Top tips for employers on introducing menopause support in the workplace.
Supporting employees at menopause is becoming a more recognized topic for organizations to engage with globally. In the UK we have seen employers in the Public and Private Sectors introducing policies and innovative practical steps in this area. My Guests this week are Hannah Caulfield and Benji Evans.
Hannah is a Station Manager in Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service with 19 years of experience. She manages five of the On-Call stations in Cheshire and is also the Chair of the Women’s Network ‘Limitless’.
Benji has been promoting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for 17 years, working across various roles within sport, education, and voluntary and public sectors. He is currently Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisor at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, a role he has held since 2019.
They are both passionate about addressing any issues and barriers to help make Cheshire an inclusive service.
https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/
Twitter @CFRSLimitless @HannahCaulfie10 @CheshireFire @CheshireFireEDI
Join me for this essential conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Pat starts by giving updates from the media. She reports on articles that talk about the impact of menopause on hunger and blood sugar levels, HRT shortages, and shift work’s impact on the timing of natural menopause. She brings her guests into the conversation on shift work, because they work in a fire station. Hannah talks about strategies for having a good sleep schedule when working shifts. She then speaks about how the training involved in her job helps to lessen the stress of it. Benji talks about the menopause awareness training that exists at the Cheshire Fire Service.
Pat gives a more detailed introduction to her guests, Hannah and Benji, from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. Hannah talks about how she has always wanted to help people but did not realize she wanted to be a firefighter until later in life. She then gives a more detailed overview of her career. Benji talks about his journey to getting involved in equality and diversity. Pat speaks about the importance of the leaders of an organization pushing for equity and inclusion.
Hannah talks about the journey to introducing a menopause policy in the fire service which came from their women’s network wanting to feel supported during menopause. She speaks about the difficulty in getting people to talk about menopause. Benji follows this up with some of the ways they were able to start these important conversations. Hannah then speaks about the process of creating the policy. Hannah gives some specifics about the policy such as the sanitary products they have available. They also have mental health and fitness advisors.
Benji speaks about next steps with the policy, such as education and training for staff. He also talks about the information resources for women. Hannah advises others who want to create a workplace menopause policy to get their managers on board and their staff involved. Finally, Benji talks about the slight increase in women working in the fire service despite them still being underrepresented.
00:00:55.530 --> 00:01:07.170 Pat Duckworth: Welcome to the hot women rock radio show empowering women leaders at medicals good morning America good afternoon UK and Europe, good evening, if you are in India and beyond.
00:01:07.620 --> 00:01:11.730 Pat Duckworth: Welcome welcome here we are daily at the end of April, where did April go.
00:01:12.270 --> 00:01:21.060 Pat Duckworth: Do we say April is the coolest month is that what they say, is the coolest and I think for some of you in America, it has been pretty cool because you've had loads of snow.
00:01:21.750 --> 00:01:33.540 Pat Duckworth: Here we had a fairly benign spring it's dry at the moment, but all the blossoms out, so it is beautiful, and today I have an extra bonus in the studio not one guest, but two guests.
00:01:34.110 --> 00:01:52.470 Pat Duckworth: And a man in the studio as well, I have an equal and diversity, so, so we will shortly be getting to meet two of my favorite people from Cheshire fire service but before we do, I am going to look at what's in the mess in the mess is in the mess, the press and the media.
00:01:53.940 --> 00:02:05.190 Pat Duckworth: So I really liked this article there's a lot in it, if you want to go and find it it's from the website mind body green.com and it's about menopause impact.
00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:17.130 Pat Duckworth: On hunger and blood sugar levels and there's a lot in it i'm just going to tell you a few bits of it because it's a lot about explaining it and then tips for dealing with hunger at menopause.
00:02:17.670 --> 00:02:27.780 Pat Duckworth: So it says, if you find yourself ravenous either before, during or after menopause your hormones may be responsible, but you can choose to get off the hungry roller coaster.
00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:43.830 Pat Duckworth: anytime you want supporting your body begins with self awareness and persistence, by making some simple lifestyle and food habit changes, you can manage the major metabolic hormones to help you to regain a healthy appetite and life so.
