expected with low NOx and neutral CO2 emissions. The preliminary design showed that for quick transfer to the experimental phase, the current casing and the liner of the 12kWe Bladon Jets combustor can be modified and adapted for burning biogas.
ATP Industries - Knowledge Transfer Partnership
The key objectives of the project board were to increase potential, increase ratio from 6 to 24 part numbers a year, and to simplify software writing procedure in favour of a more “user friendly” protocol – these were met in full. The reported increase in annual profits was identified as:
New markets for existing products - 70%
New products in existing markets - 10%
Improved production or operational efficiency - 10%
Improved quality - 10%.
Unitemps
Our work experience team provided 267 knowledge exchange roles with 167 employers. Students/graduates are working with employers as consultants in areas including software development, marketing, graphic design, networking, cyber security and analytics. During (but also before) the COVID-19 pandemic, the University and students collaborated with employers through virtual/remote internships on design, data, marketing or software solutions development.
Knowledge exchange during Covid-19
There were a number of successful knowledge exchange programmes delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Staffs Innovation webinar series drove 600+ registrations in events including Working in the Cloud: the Necessary Digital Transformation, Leading Emergent Change, Business Start-up, and AI in Manufacturing Operations
15 Virtual Internships
Survive and Thrive webinar series had over 400 registrations
Communication
The University develops case studies in collaboration with employers. Reports are communicate through channels including independent reviewers, online news and announcements articles, and social media. We utilise collaborative channels with the Local Enterprise Partnership and Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce. The successes of BeInspired, SAMIAC and developments in intelligent mobility feature also in Local Industrial Strategy document.
For further information, please send queries to Marek.Hornak@Staffs.ac.uk
Public & Community Engagement
Summary of approach
Our Connected Communities Framework sets our approach and priorities to drive an inclusive culture, enabling communities and people from diverse backgrounds to engage with the University, our research, and teaching provision.
The framework is our strategic vision for how Staffordshire connects communities, staff and students, and identified key stakeholders and activities to strengthen our public and community engagement, for the benefit of our students, our staff and members of the public.
We have developed several platforms that enable public participation in our university’s research, embracing the Citizen Science approach and knowledge exchange investments, which in turn increase access onto higher education courses.
Aspect 1: Strategy
Connected Communities forms one of three pillars underpinning Staffordshire University’s 2016 Connected University Strategy. The framework is built on the Community Development principles of the Creative Communities Unit, a unit dedicated to community engagement activities* and based within the School of Creative Arts and Engineering at Staffordshire University between 2002 and 2018. Following consultation with communities, students and staff, we launched our Connected Communities Framework in 2019.
The overarching framework is our strategic vision for how Staffordshire would connect communities, staff and students, and identified key stakeholders and activities. It illustrates how we want to strengthen our public and community engagement, for the benefit of our students, our staff and members of the public.
Through our Connected Communities Framework, Staffordshire University aims to:
Be a driving force towards a well-connected, fair and just society, promoting an inclusive culture through encouraging, valuing and supporting a broad range of people to connect with Staffordshire University.
Promote a more diverse student and staff population, and vibrant campuses throughout the whole year, enabling people from a variety of backgrounds to engage with our University through its research, teaching and learning, and through events.
Apply and develop the knowledge, skills and experience of our students and staff to add value to our region, socially, culturally and economically.
Engage with local people, community organizations and partners, building networks and social capital to create a high quality, relevant learning environment where co-production and knowledge sharing is embedded in our everyday practice.
The Connected Communities Framework provides the foundation for Staffordshire University’s Civic University Agreement and civic engagement plan. This agreement will be finalised in 2020, outlining projected social, economic and social impacts of our civic activity and a pledge to create clear structures to enable meaningful engagement with citizens, community organisations, civic partners and employers. This set of structures will include a ‘Civic Advisory Network’ working closely with the University to inform community and public engagement activities and strategic developments.
Our Civic Agreement has been informed by Keep Talking, a UKRI Enhancing partnerships for place-based engagement funded project, led by Staffordshire University and Expert Citizens CIC.
* Reference
Gratton, N. (2020) From Engagement to Strategy: The journey to a Civic University. University-Community Partnerships for Promoting Social Responsibility in Higher Education. Innovation in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Volume 23, 105-120.
