Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Secretary of State for Education
Nick Forbes CBE, Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission and a former member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet
Professor Mark Power, Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive of Liverpool John Moores University
1.1.
1.2. Liverpool John Moores University’s
1.1. Rt Hon Justine
A university is the beating heart of a city. It educates and nurtures its students, it connects them with employers, it serves the community. It acts as an anchor institution, shaping both people and place.
Liverpool John Moores University is just such an institution – a modern, purpose-led civic university, rooted in the historic City of Liverpool for over 200 years. It plays a leading role in the life and economy of the City, as well as the wider region, delivering opportunities through education.
Its core function is to provide degree-level education for its students but its role in the education sector as a whole is a much wider one. We know that education can be transformational – it certainly was for mebut in this country there are still too many people who think that university is not for someone like them. That means they are locked out of the opportunities further education can offer.
So it is vital that those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds also have the chance to make something of their lives. Widening access and participation in higher education for all those who have the potential is key to providing a pipeline of talent from local communities into university and then into the labour market. Liverpool John Moores University is a great example of a higher education institution which invests in the hard yards of outreach work. It seeks out talent downstream, providing the guidance and support needed to encourage those with no family history or knowledge of higher education to believe that the university experience will open doors for them. That effort goes full circle as it also plays a crucial role in training the teachers of the future, with a significant impact on early years, primary and secondary education.
This Impact Report - Liverpool John Moores University’s second piece of work with the Purpose Coalition – represents a determination to make a difference for its students, its staff and the communities it serves. It also represents an ambition to go even further, tracking and measuring its progress to ensure that it continues to extend a positive social impact for those that need the most support.
Liverpool John Moores University is a great example of a higher education institution which invests in the hard yards of outreach work.
1.3. Nick Forbes CBE, Chair of The Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet
Universities are at the forefront of breaking down barriers to opportunity, especially in areas of poor social mobility and for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are leading protagonists in shaping a more inclusive, fairer place-based future. They know their communities and how best to support them in accessing the opportunities that higher education can offer. Their working relationships with local employers mean they have a fundamental understanding of the skills required by prospective employees and their cutting-edge research propels many businesses to success in exciting and innovative collaborations.
Partnerships are key to economic and social place-based success. Those that universities forge are integral to their social impact.
The Breaking Down Barriers Commission has mapped Liverpool John Moores University’s activities against a framework of 15 Purpose Goals which set out the core barriers to opportunity. These now include Goal 15 Working in partnership which assesses how organisations are fostering strategic alliances to ensure that their initiatives are grounded in the needs of their communities.
This report is evidence of the important part that partnerships play in the work that the University engages in, delivering opportunities that lean into the needs of its communities. They range from Shaping Futures, the Uni Connect collaborative outreach programme for the Liverpool City Region to the many partnerships with legal companies in the North West which provide invaluable work experience for its law students. Its Start-up Hub has helped over 1000 businesses and is estimated to have contributed over £20 million in income to the Liverpool City Region economy each year. These collaborations feature not just in the assessment of Goal 15 but also across most of the other Goals, from Goal 2 Successful school years through Goal 8 Good health and wellbeing to Goal 9 Extending Enterprise, demonstrating the range of impacts that a university can deliver as an anchor institution.
The Breaking Down Barriers Commission is working with its partners to shape the role that organisations can play in a fairer society. This report details the work that Liverpool John Moores University is doing to deliver opportunity and drive the societal and economic change that we need.
This report is evidence of the important part that partnerships play in the work that the University engages in, delivering opportunities that lean into the needs of its communities.
Professor Mark Power, Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive of Liverpool John Moores University
This impact report represents a further milestone in our work alongside the Purpose Coalition and presents a continuing commentary on how we align our objectives and aims in addressing the socio-economic barriers faced by people in accessing and succeeding in higher education.
Widening access and outreach is core to our institutional DNA from our foundation over two centuries ago to our standing today as an anchor institution in the great port city of Liverpool.
We are a home-grown university. We were established to play a part in the life of Liverpool, to raise the aspirations of individuals and communities and to provide a springboard for generations of students to go out into the
world with the ambition and commitment to make a difference.
Our core purpose as a university is transformation through excellent education; delivering a curricula inspired by current research and high impact knowledge exchange and building skills and a talent pipeline as a lightning rod for the economy, society and communities both local and global.
Raising aspiration is essential in all of our work. 38% of our students are from the Liverpool city region and 45% of our students are from backgrounds of multiple deprivation.
Building confidence in our current students is embedded within our curricula but it is also our moral imperative to build that confidence and motivation in younger generations and those with little understanding of higher education so that they can see themselves in our world; giving them the skills, knowledge and understanding to move in circles of which they have little experience.
The case studies outlined in this report, aligned to the purpose goals and underpinned by useful benchmarks and metrics are a powerful demonstration of what we are here for. We see transformation in our students every day and we want everyone, from all backgrounds, to have the opportunity to succeed through the work of Liverpool John Moores University.
We have been true to the founding principles of our institution to provide opportunity for all, and we will continue to seek innovative and creative ways to open our doors so that everyone has an equal chance to realise their own potential through the transforming power of education.
Our core purpose as a university is transformation through excellent education.
1.1.
In 1992, Liverpool John Moores University became one of the UK’s newest universities, taking its name from one of Liverpool’s great entrepreneurs and philanthropists – Sir John Moores.
But LJMU’s roots can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution and its story is about the coming together of a wide collection of institutions and their associated academic subjects. This journey includes Liverpool Mechanics’ and Apprentices’ Library, Liverpool School of Pharmacy and the Nautical School and College. All areas where LJMU continues to thrive in its modern incarnation.
The modern Liverpool John Moores University has nearly 30,000 students from over 100 countries
in a wide range of subject areas. The University has around 2,818 staff showing its wider impact as a large employer within the city.
LJMU is a distinctive, unique institution, rooted in the Liverpool City Region but with a global presence. The University has a strong sense of belonging within the city and the region and has become a crucial anchor institution within those communities.
It is committed to growing and supporting its community by working in partnership on an inclusive and positive future for all.
This focus on partnership and collaboration is crucial to everything that the University does and allows the co-creation of ideas and solutions.
Liverpool John Moores University’s vision is ‘to be an inclusive civic university, transforming lives and futures by placing students at the heart of everything we do.’
The University’s mission is to:
• To serve our people and communities, at home and further afield
• To enrich the lives of those we work with
• To act as an anchor institution in the City of Liverpool
LJMU’s purpose, mission and wider civic mission is set out in its 2030 Strategy which was launched in 2023 as the University prepared to celebrate its 200-year anniversary.
The University’s four core values underpin its attitudes and behaviours:
1. We are student focused
Caring for our students to give them a transformational student experience. Our every focus is on the students who come to us to learn, develop, and grow. Here they will discover who they are, and how they are going to change the world. And we will do everything to help them do it.
This value is centred on the student experience – recognising the University’s diverse and international community, as well as the need to create an inclusive environment for students to thrive.
2. We are inclusive
With an open mind to different cultures and experiences, we are passionate about taking positive actions towards greater equality while challenging unfairness.
This value is focused on equality, diversity and inclusion and providing a safe environment for everyone to flourish no matter what their background.
3. We care about our community
Our staff and students, past, present and future, are the beating heart of our city. We couldn’t exist anywhere else and have shaped this place we belong to.
Working in partnership is crucial to LJMU and this value is a commitment to the civic agenda and the active role that the University takes.
4. We are courageous
The world is changing at incredible speed, and in order to not be left behind we must embrace effective, impactful change, even when this feels uncomfortable.
This value is a commitment to drive innovation, spark change and challenge the status quo.
These values are accompanied by a set of principles, aims and enablers that are key to the implementation of the University’s strategy.
Two key principles are woven through the whole strategy and are touchstones for its decisions – priority of people and sustainability.
LJMU’s aims are its core strategic goals:
• Education and student experience –transforming lives and futures through an excellent education that equips our students with the knowledge skills and mindset valued by employers.
• Research and knowledge exchange –delivering curricula inspired by current thought and high-impact knowledge exchange through our curiosity and creativity.
• Place and Partnership – building skills, the economy, society and community through local and global collaboration.
Supporting these aims, LJMU has key enables to build a supportive environment to ensure they are met:
• A positive culture which builds community, embraces diversity and supports wellbeing.
• A responsive organisation marked by agility, efficiency and innovation.
• A digital and physical infrastructure; shaped by our academic goals.
• Financial resilience which enables investment in our strategic plan.
• The report will go onto look at how the purpose of the University is rooted within the everyday activities of its students and staff.
The Purpose Coalition measures organisations against a set of sector-relevant social impact criteria. The Purpose Goals outline 15 interconnected impact barriers to opportunity. By drawing on expertise provided by academia and business, the goals are designed to specifically address some of the unique challenges facing the UK.
The Coalition’s cross-party work brings together the UK’s most innovative leaders, Parliamentarians and organisations to improve, share best practice, and develop solutions for improving the role that organisations can play for their customers, colleagues and communities by breaking down barriers to opportunity.
The Purpose Coalition is chaired by Rt Hon Justine Greening, the UK’s former Secretary of State for Education, Transport and International Development; and led by Nick Forbes CBE, who recently served in Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, who leads the Purpose Coalition’s work with the Labour Party; Rt Hon Anne Milton, former Minister for Apprenticeships and a Minister in the Department for Health and Social Care; and Lord Walney, former No 10 Advisor to Gordon Brown and Labour Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness.
The Goals were designed following Justine Greening’s experience - as Secretary of State for International Development - leading the UK’s delegation to the convention of the United Nations (UN) that established the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Purpose Goals apply the SDGs in a UK context.
The SDGs as interlinked goals emphasised the interdependent environmental, social, and economic aspects of development and centralised the role of sustainability.
At the time, Justine recognised how transformative a common set of accessible but ambitious goals could be in galvanising action to effect change. After leaving Government in 2019, Justine established the Purpose Coalition and Social Mobility Pledge with the intention of galvanising UK economic and social actors to improve social mobility in the UK.