00:02:44.700 --> 00:02:55.320 Pat Duckworth: it's not just your reproductive hormones that are affected, there are two hormones affect your appetite and they're called gremlin which is G H R E Li n leptin.
00:02:56.190 --> 00:03:03.570 Pat Duckworth: insulin and cortisol they all affect your levels of hunger and your appetite.
00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:15.060 Pat Duckworth: So some of the tips limit the sugar filled snacks replace with nuts seeds gluten free crackers avocados dark chocolate Yes, ladies, we can still eat some chocolate dark chocolate is better.
00:03:15.690 --> 00:03:26.250 Pat Duckworth: berries and the more satiating foods so things that keep you fuller for longer or foods that contain proteins because protein suppresses the production granted.
00:03:27.030 --> 00:03:36.990 Pat Duckworth: eat meals every four to six hours and snack regularly i'm not sure about that one if you really get hungry so you're not any hungry, but you're getting angry with it.
00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:46.320 Pat Duckworth: At a certain time, every day, plan to eat a satisfying lunch and have a healthy snack ready eat high protein and complex carbs yes.
00:03:46.710 --> 00:03:54.960 Pat Duckworth: Practice mindful meal hygiene, instead of eating on the run make mealtime and event sit down stop working more you we.
00:03:55.350 --> 00:04:07.380 Pat Duckworth: Take some deep breaths and just really calm yourself, so that you give your body, a chance to digest Take your time eating to each bite 30 times and through it's virtually liquid.
00:04:09.330 --> 00:04:17.280 Pat Duckworth: When you swallow just making digestion easier avoid strenuous activity for at least 60 minutes after eating.
00:04:17.970 --> 00:04:29.340 Pat Duckworth: It takes time for your stomach to digest now this this article says avoid intermittent part fasting Now I know quite a few women are doing intermittent fasting at the moment.
00:04:29.730 --> 00:04:39.150 Pat Duckworth: it's really about your body and what you find helps but if you're getting really hungry and you're getting angry with it, it might not be the way to go, for you.
00:04:39.990 --> 00:04:50.370 Pat Duckworth: Use neutral cuticles to stabilize blood sugars and balance, hormones and then the vitamins, minerals and other parts of food that provide health and medical benefits.
00:04:50.880 --> 00:05:00.120 Pat Duckworth: cinnamon is one food that's particularly helpful for stabilizing blood sugar levels and chromium is another so taking a chromium supplement can help.
00:05:01.530 --> 00:05:09.150 Pat Duckworth: You get lots more advice in that so if you're interested in that go to the mind body green.com website.
00:05:10.350 --> 00:05:18.300 Pat Duckworth: From the guardian and honestly, this has dominated the press here in the UK, this week, any number of articles, I could quote from.
00:05:18.810 --> 00:05:27.870 Pat Duckworth: Women struggling to sleep on work competently admit england's hrt shortages and i'm i've mentioned this before women are being.
00:05:28.410 --> 00:05:36.510 Pat Duckworth: left on able to sleep or work competently because of the shortages of hormone replacement therapy products used to treat symptoms.
00:05:37.230 --> 00:05:50.310 Pat Duckworth: and former cabinet minister Caroline notices said, the number of prescriptions for hrt in England has doubled in the last five years to more than 500,000 prescriptions, a month.
00:05:50.970 --> 00:05:59.040 Pat Duckworth: But the rising prescriptions has come amid several years of hrt shortages with pharmacists often unable to fulfill prescriptions.
00:05:59.400 --> 00:06:09.960 Pat Duckworth: shortages have been blamed or manufacturing and supply issues and it's been exacerbated by the growing numbers of women seeking the products it's all our fault women we frequent treatment.
00:06:11.310 --> 00:06:23.790 Pat Duckworth: And the very following day in the Guardian again Sochi javid who's, the Minister for Health his to a point and hrt Czar to address acute shortage is so that's that's also.
00:06:24.090 --> 00:06:34.290 Pat Duckworth: They appoint the files here in the UK when there's some kind of crisis going on the health Secretary announced his plans to tackle lack of products as lead to menopausal women.
00:06:34.650 --> 00:06:44.370 Pat Duckworth: Turning to the black market, and what do you mean series that women are trying to buy things online or borrow products from friends who've got them, you have to be really careful.
