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- Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation
- 34 - Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management
- Submitting institution
- Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation
- Unit of assessment
- 34 - Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Tanya Horeck’s research has produced better understanding amongst sex educators, teachers, journalists, creative practitioners and government officials of how to tackle the problem of image-based sexual abuse. Horeck has assisted the non-profit organisation, the School of Sexuality Education, with the creation of digital resources that educate students about relationships and consent. She is also the co-author of a set of policies that provide guidance for UK secondary schools on how to reduce online sexual harassment and improve internet safety for students. These policies have been utilised by the UK Council for Internet Safety in their official government guidance on how educators should approach the issue of nude image sharing. They have also been endorsed by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), who represent and support over 19,000 UK school and college leaders.
2. Underpinning research
Horeck’s research explores contemporary ‘rape culture’, contributing to an understanding of how digital technologies and communication facilitate new forms of online abuse, while simultaneously being used to challenge sexism, sexual violence, and sexual harassment on and offline.
At the centre of this research is Horeck’s monograph, Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film [R1]. This book is pioneering in its interdisciplinary examination of how political and social conflicts are staged over an image of the raped woman’s body. Public Rape broke new ground in examining the ways in which stories and images of sexual abuse circulate across multiple media platforms. The book is now referenced as a foundational early twenty-first century feminist text on sexual violence.
Building on the insights of Public Rape, Horeck’s recent research demonstrates how the notion of rape culture is transmitted across internet platforms and digital technologies. Horeck has published several academic articles on digital manifestations of rape culture, including a co-edited special journal issue in 2018 in Television & New Media on women in TV crime drama (with Barbara Klinger, Kathleen McHugh, and Lisa Coulthard). Her essay, ‘Screening Affect: Rape Culture & the Digital Interface in Top of the Lake and The Fall’ [R2], demonstrates how ideas about spectatorship, gender roles, and sexual abuse are conveyed through the depiction of digital devices and interfaces which function as sources of both violence and critical detection/resistance.
Further research on digital interfaces and the representation of sexual violence includes Horeck’s peer-reviewed journal article ‘Streaming Sexual Violence: Binge-watching Rape Culture in 13 Reasons Why’ [R3]. In this work, Horeck shows how the popular teen series encourages audiences to engage with its rape storylines according to a user-directed, video game logic that ultimately undermines its attempt to critique how rape culture normalizes violence against women.
At the same time that Horeck’s research explores how networked media propagate rape culture, it also considers how social media platforms open up opportunities for feminist pedagogy and resistance through, for example, hashtag activism. This has been explored in a widely cited article, ‘#askthicke: “Blurred Lines,” Rape Culture, and the Feminist Hashtag Takeover’ for Feminist Media Studies (2014) [R4], which maps out both the potential and the limitations of Twitter as a site for feminist activism.
Horeck’s 2019 book, Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era (Wayne State University Press) [R5] further explores the spread of societal ideas about crime and social justice in an ‘on-demand’ networked viewing culture. The book provides an interdisciplinary, transmedia examination of how new digital protocols are reframing media consumption of the genre, providing audiences with the opportunity to become ‘desktop detectives’ and express their opinions and affective responses to crime narratives across various social media platforms.
Taken together, these outputs are the foundation for Horeck’s work with educational stakeholders on digital literacy and better internet safety for young people. They underpin the impact of her research not only on teachers and educators, but also journalists, creative practitioners and government officials.
3. References to the research
Horeck, Tanya (2004) Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film (London/NY: Routledge). It has been reviewed in Gender & Society (19; 6, 2005: pp. 862-64), Feminist Media Studies (Vol. 4; No. 3, November 2004, pp. 364-368) and Crime, Media, Culture (2005; 1, pp. 233-237) . Available from the HEI on request.
Horeck, Tanya (2018) ‘Screening Affect: Rape Culture & the Digital Interface in Top of the Lake and The Fall’, Television & New Media, (Volume 19 Issue 6, September, pp. 569-587), DOI:10.1177/1527476418768010. Journal article, peer-reviewed. In REF2.
Horeck, Tanya (2019) ‘Streaming Sexual Violence: Binge-Watching Rape Culture in 13 Reasons Why’, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, November, https://www.participations.org/Volume%2016/Issue%202/contents.htm
Journal article, peer-reviewed.
Horeck, Tanya (2014) ‘#askthicke: “Blurred Lines,” Rape Culture, and the Feminist Hashtag Takeover’, Feminist Media Studies, (Vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 1105–1107). DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2014.975450. Journal article, peer-reviewed.