The Purpose Goals focus on key life stages and highlight the main issues that need to be resolved to break down barriers to opportunity in the UK. The Goals are intended to guide ambition, provoke action, and measure progress.
3.1. Goal 1: Strong Foundations in Early Years
Research demonstrates that, all too often, children from more disadvantaged backgrounds are already significantly behind their better-off peers by the time they begin school, testifying to the fact that without a strong start in life, many children face numerous barriers to social mobility from the earliest stages of childhood.
3.1.1 Early Years Studies
Liverpool John Moores University is an Early Years training provider, offering an Early Childhood Studies (BA) course. The course trains highly qualified and experienced Early Years practitioners who will go on to contribute to the lives of young children in the local community and beyond by helping them to get the best start in life during their Early Years education.
The Early Childhood Studies course focuses on the development, growth, health and well-being of children from 0-8 years. A key focus of the course is the theme of social background. Students are encouraged to consider the ways in which different socio-economic and political factors affect a child’s development in the earliest years of their life.
Work experience is another important aspect of the programme, and students are able to benefit from work experience opportunities, both locally and internationally, for those who wish to travel abroad as part of their studies.
Students are taught and supported by tutors with extensive experience in the Early Years field. Early Childhood Studies tutors at Liverpool John Moores University are rated as excellent in the National Student Survey, with 93% of students surveyed saying that academic support on childhood and youth studies courses at the University is good or very good.
Students on the course have the opportunity to gain a range of skills and experiences that will prepare them for a number of Early Years-focused careers, including teaching, social work, health and childcare. Students and graduates of Liverpool John Moores University Early Childhood Studies programme consequently make a significant and positive contribution both locally and nationally, supporting young children and their families during placements while on the course and when employed in relevant careers after graduation.
School years are instrumental in a young person’s development, not only academically but also personally. However, research suggests that by the time disadvantaged young people finish secondary education there is a difference of around 19 months in learning between them and their peers.
The University works in collaboration with over 400 schools within the Liverpool City Region
3.2.1
Good teachers are a crucial part of a child’s development. Liverpool John Moores University’s highly-rated Education and Childhood programmes train around 500-600 experienced Primary and Secondary school teachers each year. The University’s teacher training courses equip graduates with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to educate, support and develop young people throughout their teaching careers.
In its most recent Ofsted inspection, Liverpool John Moores University’s Primary and Secondary Initial Teacher Education programmes were both rated as ‘Good’. Ofsted highlighted in its report the University’s commitment to training sociallyengaged teachers who will make a positive difference to the life chances of pupils in the local area and beyond, recognising LJMU’s dedication to strive towards greater equality of opportunity for pupils, regardless of their background.
Students on the University’s Initial Teacher
Education courses are required to undertake placements within local schools, and Liverpool John Moores University trainee teachers are placed in more than 200 schools and MultiAcademy Trust settings at any given time. The University works in collaboration with over 400 schools within the Liverpool City Region as part of its work to train future teachers and ensure that they have first-hand experience of working within a range of education settings in the city. Successful school years
3.2.2
Recognising the part it has to play in ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to progress into higher education or University, regardless of their background, Liverpool John Moores University works closely with schools across the region. The University aims to widen access to higher education, particularly for those from under-represented groups who may not previously have considered this route.
Liverpool John Moores University’s Widening
Access programmes work with selected schools in the Liverpool City Region to support pupils from under-represented groups and encourage them to aspire to studying at university. The programme works with groups of 30 pupils from a school throughout Years 9 to 11, targeting intervention at pupils identified by their school as being from a more disadvantaged background and with the ability to achieve at least five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above.
LJMU works with young people in the local community through Shaping Futures, a programme which provides advice and guidance to 14 to 18 years olds from the Liverpool City Region. The programme is particularly focused on raising attainment and aspiration among school students, with a strong focus on attainment in foundation qualifications like GCSE mathematics. The University delivers outreach programmes as part of its partnership with Shaping Futures, with Maths Club, mentoring and Absolute Chemistry among the activities offered to engage with young people in schools.
Additionally, the Step Up programme is another branch of LJMU’s work to widen access to university, working with 375 local pupils in Years 9 to 11 every year. Staff from the University visit schools, whilst also offering campus visits to pupils with the aim of inspiring them to consider their higher education options.
Support and interventions are also offered through the Access All Areas scheme, a widening access programme targeted at those from low socio-economic backgrounds. The University works with 90 students a year through a number of interventions led by staff and students to support young people to consider the higher education and career options that are available to them.
3.2.3 Focused outreach for those least represented within higher education
Care Experienced young people are one of the most under-represented groups in university and higher education settings, often facing significant barriers to applying for and studying at university. Liverpool John Moores University works to support Care Experienced young people to consider university through its annual Year 10 University Experience, a free, one-night residential on campus for local Care Experienced young people. Students have the opportunity to experience university life, take part in taster sessions and speak with current Care Experienced students about their first-hand experiences of higher education.
Support and interventions are offered through the Access
One of the ways in which Liverpool John Moores University works with local schools to support young people to progress to higher education is through mentoring. The Mentor Me programme involves pairing school pupils from groups identified as under-represented in higher education with a current LJMU student, so that they can receive advice and support and learn first-hand what university life is like.
Academic staff deliver subject-specific outreach activities at local schools and colleges, with the Law School and Engineering staff regularly offering taster sessions to inspire students to study subjects they may not have considered before. Liverpool John Moores University’s Outreach Team also attended more than 130 school and college Careers Fairs in 2023/24, recognising that such events are another vital opportunity to engage with young people and provide advice on higher education to both pupils and their parents.
Liverpool John Moores University works with The Brilliant Club, Shaping Futures and Knowsley Council to support the Knowsley Parent Power programme. The programme aims to work with parents and carers in Knowsley to contribute positively to their children’s futures and to champion higher education, not only for their children but in the wider local community as well.
Local schools are able to benefit from the University’s excellent sports facilities, as LJMU’s Sports and Physical Activity (SPA) department offers use of its facilities to schools in the community at a subsidised rate, as well as hosting events and sports finals on site. The SPA also collaborates with schools to deliver sports and coaching sessions to young people and plans are currently being finalised to extend this work by delivering sports-based holiday provision for school students.
The Schools’ Observatory, part of the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University, provides free access to a global network of robotic telescopes, bringing the wonders of the cosmos to learners around the world.
At the centre of this work is the Liverpool Telescope, the largest fully robotic telescope in the world. The University connects with millions of people each year, delivering hundreds of thousands of stunning space images directly to classrooms across the UK and Ireland. Learning materials developed by the University are tailored to match these education systems, ensuring they align with teachers’ and learners’ needs. The easy-to-use platform enables students and teachers to request telescope observations and analyse the data using custom software built for schools. With more than 22,000 active users and millions of website visits annually, the resources help users develop key skills like data analysis, problem-solving, and independent research.
LJMU also offers over 120 free resources, including lesson plans, interactive activities, and an online textbook designed to support learners of all ages—from preschool to adulthood. As well as providing free training courses to help educators feel confident teaching STEM subjects, the Schools’ Observatory creates a welcoming environment where learners from all backgrounds are encouraged and supported on their STEM journey.
The University aims to nurture a lifelong passion for science and astronomy by inspiring students and equipping teachers. Events such as the Primary Christmas Lecture, Making Space, and Work Experience Week engage thousands of participants annually. The in-person programmes focus on underrepresented groups in Physics and higher education, particularly within the Liverpool City Region.
Every young person should have the choice to pursue higher education, employment or training upon turning 16, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.
While young people becoming the first in their family to go to university is becoming an increasingly common occurrence, there are still numerous barriers which lead people to rule out university as an option for them because of their individual circumstances.
For many young people, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who may have no family experience of university, the process of selecting and applying to a university can be daunting. Liverpool John Moores University runs a range of initiatives designed to support pupils from underrepresented groups within higher education through the application process in order to help remove barriers to higher education and ensure that those who wish to pursue a university education have the opportunity to do so.
The University does extensive outreach to local schools and colleges, with the aim of reaching as wide a range of young people in the local community as possible. In 2023/24, LJMU delivered more than 700 advice and guidance presentations and workshops to 43,401 pupils, providing advice on the post-16 education choices available to them, as well as more practical support such as navigating the application process and understanding student finance.
The University’s Outreach team also attended over 40 higher education exhibitions, such as UCAS fairs, in 2023/24 and delivered 130 subject taster days on campus and in local schools, with the aim of inspiring young people to pursue subjects and careers they may not have considered before. A number of LJMU’s academic schools deliver additional subject-specific outreach activities to post-16 pupils, with the Law School and Engineering department leading the way on outreach work.
Liverpool John Moores University runs an annual Year 12 Residential Summer University, which is offered to students from under-represented groups and aims to inspire young people to consider higher education and experience university life first-hand. In 2024, 96 students took part in the programme, which had a focus on inspiring interest in Media and Engineering degrees.
Another initiative which aims to provide support on university admissions in order to widen access to university is Liverpool John Moores University’s Teacher Conference. Most recently held in June 2024, the conference offers guidance to teachers on admissions and entry requirements, with a focus on Engineering and Technology degrees, so that teachers can support their pupils through the admissions process.
In order to further drive forward progress in ensuring that people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to attend university, Liverpool John Moores University is in the process of launching a Contextual Admissions Offer. Students from underrepresented groups such as young carers, care experienced people, those with refugee status, those in receipt of free school meals between the ages of 11 to 18, or who have served or have parents who have served in the UK Armed Forces will be eligible to receive a reduced offer when applying to study at LJMU to break down barriers to studying at university.
While University and higher education is one pathway for post-16 students, apprenticeships and internships are another valuable and transformative route to consider for those who may feel that university is not the right choice for them.
Liverpool John Moores University offers students the opportunity to do a degree apprenticeship as a route to achieving a full degree while also developing practical skills in the workplace. With 80% of time spent at work and 20% studying, students who opt for a degree apprenticeship are able to gain experience and knowledge which will be invaluable in their chosen careers. There are currently 1,200 LJMU students pursuing degree apprenticeships, working across a range of sectors including healthcare, policing, civil engineering and business management.