Aspect 2: Support
Staffordshire University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor is the strategic lead for public and community engagement, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor and Board of Governors. The Lead for Civic Engagement supports staff to embed and enhance public and community engagement, understand the impact of the work, and to share good practice. Strategic civic engagement developments report to the University Partnership Committee.
Operational activities are governed by the Connected Communities Action Group, with membership comprising of staff from across schools, departments, students and community representatives. Members of the public, and public and third sector representatives, play an important role in University governance. These include lay member representatives playing an active role in the Board of Governors, the University Ethics committee and the Connected Communities Action Group.
Although the civic mission is a collective priority across the University, we do a have dedicated ‘core’ resource in place including:
a National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) Hub Manager
a Step Up Programme Manager
Research, Innovation and Impact Services, Employer Partnerships, schools’ staff, Marketing & Communications team and support services.
Our planned civic agreement will include agreements and systems for community access to facilities. A pilot of this is with Shelton Community Partnership, where we are in the process of developing a MoU with the Partnership for facilities use.
Celebrating Staff Success, an annual University event celebrating staff achievements, hosts the Connected Communities Award, Connected Leader Award and Connected University Network Award. Student community engagement activity, including volunteering and connected activity, is recognised through the Staffordshire Award.
Our Civic Fellowship Scheme was launched in 2019 with the first cohort of six Civic Fellows recruited in March 2020. This group includes local community members who make a significant contribution to the civic work of Staffordshire University. This current cohort of Civic Fellows include people who have been part of community research teams, are managing library archives and have extensive networks within the local and regional communities. Civic Fellows work as ‘connectors’, helping to connect Staffordshire University with local communities and act as ‘Community Advisory Group’ for consultations and advise.
Aspect 3: Activity
Since the launch of Connected Communities Framework in 2019, we have prioritised four of the six key areas, with a focus on:
Learning and Teaching
Step Up to HE is a level 3 steppingstone qualification into higher education, as the Staffordshire region suffers from low levels of level 4 and above qualifications. The programme enables (mature) learners to gain a qualification and receive one-to-one practical and professional advice, improving confidence, supporting the improvement of retention results across the University and allowing progress onto a range of courses at Staffordshire University.
Higher Horizons, a National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), provides free and impartial higher education outreach to schools and colleges across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. The programme delivers HE Fairs, Parents Evenings, Engineering Careers Days, Cyber Security Challenges, and Creative Maths.
Staffordshire University’s Legal Advice Clinic provides free advice to members of the public while offering law students with real world experience of practicing law.
Research, innovation and impact
Get Talking is an approach to participatory action research, designed by Staffordshire University in collaboration with community partners, which aided knowledge exchange with community, civic partners and public. The project trained community researchers to work on community-based regional research projects.
Get Talking ‘Hardship’ is a project that engaged communities by gathering stories and impact of hardship and poverty on people’s lives and their communities. The project identified the impact of hardship on people in Stoke-on-Trent, raising awareness of the realities of hardship, and resulted in a commitment from the Hardship Commission to continue working with the community researcher team to investigate this area further.
We established Centre for Health and Development (CHAD), a collaborative interdisciplinary, applied public health-focused centre which engaged with local authority, NHS and third sector stakeholders
Reaching for Culture, a project which trained and supported 10 peer researchers with learning disabilities to research the needs of people with learning disabilities in regard to accessing mainstream arts and culture.
Access to volunteering for people over 60, a research project with Vintage Volunteers, resulted in a toolkit for organisations to more effectively recruit older volunteers.
Wayfinding, a collaborative project with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, resulted in accessible street signage based on conversations with local people
Events
Our knowledge exchange approach breaks down barriers between academia, practice and communities through events such as
Profs in the Pav and Profs in Dudley’s - a series of public lectures
Big Bang Fair West Midlands - a large scale event where West Midlands school children learn about STEM through a range of hands on activities a
Big Biology Day - a mini festival celebrating the diversity and wide application of biology.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University also ran a number of webinars such as #WednesdayWisdom, #StaffsInnovation and #Survive and Thrive for both employers and the public.
Volunteering placements and projects
The University has a portfolio of volunteering activities that support communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff and students supported NHS through direct volunteering activity on the frontline, in the testing and development of protective equipment during shortages, and with supporting vulnerable groups
In partnership with the Staffordshire Police, we led the Cyber Champion in the Workplace initiative. During the initiative, we utilised our cyber security research and expertise and trained 420 Cyber Champions across Staffordshire organisations. This achieved improved behaviour and attributed changes in companies, an increase in awareness and reporting, and a decrease of online fraud in business. The activity attracted interest from the London Police and National Cyber Security Centre.