Horeck, Tanya (2019) Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era (Detroit: Wayne State University Press). Monograph written for academic press, peer reviewed. In REF2.
4. Details of the impact
Horeck’s project has helped a range of beneficiary groups including secondary-school teachers and educators, journalists, and creative practitioners in dealing with issues that arise from image-based sexual abuse by the development of teaching and education resources that help tackle the issues. The project has led to the development of a set of policies which have been adopted by the Association of School and College Lecturers and which have informed UK government guidance.
Since 2019, Horeck has worked as an advisor for the School of Sexuality Education (henceforth SSE) (formerly Sexplain). An educational charity, SSE works with schools and colleges to provide sessions on sexual education. Horeck’s media expertise on rape culture and digital technologies have informed SSE’s lesson plans with young people, as well as their staff training workshops.
SSE used Horeck’s research in their sessions with teenagers on digital defence and self-care throughout 2019-2020. The co-director of SSE credits Horeck’s research around “rape culture, image-based sexual abuse, Netflix culture and binge watching” as being “instrumental in informing their education programmes on teen digital cultures” [S1]. Lesson plans based on her research on rape culture have been delivered to over 1,000 young people across 15 different schools since 2019 [S1].
Horeck’s research has also informed how SSE deliver workshops and their training of school staff. School staff in particular have expressed a lack of confidence in dealing with cases of online sexual abuse and Horeck has helped to advise them on the language they need to use to discuss such sensitive matters. In November 2019 Horeck’s talk, ‘Reframing “Revenge Porn” as Sexual Violence’ changed perceptions of attendees at the annual SSE conference which was attended by over 60 teachers, sex education facilitators, and students. 100% of respondents of the post event survey said they think differently about issues of revenge porn/image-based abuse, feel better equipped to reframe revenge porn as sexual violence, and will change the way they talk to young people about revenge porn/image based abuse. One teacher observed they feel “ equipped to help young people/people learn that this is never the victim’s fault;” another said that they will “ focus more on responsibility, empathy and wider social issues” when speaking to young people about image-based sexual abuse [S2]. The feedback demonstrates teachers’ increased confidence in finding ways to handle issues of image-based sexual abuse in their schools.
In spring 2020, Horeck enabled SSE to increase their online offering by creating ‘Teachable Moments’ worksheets that address key learning points on sex and consent. The resources supported teachers and parents in helping young people gain vital knowledge about consent and image-based abuse in line with the new compulsory Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum. The official launch of the new RSE curriculum was delayed by COVID-19 and these digital resources therefore served to fill an important gap in sex education for parents and schools. By 31/12/2020, these digital worksheets had been accessed by 232 people. 100% of survey respondents said that the worksheets aided students' learning in RSE [S2]. One parent said the worksheets contained: *“Really useful advice and guidance for anyone who engages with children, including parents and teachers.*” [S2].
In spring/summer 2020, Horeck joined forces with SSE and feminist academic colleagues and fellow sex education advisors, Professor Jessica Ringrose (University College London) and Dr Kaitlynn Mendes (University of Leicester), to co-produce a set of policies for UK secondary schools. These policies were designed to respond to the lack of coherent guidance in secondary schools on how to tackle cases of online sexual harassment, and to help teachers implement a joined up, whole-school approach to the problem. This set of policies, (published online in July 2020), provide comprehensive guidance for schools on dealing with online sexual harassment [S3]. The policies have been officially endorsed by ASCL, who have promoted them to their members, consisting of over 19,000 school and college leaders in the UK, working across primary, secondary and post-16 education. [S4].
In December 2020, the Government published new guidance on ‘sharing nudes and semi-nudes’ for those working with children and young people in education settings both within and beyond schools, which cites these policies and their insight regarding the importance of using the terminology of ‘image-based sexual abuse’ to talk about the non-consensual sharing of intimate images [S5].
In the summer of 2020, Horeck helped SSE to deliver bespoke training sessions on the policies to teachers in three secondary schools in Cardiff, Daventry and North Yorkshire, where assistance was requested on how to deliver digital literacy and the new RSE curriculum. All participants agreed that the training increased their confidence to implement policy and practice to tackle online sexual harassment and they committed to a number of actions suggested in the policy, including sharing learning with key colleagues and reviewing the RSE curriculum, resources, and training [S2].