The University’s Sports and Physical Activity (SPA) department is leading the way in offering a variety of internships within the department. In 2024/25, SPA will host two interns- a 12-month marketing intern and a 9-month Active Lifestyle intern. In addition to providing school-aged students with work experience opportunities, SPA also works with local further education colleges to provide use of its facilities to Level 2 and Level 3 Personal Training students.
Furthermore, the University’s School of Law is currently working towards offering a solicitor apprenticeship, which would provide an alternative and accessible route into the profession for those who do not wish to follow a more traditional degree programme.
The University’s Student Futures programme works with students from diverse backgrounds to offer co-creation internships, through which students are paid to offer their advice and expertise in order to review and refine LJMU’s offering and practice. Examples of changes made as a result of the Student Futures programme include webpages and resources specifically for disabled students and the introduction of a quiet hour before recruitment fairs to support neurodiverse students. Co-creation interns are recruited to represent students from a range of backgrounds and groups, including students with disabilities and Care Experienced students, to ensure thatall students feel represented, and that the University is accessible to them. Liverpool John Moores University has disseminated its Student Futures programme at conferences around the UK to share best practice and allow other organisations to benefit from the programme’s success.
and experiences 4
Getting the right advice and experience at the right time in an individual’s career journey is crucial to achieving success and opportunity. Whilst school and academic work will always remain important, the benefits of mentoring, work experience, volunteering, travel and wider networking experiences to broaden minds and develop cultural capital and soft skills cannot be underestimated in ensuring that barriers to opportunity are broken down.
3.4.1
Universities have an important role to play in ensuring that young people have access to the right advice when entering higher education. This is particularly true for those who face additional barriers when beginning their university studies, whether that is because of their background, personal experiences or individual needs.
Liverpool John Moores University’s Academic Achievement team is dedicated to providing the University’s students with the advice and support they need at various points throughout their studies. The Academic Achievement team focuses particularly on students who face specific barriers, offering tailored support such as enhanced exam support to students who are the first in their family to attend university or are low-income white male students, as these are groups which research has shown are more likely to experience barriers to achieving success in exams.
The Academic Achievement programme ensures that it is accessible to all students whenever they need the service by running a wide range of classes and appointments. In addition to running classes and providing self-study resources so that students
can develop vital academic, digital and communication skills, the Academic Achievement team also holds appointments in-person, online or via email, depending on the individual student’s preference. All LJMU students are given access to learning materials online, to remove any barriers to engagement.
Participation in the programme is closely monitored so that the University can understand which student demographics may be more reluctant to seek advice and work to make support more accessible to all students.
One of the most effective ways of ensuring that students receive the right advice for their individual circumstances is through mentoring, and Liverpool John Moores University begins providing this tailored support to young people while they are still in their school years. In addition to the University’s Outreach Team, which provides advice to pupils through partnerships with local schools and colleges in order to support social mobility and raise aspirations, mentoring is also offered to individual students through the Mentor Me programme. School pupils from under-represented groups are matched with a current Liverpool John Moores University student, with the aim of encouraging young people to consider university as an option available to them in the future.
Many students enrolled at LJMU are also given the opportunity to benefit from mentoring. The University’s Law School works in partnership with the School of Law Industry Advisory Board, with members of the Board providing mentoring to students and providing them with a valuable opportunity to learn from and receive advice from those in their chosen career.
Liverpool John Moores University’s Student Employability and Graduate Outcomes Plan recognises that its students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds may have had less access to careers advice than their more privileged peers. Lack of cultural capital is also often a barrier to opportunity and career progression for such students. For these reasons, the University’s careers and employability service, Student Futures, was created to provide 1:1 careers advice, along with providing access to workshops, recruitment fairs and paid work experience opportunities through Unitemps, LJMU’s on-campus recruitment agency.
More practical advice on student wellbeing is made available to students via Student Advice and Wellbeing (SAW). SAW acknowledges the many difficulties students may encounter when living away from home for the first time, including financial and mental health issues or problems relating to disability and additional needs. Liverpool John Moores University uses data on the use of this service to make decisions about the provision and facilities it provides, to ensure that its diverse student demographics are adequately supported.
For students from more disadvantaged backgrounds, securing work experience opportunities in their chosen field of interest can be difficult. Liverpool John Moores University recognises their role in facilitating such opportunities for their students, committing to embedding work-based and placement learning in every undergraduate programme.
The University’s Student Employability and Graduate Outcome Plan, which sets out this commitment in order to ensure access to work experience opportunities for all students, aims to assist students to develop confidence and employability skills that will be vital in their future careers. One example of this approach is LJMU’s Legal Advice Centre, which began to offer free pro bono legal advice to people in the local community in 2013 following cuts to legal aid.
the University’s careers and employability service, Student Futures, was created to provide 1:1 careers advice
Students within Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Law are also able to benefit from internal placements within the Legal Advice Centre (LAC), as well as externally with placements with Support Through Court, Merseyside Law Centre and Citizens Advice Bureau. Many of the more than 80 lawyers within the LAC are LJMU alumni and are well-placed to support Law students with casework and to provide career advice. The University understands that this model is unique in England and Wales, allowing students to work in a law firm environment and gain invaluable hands-on experience.
Student Futures’ Discovery Internships programme enables Liverpool John Moores University students to complete a 105 -140 hour project in a Liverpool City Region business or organisation. Students are paid for their work on the project, while also gaining employability skills, making important contacts and contributing to their local community.
For students who wish to find part-time work alongside their studies in order to gain experience of a work environment, Unitemps, Liverpool John Moores University’s on-campus recruitment agency, supports students and recent graduates in finding temporary roles within the University. The agency ensures that students have flexibility around their work so that they can continue to prioritise their studies while supporting themselves financially. More than a third of LJMU’s student population are currently registered for the Unitemps service, which is part of a 19-branch national network and was named Branch of the Year by Warwick Enterprise Group.
Open opportunities and recruitment are vital so that our nation’s talent can make the most of its potential. The chance to keep developing once in work and progress in a career isn’t just important from the perspective of increasing earnings, but to also continue to feel challenged.
3.5.1
Liverpool John Moores University strives to achieve equality of opportunity for all of its students. The University’s student recruitment strategy is tailored to ensure that those from a wide range of backgrounds can take advantage of the opportunity to study at the institution and that their individual circumstances do not act as a barrier to becoming a LJMU student.
The University’s student recruitment team has identified a number of groups which are traditionally under-represented in higher education and targets students from such backgrounds with the aim of making university more accessible. Specific target groups include low participation neighbourhoods, pupils on free school meals, first generations of higher education students, mature students, disabled students, Care Experienced young people, Black and Asian students and those from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) backgrounds. Support is also provided to people with experience in the armed forces or of the criminal justice system, demonstrating LJMU’s commitment to making a university education open to all.
Recognising that women are often less likely to study STEM subjects, Liverpool John Moores University runs a range of target activities to encourage women to pursue STEM degrees.
In 2023/24, the University delivered a series of talks and mentoring as part of the Girls Network with the aim of making sure that their STEM courses are accessible to a wider demographic.
Additionally, the University’s School of Law works with the School of Law Industry Advisory Board to implement blind recruitment processes within the department. Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) events are also held with representatives from the legal profession to demonstrate the diversity within the industry and foster an open and inclusive environment within the University’s legal courses.
Positions at Liverpool John Moores University are advertised both internally and externally, providing the opportunity for existing staff to progress in their careers while also encouraging applications from the wider talent pool.
The University’s Human Resources department supports staff through the hiring and onboarding process and throughout their career within the institution, with a particular focus on diversity and ensuring equality across all University staff. All LJMU staff have the opportunity to take part in the University’s staff development programme, which allows employees to enhance their professional skills and continue to progress in their careers.
Liverpool John Moores University is a Disability Confident Employer. The University provides support to disabled candidates who wish to disclose their disability during the recruitment process, with a question on the job application form providing candidates with the opportunity to highlight that they have a disability if they would like to make the University aware. Open recruitment 5
The chance to keep developing once in work and progress in a career isn’t just important from the perspective of increasing an individual’s earnings, it’s about how employees and students can continue to feel challenged and learn. Organisations that work out how to provide opportunities for colleagues to keep growing and moving forward will do better.
For both students and colleagues, the University has a key role to play in transitioning individuals at key life stages. Whether taking the next step in their career while working with the University, or in setting up undergraduates and postgraduate students to excel once exploring opportunities in the world of work.
Offering employees the opportunity to take part in professional development activities and courses is key to ensuring that staff continue to progress and feel challenged in their career, even when staying with the same employer for a number of years.
Staff at Liverpool John Moores University are able to take part in the University’s staff development programme, with employees encouraged to continue to develop their skills and keep up to date with developments in their field. The Organisational Development Team at LJMU supports staff skill development and training, coaching and mentoring.
The University also offers a range of professional development courses to individuals and organisations that are external to LJMU. Covering a range of subjects including health and social care, Human Resources and astrophysics, these courses are designed to fit working hours so that participants can apply the new skills and knowledge they learn to their day-to-day work.
Professional development courses are also run by Liverpool John Moores University School of Education. The courses are tailored to meet the needs of local, national and international education professions, focusing on ensuring that educators are able to keep up to date with new developments and research within the education sector. In this way, LJMU not only contributes to the career progression of education professionals but also ensures that local pupils benefit from teaching from highly qualified teachers. Furthermore, the University supports progression within the legal profession through its Law Career Fairs, held in partnership with the Student Law Society, and the School of Law Industry Advisory Board which provides mentoring to Liverpool John Moores University students wishing to enter the legal profession.
Developing the next generation of leaders is an important aspect of the work Liverpool John Moores University is doing to help people progress throughout their careers. The University runs a number of Leadership Development Programmes, with the aim of supporting those who wish to progress into leadership roles within their field of expertise.
