Email sent to all FD staff from Rob Wadsworth, Director of Campus Innovation: Campus Services, Experience & Commercial, on Tuesday 1 July.
Hello everyone,
Lots to update on this month!
Firstly, thanks to everyone who attended the online FD Town Hall about our Employee Engagement Survey results on 9 June. A link to the recording was sent out last week but here is the FD Town Hall recording in case you missed it. Angela Baker is compiling the individual service results and we will be sharing them with Heads of Service in July.
The next Town Hall will be in September – look out for your invitation.
Also, thanks if you voted as part of the Campus Reimagined ‘Vote or Veto’ campaign. The winning projects are being announced later this week. There were over 3,500 votes – fantastic!
Planon
The Planon system is now being used for Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) work after a huge amount of work from James Robson and team. Congratulations!
Planon is a critical system for the FD as it supports the management and coordination of regular maintenance tasks in buildings and on equipment to prevent unexpected breakdowns and extend asset lifespan.
Next steps include introducing more teams into using the PPM module throughout this year and launching the modules for scheduled tasks and reactive maintenance.
This work means we are creating a more robust and responsive system that ensures operational excellence and greater visibility of work to our customers around the University.
Induction session for new starters
Following feedback through Staff Voice, we are piloting a new approach to inducting new colleagues to the FD with a ‘new starters induction event’. The first event will be held on 23 July and if you’ve started in the FD this year, you should receive an invitation.
The intention is to provide an introduction to the FD, introducing the range of work and activities we undertake and how we aim to work together to deliver them. The aim is to run this event regularly, ensuring all new starters receive consistent information delivered by a member of the FD Senior Management team and a representative from Staff Voice.
People Positive
Most of you will now have taken part in behaviours workshops, and I’m happy to say that the feedback has been very positive. Staff reported they found the workshops informative, useful, well-delivered and the use of actors brought the content to life.
Additionally, Employee Engagement Survey results show a positive movement (four percentage points more favourable than the 2023 survey results) in relation to staff who feel they have witnessed or experienced behaviour they believe to be discrimination, bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct.
More people say they now feel able to report issues around behaviour to HR. This is great progress.
Next steps for People Positive include the development of an FD Leadership Behaviours Framework, that staff from the FD are involved in.
Focus groups will also be scheduled in the new academic year to gather further details from staff about the impact the behaviours workshop is having on them – please look out for further details and an invitation.
There are People Positive posters available from the Sales, Marketing & Communications team on the first floor of the FD building if anyone wants them for team notice boards.
Staff Voice: call for showcase stall managers
The FD Showcase event on 20 November will give all services across the FD an opportunity to profile what they do through each service having a stall.
Staff Voice are looking for stall managers from each service to be the key link between the showcase planning group and your service. Stall managers will collaborate with colleagues in their service on how best represent their service but it is a team effort – the managers are not expected to do all the work!
If you’re interested, or would like to be a volunteer to help out on the day, please email FDStaffVoice@leeds.ac.uk
New system for data requests
If you need data or other information from the Estate Planning and Information Data team, they ask that you now fill in the Space Data Request Form.
This is to avoid any bottlenecks when one member of the team gets repeatedly contacted and a backlog of work is created.
Staff updates: new Interim Director of Campus Innovation: Infrastructure, Hard Services and Utilities
In case you missed the email update, Richard Poulson will be joining us in September as Interim Director of Campus Innovation: Infrastructure, Hard Services and Utilities.
Richard has worked in Estates teams at universities throughout his career including 30 years at SOAS, University of London. Most recently he has been Deputy Director of Estates at London South Bank University. We’ll be starting recruitment for a permanent postholder soon.
In addition, Richard Piper, Head of Maintenance, will be leaving his role in October. We thank him for all his work and wish him well for the future. We will share an update on replacement plans in due course.