On 15 October 2020, Horeck and her SSE collaborators held an online training session designed for head teachers and safeguarding leads, to assist with policy implementation, and the event was attended by 25 individuals. Further implementation workshops for teachers were run in November 2020 as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science and were attended by 38 individuals. Following the October and November events, feedback was collated, and of those who responded, everyone agreed that they knew more about the issues covered in the policy and 92% felt more confident handling cases of online sexual harassment involving students [S2]. One Deputy Head (Pastoral) has reported back that since implementing the policy, student wellbeing has improved at his secondary school in Portsmouth, which has seen a dramatic decrease in the sharing of ‘dick pics’ [S6].
Horeck has also delivered training on digital literacy and internet safety to eight teachers and PSHE leaders, 70 film and media students and 20 progress coaches at Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. The school’s Assistant Vice Principal of Student Welfare said the training benefitted the progress coaches who are now more aware of the correct terminology to use when discussing image-based sexual abuse and have learnt new ways of coaching young people in how to stay safe online [S7].
Public perceptions of so-called ‘revenge porn’ have also been reshaped by Horeck’s work with creative practitioners and journalists. In 2018, the youth creative organization Livity produced a documentary on image-based sexual abuse, Love, Lies and Nudes. This film was inspired by Horeck’s research, with the producer citing Public Rape as an influence [S8]. The film has accrued over 3,884 views on YouTube since its release on 4 June 2018 [S9]. A BBC journalist has also drawn on Horeck’s expertise for a BBC LookEast feature on young people and image-based sexual abuse on 26 June 2018 and a BBC Newsbeat article on 19 June 2019 about young people and staying safe online [S10].
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
Testimonial from Co-director of School of Sexuality Education (formerly Sexplain).
Feedback from SSE (Sexplain) resources events and training sessions.
Collation of Online Sexual Harassment Policies.
Testimonial from SEND and Inclusion Specialist for the Association of School and College Leaders on their endorsement of the online sexual harassment policies.
‘Sharing Nude and Semi-Nudes’, The UK Council for Internet Safety, Advice for education settings working with children and young people: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/947545/UKCIS_sharing_nudes_and_semi_nudes_advice_for_education_settings_V2.pdf
Testimonial from Deputy Head (Pastoral) on implementation of policy and reduction of negative image sharing.
Testimonial from The Assistant Vice Principal of Student Welfare at Long Road Sixth Form College.
Testimonial from producer of Love, Lies and Nudes.
Web link to YouTube where the documentary Love, Lies and Nudes is exhibited: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRpNJ3YELJo
Testimonial from BBC journalist on Horeck’s help with ‘revenge porn’ news stories.
- Submitting institution
- Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation
- Unit of assessment
- 34 - Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
This project has led to changes in policy, practice and culture in relation to equality and inclusivity in UK public and private sector employers. MacCormack’s work with St Andrew’s Healthcare Trust has created an environment of greater acceptance and inclusivity in relation to the LGBTQIA+ community. Her work has also benefitted sector organisations such as Universities UK, and employer training organisations Inclusive Employers and TPP Recruitment, to promote equality as they work with employers to meet the challenges of creating an inclusive and supportive environment for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and in addressing issues of intersectionality. Her work has prompted the writing of new policies, and the development and delivery of training packages which have enabled cultural changes in employers’ working environments making them more inclusive communities and better places to work.
2. Underpinning research
MacCormack’s work reconceives LGBTQIA+ inclusivity as inherently multiple (queer rather than a single, fixed identity) as well as exploring how new queer understandings intersect with contemporary issues of race, disability and ‘othering’ (intersectionality). MacCormack’s Posthuman Ethics (Ref. 1), Ecosophical Aesthetics (Ref. 2), The Ahuman Manifesto (Ref. 5) and many journal articles and chapters published since 2000 (e.g. Refs. 3, 4) address LGBTQIA+ identity as part of an intersectional approach to understanding contemporary identity that includes gender, race, disability, socio-economic access and other issues of diversity. This she terms an ecological perspective, where all issues are meshed to make an environment.
Posthuman Ethics (Ref. 1) deals with ethical relations in reference to the changing nature of identity in a posthuman world, specifically dealing with gender, sexuality and bodies of difference, but is also attentive to intersections with race, disability and ‘othering’ often in relation to both public and discursive institutions. Most non-HEI sectors and much academic research retains a focus on ‘single issue identity’ seeing identity as relatively fixed. Many employers and some healthcare providers find practitioners remain in an either/or understanding of identity in the practical sphere (male/female, trans*/cis, hetero/homo, white/BAME, criminal/citizen, able/disabled). Posthuman Ethics breaks down these binaries to emphasise identity as a metamorphic and multiple continuum.