00:06:44.790 --> 00:06:55.650 Pat Duckworth: You know these reproductive hormones are very powerful Jeff it said I know just how much women rely on hrt and some have been struggling to get certain medicines i'm determined.
00:06:56.070 --> 00:07:07.140 Pat Duckworth: To do all I can to make sure the supplies are meeting hugely rising demand, and there is equitable access so we're getting us off, but folks going to software.
00:07:08.970 --> 00:07:23.850 Pat Duckworth: And my next one, is particularly interesting confirming who my guests are this week, this comes from the end of endocrinology@five.com shiftwork may affect the timing of natural menopause.
00:07:24.330 --> 00:07:33.960 Pat Duckworth: shift work, especially rotating shifts work was found to significantly affect the timing of natural menopause according to the results of a study published in menopause.
00:07:34.320 --> 00:07:41.370 Pat Duckworth: Which is the magazine of the North American menopause society and a LM S, if you look for it online.
00:07:41.820 --> 00:07:56.070 Pat Duckworth: Researchers prospectively investigated the association between shiftwork exposure and variations in agent natural menopause in adult workers by analyzing data from a Canadian longitudinal study on aging.
00:07:56.580 --> 00:08:09.750 Pat Duckworth: A total of 3698 premenopausal women who participated in three as a follow up were included and self reported information regarding their minerals most status was evaluated.
00:08:11.190 --> 00:08:16.170 Pat Duckworth: The mean age of participants about baseline interview was 48.9 years.
00:08:17.550 --> 00:08:19.920 Pat Duckworth: How accurate can get 48.9 years.
00:08:20.310 --> 00:08:36.510 Pat Duckworth: And a majority of the participants will whites now that's really important, because women of color tend to go into menopause earlier at least two years earlier in the States and this is partly due to stress is caused by caused by racism.
00:08:37.710 --> 00:08:46.740 Pat Duckworth: Compared with women who work during the day, those who were ever exposed to any type of shift we're more likely to have a later agent natural medicals.
00:08:47.370 --> 00:09:00.180 Pat Duckworth: Regarding currently working women night shift workers were increased risk for earlier menopause and rotating shift workers are more likely to have a later agent menopause compared with daytime workers.
00:09:00.690 --> 00:09:14.250 Pat Duckworth: Women who work the night shift or said longest job where increased risk for early menopause and those who reported working rotating shifts was the longest job had a later age of menopause compared with daytime workers.
00:09:14.850 --> 00:09:21.330 Pat Duckworth: The overall risk for early menopause was found to be significantly increased in women who were parent smokers.
00:09:21.870 --> 00:09:35.400 Pat Duckworth: And who participated in regular physical activity that's interesting women who were overweight or obese and with high parity were found to be at significant increased risk for later menopause.
00:09:35.940 --> 00:09:43.500 Pat Duckworth: So some interesting statistics, there, let me turn to my guests now hi Hannah and benji how you doing stay.
00:09:45.900 --> 00:09:47.460 Cheshire Fire Service: hyper Ivan hi everybody.
00:09:48.270 --> 00:10:03.840 Pat Duckworth: So yeah this thing about shift work is really interesting I wasn't sure which way, this was going to go, whether it was going to cause it to be earlier or later, give them the average age is around 5152 in the States.
00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:18.630 Pat Duckworth: It looks like there isn't effects from shift work and, of course, you know all about shift work benji I think you know less about shift work but hello, do you still do shift work or are you on a more office pattern now.
00:10:23.760 --> 00:10:28.680 Cheshire Fire Service: I think he's not so much now, and that is not that long.
00:10:29.760 --> 00:10:45.330 Cheshire Fire Service: Oh so much now and not that so much now and i'm sort of mob in the daytime, but I do do the occasional shifts they'll say yeah and I can imagine that it would impact on it, and do it yourself enough time not at all surprised.
00:10:45.630 --> 00:10:58.560 Pat Duckworth: yeah and is it your back office staff, as well as your firefighters, who work shift work because do they have to kind of cover phones or is it mainly the firefighters, who do shifts.
00:10:58.890 --> 00:11:10.200 Cheshire Fire Service: And it will be and fire control he received the phone calls they they do workshops, but in terms of the majority of the back office our normal nine to five hours.