Diary dates
- Technicians Week, 30 June – 4 July: Technicians Week 2025 is dedicated to celebrating the contributions of our technical staff across research, innovation and student education and includes TechExchange: Technicians Showcase on Wednesday 2 July, 10am to 3pm in Parkinson Court. FD colleagues from the Bike Shed, Energy, Teaching Space Support, and the Sustainability Service will be taking part so please go along to support.
- Just Transition Taskforce, 7 July, 11am-1pm: This is an opportunity to hear more about what the University is doing around green transition, to influence the direction of University policy and to meet colleagues from across the University. It takes place at the School of Earth & Environment, Room 8.119a/b.
- Sustainability Celebration 2025, 3 July 11am-1pm: The in-person event designed to recognise sustainability work by colleagues. It takes place at Stage@Leeds. Visit the Sustainability Celebration 2025 page for more information.
- Sport and Physical Activity’s Gryphons Go Kids Camps: The camps run from 28 July- 22 August at The Edge, with the ability to book full weeks to single days. Children can take part in a wide variety of activities. Camps are OFSTED registered and accept payment via childcare vouchers.
Update from OpEx
Following complaints from staff that they are being contacted out of hours, the OpEx team are suggesting that people add their working hours into their email signatures to help colleagues understand when they are at work. This is entirely up to the individual to try if they think it might help them.
The team also want to add a reminder about etiquette when using meeting rooms and directors’ offices in the FD building: please take away cups and tidy up ordered catering; if the room is booked straight after you, considering finishing the meeting early to tidy up so that you’re not inconveniencing the people using the room after you; check the system has confirmed your booking for the room ahead of the meeting.
Windows 11
IT ask that you remember to upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as you can – don’t wait until October. They also encourage everyone to sign up to Microbytes IT fortnightly newsletter.
Finally, I hope you got along to the charity bake sale last week run by Staff Voice. They raised a brilliant £261.03 and colleagues voted that the proceeds go to the charity Behind Closed Doors. Great work.
Financial year end
If you have an open purchase order for goods or services to be received by 31 July 2025, please can you make sure that this is goods receipted as soon as the goods/services are received and definitely by 31 July.
This ensures the cost is charged to your 2024/25 budget. If you don’t get this done the cost will be charged to your budget in 2025/26 and payment to the supplier will be delayed. Any questions, please contact Dionne Walker.
Best wishes and I hope as many of you as possible can get a well deserved break over the summer months,
Regards,
Rob Wadsworth
Director of Campus Innovation: Campus Services, Experience & Commercial
FD Bulletin – July 2025
/by Sam HewittEmail sent to all FD staff from Rob Wadsworth, Director of Campus Innovation: Campus Services, Experience & Commercial, on Tuesday 1 July.
Hello everyone,
Lots to update on this month!
Firstly, thanks to everyone who attended the online FD Town Hall about our Employee Engagement Survey results on 9 June. A link to the recording was sent out last week but here is the FD Town Hall recording in case you missed it. Angela Baker is compiling the individual service results and we will be sharing them with Heads of Service in July.
The next Town Hall will be in September – look out for your invitation.
Also, thanks if you voted as part of the Campus Reimagined ‘Vote or Veto’ campaign. The winning projects are being announced later this week. There were over 3,500 votes – fantastic!
Planon
The Planon system is now being used for Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) work after a huge amount of work from James Robson and team. Congratulations!
Planon is a critical system for the FD as it supports the management and coordination of regular maintenance tasks in buildings and on equipment to prevent unexpected breakdowns and extend asset lifespan.
Next steps include introducing more teams into using the PPM module throughout this year and launching the modules for scheduled tasks and reactive maintenance.
This work means we are creating a more robust and responsive system that ensures operational excellence and greater visibility of work to our customers around the University.
Induction session for new starters
Following feedback through Staff Voice, we are piloting a new approach to inducting new colleagues to the FD with a ‘new starters induction event’. The first event will be held on 23 July and if you’ve started in the FD this year, you should receive an invitation.