Aspect 4: Results and learning
Individual projects are currently evaluated locally. To ensure these activities both dress and inform our strategic intent, Staffordshire University is reviewing its public and community engagement evaluation framework as part of its Civic University Agreement. The framework will build on existing good practice within the University and develop a consistent and accessible approach to understanding our impact. The framework will utilise and build on the community research capacity and learning, developed through the Get Talking and Keep talking projects. The socio-economic report by Hatch Regeneris in 2019/2020 established a baseline of our civic impact, which will be used to establish a framework for monitoring and evaluation of our Connected Communities Framework and civic agreement. Key results include:
Learning and teaching
Step up to HE saw 741 applications since 2016 and enabled 217 students to progress onto undergraduate courses, 6 onto postgraduate courses and 12 onto Police Constable Degree Apprenticeships, resulting in 7 case studies/publications. Following the feedback and emerging trends, the course has been developed towards a blended learning approach.
Higher Horizons delivered over 216 activities and interreacted with over 18,000 students, parents and members of the public. Staffordshire University is the only NCOP Hub to offer bespoke parents’ events on campus. We have offered Pie, Peas & HE evenings, plan for ‘Explore University’ information sessions, alongside being involved in different community events. We have also increased our engagement with parents via the National Saturday Clubs.
The DRIVER project, which applies data-science to help support disadvantaged students, saw 118 students supported.
Research and innovation
Staffordshire University use Vertigo Ventures to assess the impact of research. All research active staff have software access.
Get Talking Hardship recruited 43 community researchers to reach over 250 participants. The project resulted in one week’s media reporting by a local newspaper, a commitment from the Hardship to continue working with the community research team, and the subsequent UKRI-funded Keep talking project. A subsequent report (Etherington, 2020) provided the Hardship Commission with insight into to the potential financial impact of COVID-19 on people in Stoke-on-Trent.
Centre for Health and Development (CHAD) results include:
Public health considerations being more effectively included in urban planning processes in Stoke-on-Trent.
Increased take-up (50.8% to 63.4%) of NHS Health Checks in Stoke-on-Trent.
A training programme for NHS practitioners undertaking health checks delivered to 16 local authorities, leading to better communication of cardiovascular disease risk.
A public engagement programme involving ~1600 people, leading to improved understanding, learning, practice, and decision making.
Our psychological stress research focusing on healthy individuals and workplaces benefited >700 individuals across 7 workplaces in the emergency services, military, international sport, and business settings, resulting in a new mental health policy at Stoke City Football Club (SCFC), changes to psychological health policy in the Royal Air Force, and the creation of 6 new psychological health roles within SCFC, Hampshire Constabulary, and Impact International.
Volunteering
Over 470 community partnerships and 1,200 students volunteer per annum. Over 190 students and staff volunteered during the COVID-19 pandemic:
75 Degree Apprentices in Healthcare Science were helping with COVID-19 testing across England,
University staff developed field ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients in developing countries
The University provided 3D printed visors and free online learning resources to support nurses and biomedical scientists returning to the frontline.
Events
Over 365,000 attendees across the community engaged with a range of events either on campus or online. In response to the COVID-19 pandemics, the University launched a dedicated webinar series, including #WednesdayWisdom, #StaffsInnovation and #Survive and thrive, which saw over 1000 people and employers registered.
Aspect 5: Acting on results
Our socio-economic assessment was shared with Governors and staff at an annual conference. Interviews conducted with community members and community organisations for the Keep Talking project have fed directly into the civic university agreement proposals. These include community needs in relation to easy access to University facilities, coproduction and mutual benefit. These findings have resulted in a significant part of the civic university agreement focusing on adapting structures to strengthen community university relationships and ensuring the University has a clear community offer with easily accessible opportunities. Feedback from Step up to HE led to development of a blended approach to learning, Higher Horizons developed more bespoke approach to engagement with parents and communities. The University is better utilising communities in capital investments consultations such as the Apprenticeships and Digital Skills Hub.
For further information, please send queries to N.Gratton@staffs.ac.uk