00:11:10.590 --> 00:11:27.000 Pat Duckworth: yeah so we know a lot about why sleep is important by the studies that are done on people who do shift work so don't get the regular pattern of sleeping at night and being awake during the day, and some of those.
00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:33.540 Pat Duckworth: problems that occur with that can be a more issues we controlling wait.
00:11:35.010 --> 00:11:48.840 Pat Duckworth: A SEC some health issues as well, is there anything that you do as part of the fire service to help to support people who are doing shift work or just wait and fee and deal with whatever comes up.
00:11:50.820 --> 00:11:57.390 Cheshire Fire Service: And what we didn't have time out to be asked, going to the gym so I mean that's an option and then.
00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:05.070 Cheshire Fire Service: Once you have your EDU two days, two nights depending on what state you're working, but we do then get four days clear of work as well, so.
00:12:05.340 --> 00:12:20.340 Cheshire Fire Service: It gives you that bit of time to recoup but, of course, any you in that circle, the time where you shift and then you're trying to fit back into sort of normal daytime hours, so we have we do have gyms across the across the service all of our staff to us.
00:12:20.460 --> 00:12:33.150 Pat Duckworth: yeah and I know when I came up and spoke to your colleagues, we were talking about menopause not just as something that affects women that affects their partners as well.
00:12:33.750 --> 00:12:45.270 Pat Duckworth: And if you're trying to get some sleep when you're working shifts and you've got a partner who's uncomfortable who is waking up during the night, who striving to do vai on and off.
00:12:46.560 --> 00:13:00.300 Pat Duckworth: I imagine that could be pretty difficult and then you've got to come into work and do everything that you do so, it is really important that we face this not just as women, but that we recognize how it affects partners as well.
00:13:02.760 --> 00:13:16.830 Pat Duckworth: yeah and the mood shifts that can occur at this stage of life as well, affecting our partners and relationships generally so yeah is an everybody issue, not just a women issue.
00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:21.450 Pat Duckworth: And i'll be excited to have been a pools are now.
00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:32.220 Pat Duckworth: In the current as to what's happening in Russia and Ukraine, I wasn't sure we test so.
00:13:33.540 --> 00:13:35.580 Pat Duckworth: I thought we would differ.
00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:46.020 Pat Duckworth: So how are things up in Cheshire is it has it been a nice spring up there has it been Have you had lots of slow or is it been generally good.
00:13:46.950 --> 00:14:03.330 Cheshire Fire Service: You know what it's been lovely as many try and windy quite mild i'd say and all the lights and the blossoms out so it's it's really pretty at the moment it's it's been lovely really nice to actually have some fairly well.
00:14:05.790 --> 00:14:06.510 Pat Duckworth: Excellent.
00:14:06.810 --> 00:14:07.170 Pat Duckworth: and
00:14:07.260 --> 00:14:08.490 Pat Duckworth: Before we came on.
00:14:08.490 --> 00:14:09.000 Air.
00:14:10.470 --> 00:14:16.770 Pat Duckworth: You were saying what does anything really worrying me and I was just thinking maintenance and.
00:14:18.900 --> 00:14:21.090 Cheshire Fire Service: aim for 10 days in testiness.
00:14:21.900 --> 00:14:22.890 Pat Duckworth: that's unusual.
00:14:25.980 --> 00:14:30.210 Pat Duckworth: Over in the West so For those of you in America churches over in the Northwest and.
00:14:30.930 --> 00:14:33.030 Pat Duckworth: it rains quite a bit so yeah.
00:14:33.060 --> 00:14:38.460 Pat Duckworth: can be quite challenging and yeah before we came on air we were talking about things that can.
00:14:38.520 --> 00:14:40.020 Pat Duckworth: worry you and.
00:14:40.140 --> 00:14:52.800 Pat Duckworth: You know, being on this radio show I absolutely love doing it so even though things can go wrong, it doesn't particularly bother me, but then I think about you, as a firefighter you know.
00:14:54.390 --> 00:15:03.300 Pat Duckworth: That would worry me not knowing every day what I was going to come into So how do you deal with that, how do you stay calm, with everything that you do.
