Welcome
We are delighted to welcome you to the University of Winchester!
We want your time at Winchester to be transformational; where you can belong, thrive and excel.
Our ambition is to become a great place to work, fuelled by a diverse, inclusive and welcoming University community - and that’s where you come in!
The Welcome to Winchester Session will provide you with the opportunity to meet other recent joiners to the University, hear firsthand from the Executive Leadership Team, and learn about our strategic direction, values, and why Winchester is already such a great place to work.
The supplemental materials enclosed in this booklet are intended to support your wider onboarding. If you require any further assistance having reviewed this information, please reach out to your manager who will be able to help you.
Thank you for joining the University of Winchester. We are lucky to have you, and wish you every success in your role!
Established in 1840, the University of Winchester combines rich heritage with innovative learning and teaching.
Nearly 185 years on, the University now employs over 800 colleagues, providing transformational education to approximately 6,000 students.
We are incredibly proud of our achievements and our people.
We look forward to you being part of the next chapter of our enduring story.
Wellbeing
At the University of Winchester, we take the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues very seriously.
We understand that a great employee experience is directly linked to a great student experience.
As such, all colleagues have access to a range of resources to positively support mental health and wellbeing.
These include:
• A staff referral scheme to access up to three free of charge physiotherapy sessions at the Winchester Health Clinic.
• Financial wellbeing support programmes offered through HSBC.
• Citizen’s Advice referral Scheme.
All colleagues also have access to a free, confidential, and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme provided through Care First, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Through Care First, colleagues can access a range of information and support, including up to eight sessions of short-term counselling, access to monthly webinars on themed topics, and advice on budget planning and managing finances.
Information and support is available online, over the phone, or through face-to-face counselling.
For more information about our Employee Assistance Programme and wider wellbeing resources, please look at the Wellbeing pages on the intranet.
Please scan the QR code to find out more about Care First Confidential Support for all staff.
Sexual Harassment
The University is committed to a zero-tolerance policy to harassment and sexual misconduct.
All colleagues are required to maintain the highest professional standards in discharging their contractual responsibilities and promoting and implementing the policies of the University.
Importantly, there are specific rules relating to relationships (close personal and/or intimate) with other colleagues and/or students. You are advised to speak to a member of the People and Culture Team if you believe these rules may apply to you.
Further guidance on the University’s position can be found on the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion pages on the intranet.
Trade Unions
UNISON represents Professional Services staff at the University and is a Constituency of the Hampshire Branch. UNISON hold four constituency meetings a year for members.
The University has also invested in a dedicated platform for reporting incidents of concern.
Named ‘Report + Support at the University of Winchester’, this platform allows individuals to report matters of concern anonymously; matters are triaged within three days.
The platform can be used to access support and guidance on matters such as what is sexual misconduct, what is racism, what are harassment and bullying.
You can find the platform by simply searching for ‘report and support Winchester’ on the University’s intranet.
UCU represents Academic staff at the University. UCU hold four branch meetings each year and hold additional extraordinary meetings where required.
For more information on the University’s recognised Trade Unions, please see the Trade Union pages on the intranet.
Knowledge and Digital Services
Knowledge and Digital Services (KDS) covers a wide variety of support services at the University including: IT
• Hardware (laptops, docking stations, and PC’s)
• Software (including Microsoft 365 and other apps)
• Classroom technology
• Printers
• Networks and WiFi
• Cybersecurity
Please note that KDS does not support Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment. For Canvas enquiries, please contact the Technology Enhanced Learning Team on tel@winchester.ac.uk
MULTIMEDIA
• Recording Studios (TV and Sound)
• Editing suites
• Multi-media loan counter; you can borrow cameras, microphones, and a range of other equipment.
LIBRARIES AND LEARNING SPACES
We are immensely proud of our Libraries and Learning Spaces which offer bright and modern collaborative study areas with space for individual and creative work.
We have two libraries; West Downs Library in the West Downs Quarter, and the Martial Rose Library at the King Alfred Quarter. The facilities available in our libraries include access to OneSearch, including millions of resources (books, articles, news, images and videos) and the provision of support with Resources Lists.
