The Calibre Leadership Programme for Disabled Staff at Liverpool John Moores University with Dr Ossie Stuart. 

We are pleased to invite you to an upcoming online session with Dr. Ossie Stuart regarding the Updated Online Calibre Leadership Programme. We encourage you to participate in this session to gain a deeper insight into the programme and what it has to offer. Dr. Ossie Stuart has graciously prepared a FAQ section below to address any queries you may have.

What is Calibre? 

Calibre is a CPD accredited development and leadership programme for people who identify as neurodiverse, Deaf or disabled, or who have a long-term physical or mental health condition. The programme, run in higher education since 2012, was developed and is delivered by Dr Ossie Stuart, who himself a disabled people and an academic. So, it should come as no surprise that Calibre has been specifically designed for both academic and professional staff in Higher Education. Its purpose is to transform how university employees think about themselves and their disability. This will increase confidence and show participants how to approach any discussion about disability in new and constructive ways.

The programme’s five sessions are spread over two months. Participants will be expected to commit to participating in all five sessions, that will be begin at 10:30 am and end at approximately 4 pm. They will also be expected to put aside time to complete the post-programme personal project. 

Dates of the programme are: 

1. Session one (October 23 2024): Introduction to Disability
   
2. Session two (November 6 2024): Leadership and Disability
3. Session three (November 20 2024): Personal Project planning; thinking about the future
4. Session four (November 27 2024): Disability and the Law
5. Session five (December 11 2024): Building Confidence, planning personal projects
6. Personal projects (to be completed by weekend of January 17 2025)
7. One-to-one sessions (Through academic year)

Is the Calibre Programme for me…?

The answers to the frequently asked questions that disabled staff had before they participated in the programme

1.    The answer is “Yes,” if you think “I am not disabled enough.”

      Calibre has been specially designed to benefit you if you have an invisible impairment. This could be a mental health issue, dyslexia or a similar neurodiverse experience, or even a recently acquired impairment such as MS or cancer.

2.    The answer is “Yes,” if you “dislike the term “disabled because it's too negative”.

      We would agree with you. “Disability” is most often associated with negative experiences and problems. The aim of Calibre is to transform our understanding of the term. We know the programme boosts the confidence and self-worth of participants no matter how they would describe themselves. In other words, the term, “Disability”, becomes irrelevant and what matters are abilities and skills of people.

3.    The answer is “Yes," If you think that you are not a leader and never want to be one.

      The term, ‘Leadership” is often only associated with those with ambition, senior management and hierarchies. This is not how Calibre thinks about leadership. While professional development is an important part of the programme, “leadership" is not only about career development and promotion. It is also about personal development and confidence building. Increasing career opportunities and confidence building benefit many disabled employees. Like everyone else, they only want to be treated appropriately, have their skills and abilities valued and to be allowed to work in ways that suit them best.

4.    The answer is “No,” if you think that any grade/band of disabled employee can participate in the programme.

      It is important to state that Calibre is a career development programme, first and foremost. Therefore, it will benefit further/degree level professional staff, university researchers and academics, including professor grades, the most. Disabled employees often cite their disability as the reason why their careers do not develop in the way they wish. Calibre is designed to help them rethink this perspective and to understand how best to build their careers. To do so, requires increased confidence and understanding of the real barriers that prevent disability career development.

5.    The answer is "Yes," if you are having difficulties with your manager who does not understand you nor your disability. You are not the only one.

      In the Calibre programme you will quickly learn that a good relationship with your manager is crucial for you as a disabled member of staff. If that relationship is a good one, you will enjoy good support and understanding. If it's a poor one, you will experience the opposite. Calibre is designed to help disabled staff and their managers transform a poor relationship into a positive one for the benefit of them both.