One example of this work is the University’s Centre of Educational Leadership, which runs programmes to encourage best practise and develop leadership skills for leaders within educational organisations across the local community. Accredited and nonaccredited courses are offered, covering a range of areas that are essential for leaders in education.
Liverpool John Moores University also offers coaching and mentoring to education professionals through its Coaching for Educators scheme. This programme provides support and development to middle leaders, executive leaders and educators and is designed to ensure that the right advice is available to those who wish to progress in the education profession.
However talented a person is, being trapped in debt or being unable to access capital massively hinders access to opportunity. Whether it’s being able to afford day to day essentials and housing or putting money aside to have a decent retirement, managing money and getting good advice and skills to do so can make all the difference in people being able to make the most of their potential.
Liverpool John Moores University recognises that for the majority of its students, their time at university will be their first experience of living away from home and managing their own money. The University consequently provides support to both current and prospective students to ensure that they feel prepared to take charge of their own finances.
The University’s work to advise its students on financial management begins before they have even begun their studies. Prospective students are invited to attend budgeting sessions and workshops on managing their money, as well as to make use of LJMU’s online financial management tool, Blackbullion. In March 2024, the University held a Student Money Event for offer holders and their parents/guardians to provide information about higher education funding, bursaries and scholarships and how to manage money effectively as a student.
In order to better understand its students financial needs, from 2024/25 Liverpool John Moores University will enhance its tracking of students taking part in these financial workshops and their subsequent student outcomes.
For current LJMU students, the University’s Money Advice Team is available to provide support for those who find themselves requiring additional financial advice. The Money Advice Team runs regular drop-in sessions on campus, along with its dedicated phone line and email contact.
The Cost of Living crisis has resulted in many University students facing more financial hardship than ever before. Liverpool John Moores University works to ensure that financial factors do not become a barrier to students continuing their studies through a wide range of initiatives in place to provide support to students encountering financial difficulties.
The Money Advice Team acts as the first point of call for students requiring assistance with money. In addition to offering financial advice, the Money Advice Team can also provide immediate assistance to students so that they can meet costs of essentials such as food and bills. For example, assistance with energy costs is available to students struggling to pay gas and electric bills, with more than 2500 students helped by the Money Advice Team last year.
Students can access emergency food vouchers through the Money Advice Team. Meanwhile, the Cook Together programme hosts free lunches at which food vouchers and accessible recipes are shared, offering students a welcoming and supportive environment for those who require help with meeting food costs. Students also receive a 20 per cent discount at university catering outlets. Recognising that access to technology can often prove to be a barrier to successful studying, Liverpool John Moores University offers students recycled and refurbished PCs and laptops for free.
LJMU also recognises the strain that staff are under and has introduced several new financial wellbeing measures to support staff during the challenging financial period. The new measures help to ensure that a holistic offering is available and will cover financial education, access to advice, interest-free loans and discounts through the Vivup Benefits Platform (giving staff access to a huge range of discounts across major retailers).
The University also runs a series of support and information sessions for staff to find out more about pensions and financial planning.
Receiving a bursary or scholarship can often be the difference between a person being able to pursue a university education and missing out. Liverpool John Moores University offers a wide range of scholarships to ensure that those from more disadvantaged backgrounds have the opportunity to study at the institution.
The University’s progression bursary is paid automatically to eligible students, removing the need to apply which can often be a barrier to students receiving the support to which they are entitled. The bursary is worth £500 per year and is eligible to students who have a household income of £25,000 per year or less. This bursary will be withdrawn after 2025/26, with the University currently working with the John Moores Students’ Union to develop a new bursary which will have a greater impact on students’ ability to participate in university life and the many extra-curricular opportunities on offer
In addition to scholarships rewarding academic excellence, LJMU has a Community Excellence Scholarship, which recognises those who have demonstrated a commitment to their local or national community, such as through volunteering or sport.
Students from groups which are traditionally under-represented in higher education can also apply for the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, which is awarded to five students per year. This scholarship aims to support students from more diverse backgrounds who come from a household with an income of £25,000 per year or less. Students must also either be from a minority ethnic group, in care or have had experience Local Authority care, a young adult carer, disabled or over 21 to be eligible for this support.
The Sir Bert Massie scholarship, which is worth £5000 per year, is awarded to a disabled student who has campaigned for and championed conclusion. Financial support is also available to students who are care experienced or estranged from their family through the Imagine Awards, which offer care experienced and estranged students support including an annual bursary of £1000 per academic year, access to 365-day accommodation and advice on Student Finance, wellbeing, counselling, mental health and careers and employability.
Good health and well-being 8
Good health and wellbeing are often a precursor to a person being in a position to make the most of their talents in education, training or in work.
Health inequalities across the UK persist and have significant impact on wider life. The statistics on diverging life expectancy give a clear sense of how communities even living side by side can have very different outcomes.
Good mental health and wellbeing are often the foundations for success when studying at university and Liverpool John Moores University students are able to benefit from a range of support measures in place at the University.
The University’s Mental Health team is the primary source of support for students who are struggling with their mental health. The team is based on campus and is available to speak with students who contact them to establish how they can provide support.
In cases where students may require more extensive mental health support, the University’s Student Advice and Wellbeing team works in partnership with the Mersey Care NHS Trust and the University of Liverpool to provide support more swiftly. The partnership was originally funded by the Office for Students as part of a project to improve the mental health and wellbeing support university students receive.
Demonstrating its commitment to improving its mental health and wellbeing provision, Liverpool John Moores University is currently working towards being assessed for the Student Minds Mental Health Charter. The University is developing a number of new mental health and wellbeing initiatives as part of this process.
LJMU has its own Counselling Service, which offers face-to-face, online and telephone appointments in an effort to be as accessible as possible to students who require additional mental health support. Students can also make use of SilverCloud, a self-help cognitive behaviour therapy programme which allows students to access information and techniques to assist with a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress or body image issues.
Another mental health and wellbeing resource available to Liverpool John Moores University students is Togetherall, an online service designed to allow people to take control of their mental wellbeing and get the necessary support through a range of tools to manage their mental health.
Students with neurodiversity are offered the opportunity to take part in transition days and residentials on the Liverpool John Moores University campus. These transition events allow students with additional needs more time to adjust to university life and to understand the support that will be available to them throughout their studies.
Students with neurodiversity are offered the opportunity to take part in transition days and residentials
Ongoing legal matters can have a significant impact on physical and mental health. The University’s Legal Advice Centre (LAC) provides staff and students with the opportunity to receive free legal advice and possible representation at court. More recently, a Windrush clinic has been set up within the LAC in partnership with Liverpool Advocates for Windrush, to extend this support to the local community.
In addition to mental health, looking after physical health is equally important to ensure that a person is able to make the most of their education and abilities. Liverpool John Moores University’s Sport and Physical Activity Department runs nutrition workshops for students, sharing advice on healthy eating and eating within a budget, so that lack of financial resources does not prove to be a barrier to a healthy lifestyle.
The University runs Feel Fab Feb annually to support the health and wellbeing of its staff and students. Free activities are held across campus to supportthis goal and the University monitors data from the events to assess the impact of these interventions.
3.8.2 Health and Wellbeing support for staff
LJMU is committed to providing a holistic package of services and resources to support the wellbeing of staff. The university has a range of internal and external support, guidance, self-help literature, advice and tips to help staff look after their mental health and wellbeing.
Through the university’s Employee Assistance Programme, Vivup, staff have access to a trained counsellor 24/7, 365 days a year. Alongside this, they can access support and resources around both physical and mental health and wellbeing, as well as financial wellbeing.
Staff are also encouraged to take part in Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training. MECC is an approach to behaviour change that uses dayto-day interactions with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical health, mental health and wellbeing.
Through the university’s Employee Assistance Programme, Vivup, staff have access to a trained counsellor 24/7, 365 days a year.
The training sessions have been developed in partnership with the Royal Society for Public Health and provide a safe space for staff to explore the barriers and issues with not only people asking for help and support, but also the personal barriers faced when asking if someone is OK.
To date more than 90 staff have attended the training from various departments across the university.
3.8.3
Liverpool John Moores University is home to a number of high-quality sports facilities, and staff, students and alumni are able to benefit from the use of these facilities. Membership of the University’s Sports Centre is intentionally affordable, with LJMU recognising that lack of money should not prevent people from good health and wellbeing.
The Sports Centre is equipped with a range of workout equipment and staff are available to provide advice and support. A wide range of classes are also on offer, such as yoga and spinning, and these classes are targeted at all fitness levels.
LJMU is home to a number of sports clubs, teams and societies run by the John Moores Students’ Union. An important part of the University community, these societies provide students with the opportunity to improve their physical wellbeing, while also meeting new people within the University.
Bespoke health support is offered to students through the Healthy Lifestyles programme. The programme, which is currently being piloted across the university, supports students who have been referred by the LJMU wellbeing team through an 8-week individualised programme which is tailored to their specific needs and concerns. Support offered through the Health Lifestyles programme can include gym access, support attending fitness classes and sports clubs and one to one PT sessions. Progress is measured through a survey completed by each student at the start and end of the programme to ensure that the programme is having a positive impact on each student’s health and wellbeing.
Use of the University’s sports facilities are also offered to people within the local community, ensuring that people across the wider region are able to benefit from the facilities and improve their physical health. The Sports and Physical Activity Department provides use of its sports facilities to local schools at a subsidised rate and delivers sports and coaching sessions in schools and to community groups. The Department is also working on plans to deliver sports-based holiday provision for young people in the local community.
Bespoke
health support is offered to students through the Healthy Lifestyles programme.
Bringing opportunities to communities and having more jobs on the doorstep is often discussed in terms of inward investment and promoting organisations investing in places that have traditionally been social mobility coldspots. However, enabling people and communities to create their own jobs is perhaps the most powerful way of really driving opportunity on the doorstep.
Universities play an important role in not only linking in with businesses - sharing expertise and resources - but also in the fostering of entrepreneurship amongst students and the immediate community.