00:15:05.970 --> 00:15:14.100 Cheshire Fire Service: Well, I suppose that's a very good question, I think it all comes down to the level of training that we have and the support that we have in our colleagues, because.
00:15:14.610 --> 00:15:31.920 Cheshire Fire Service: You know ever on your own to face issues around and challenges or incidents always part of a team, so I think that probably helps you get get you through it, but the say the level of training and and then the obviously the exposure that you get to instance it just becomes kind of.
00:15:33.060 --> 00:15:42.570 Cheshire Fire Service: The norm, I suppose, not any incidents ever the same, but you just get used to it and I love it there's nothing is just exciting.
00:15:44.610 --> 00:15:47.490 Cheshire Fire Service: it's not not anything about it, I don't really enjoy.
00:15:48.420 --> 00:15:54.930 Pat Duckworth: And what have you found with it benji must see a big difference from things you've done before being in that kind of environment.
00:15:56.580 --> 00:16:02.910 Cheshire Fire Service: Absolutely, I think in terms of our overall approach to to men supporting staff development around.
00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:09.600 Cheshire Fire Service: menopause is lots of awareness training tool staff received sort of basic menopause awareness training.
00:16:10.260 --> 00:16:15.150 Cheshire Fire Service: But managers, you know get that extra level and advanced level of training and so that's that's.
00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:30.660 Cheshire Fire Service: creates that not supportive inclusive environment that was alluding to the fact that you know, there is that support there when there is a major incident that you know that individual kind of tailoring for staff staff that are experiencing symptoms.
00:16:31.380 --> 00:16:33.570 Cheshire Fire Service: You know that their considerations and needs are met.
00:16:33.930 --> 00:16:39.750 Pat Duckworth: yeah fantastic so we're about to go off to the break when we come back after the break we'll find out.
00:16:40.170 --> 00:16:52.500 Pat Duckworth: Why Hannah decided to be a firefighter and why benji got involved in Equality and Diversity and what they've been doing the amazing work they've been doing a Patricia to help support calling foot menopause we'll see you after the break.
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00:19:05.910 --> 00:19:14.910 Pat Duckworth: Welcome back to the hot women vote radio show empowering we, the women leaders at multiples and it is very much a hot women day today because my guests.
00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:22.620 Pat Duckworth: Are Hannah caulfield from shisha fire service, who is a firefighter and benji Evans so hammer.
00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:34.740 Pat Duckworth: Is the station manager in Cheshire fire and rescue service with 19 years in the job working her way up the career ladder she currently manages five of the encore stations in Cheshire.
00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:48.750 Pat Duckworth: And she's the Chair of the women's network limitless and passionate about promoting women in the fire service and providing support at the same time, addressing any issues and barriers to help make Cheshire an inclusive service.
00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:57.840 Pat Duckworth: And benji has been promoting equality diversity and inclusion for 17 years working across various roles within all education.
00:19:58.170 --> 00:20:05.430 Pat Duckworth: Voluntary and public sectors he's currently equal equality diversity inclusion advisor Cheshire fire and rescue.
00:20:05.760 --> 00:20:11.370 Pat Duckworth: A role he has held since 2009 team when I first met him, I think, on his very first day.
00:20:11.760 --> 00:20:26.460 Pat Duckworth: And the phone through benches role he's an active member of the National fire chief counsel ED I working group and he currently attend the Asian fire service association extended executive committee, welcome to both of you to the show.
00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:28.890 Pat Duckworth: And Hannah.
00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:38.190 Pat Duckworth: And so, did you always want to be a firefighter was little hammer did she have a fire engine or was it something that came on later.
00:20:38.550 --> 00:20:39.120 yeah.
00:20:40.170 --> 00:20:54.600 Cheshire Fire Service: Now that's a nut togetherness, I wanted to be a doctor or bad or a paramedic something you know, to do with biology to helping helping people and when it comes to a point when I realized that actually chemistry and physics.
00:20:56.010 --> 00:20:58.260 Cheshire Fire Service: physics yeah we're probably going to struggle with them.
00:20:58.620 --> 00:21:00.300 Cheshire Fire Service: And so I decided not to.