      In those situations where this is not possible, the programme will help you understand why not and how to address this,

6.    The answer is also "Yes," if you do not have any problems with your manager or anyone else.

      Calibre is not just about problem-solving or for people with problems. It is also designed for those who have had a good experience in work as a disabled employee. You can also benefit from new ways to think about ‘disability’ and how to make the most of your careers. You might like to go for promotion, but are worried about the challenges this will bring. What should you do if your team or manager changes? For these, and many other situations, Calibre will provide you with the tools to handle them. Simply sharing your experiences and learning from others will be an extremely valuable as well. For all these, and for many more, reasons, Calibre is right for you, too.

7.    The answer is “Yes,” if you lack the confidence to tell your colleagues or manager that you have an invisible impairment or are neurodiverse, as an example and would like to change how you work or your workload.

      Many people with an invisible impairment often find themselves in this dilemma. They spent years compensating in physically demanding and time-consuming ways and find discussing their disability very daunting indeed. Among many other reasons, you may fear that your expertise and competence will be doubted. Also, that your colleagues will judge you differently. Calibre will show you how to gain control of these conversations and at the same time demonstrate competence that will boost your confidence and productivity. For many of you who are neurodiverse, it will mean that you can allow yourself to relax during the weekend, free from having to catch up at last!

8.    The answer is "Yes," if you are worried about people finding out that you have a disability.

      Disclosing a disability to LJMU is a key criterion for participating this programme. We do, of course, recognise that some participants would wish to have information about their disability kept confidential. We agree that this is important and will seek to maintain confidentiality where possible. This could even include the level of information shared with an individual’s manager. This will be agreed on a case-by-case basis. However, you can be confident that we will protect your personal information in line with your wishes.

9.    The answer is “Yes," if you have just acquired a disability and have no idea what the future holds.

      Participating in the Calibre programme is a ‘must’ for you. There is nothing more daunting than receiving a life changing diagnosis. You might be unsure what this means for your future both in and outside of work. By participating in Calibre, you will learn from the experience of others, learn new ways of thinking, and gain new tools and skills to manage your new situation that will benefit you the most. In addition, you will learn how best to talk about your situation with your manager, HR or occupational health. Finally, you will quickly discover a network of support that can sustain you, both, in work and beyond.

10.  The answer is “Yes," if you are a Deaf person and use British sign language.

      Calibre is accessible to everyone. British sign language interpreters will be provided and supported throughout the programme, if requested. Calibre is a programme that is very relevant to staff within the Deaf community.

11.  The answer is "Yes," if you are deaf or hard of hearing and do not use British sign language.

      As explained above, Calibre is a fully accessible. If you are hard of hearing and require equal access to the programme simply let us know what your access requirements will be. In addition, this year we will be able to provide a full transcript and collated summaries each session.

12.  “I am a manager and do not have a disability. This programme would benefit me when supporting disabled staff within my team.”

      This programme is only open to staff who have disclosed a disability to LJMU. It is not open to those who have not disclosed a disability or describe themselves as not having a disability. However, if a colleague who you manage has disclosed and requests to go on the programme, you should encourage them to do so. If you feel that managers would benefit from a programme similar to Calibre, please request this through the appropriate channels.

13.  “I am a member of staff and I do not have a disability. I think I would learn a lot from attending such a programme and it appears to be unfair that it is limited to only those who disclose a disability.”

      While we are delighted by your interest in the programme, it is limited to only those who declare a disability. There are a number of reasons for this. Calibre is the only programme in existence that specifically addresses the needs of LJMU disabled employees. By contrast, there are many programmes that address race, gender and sexuality in the workplace. In addition, Calibre is an arena where disabled staff are able to speak and share their experiences freely without criticism. This could be undermined by the presence of people who do not share their experience. It is for these and many other reasons why we choose to limit Calibre to only disabled staff who have declared a disability.

14.  “Yes,” Calibre is for all disabled staff

      If you are a disabled member of staff, the Calibre Programme is for you. If you have yet to disclose, this will be a good incentive to do so. The programme will provide you with new tools and skills and a new positive narrative about disability, one that will transform how you and your colleagues will think about disability. You will also meet new like-minded colleagues, many of whom will become friends and supporters. Overall, it will boost your confidence and self-esteem.