The student-led Business Clinic within Liverpool Business School was established to provide a range of support options to SMEs, multi-nationals, start-ups and not for profit organisations in the Liverpool City Region. As a modern civic university, LJMU aims to serve its people and communities and the Business Clinic acts as a source of support that businesses within the Liverpool City Region can access to help them address the challenges they face moving forward.
The Business Clinic has grown significantly in the last few years with plans to increase its activity even further. In the 2022/23 academic year 416 students were involved in nearly 100 projects and giving advice nearly valuing £1m.
The clinic provides students with the opportunity to practically apply and develop their theoretical knowledge in a real-world professional
environment. Projects delivered to date for clients include market planning, strategy planning, diversify of products and services, market research, social media campaigns, competitor analysis amongst other things to help plan for new business opportunities. LJMU students provide research and genuinely innovative, creative and fresh solutions to all types of problems and challenges.
Liverpool John Moores University’s Legal Advice Centre (LAC) is at the heart of its work to provide support to businesses. In 2023 the LAC began running a Community Economic Development clinic to provide free legal advice and support to small businesses, social enterprises, charities and start-ups in commercial, intellectual property, commercial property and contract law matters.
LJMU also runs an Accounting Clinic which gives students from Accounting and Finance an opportunity to work with an external client from the charity sector and undertake the organisation’s independent examination on a pro-bono basis. The students actively learn whilst dealing with real-life clients on their real-life accounts.
The Sports and Physical Activity Department within LJMU also supports youth clubs and community groups in the local community by providing free consultations and support on how they can expand their organisation by upgrading their spaces and provision.
Another example of Liverpool John Moores University’s work to support and encourage enterprise within the Liverpool region is through the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Founders Project. This project, which was funded by £1.2 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), was delivered in partnership with the University of Liverpool between Summer 2023 and September 2023 and aimed to address a lack of start-ups in the LCR by increasing entrepreneurship activities among students and graduates.
The University’s Start-Up Hub, previously called the Centre for Entrepreneurship, supports Liverpool John Moores University students and alumni to start or grow their own business and pursue selfemployment. The Start-Up Hub has been running for 20 years and has helped over 1000 businesses, with an estimated contribution of over £20 million in income to the Liverpool City Region economy each year.
LJMU students and alumni who have graduated in the last five years are able to meet with a Business Adviser to discuss their business ideas and goals and work on a business plan.
The University has also partnered with the Bathgate Group Ltd to offer a £500 Bathgate Boost Award to current students to pursue start-up ventures based in the Liverpool City Region or the North-West.
3.9.4
Liverpool John Moores University’s Graduate Futures programme used funding of £2.1 million to support SMEs within the Liverpool City Region to create graduate roles within their businesses. Participating companies received bespoke support, with shorter-duration roles fully underwritten and longer-term roles being subsidised by 50%.
Graduate Futures, which was founded by LJMU’s careers and employability Student Futures team, saw 307 SMEs actively engaging with the project, with 202 graduate-level posts created and promoted to Liverpool John Moores University students and graduates; 104 of these roles were recruited to.
In recognition of its work to promote entrepreneurship within the local region, the Graduate Futures project was awarded Skills Provider of the Year at Liverpool Chamber’s Innovation in Business Awards 2023.
The recent shifts in teaching and working patterns has displayed starkly the impact of the digital divide. For some people it’s about having poor access to the internet or broadband, in other cases, people and communities might have access to good broadband but not be able to afford a device or the necessary hardware to work and learn on.
In the proliferation of resources, equipment, and skills - universities have a responsibility to their communities and their students.
3.10.1 Supporting digital literacy
The advice and support provided by the Academic Achievement Team includes an opt-in programme of teaching designed to support digital literacy. This teaching includes use of digital systems and study tools such as Canva, Microsoft Office, SPSS and ChatGPT.
In collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Academy, the Academic Achievement Team also provides pre-arrival advice on using digital systems. The pre-arrival course, Study for Success, includes guidance and induction activities that aim to support transition to university study and is offered to all new students from the point of acceptance of an offer.
The course also directs students to use of software that supports study (eg Skills for Study or LinkedIn Learning) and provides online Maths revision/ refresher classes as one method of boosting digital confidence. From the 2024/2025 academic year engagement to online materials on the pre-arrival course is supported by an AI bot. This is intended
to reduce anxiety about students who might be ‘first in family’ and providing automated responses to any enquiries they might have. The AI bot is also intended to reduce jargon and respond in plain, clear English.
LJMU staff are encouraged to use technology to ensure that their online course content is accessible for all students. Ally is an accessibility tool introduced by the University to help teaching staff identify any accessibility issues with their online content. The tool also provides staff with guidance on fixing these issues and creating alternative formats for students, for example through Alt Text in documents and pages or by reviewing contrast issues.
Students can be provided with recycled IT equipment or grants so that lack of access to technology does not become a barrier to learning. Liverpool John Moores University works in partnership with Bulky Bob’s, a local social enterprise, to refurbish used laptops and IT equipment which students can access for free.
The Law School at LJMU is contributing to closing the digital divide by hosting conferences on AI in the legal profession to further understanding and discussion in this area. This will enable more people to be upskilled in this area and lead to greater adoption of AI in the future.
The Legal Advice Centre also has a bank of over 70 loan laptops in its confidential office premises which all students must use to access legal casework. This is not only a data protection measure but ensures all students use the same high-quality hardware (some students do not have access to a laptop).
Students also get extensive experience in using the Centre’s cloud-based case management system, which is used by many law firms. The Legal Advice Centre is also being used as a hub for experimenting with how AI might be used in the provision of legal advice.
Infrastructure for opportunity
Anchor institutions have the key resources and standing to develop the physical infrastructure that connects people and places to opportunity.
For communities with less opportunity on the doorstep, having the infrastructure in place to access opportunities is essential. That’s why investment in the infrastructure that connects people up with opportunities matters so much.
3.11.1 Support with travel
Staff are supported to access opportunity with the option of an interest-free Travel loan up to £2500. They also have access to Cycle to Work and Car Loan Schemes.
The University’s development of the Copperas Hill site also reinstated the historic urban grain of that part of the city and provided connections between Lime Street station and the Knowledge and Cultural quarters.
3.11.2 Reseach to support infrastructure for opportunity
The University’s Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Research Institute (BEST) focuses on tackling sustainability challenges in civil engineering and built environment through innovative technologies and effective management practices.
The BEST Research Institute comprises of staff from the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment within the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science and was formally recognised by the University as a research institute in 2010.
The Institute’s core strategy is to focus on fostering strong external collaboration, establishing partnerships with both industry and the public sector to engage in research addressing critical industrial and societal challenges.
One example is the Institute’s work to radically reduce the environmental impact of Liverpool’s roads. New technologies designed in the School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment have allowed the city to build new roads and pavements out of demolished infrastructure.
These technologies allow vast savings in both the construction of new road structures and reconstruction costs, reduce CO2 emissions and prevent disruption to infrastructure users.
Communities that are safe, with a good quality of life and homes people can afford are communities that are sustainable in the long run. For communities that aren’t, they risk losing their talent and driving away the very opportunities from business investment that could transform their fortunes. It’s why place-based approaches matter so much, both from the government but also from local organisations.
LJMU’s Biodiversity Plan 2024 includes goals to improve habitat quality, climate resilience and increase biodiversity. It also aims to increase green space engagement by staff, students and the broader community.
3.12.1
The LJMU Innovation Construction Skills and Knowledge Hub is a state-of-the-art facility that represents a unique convergence of industry expertise, academic excellence, and government support. At the heart of the facility lies a revolutionary “living laboratory” featuring fullscale test houses built to standards from three distinct eras - the 1920s, 1970s, and 2010s.
This unique testing environment, complemented by advanced modular construction demonstrations and cutting-edge Immersive Laboratory, provides an unparalleled platform for innovation validation and skills development.
Since 2016, the University’s partnership with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has established new benchmarks in construction innovation. The facility serves as a crucial bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering advanced low-carbon technology testing, research capabilities, and professional development pathways.
An example of this is the University’s partnership with construction products and solution provider Wienerberger to help make Britain’s homes greener, warmer and cheaper to run.
The partnership sees three laboratory houses –known as ‘exemplar houses’ – retrofitted and two more constructed at the university’s Byrom Street campus. They will be used to test the latest ecohome innovations.
3.13. Goal 13: Harnessing the Energy Transition and Net-Zero
The transition to a net-zero version of Britain is a unique opportunity to see new careers and new roles but in the very places where they can make the most difference on equality of opportunity and social mobility.
Investment in the green economy is already bringing brand new opportunities to areas across the country; and it’s crucial that the transition is one that is equitable for people and communities everywhere.
3.13.1 Taking action on the climate crisis
Liverpool John Moores University is in the top third of universities in the People and Planet League and is a member of Universities Climate Network. This, alongside some of the practical activities shown below, shows the institution’s commitment to finding sustainable solutions for the future.
LJMU has made a commitment to become net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035, as part of its LJMU Climate Action Plan. The plan is the first part of a four-phase approach and establishes the University’s goals and priorities for the next 10 years and how progress and success will be measured. As a result of the measures set out in its Climate Action Plan, the University has achieved a significant reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with its Scope 3 emissions having nearly halved in the last three years.
The Climate Action Plan is made up of targets and performance indicators across five themes:
• Leadership and governance - the LJMU Leadership team is committed to leading by example to communicate, prioritise, fund and deliver actions to achieve that.
• Teaching – the University will engage and equip students and staff to meet sustainable development goals and to raise carbon awareness.
• Research – this is a crucial part of harnessing the energy transition. LJMU will collaborate and share climate change, sustainability and low carbon research expertise and work in partnership on common goals.
• Community Engagement – through its partnership with the Liverpool City Region, local communities, businesses and students, LJMU will promote positive climate action.
• Campus management - as part of the Climate Action Plan, LJMU will decarbonise its estate, increase biodiversity, enhance the sustainability of its procurement supply chain and lower carbon emissions.