00:21:00.300 --> 00:21:10.530 Cheshire Fire Service: pursue this avenue and I ended up doing linguistics of Japanese that reading university and I hope I was going to become some some Japanese translator as you do.
00:21:12.060 --> 00:21:20.880 Cheshire Fire Service: But I did I didn't feel like I really fit I didn't enjoy university tool so after my first year, I took a year out, and Lo and behold, they never went back.
00:21:21.360 --> 00:21:28.140 Cheshire Fire Service: And so, at that point, I started working you know I felt like i'd really let my family down, but I started working.
00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:36.990 Cheshire Fire Service: In a factory testing new products, a lab technician which job that I really enjoyed and then one day, I was in the bar and I saw the local.
00:21:37.530 --> 00:21:43.650 Cheshire Fire Service: firefighters of my hometown which is it will quite small and little town in the deepest darkest Somerset.
00:21:44.280 --> 00:21:50.550 Cheshire Fire Service: And I asked them if they had any vacancies thought it'd be really cool to be the first female firefighter of that town.
00:21:51.000 --> 00:22:02.130 Cheshire Fire Service: And, but unfortunately didn't have that time, but given a couple of weeks, they came up to me and said oh someone's just kind of the notice in these still interested i'll say absolutely so don't take the chance, I got in.
00:22:14.250 --> 00:22:14.640 Cheshire Fire Service: and
00:22:16.350 --> 00:22:22.620 Cheshire Fire Service: And I did it the job so in order to do that as an uncle fame to crop it the clinic bar waiting.
00:22:22.950 --> 00:22:28.950 Cheshire Fire Service: And yeah the restaurant all sorts of different things cleaning for people and I just thought I need to make a career of something.
00:22:29.340 --> 00:22:36.900 Cheshire Fire Service: I really enjoy I said, this is where I fit into everything about it from there, the incidents, the camaraderie that the teamwork in.
00:22:37.260 --> 00:22:52.260 Cheshire Fire Service: Just everything about it so, so this is, for me, so I spent two years applying to whole time fire services across the length and breadth of the country and so two years 10 applications and I finally got into testify service, so this is why i'm not.
00:22:52.260 --> 00:23:02.640 Pat Duckworth: been tested so and and your career is kind of gradually developed as well, so tell me more about that, how do you develop as a firefighter.
00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:11.010 Cheshire Fire Service: So I was first posted at wins fits in Cheshire so started there as a firefighter and best watch.
00:23:11.370 --> 00:23:23.130 Cheshire Fire Service: go in and and just it's just about you know the service provide lots of different development opportunity says about taking them as a when you know you feel it's right for you and progressing through different.
00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:41.520 Cheshire Fire Service: examinations, that we do, and then applying for these positions when they come up so i've been gone from firefighter and then we move up to crew manager then to watch manager and analysis AMA station manager, so the roles are very different, but they're all equally as good.
00:23:42.360 --> 00:23:47.910 Pat Duckworth: Do you still attend incidents, or you mainly dispatching people to attend incidents.
00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:59.280 Cheshire Fire Service: know I still get to attend and i'm glad about that because that's the bit I really enjoy doing and but instead of going on a fire plants, now I can on a in a car with a blue light.
00:24:00.540 --> 00:24:02.040 Pat Duckworth: Or do you get switched the blues i'm.
00:24:06.510 --> 00:24:13.170 Cheshire Fire Service: Not saying eat so much fan in a car, because people don't really see a fire engine they definitely move out the way for you.
00:24:14.190 --> 00:24:22.140 Pat Duckworth: Everybody wants to ride in a fire engine benji how did you get involved in Equality and Diversity what drew you in that direction.
00:24:24.450 --> 00:24:36.210 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah sure i'll be honest, I didn't set out to to go and work in a call to diverse and various jobs growing up i've come from an agricultural background, so I studied agriculture college.
00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:50.010 Cheshire Fire Service: I got to farm and wasn't really how healthy industry at the time, so far, I fancy try and do something different, and my my default ready was to play sports, so I started coaching sport as well as.
00:24:51.330 --> 00:24:51.600 Cheshire Fire Service: Like.
00:24:58.290 --> 00:24:58.590 Cheshire Fire Service: In.
00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:07.950 Cheshire Fire Service: That so seven days a week, I was involved in sports in some capacity and benefit really from a health and social benefits.