HELP WITH OUR SERVICES
You can book a session with a digital skills developer for IT, Library Resources, and
Multimedia guidance by visiting the KDS pages on the intranet or by emailing digitalskills@winchester.ac.uk
For more information on the services available, or for help with any IT, Library or Media queries, please either contact your Business Partner directly (details on the KDS intranet pages), visit the ServiceDesk in our libraries, or email servicedesk@winchester.ac.uk
Health & Safety
The University recognises the importance of health and safety in all its undertakings. It relies upon the initiative, teamwork, and active participation of all colleagues to maintain safe working practices and procedures. In addition to fulfilling its legal obligations, the aim of the University is to achieve best health and safety practice in all that we do.
The University’s Health and Safety Policy establishes procedures for ensuring the health and safety of all colleagues, students, visitors, other employers and their employees and others who may be affected by activities on its premises.
However, a policy can achieve nothing on its own – it’s what people do that counts.
As an employee, you have legal duties under the Health and Safety Act, including taking reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of any other person who may be affected by your acts or omissions and not interfering with or misusing anything provided for your health, safety or welfare.
Colleagues are also responsible for making themselves familiar with, and conforming to, all University regulations and good practice and for reporting any accident, dangerous occurrence or hazard.
Finally, colleagues have to ensure that any students under their supervision conduct themselves in accordance with health and safety requirements. If in doubt, please ask!
MANDATORY TRAINING
As an employer, we are required to provide appropriate training for you. As a colleague, you are required to undertake the training provided. This helps to ensure we collectively provide a safe environment for colleagues, students and visitors.
As such, our mandatory training elearning, which must be completed as part of your onboarding,
is in accordance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Health & Safety Executive guidance.
Each training module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and you should complete this as soon as you are able to during your first few weeks with us.
You will receive an invite to complete the training from workrite.co.uk. The courses include:
• Fire Awareness
• UK GDPR
You may also be required to complete further training dependant on your role, including Hybrid Working (including display screen equipment and workstation assessments) and Manual Handling Awareness.
If you do not have access to these courses, or need assistance completing them, please email: safety@winchester.ac.uk
ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT REPORTING
An accident is an unplanned event that results in injury, damage to property or some other loss.
Accidents and incidents can include a wide range of scenarios - near misses, threatening behaviour, incidents requiring first aid or medical treatment.
All accidents, however minor, must be recorded using the Workrite accident reporting and management system. The cause of the accident or incident can then be investigated which helps to prevent a recurrence.
For immediate assistance with serious incidents, please contact security on 7666.
For further information on a number of other Health and Safety matters such as infectious diseases, safe systems of work, and off-campus activities, please access the Health & Safety pages on the intranet or email: safety@winchester.ac.uk
Further Information for all Colleagues
Like all educational establishments, the University holds and processes personal data, about its employees, students, applicants, alumni, and other individuals for a variety of purposes. These include employment administration such as managing payroll, administration of the admissions process, the effective provision of academic and welfare services, recording academic progress, and to enable correspondence and communications.
We take data protection very seriously, especially when it comes to how it uses your own personal data. Under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the University is classed as a data controller. To ensure its compliance with this legislation the University has appointed a Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO), this is assigned to the Chief Operating Officer, Data Protection Officer (DPO), and an Information Compliance Officer who provide oversight and guidance on how UK GDPR is met.
All employees are expected to adhere to the Data Protection Policy which details how the
University complies with the UK GDPR and the individual responsibilities each of us has when using the personal data of others in a safe and secure way.
The Information Compliance Team is here to support you to ensure you feel confident in how you are using personal data within your job role, and to assure you that the University is using your own data responsibly and with the same level of care.
We can help with the following areas:
• Your own data rights
• Data breaches
• Queries about using other people’s personal data
• Compliance queries about data collection and data use
• Freedom of Information requests
• Subject other access requests
For further information, or to contact the team, please email DPO@winchester.ac.uk
Further Information for Academics
STUDENT
SUPPORT & SUCCESS (SSAS)
The mission of the Student Support and Success department is to support students to achieve their ambitions, by providing services to the staff and student body that:
• enhance the quality of the student experience
• support access and retention
• enable progression, and
• promote personal development and success.
The department is comprised of a number of teams, each with particular specialisms (e.g. Academic Success, Disability and Inclusion, Mental Wellbeing). Further information about all the teams and how to get in touch can be found on the SSaS intranet pages. There are also dedicated pages with Information for Staff.