Liverpool John Moores University puts tackling the climate crisis at the forefront of its work, with a dedicated Climate Change Panel which reports to the Executive Leadership Team and Climate Change Champions appointed to its Board of Governors and Executive Leadership Team. The Students’ Union also has a network of Sustainability Champions to ensure that students are engaged with the University’s climate change work. Furthermore, the new Environmental Sustainability and Energy Team at the University will see the introduction of a paid three-month intern position within the department.
The University ensures that its campus and sites are managed in a sustainable way through a range of measures designed to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Since 2017, all electricity used by the University has been sourced from 100% carbon-free sources. The use of Nighwatchman software which turns off unused PCs achieved a saving of 500 metric tonnes of CO2 in 2021 and a travel app developed by LJMU supports staff and students to consider more sustainable options when travelling around the Liverpool City Region.
Furthermore, the University is opening a worldleading LJMU Global Centre for Maritime Innovation, which will build on its international reputation for excellence and expertise in the maritime sector. The Centre will allow collaboration between the academics, industry and external partners to carry out world-class research and establish solutions to sector-wide issues including decarbonisation and ensuring that new graduates develop the skills and technologies to ensure that the maritime industry continue to thrive in Liverpool and beyond.
The Liverpool Research Institute for Climate and Sustainability (LiRICS) is also set to open. This research institute will focus on fostering interdisciplinary research to deliver solutions to challenges faced by society on climate change and sustainability. LiRICS has a five-year strategy with clearly defined objectives around climate action research, which include creating educational opportunities for behaviour change and enabling collaborative engagement and initiatives for internal and external stakeholders.
3.13.2 Local partnerships to harness the energy transition
LJMU is a key partner in working towards the Liverpool City Region’s target to be net zero carbon by 2040. Among other things, the University is involved in academic research, community engagement and transformational solutions.
One way it is doing this is through its Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) which supports businesses in the Liverpool City Region to decarbonise. Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory offers businesses in the region access to university technologies, academic expertise and financial assistance to support their low carbon journey. LCEI supports businesses to grow sustainably in line with their Net Zero goals through a combination of university-led research and a capital grand fund.
The project is a partnership between Liverpool John Moores University and University of Liverpool, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority.
The Horizons project is another initiative supporting SMEs in the Liverpool City Region with which LJMU is involved. The project is designed to help SMEs to improve their competitiveness and productivity while fostering economic growth through a range of measures, including the introduction of net zero technologies. The University’s Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science advise participating businesses on how they can make use of technology, facilities and knowledge to increase their potential. Horizons is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered with Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool’s VEC and Edge Hill University and supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Research conducted by LJMU is used by partners to help shape policy and decision-making. For example, an LJMU-led initiative to put nature at the centre of planning policy has been embedded in the Liverpool City Region’s Spatial Development Strategy.
LJMU’s innovative Forest School welcomes primary schools from across the region to help young children engage with nature, appreciate the environment and learn more about the great outdoors. This initiative also enables LJMU trainee teachers to develop their skills in an outdoor environment.
3.14. Goal 14: Opportunity for all: Everyone everywhere
Creating a level playing field of opportunity for all can fully unleash Britain’s potential for the first time.
Diversity extends beyond gender and ethnicity to sexuality, disability and other challenges that can lead to disadvantage. When we look across the leadership roles in business, the judiciary, government, politics and education, there is a continued skew towards those from the most privileged backgrounds. Britain will not succeed unless and until its leadership roles, wherever they are found in our society, better reflect the wider society at large.
Liverpool John Moores University created the new role of ‘Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion’ (ADDI) to lead on diversity and inclusion across the University. There is an ADDI for each faculty, as well as one for Professional Services. This shows a high-level commitment to the agenda and, importantly, that it is embedded throughout the institution.
This leadership is also shown through LJMU’s staff networks. These networks are instrumental in creating a safe space for staff to come together, share their stories and build a sense of community based on their shared identity and lived experiences. They also offer valuable support to individuals who may be facing challenges at work by connecting them with empathetic colleagues who can offer advice and guidance.
These networks play a vital role in promoting diversity and inclusion within the University, using their collective voice to highlight areas that need improvement and advocating for policy changes to ensure equal opportunities for all. The current networks at the University are:
• Women in Professional Services
• Women Professors Network
• Women Academics Network
• Staff Disability Network
• Ethnically Diverse Staff Network
• LGBTQI+ Staff Network
Another example of leadership is University’s Diversity and Inclusion Fund – it is an annual fund that provides grants for innovative initiatives, projects, and research aimed at enhancing the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, with the goal of delivering cultural change across the University.
Previous recipients of the funding have included projects related to disability, socio-economic background, language, race and ethnicity, gender, learning disabilities, and more. These projects have been delivered through initiatives such as data collection and analysis, workshops and conferences.
LJMU’s Reciprocal Mentoring Programme also is also helping to break down barriers to career progression for those from underrepresented groups. The internal programme matches members of the University’s management team with current students from ethnic minority backgrounds, with the programme subsequently expanded externally to pair LJMU’s Executive Leadership team with Black Liverpool city leaders to share lived experiences and inform policy and decision making at the University and beyond. In light of the programmes’ successes, LJMU is now examining how it can take this work further to offer reciprocal mentoring to other student groups.
3.14.2 Addressing inequalities within outreach
LJMU’s outreach team runs events with underrepresented groups to address inequalities in access to higher education. One example is the University’s Year 10 residential event for pupils who have experience living in local authority care. The residential is part of a broader package of support for care experienced students offered throughout the student lifecycle including ‘Discover Your Potential’ taster days.
On the back of this and other activity, LJMU was one of the first universities to be awarded the NNECL Quality Mark for education and support of care-experienced students. The University was awarded the rating enhanced for all areas except for the section on ‘Before Your students Join You’ where it was rated as exceptional.
The University also works in partnership with DWF law firm on an outreach programme for those from minority ethnic backgrounds in an attempt to break down barriers to the law profession. Each year LJMU students lead an 8-week GCSE mentoring programme at the Arabic centre & Al Ghazali Centre reaching over 40 mentees in the local community. This programme provides academic and pastoral support to young students from ethic minority background and includes a campus visit to the University which allows the mentees to explore a higher education setting.
LJMU PhD Students also spent 6 weeks supporting the First-Class Learning Study Centre in Liverpool providing English, Maths and Science support to students from both primary (KS1 and KS2) and secondary (KS3 and KS4) school stages.
In collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusion team, the outreach team also helped to arrange work experience opportunities for over 25 Year 10-12 students from key widening participation local schools.
3.14.3 Encouraging female participation in higher education
As part of its commitment to gender equality, LJMU hosted The Girls Network campus visit in April 2024 encouraging 80 female students to progress to higher education. Throughout the workshops, students were given the opportunity to learn from students about student life and studying healthcare degrees.
In collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusion team, the outreach team also arranged for 60 pupils from 4 local schools to attend an International Women’s Day event celebrating women’s achievements and leadership. At this event, Associate Deans from the University shared their personal leadership journeys, providing invaluable insights and inspiration to young women who are navigating their own paths of growth and leadership.
Following conversations with the Students’ Union around support for Muslim female students, the University runs women only exercise spaces twice a week to provide women with a ‘safe space’ to workout. In addition, LJMU runs tranquil training on Tuesdays and Thursdays (2pm-4pm) where the music is turned off to reduce overwhelming sensory stimuli for its neurodivergent students.
In collaboration with the Diversity and Inclusion team, the outreach team also helped to arrange work experience opportunities for over 25 Year 10-12 students from key widening participation local schools.
3.14.4 Extending opportunity within the legal sector
First generation students and those from underrepresented backgrounds all have the same opportunity to get high quality legal work experience at LJMU. Legal vacation schemes and other opportunities are highly competitive and students from Russell Group universities or professional home backgrounds traditionally have more time to undertake such work as well as the financial means to do so. Providing this legal work within the School of Law means the opportunity is the same for all students and students with disabilities, caring duties, financial problems and/or working long hours do not have a barrier to obtaining this experience.
This work also now counts as Qualifying Work Experience for the purposes of the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam. In the long run the Legal Advice Centre programme will support diversity in the legal profession. The School of Law also partners with the Liverpool Law Society’s EDI committee to run events highlighting diverse routes into the legal profession.
3.14.5 Diversity within research and academia
LJMU recognises that research and academia are often not very diverse. The EDIpedia project aims to address the longstanding preoccupation of STEM curricula with contributions from individuals who do not reflect the full diversity of the historic and contemporary global research community. In this way, EDIpedia is aligned with the diversity and inclusivity agenda of the University.
The project acknowledges that, compared to arts and humanities, STEM disciplines have less ability to adjust reading lists to ensure a more inclusive range of authors. EDIpedia addresses this issue by providing a readily accessible source of profiles of scholars from underrepresented groups who have contributed to the development of specific STEM-discipline knowledge.
3.14.6 Supporting
Liverpool John Moores University has a long history of supporting care-experienced students and those who are estranged from their families.
In 2022, the University was one of the first universities to be awarded the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) Quality Mark in recognition of the enhanced level of support offered.
Support for care experienced students includes:
• Meeting students at University events such as Open Days, Campus Tours and Applicant Days.
• Liaising with students and any support workers, including Foster Carers, Personal Advisors or Social Workers.
• A dedicated point of contact within Student Advice and Wellbeing Services to provide ongoing advice and support.
In addition, there is:
• The Imagine Award, an annual bursary of £1000 per academic year.
• Access to 365-day accommodation in an LJMU partner hall.
• Support with Student Finance and funding advice.
• Wellbeing, counselling and mental health support.
• Careers and employability support. This support also extends beyond graduation with LJMU offering financial help and mentoring to help bridge the gap between university and getting a first job.
3.14.7 Supporting the Armed Forces Liverpool John Moores University recognises the value that serving personnel, both regular and reservists, veterans and military families contribute to the institution and the country as a whole.
LJMU is an Armed Forces friendly organisation and signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2021. The Covenant ensures members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly in communities, economy and society.
