Two weeks to go until the Civil Service LGBT+ Conference 2022
Here's what to expect at the conference, and reminders for the day.
Two weeks to go until the Civil Service LGBT+ Conference 2022
We’re really excited to be welcoming you to the Civil Service LGBT+ Conference 2022 on 6 October.
This update will give you important information you need to know ahead of the conference.
The address
The conference is being held at:
BEIS Conference Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET
The conference centre entrance is to the left of the main BEIS entrance.
The nearest tube stations are:
- Westminster (Jubilee Line)
- St. James Park (District and Circle Line)
- Victoria (Victoria Line)
Registration
Registration will open at 09:30 and close at 10:10.
The conference will start at 10:15.
If you are going to be late, please do not worry, just speak to the BEIS conference reception team and they will direct you to the right place. We will have volunteers and signage situated around the building on the day.
Tickets
If your place is secured, you should have received a booking confirmation from Eventbrite.
On the day, please bring your civil service identification or building pass. If you do not have one, please bring some form of proof you are a civil servant. This could be your booking confirmation email sent to your civil service email address.
You do not need to bring a physical ticket with you.
Refreshments and dietary needs
Tea and coffee will be provided during registration and at the end of the day for an informal networking event.
A light lunch will also be provided.
If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know by 17:00 27 September using our dietary needs form.
It may not be possible to accommodate all requests for special dietary needs. Where this is not possible, you should rely on your department’s normal subsistence and expenses arrangements to claim back the cost of food or drink.
You are free to bring your own refreshments and food on the day if you wish. The conference centre is located close to Strutton Ground where a variety of vendors are available, if you wish to eat lunch elsewhere. Speak to a conference volunteer on the day to find out where to go if you are unsure.
We recommend bringing a water bottle as there will be facilities available to fill this up.
Train strike
Industrial action is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 5 October. This may have a knock-on impact to travel on Thursday 6 October.
We suggest you follow the latest guidance from National Rail and, if feasible plan, your journey around this. You should build in time for any potential delays.
If you had intended to travel on 5 October, you may wish to consider asking for permission to work from a London office on 5 October and instead travel on 4 October. Any approvals to do this would be for your manager and organisation to agree.
If you are unable or no longer wish to travel
If your journey is affected by the train strikes, and you are unable to travel or no longer wish to travel, please cancel your place via Eventbrite. If you have any issues doing this, please contact conference@civilservice.lgbt.
We will be hosting a similar online-only conference event later in the year for those who are unable to attend in person.
Cancelling a place
If you do not wish to attend the conference for any reason, please cancel your place as soon as possible. You can cancel your place easily on the Eventbrite website. If you have any issues doing this, please contact conference@civilservice.lgbt.
There are many people on a waiting list wishing to secure a place; do not let them miss out!
Register for GovWi-Fi
We are aiming for the conference to be paper free. Please sign-up to GovWi-Fi in advance. This will enable you to use the internet on the day to access our resources including the delegate booklet and Sli.do for questions.
You are unlikely to have sufficient mobile network signal in the BEIS conference centre.
Instructions on how to sign-up can be found on GOV.UK.
Additional facilitates
There will be a multifaith prayer room within the BEIS conference centre for delegates to use on the day. This room is non-denominational and is accessible to delegates of all faiths, and of no faith, for individual contemplation and/or prayer.
If you have any specific access requirements please email: conference@civilservice.lgbt.
Agenda
We are pleased to provide an overview of the agenda:
Sessions and workshops
Bringing your authentic self to work – reflections from LGBT+ civil servants
In this panel session, you will gain an insight into the work practices of different LGBT+ civil servants in how they have navigated their sexuality, gender, and identity throughout the course of their career.
Local Presence, National Influence – LGBT+ inclusion across the whole United Kingdom
In this panel session, you will hear from LGBT+ staff network leaders, representatives, and members from different departments across all four nations of the UK. They will share their experiences in organising LGBT+ inclusion activities at departmental, local and national levels and how they are working together as one Civil Service.
In conversation with LGBT&I SCS Champions
In this session, you will hear first-hand from senior civil servants talking about their role as an LGBT&I champion including why they are a champion, what it means to them, how they actively carry out the role, and what they’ve learnt from doing it.
Implementing effective change in the workplace
In this presentation, you will learn how a LGBT+ civil servant has implemented an effective data driven change within their organisation and the result it had.
Speed Mentoring
Join your colleagues for a rapid mentoring session. You will be given the opportunity to network with a range of peers from different professions and grades, tailored to a specific area of your interest. You never know, you may just find a match!
Succeed at success profiles
A workshop to support civil servants navigate the success profile framework.
Lessons from the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
A presentation on the new Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, with tips on how to make the most of it and what you can do to support the implementation of it.
Tackling Bullying, Harassment or Discrimination (BHD), lessons from the People Survey
An update on the work being led by the Civil Service Inclusive Practice Team on BHD.
Bringing your Whole Self to work
An interactive workshop considering the barriers people face to coming out at work and how we can recognise and feel confident addressing inappropriate behaviour and language that could cause barriers to an inclusive workplace.
Listening circles
Throughout the day we will be holding listening circles for LGBT+ staff who are bisexual, trans or non-binary, women, or have a minority ethnic background.
Choosing your sessions
You should note you will not be able to attend every session and therefore you should start to think about which ones you would benefit from the most.
Timings for the sessions, panellists and speakers will be released soon.
Something missing?
See something missing from the agenda that you think will add value to the day and you could facilitate? Let us know and we can explore whether we can accommodate it.
You will be sent a conference delegate pack next week with a full agenda and tips on what you think about before the day to get the most of the sessions.