MacCormack’s work also explores comparisons between the UK and other countries, helping to contextualise the UK position and highlight the dangers to individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community when non-inclusive policies are implemented. The article, ‘Queer Posthumanizm: Sayborglar, Hayvanlar, Ucubeler, Sapkinlar’ (Ref. 3) addresses queer theory within the context of an oppressive/illegal context (specifically Turkey, 2016, but since then conference papers have been given in Poland and Hungary, which have emerging oppressive gender and LGBTQIA+ regimes). LGBTQIA+ conferences and demonstrations are now illegal in Turkey and this international comparative perspective which helps UK workers contextualize their situation underpins part of the training on intersectionality provided to employers. This research shows the material effects of a non-fluid, fixed understanding of inclusivity on real lived experience, underpinned by MacCormack’s lecture tour of Turkey, the publications, and the multicultural attendees of the training sessions who, in feedback, expressed this awareness of the intersection between culture, gender and LGBTQIA+ as a benefit.
‘The Queer Ethics of Monstrosity’ (Ref. 4) explicitly traces both the history and status of LGBTQIA+ individuals as pathologized objects rather than autonomous subjects, a key concern for the clinical and operational practices in the mental healthcare sector in particular, especially St. Andrew’s Healthcare Trust and London Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC), with which MacCormack has worked closely. The chapter deconstructs the naming institute (be it the hospital such as St Andrew’s, or the prison/probation service such as London CRC) and reclaims the concept of the individual identifying themselves.
Of particular relevance to MacCormack’s consulting and policy development for mental health charities, is Ecosophical Aesthetics (Bloomsbury 2018) which was co-edited by MacCormack and Colin Gardner and includes the introduction and chapter ‘Schizo-Semiotic Apprenticeship: Guattari’s Gift to Contemporary Clinical Practice’ (Ref. 2). This was co-written with James Fowler, Lead Psychological Consultant for St Andrew’s Healthcare Trust, and outlines good practice in breaking down the dialectic of clinician and patient. It deals directly with the mental healthcare practitioner/patient relationship, bringing a philosophically informed approach to inclusivity and intersectional understanding. It considers this relationship not as one of power but of creative practice, meaning a shift from imposing single, overarching solutions onto all populations, to a relational, therapeutic understanding which emphasizes individual differences and specific needs. The focus is especially on considering LGBTQIA+ status, gender and other intersections where traditional mental health operates under a presumed normative (male, white, hetero, cis) template.
The Ahuman Manifesto (Ref. 5) creates a highly contemporary, future-facing collation of MacCormack’s ideas, particularly in relation to how we now understand the legally protected characteristics as intersecting and how to navigate them in compassionate and creative ways. The question of drawing together theory with lived experience, central to the book, has led to numerous employers pursuing policy consultancy or inclusivity training from MacCormack. The intersectional and adaptable practices in the book, which seek to use creativity rather than privilege-implemented policy, have been the foundation of her training on gender, sexual identity and intersectionality. The research shows the benefit of de-privileging and de-hierarchical systems toward ecological relations between and within all organisations, and offers a radical shift in inclusivity attitudes. That shift from protected characteristics as being single, ‘other’, issues divergent from the ‘normal’ citizen, to an environment of multiplicity, fluidity and full inclusion has resulted in very positive feedback.
3. References to the research
Patricia MacCormack, Posthuman Ethics. Ashgate 2012. ISBN: 9781409434542. Submitted in REF2014. Available from the HEI on request.
Patricia MacCormack and James Fowler, ‘Schizo-Semiotic Apprenticeship: Guattari’s Gift to Contemporary Clinical Practice’ in Patricia MacCormack and Colin Gardner (eds) Ecosophical Aesthetics: Art, Ethics and Ecology, Bloomsbury 2018, pp. 31-48. ISBN: 1350026190. Available from the HEI on request.
Patricia MacCormack, ‘Queer Posthumanizm: Sayborglar, Hayvanlar, Ucubeler, Sapkinlar’ KaosQueer+ Sayi (Issue) 2, Istanbul, Ilkbahar (Spring) 2016 Available from the HEI on request.
Patricia MacCormack, ‘The Queer Ethics of Monstrosity’, in Picart, Caroline (ed) Speaking of Monsters: A Teratological Anthology. London: Palgrave. 2012, pp. 255-66. ISBN 9780230114500. Available from the HEI on request.