The University has shown its commitment through its Armed Forces Champion and Armed Forces Steering Group. This commitment is to:
• Provide enhanced student and staff support.
• Create better pathways and awareness for veterans of routes into higher education.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with organisations that work with military personnel, their families and veterans.
• Pursue cross-faculty research and knowledge exchange opportunities.
• Share good practice across all aspects of the University, and with decision making bodies and the wider general public.
3.14.8 Support for other underrepresented groups
LJMU has been awarded a number of charters that recognise the organisation’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion:
• Athena Swan - in January 2024 LJMU was recognised with the Athena Swan Silver Award for the University’s commitment to promoting gender equality.
• LJMU was awarded the Liverpool Bambis Breastfeeding Friendly Mayoral Award in June 2022. The award recognises LJMU’s commitment to supporting staff, students and visitors who are breastfeeding their children to feel welcome to do so across campus buildings.
• As a Disability Confident Employer, LJMU is recognised as going the extra mile in ensuring disabled people get a fair change in recruitment, promotions and any other opportunities.
• In June 2022 Liverpool John Moores University was awarded with the Bronze Status by Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC), in recognition of ongoing work relating to race equality.
LJMU has been awarded a number of charters that recognise the organisation’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• The Diversity and Inclusion team is also creating a comprehensive set of materials and resources centered around Neurodiversity. This initiative will encompass support for individuals, managerial guidance, and general information on neuroinclusion.
15 Working in Partnership
Only by organisations working in partnership can potential truly be recognised and opportunity boosted.
By fostering strategic alliances with unions and citizens assemblies, organisations can harness diverse talent and perspectives, and ensure their initiatives are grounded in the needs of real-world communities.
3.15.1 Strategic partnerships to reach under-represented groups
LJMU believes working in partnership is key to effecting real change.
Some of these partnerships are with local stakeholders to improve the chances of those from background that are under-represented within higher education.
Shaping Futures is the OfS-funded Uni Connect collaborative outreach programme for the Liverpool City Region. The partnership has adopted an information and guidance model of service delivery, providing impartial higher education-related activities and progression advice to target learners in priority secondary schools and across partner further education/ sixth form colleges. LJMU works alongside other further and higher education institutions through this partnership.
The Tutor Trust
LJMU works with the Tutor Trust to bridge attainment gaps within local communities. The Tutor Trust are a registered charity dedicated to transforming lives through tuition. LJMU students take part in the (paid) mentoring scheme and work with young pupils throughout Liverpool.
The Brilliant Club
LJMU supports the Brilliant Club which works with schools and universities across the UK. It enables PhD students to support students who are less advantaged to access the most competitive universities and succeed when they get there.
Debate Mate
LJMU students mentor children from less advantaged backgrounds through school debate clubs.
The Girls’ Network aims to inspire and empower girls from the least advantaged communities by connecting them to a mentor and a network of professional female role models. LJMU partners with the Network to provide these positive female role models.
3.15.2 Partnerships to share best practice with higher education
LJMU is a member of the National Educational Opportunities Network (NEON) which aims to promote good practice in widening access to HE. NEON enables those working to widen access to higher education at all levels and in all sectors, to affect change in their own organisations and communities.
The University is also part of the Higher Education Liaison Officers Association (HELOA) –which promotes good practice in impartial information advice and guidance for students.
LJMU is also part of the Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE) Access and Participation Special Interest Group (APPSIG).
The APPSIG provides a supportive forum for those working in higher education institutions across the sector to share, within a safe environment, approaches, challenges and solutions in relation to the strategic development and implementation of Access and Participation Plan (APP) commitments.
It enables members to have a collective professional voice that can inform and influence policymakers in the development of access and participation policy.
LJMU also has sector specific partnerships which highlights its commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity.
The Legal Advice Centre has links with many top 50 and high street law firms in the North West, in order to source pro bono legal supervision for its work. The Windrush clinic is a Community Law Clinic that is partnered with the Liverpool Advocates for Windrush and their community leader and caseworker is directly involved in classroom teaching.
LJMU also has close links with the Liverpool Law Society and leading North West firms such as Fletchers Solicitors, Brabners and DWF.
This commitment to partnership is also seen within the health sector with LJMU trainee nurses working alongside Mersey Care’s district and community nurses on an internships scheme. Tutors at LJMU with a background in community or district nursing provide direct pastoral support to students on the scheme.
LJMU also has sector specific partnerships which highlights its commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity.
The city and people of Liverpool are at the heart of the work that Liverpool John Moores University does. The institution has a strong sense of the role it has to play not only as an academic establishment, but also within its local communities to work towards a positive and successful future for all of its students, staff and the wider region.
Liverpool John Moores University demonstrates a strong commitment to widening access to higher education. The University’s work to eliminate barriers to education for young people from traditionally under-represented groups by working in partnership with local schools to deliver outreach activities is at the core of these efforts. By delivering targeted interventions, mentoring and advice on higher education choices to more than 40,000 young people in 2023/24, Liverpool John Moores University actively contributes to breaking down barriers to higher education.
The University provides targeted support to those from under-represented groups who may have no family experience of higher education. Its recruitment process is tailored to assist young people through the university application process, thereby levelling the playing field and ensuring that the LJMU admissions process is inclusive to all. Measures such as mentoring and financial support for under-represented groups including care experienced young people demonstrate the university’s commitment to eliminating obstacles that dissuade young people from pursuing a university education.
LJMU excels in supporting its existing students to adapt to and make the most of their university experience and has risen to the challenge of assisting students through the cost of living crisis. The introduction of a range of financial and mental health support services and initiatives demonstrate the university’s willingness to listen to and understand the challenges its students face and its strong desire to implement solutions for those who need additional support.
Recognising that its staff are a vital part of its work, Liverpool John Moores University prioritises the wellbeing and professional development of its colleagues. By providing its staff with opportunities to take part in staff development programmes, LJMU supports employees to develop their skills and progress in their careers. Providing staff with access to leadership development programmes further demonstrates Liverpool John Moores University’s duty to its staff by supporting them to achieve greater career progression.
Liverpool John Moores University evidences a strong sense of its duty of care towards both its staff and students, particularly with regards to mental health and wellbeing. The institution has put in place a strong framework of support for those struggling with their mental health, including counselling services and online resources. Access to the University’s Sports Centre is also offered to the entire LJMU community, reflecting the institution’s commitment to ensuring that their staff and students thrive in all aspects of their lives.
Liverpool John Moores University’s work to improve the lives of those in its local communities firmly places it as a leader on social impact. The University’s commitment to working in partnership with organisations across the Liverpool region, such as through its Business Clinic, Community Economic Development Clinic and Forest School, clearly demonstrate LJMU’s focus on using its position in the community as a force for good.
Members of the wider community are offered access to Liverpool John Moores University’s world-class facilities. For example, local schools and members of the public are able to make use of the University’s sports facilities at a subsidised rate to work towards the objective of raising physical and mental wellness in the region.
Through its work training around 500-600 Primary and Secondary school teachers each year, Liverpool John Moores University has a significant impact on the Liverpool region and beyond. The University’s teacher training programmes, which have been recognised by Ofsted for training socially-engaged teachers, ensures that children and young people will benefit from teachers that will make a positive difference to their life chances and outcomes.
The University is increasingly placing itself as a central part of the Liverpool City Region’s efforts on sustainability and achieving net zero by 2040. In addition to its unique position as a leading organisation for research, Liverpool John Moores University further contributes to the region’s efforts by working in collaboration with businesses in the community to assist them in decarbonising through advice, expertise and use of the University’s technology.
By combining initiatives to support its own University community with outreach activities in the wider region, Liverpool John Moores University demonstrates its significant positive social impact both within and beyond the institution.
Using the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, the Purpose Coalition and Liverpool John Moores University have partnered to identify communities of acute need across the regions it operates in.
As outlined in this report, LJMU already reaches into these communities in a variety of ways and is supporting a wide range of individuals into educational opportunities.
Through this data analysis, LJMU can apply the recommendations outlined in Section 5 to the communities most in need.
Critically, LJMU and the Purpose Coalition have identified the specific barriers most important to each of these communities –supporting the University in targeting its work and collaborating with key partners in areas of strategic need.
In the tables below, a lower number is worse. Being in Decile 1 means the Lower Layer Support Output Area (LSOA) is amongst the 10% most deprived areas. Having a Rank of 1 means the LSOA is the most deprived LSOA in the country.
Conversely, being in Decile 10 means the LSOA is amongst the 10% least deprived areas and having a Rank of 32,844 would mean it is the least deprived LSOA in the country.
The IMD looks at seven key domains, each showing a different kind of deprivation:
Income: measures the number of people with very low incomes, including those who struggle to pay for basics like food and housing.
Employment: measures how many people of working age are out of work due to unemployment, health problems, or other reasons they can’t control.
Education, skills and training: focuses on low school results, limited qualifications, and a lack of learning of training opportunities for adults.
Health deprivation and disability: checks how poor physical and mental health, or a higher chance of dying early, affects people’s lives in an area.
Crime: measures how often people and property are affected by crime like violence, theft, or vandalism in the community.
Barriers to housing and services: looks at how hard it is for people to afford housing or access important services like shops, schools, or doctors.
Living environment: assesses the quality of homes and the local area, including housing conditions, air quality, and road safety.
There is also an ‘overall’ measure, which combines the information from all seven domains to give a complete picture of how deprived and area is compared to others.
5.1. Anfield East, Breck Road / Oakfield Road - Liverpool LA District Code: E08000012 | LSOA Name: Liverpool 019C | LSOA Code per: E01006547
Overall Deprivation This area ranks within the most deprived 10% nationally, with severe challenges across most domains.
Income and Employment Ranked extremely low in income (123rd) and employment (86th), Anfield East suffers from high unemployment and low household incomes, potentially leading to cycles of poverty.
Health This area ranks among the worst nationally (46th), highlighting significant health issues and disability risks. Poor health outcomes can impact both physical and mental well-being, limiting individuals’ ability to participate in work and education.
