Bringing the cross-government LGBT+ community together with OneTeamGov
Rachel Poole from DWPride talks about the OneTeamGov LGBT+ conference she is setting up for National Coming Out Day in October
One of the best things about the Civil Service is our diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies. As the largest government department the DWP is committed to bringing about real change in the D&I space.
I’m Rachel, DWPride’s Communications Lead. DWPride is the LGBT* network for DWP colleagues, it’s a voluntary role – one that I took on because I strongly believe that we should be able to work in an environment that’s inclusive to everybody.
My day job is on the DWP Digital Talent Marketing Team, where I’m a content writer promoting our organisation as a great place to work. And, being a D&I champion, I want to help create an inclusive environment for LGBT* colleagues and our customers.
OneTeamGov partnership
Having followed the social media buzz about OneTeamGov, I thought that our objectives were a great fit with their principles. I connected with some of the organisers, as it seemed like the perfect platform for a cross-government event. Luckily the OneTeamGov community agreed!
An event for the LGBT* community
Working with my DWPride network colleagues I’m helping to bring together a team of volunteers to shape, what is set to be, a valuable event in Manchester on 11 October to coincide with National Coming Out day.
The themes for the day are around sharing best practice and practical actions. We’ve got an amazing line up of speakers and interactive break-out sessions planned, bringing together a range of colleagues from LGBT* networks across the Civil Service, government and beyond.
The event will take place on National Coming Out Day so this will be a fantastic opportunity to show our solidarity, make pledges and spread our message.
An inclusive environment for LGBT* champions
We’re working closely with other Civil Service departments as well as charities like Stonewall to share best practice and learn from each other. The LGBT* agenda doesn’t sit in isolation, so it’s important that we consider important D&I topics such as intersectionality, understanding policies and creating allies.
We’re aiming to raise awareness and education levels of LGBT* issues to help us to be ‘one Civil Service’ working through the challenges together. But it’s not only about that, it’s about camaraderie and providing the champions and leads across government with the opportunity to network, collaborate and help one another in their role as an LGBT* champion.
It’s about forming new relationships so that we can pick up the phone to our counterpart in another department for help and advice, and it’s about making things better in the future. By bringing together the champions and leads from across government we can build on our commitment to make a difference and move towards our goal of becoming the UK’s most inclusive employer.
Join us
If you’re an LGBT* champion in government and would be interested in coming along, we still have a few spaces remaining so register for a place now.