Patricia MacCormack, The Ahuman Manifesto London: Bloomsbury, 2020 ISBN: 9781350081093. Available from the HEI on request.
4. Details of the impact
The key impacts deriving from MacCormack’s work have been:
Creating a new policy and enhancing practice for mental healthcare professionals in St Andrew’s Healthcare Trust - a mental healthcare charity - enhancing outcomes in relation to intersectionality and the LGBTQIA+ community
Collaborating with The Kite Trust, Universities UK (UUK), TPP, and Inclusive Employers to change training resources, deliver training and impact policy for businesses, clients and members including employers
Working with public and private sector employers from airport groups to housing associations to offer training that enhances the employers’ environment and changes attitudes.
1) Mental Healthcare Professionals and St Andrew’s Mental Health Charity
MacCormack’s work on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity led to her collaboration with St Andrew’s Healthcare Trust, the largest mental health charity in the UK with 4,000 staff. St Andrew’s offers clinical services to offenders with complex mental health needs, both in probation and in-patient services, having 1,000 inpatients and 3,000 outpatients. MacCormack worked with the Trust drafting the newly implemented St Andrew’s Transgender Inclusive Healthcare Procedure, which applies to both inpatients and outpatients, along with the St Andrew’s Healthcare Policy on Trans* for all healthcare workers and partners (Source 1). The policy has been implemented as a keystone policy for all employee practices at St Andrew’s.
In June 2019 MacCormack provided training on intersectionality and LGBTQIA+ identity to 130 Trust staff and affiliates (St Andrew’s, stakeholders and partner institutes), including psychiatrists, mental health workers and diversity and inclusivity administrators, along with 60 non-exclusively mental health workers across 3 sites. In the post-training survey, 100% of respondents found the presentation informative and 100% said that it was likely it would inform their clinical practice (Source 2). The lead clinician for specialist services for London Probation - serving a population of approximately 30,000 – noted that MacCormack’s training ‘greatly accelerates our understanding of gender concepts within the charity across all four of our hospitals and community services’ and noted that 'Prof. MacCormack has contributed to the charity's overall gender policies and practices, impacting directly on the patient experience’ (Source 2).
Prior to MacCormack’s work, the Trust had no ‘trans-specific healthcare policy’ creating behavioural issues and some unconscious intolerance of those who identified as LGBTQIA+. MacCormack’s input ‘impacted the work of all of St Andrew’s employees and patients both within community partnerships … and more broadly within the charity’s hospitals.’ It effected a ‘fundamental culture change which brings these issues [of transgender identity] into the normal practice of all staff and for all patients. This has led to an environment of acceptance and inclusivity which impacts positively on the clinical outcomes for all of our patients and the overall staff and user experience within St Andrew’s’ (Source 3). ‘MacCormack’s input is now part of an annual continued professional development (CPD) agenda for our clinicians and … will continue to impact practice within St Andrew’s and its partners within the criminal justice system for years to come’ (Source 3). This ensures that clinical practice is informed by the most up-to-date research, reinforces the cultural change achieved and enhances the work environment for employees and patients.
2) Working with The Kite Trust, Universities UK (UUK), TPP, and Inclusive Employers
MacCormack has provided consultancy to charities, training providers and industry organisations including the charity The Kite Trust, the HE sector organisation, Universities UK (UUK), and two employer training providers, TPP, and Inclusive Employers.
The Kite Trust offers training on LGBTQIA+ matters for small businesses, larger corporations, schools, colleges, healthcare professionals, public bodies and the voluntary sector. Between April 2020 and November 2020, following consultancy from MacCormack, the Trust revised all its ‘LGBTQ+ and trans* specific presentations’. MacCormack also ‘informed […] training the Kite Trust ‘delivered, … and provided research evidence for The Kite Trust to reference in advocacy work with schools and GPs which the charity might not have otherwise easily accessed.’ MacCormack also ‘contributed to The Kite Trust’s Catalyst-funded research exercise […] contributing to the analysis of responses’ (Source 4).
In March 2020, MacCormack partnered with Inclusive Employers (IE), to provide training to over 150 of their members, covering topics of intersectionality and gender identity. In spite of offering a large number of single-issue excellent training opportunities, IE sought an expert to offer concrete and impactful ‘right now’ measures to ensure inclusivity for their members was not single-issue diversity, but fully intersectional. This difficulty aligns with the Office for National Statistics’ Equalities Data Audit Final Report which acknowledged the need for intersectional statistics to be measured, as recommended by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) but could not assess multiple protected characteristics ‘because of the multiple ways in which they could be combined’ (ONS, 2018).