Crime and Living Environment High levels of crime (526th) and a poor living environment (111th) suggest issues with personal safety, inadequate housing conditions, and deteriorating public spaces.
Barriers to Housing and Services Interestingly, the area ranks well here (27,122nd), suggesting that access to services is less of an issue compared to other areas of deprivation. This offers a stable foundation for community-building initiatives.
5.2. Anfield West, Walton Breck Road / Walton Lane - Liverpool LA District Code: E08000012 | LSOA Name: Liverpool 018B | LSOA Code per: E01006558
Overall Deprivation Anfield West is ranked 13th nationally, among the most deprived areas in the country.
Income and Employment This area has severe deprivation in income (109th) and employment (36th), with residents likely facing high unemployment and limited economic opportunity.
Health Ranked 10th in health deprivation, this area’s residents experience acute health challenges, including higher-than-average premature mortality and disability.
Crime Crime ranks relatively low (1,102nd), which suggests some resilience in personal safety and community cohesion despite economic hardship.
Living Environment and Housing Barriers Residents face poor living conditions (29th in the country), but with moderately better access to housing and services (21,779th).
5.3. Walton South, Eton Street / Lowell Street - Liverpool LA District Code: E08000012 | LSOA Name: Liverpool 012A | LSOA Code per: E01006611
Overall Deprivation Walton South ranks 18th nationally, indicating severe deprivation across multiple domains.
Income and Employment This area ranks 29th in income deprivation and 74th in employment, with many residents likely dependent on social assistance or low-income work.
Education, Skills, and Training This area ranks poorly here (1,552nd), indicating a lack of accessible educational opportunities and low attainment rates.
Health and Living Environment With a high health deprivation ranking (30th) and one of the lowest rankings for the living environment (3rd), residents in Walton South face poor physical and mental health and substandard living conditions.
Housing and Service Barriers Ranked relatively well (26,757th), Walton South has better access to services, although housing quality remains an issue.
5.4. Everton East, Belmont Grove / Rocky Lane - Liverpool LA District Code: E08000012 | LSOA Name: Liverpool 024A | LSOA Code per: E01006540
Overall Deprivation This area ranks 30th overall, with particular challenges in health, education, and employment.
Income and Employment With a ranking of 152nd in employment and 146th in income, Everton East faces high unemployment and limited economic mobility.
Education, Skills, and Training This area ranks poorly (1,508th), which suggests low skill levels and limited access to quality educational resources.
Health and Crime Ranked 36th in health deprivation, residents here have significant health challenges. However, with a crime ranking of 1,571st, the area sees relatively lower personal safety issues.
Living Environment and Housing Barriers The area suffers from poor housing and environmental conditions (317th), impacting residents’ quality of life.
5.5. Fairfield West & Newsham Park, Belmont Drive / West Derby Road - Liverpool LA District Code: E08000012 | LSOA Name: Liverpool 028E | LSOA Code per: E01006760
Overall Deprivation This area ranks 34th nationally, experiencing severe deprivation particularly in health and income.
Income and Employment Income deprivation is pronounced (517th), and employment challenges remain high (109th), reflecting limited financial stability.
Health Health deprivation is one of the highest in the country (12th), highlighting a critical need for healthcare support.
Crime and Living Environment High crime (113th) and poor environmental conditions (15th) add to the area’s challenges, with potential impacts on mental health, social cohesion, and personal safety.
Housing and Service Barriers Moderate barriers to housing and services (17,297th) indicate that while services are accessible, housing quality may be compromised.
As evidenced throughout this Impact Report, Liverpool John Moores University demonstrates a strong commitment to social mobility, proactively working towards equality of opportunity for its staff, students and the wider community that it serves.
Throughout this next section, strategic recommendations will be offered across a number of areas, including colleagues, students and communities, that identify potential areas where the University can go even further in its delivery of social impact.
1. Create a formal process for sharing best practice on promoting diversity across the University Liverpool John Moores University’s recent restructuring in which its previous five faculties have become two - Health, Innovation, Technology and Science, and Society and Culture - provides a unique and timely opportunity to consider how the University’s different parts can work together to share best practice, particularly regarding diversity and inclusion.
As part of its work to restructure its departments and schools into two new faculties, Liverpool John Moores University could introduce a formal process to support branches of the University to share the good work they are doing to promote diversity within their specific department. Additionally, faculties should be encouraged to analyse school-level data on diversity to identify areas where they are performing below the University-average and work with other LJMU departments to understand what initiatives they could implement to address this.
A formal process designed to support faculties to replicate best practice in other areas of the University would align with LJMU’s new Access and Participation Plan, which sets out the University’s institutional targets for diversity and inclusion. The use of school-level data to identify and close existing gaps would support the University in achieving its wider targets through the embedded use of evaluation and evidence-gathering.
By introducing a formal process to share best practice on diversity, Liverpool John Moores University would promote collaboration and discussion between its colleagues throughout the University and emphasise the role that each department has to play in achieving equality and diversity throughout the institution.
2. Prioritise work to narrow the black attainment gap
Liverpool John Moores University recognises that its current black attainment gap of 28% is too high. Narrowing this gap is a major priority for the University, with its new Access and Participation Plan pledging to halve this gap to 14% within the next four years.
The University should continue to expand targeted initiatives aimed at supporting attainment among its black students. Extended support could be offered to black students through targeted skills development sessions for those on the border of degree classifications and through mentoring, for example black LJMU alumni could be engaged to share their experiences with current students.
Financial barriers that prevent black students from making the most of the extra-curricular and international study opportunities LJMU has to offer should also be considered. Liverpool John Moores University should consider whether black students are aware of the University’s financial support funds and whether these funds are effective in breaking down barriers to participating in such opportunities.
The University should continue to expand targeted initiatives aimed at supporting attainment among its black students.
Work should be carried out by the University to analyse where attainment gaps between black and white students are most consistent. Data analysis of individual course programmes and modules within each LJMU school to understand where and why these attainment gaps persistently exist would provide the University with the opportunity to redesign its programmes to ensure that they are inclusive by removing current barriers to attainment for black students. Furthermore, direct engagement with academic staff to support them in understanding how they can make effective changes at a programmelevel would ensure widespread participation across the University in the drive to narrow the black attainment gap.
LJMU should also consider further partnership with The Purpose Coalition to run Purpose Lab sessions focusing on gathering the views and experiences of black university students, which can directly feed into the implementation of targeted initiatives and changes across the University.
Liverpool John Moores University can reaffirm its commitment to fostering an inclusive university environment in which every student has equal opportunity to succeed by making the attainment of its black students a priority as it continues its work on Access and Participation.
3. Continue strategic engagement with the Liverpool City Region to support graduates to progress into jobs in the local economy Liverpool John Moores University is deeply rooted within its local community and the institution’s close work with the wider Liverpool City Region is clearly demonstrated throughout this report.
LJMU can extend this work further by focused engagement with businesses and organisations within the Liverpool City Region to support LJMU graduates to progress into jobs within the local area. By producing highly-qualified and -skilled graduates that can contribute positively to the local economy, Liverpool John Moores University would demonstrate its position as a strong contributor to the wider community in Liverpool and the surrounding region.
Data shows that Liverpool John Moores University supplies more graduate employees into the Liverpool City Region economy than any other university, with 28% of the region’s graduate intake coming from LJMU. It is important that this local impact is properly recognised.
The Graduate Outcome measure that universities currently have to report into Treasury does not give a full picture of the work of the sector. This is especially true for institutions outside of London, who are penalised for providing talent to their local economies and the public sector workforce. LJMU should continue to work with the Purpose Coalition and the Liverpool City Region on the creation of a broader set of metrics that better quantify the overall impact of higher education institutions.
Creating avenues that facilitate the sharing of best practice externally beyond Liverpool John Moores University’s existing network would establish the university as a leader in delivering positive graduate outcomes across the entire city ecosystem. LJMU could consider establishing collaborative groups, such as on the model of the Greater Manchester Student Partnership, to embed the sharing of best practice and information at a city level.
4. Introduce socio-economic tracking for staff Liverpool John Moores University places a strong emphasis on supporting its staff to progress within their careers. LJMU colleagues are given the opportunity to take part in a number of professional development and leadership programmes to support them to achieve their career goals and progress into roles with more responsibility within the University.
In order to ensure that staff of all genders and ethnic backgrounds are able to progress into these leadership roles, Liverpool John Moores University should consider introducing socioeconomic tracking of its employees. Keeping socio-economic data about its members of staff would enable LJMU to better understand the diversity of its workforce and analyse whether leadership roles are being filled by employees of a variety of backgrounds or whether barriers exist that prevent particular groups from progressing within the institution. LJMU could extend this work further by also tracking the socio-economic background of its procurement partners.
Implementing socio-economic tracking would allow Liverpool John Moores University to extend its commitment to its members of staff by breaking down any existing barriers to a successful career and creating a more diverse and inclusive environment that more accurately represents the wider community.
Student Assemblies provide universities with valuable opportunities to hear the perspectives and ideas of its student body
5. Integrate Student Assemblies into student engagement
Student Assemblies provide universities with valuable opportunities to hear the perspectives and ideas of its student body, from unique perspectives which university leaders may not have considered.
By introducing Student Assemblies, Liverpool John Moores University could extend its engagement work with students as part of its Student Equity Council. While the Student Equity Council currently brings students together to gather their views on a range of topics relating to student life, this work can be used as a stepping stone to implementing wider Student Assemblies which explore the challenges and opportunities that matter to LJMU students, such as mental health and financial support.
Liverpool John Moores University should consider ways in which it can work towards having wider diversity of voices when gathering the views of its students to ensure that students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to participate. For example, the University could explore options for student views to be gathered anonymously so that students from diverse backgrounds are not discouraged from sharing their experiences and unique perspectives.
The addition of Student Assemblies into Liverpool John Moores University’s existing work on student engagement would further confirm the University’s commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive campus environment in which students feel empowered to contribute positively to their University community.
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