The intention is to provide an introduction to the FD, introducing the range of work and activities we undertake and how we aim to work together to deliver them. The aim is to run this event regularly, ensuring all new starters receive consistent information delivered by a member of the FD Senior Management team and a representative from Staff Voice.
People Positive
Most of you will now have taken part in behaviours workshops, and I’m happy to say that the feedback has been very positive. Staff reported they found the workshops informative, useful, well-delivered and the use of actors brought the content to life.
Additionally, Employee Engagement Survey results show a positive movement (four percentage points more favourable than the 2023 survey results) in relation to staff who feel they have witnessed or experienced behaviour they believe to be discrimination, bullying, harassment, or sexual misconduct.
More people say they now feel able to report issues around behaviour to HR. This is great progress.
Next steps for People Positive include the development of an FD Leadership Behaviours Framework, that staff from the FD are involved in.
Focus groups will also be scheduled in the new academic year to gather further details from staff about the impact the behaviours workshop is having on them – please look out for further details and an invitation.
There are People Positive posters available from the Sales, Marketing & Communications team on the first floor of the FD building if anyone wants them for team notice boards.
Staff Voice: call for showcase stall managers
The FD Showcase event on 20 November will give all services across the FD an opportunity to profile what they do through each service having a stall.
Staff Voice are looking for stall managers from each service to be the key link between the showcase planning group and your service. Stall managers will collaborate with colleagues in their service on how best represent their service but it is a team effort – the managers are not expected to do all the work!
If you’re interested, or would like to be a volunteer to help out on the day, please email FDStaffVoice@leeds.ac.uk
New system for data requests
If you need data or other information from the Estate Planning and Information Data team, they ask that you now fill in the Space Data Request Form.
This is to avoid any bottlenecks when one member of the team gets repeatedly contacted and a backlog of work is created.
Staff updates: new Interim Director of Campus Innovation: Infrastructure, Hard Services and Utilities
In case you missed the email update, Richard Poulson will be joining us in September as Interim Director of Campus Innovation: Infrastructure, Hard Services and Utilities.
Richard has worked in Estates teams at universities throughout his career including 30 years at SOAS, University of London. Most recently he has been Deputy Director of Estates at London South Bank University. We’ll be starting recruitment for a permanent postholder soon.
In addition, Richard Piper, Head of Maintenance, will be leaving his role in October. We thank him for all his work and wish him well for the future. We will share an update on replacement plans in due course.
Diary dates
Update from OpEx
Following complaints from staff that they are being contacted out of hours, the OpEx team are suggesting that people add their working hours into their email signatures to help colleagues understand when they are at work. This is entirely up to the individual to try if they think it might help them.
The team also want to add a reminder about etiquette when using meeting rooms and directors’ offices in the FD building: please take away cups and tidy up ordered catering; if the room is booked straight after you, considering finishing the meeting early to tidy up so that you’re not inconveniencing the people using the room after you; check the system has confirmed your booking for the room ahead of the meeting.
Windows 11
IT ask that you remember to upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as you can – don’t wait until October. They also encourage everyone to sign up to Microbytes IT fortnightly newsletter.
Finally, I hope you got along to the charity bake sale last week run by Staff Voice. They raised a brilliant £261.03 and colleagues voted that the proceeds go to the charity Behind Closed Doors. Great work.
Financial year end
If you have an open purchase order for goods or services to be received by 31 July 2025, please can you make sure that this is goods receipted as soon as the goods/services are received and definitely by 31 July.
This ensures the cost is charged to your 2024/25 budget. If you don’t get this done the cost will be charged to your budget in 2025/26 and payment to the supplier will be delayed. Any questions, please contact Dionne Walker.
Best wishes and I hope as many of you as possible can get a well deserved break over the summer months,
Regards,
Rob Wadsworth
Director of Campus Innovation: Campus Services, Experience & Commercial
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