If you are unsure which team is best placed to support the students you are meeting, the Student Journey team are often a good first point of call. They support students who may be experiencing issues which are affecting their personal or academic life, such as difficulties settling in, family or friendship issues, housing
issues or traumatic events, for example. Email: studentsupport@winchester.ac.uk.
REGISTRY AND ACADEMIC QUALITY (RAQ)
Registry and Academic Quality’s commitment to the maintenance and governance of the student journey records, enhancement of academic quality and standards and the management of all aspects of student casework is delivered by a team with wide ranging responsibilities.
Registry designs and implements key aspects of the University calendar academic and student journey events from Enrolment, Examinations, Progression and Award Boards and Graduation. As the guardians of the Student Records (SITs) we manage the governance of key student information such as any regulatory requirements (DBS, Council Tax exemptions, Change of Circumstances etc.) and ensure that effective data management of student records is in place for statutory returns to the Office for Students. Further information and resources can be found via Registry | Winchester
Quality Office holds the responsibility to ensure that all programmes of study are maintained to the highest benchmarked standards and focuses on programme development, validations and revalidations and providing continuous monitoring frameworks to ensure the University is meeting many of Conditions of Registration with the Office for Students (OfS).
Providing information, advice and guidance to academic teams in the management of Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, supporting the delivery of Senate and its subcommittees’ business and the development of academic policy underpins our strategic work. Further information and resources are available via Quality | Winchester
Casework Team priorities are focused on the management of all Student Appeals (Academic, Exceptional Circumstances and enforced change of student status), Student Complaints (including the Report & Support platform) and Student Conduct and Disciplinary processes. In a heavily regulated environment by both the OfS and Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), the team provide invaluable advice and guidance to all members of the University community to ensure that our collective high standards are maintained and to help ensure the culture and environment in which we work and study is a safe one. Further information is available via Complaints and Casework | Winchester
RAQ continue to deliver with an ethos of continuous improvement and support the delivery of the University’s strategic plan with inclusion of better practice within our suite of academic and attendant regulations, enhanced and efficient systems and processes, including leadership of My Record and as such we welcome collaboration and contributions from the wider community. Please contact us at registry.enquiries@winchester.ac.uk, quality@winchester.ac.uk or appeals@winchester.ac.uk, complain@winchester.ac.uk and report@winchester.ac.uk as well as our intranet page: Registry and Academic Quality | Winchester
Further Information for Researchers
The Research & Innovation (R&I) Directorate is responsible for leading and enabling research, innovation and knowledge exchange (KE) activity at the University of Winchester. This includes income generation through research grants and KE, the Research Excellence Framework, the Knowledge Exchange Framework, and the management of postgraduate research education.
The R&I Directorate consists of five teams:
• R&I Operations
• Knowledge Exchange
• Research Environment and Impact
• External Funding
• Doctoral School
In 2024, a new University of Winchester R&I Enabling Strategy was approved as an enabling strategy for the University Strategic Plan. This strategy outlines four key objectives:
1. Ensure sustainability by focusing Research England Quality Related funding on areas of proven research excellence aligned with substantial teaching provision.
2. Support academic staff to maximise research and/or knowledge exchange income generation, where individual, Departmental and Faculty objectives are set, and teaching and administrative priorities allow.
3. Develop the University of Winchester’s role as an anchor institution in the city and region, continuing to forge mutually beneficial research and knowledge exchange links with business and other external collaborators and networks.
4. Support externally networked and impactful research and knowledge exchange that feeds into educational practice and the student experience.
Our University Research Centres and Groups, Consultancy Units, Impact Teams, REF Units of Assessment, Departments and Faculties, work together with individual academic and professional services staff to develop an excellent research and innovation culture, providing a dynamic, inclusive and supportive environment for academic staff and doctoral students.
The current REF Units of Assessment can be found on the R&I Intranet pages.
Detailed information on the support the Research & Innovation Directorate can offer and the research and knowledge exchange conducted at the University can be found on the R&I Intranet pages, which can be accessed under Teams and Services > Research.
If you have questions related to your current or future R&I-related activity that cannot be answered by the intranet page or your line manager, please email researchinitiatives@winchester.ac.uk