The IE training led 3 organisations to request training for their staff (see below). MacCormack also completed a comprehensive literature review on the Equality Impact of Covid for a consultancy report prepared by Inclusive Employers for a major public sector client in August 2020. The report is confidential, but both the client’s commission and the resulting report were specifically intersectional in focus and addressed all protected characteristics as co-emergent. Training was also delivered for the client, following which Inclusive Employers reported: “The client that commissioned the Covid Equality Impact Assessment is delighted and can move forward with return-to-work plans in the confidence that they have an evidence base for their actions” (Source 5).
MacCormack provided 2 training sessions via TPP Recruitment, for senior leaders and stakeholders of UK charities and public sector organisations, between September and November 2020. The first was on gender understood as fluid and culturally contingent in a way coherent with her research. The second was on intersectionality, beginning with LGBTQIA+ diversity. More than 120 organisations were represented at these events (Source 6).
MacCormack has also collaborated with UUK. It provides sector-leading training, policy and advice on all aspects of higher education to the approximately 440,000 staff employed in UK Universities. Following training on intersectionality and fighting harassment inclusively from MacCormack in August 2020, UUK’s Policy Manager confirmed that it ‘made her think differently about inclusion’ by recognising that intersectionality ‘is a way of understanding multiple inclusivity and diversity issues at once.’ This insight meant she ensured that intersectionality ‘was a core principle which underpinned UUK’s guidance to address racial harassment’ published in November 2020 (Source 7). In addition, MacCormack ‘has acted as an advisor, … providing input’ on UUK’s ‘Leadership and Culture: empowering leaders to secure culture change’ which is currently ongoing (Source 7). This consultancy has continued beyond the scope of the current REF.
3) Working with employers in the Probation, Housing, Pharmaceutical and Aviation sectors
Through the training delivered in partnership with training providers MacCormack has benefitted employers seeking to enhance their work environment, changing attitudes and practice in line with more contemporary understandings of inclusivity, based on nuanced, fluid theories and material realities of gender, sexuality, race and other intersections, to replace the current equality minimum requirements of protected characteristics as ‘add on’ characteristics.
Training has been delivered with MacCormack, or informed by her knowledge and expertise, around the shift from fixed identity and difference as single divergence, to ecologies of inclusivity, on 10 occasions to 5 different organisations and a total of 164 participants since April 2020. Sessions were delivered to 110 employees, including 49 managers, of a large biopharmaceutical company, with 11,800 employees. Feedback found that 100% of the 45 respondents would recommend the training while the employer ‘intends to amend its recruitment documentation so that it is inclusive of non-binary people’ (Source 4).
MTCNovo, serving 30,000 service users, requested and attended training by MacCormack in October 2019 (Source 8). Feedback from employers who attended training delivered by MacCormack with Inclusive Employers demonstrates their commitment to improving inclusivity policy and practice within their organisations (Source 6). For example, the diversity and inclusion officer of a large social housing provider housing more than 350,000 people and employing more than 3,500 employees (Source 9) showed a commitment to ensuring ‘inclusivity is introduced to the group for long-term planning’ (Source 6) following MacCormack’s training.
Training was delivered to a large airports group which employs 40,000 staff and is committed to ensuring the group ‘can display our intent better to make others feel part of our goals’ and that when it recruits new staff that it can ‘promote [the inclusivity] forum in a way that shows [the group] support intersectionality’ (Source 6). One attendee reflected that “as I write job adverts, which are in the main the first thing people read about the business, I learnt to use more inclusive language and to project the true culture of inclusivity that we […] do have” (Source 6).
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
1) St Andrew’s Healthcare. Transgender Inclusive Healthcare Procedure, July 2020. Policy cites MacCormack and applies to ward and community patients.
2) St Andrew’s Healthcare Survey Feedback.
3) Letter from Head of Community Partnerships for Offending Services, St Andrew’s Healthcare Trust.
4) Letter from Programme Manager, Schools and Training, the Kite Trust.
5) Letter from Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Inclusive Employers.
6) Jisc Online Survey Feedback from training webinars and workshops. July – November 2020.
7) Letter from Policy Manager, Universities UK.
8) MTC Professional Lecture Series Feedback from October 2019.
9) Annual report and accounts of housing group.