00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:17.070 Cheshire Fire Service: etc and join university and I got involved with some disability support groups, I really started to appreciate the inequalities in terms of women not accessing certain sports.
00:25:17.430 --> 00:25:27.000 Cheshire Fire Service: The inequalities in terms of people from different racial groups people that religious been excluded from competition at certain times of the year, because they're faithful sort of took preference over.
00:25:28.170 --> 00:25:36.540 Cheshire Fire Service: You know, over taking part in sports, so I just I really sort of got an interest in the qualities aspects, so when I left university, I went to work for a race of quality.
00:25:37.290 --> 00:25:48.120 Cheshire Fire Service: charity dining works were held various roles over a six year period, and so it went from sports to work in a lot in health has that natural overlap with with health.
00:25:48.660 --> 00:25:58.500 Cheshire Fire Service: So the motivating factors, but a lot of people to take part in sport is to be healthy, as opposed to maybe playing for a team so lots of work around health.
00:25:59.790 --> 00:26:09.000 Cheshire Fire Service: And then the charity work for a lot of work with the placing and sort of crime prevention hate crime, etc, so that was really interested, so I got involved.
00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:17.070 Cheshire Fire Service: On an occasional basis working in different aspects of equality, diversity, you know going in and working supporting colleagues to.
00:26:17.490 --> 00:26:28.140 Cheshire Fire Service: Audit policies in public sector organizations, it took me completely out of my comfort zone but slowly but slowly but surely, I really developed much broader skills.
00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:40.770 Cheshire Fire Service: to the point where I find a job in structure working in a college so sort of moving got some explain away got some experience with a little bit closer to home, but the promotion, which is great.
00:26:41.970 --> 00:26:49.290 Cheshire Fire Service: I worked in a college for five years, where I was very quickly asked to do some teaching and it was all inclusion based.
00:26:50.280 --> 00:26:55.440 Cheshire Fire Service: And that was fantastic for my my personal development, it gave me the confidence to stand in front of a group deliver training.
00:26:55.650 --> 00:27:09.810 Cheshire Fire Service: That developing my own training resources as well, so at that time because i've done some of volunteering from university and through to that point of time which was about eight years down the line I got involved with Great Britain Special Olympics, that was the national.
00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:16.560 Cheshire Fire Service: learning disability football coach and i'm very fortunate to have gone to the World Cup in them in the in La.
00:27:17.070 --> 00:27:25.290 Cheshire Fire Service: And the in the 2015 games which was great so alongside this role in the College, I was able to sports media share some best practice.
00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:33.810 Cheshire Fire Service: Which is really good because I had some fantastic people supporting me in that national role and then really fancy.
00:27:35.040 --> 00:27:46.860 Cheshire Fire Service: sort of you know, working for a public sector organization to develop those are the skills and basically focusing solely on on one on one organization, whereas previously worked for charity work with.
00:27:47.280 --> 00:27:58.260 Cheshire Fire Service: Different organizations in the College, I was working with different students, which is great in the Community, so to cook comment go into one place and attach a file was fantastic so.
00:27:59.430 --> 00:28:02.520 Cheshire Fire Service: Successful and an interview, and the rest is history, really.
00:28:03.450 --> 00:28:10.470 Pat Duckworth: And that first time I met you that was your first week was there, and you were women, yes, equality day.
00:28:11.340 --> 00:28:12.960 Cheshire Fire Service: It was a bit of a baptism yes.
00:28:15.810 --> 00:28:23.310 Cheshire Fire Service: It was fantastic, and you know I do recall that that in that international women's events and, obviously, you will speak for that day.
00:28:23.790 --> 00:28:38.370 Cheshire Fire Service: watching the chief walkout to open the event of a T shirts and talk to me about menopause it, you know it was fantastic and and really got the conversation started admit back then about menopause and and really as sperm missing to where we are now.
00:28:38.970 --> 00:28:51.300 Pat Duckworth: And it's so important, I think, to to say that that when you get that direction from the top of an organization when somebody is so bought into it, it makes it easier, all the way down doesn't it.
00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:54.540 Cheshire Fire Service: Absolutely definitely.
00:28:55.050 --> 00:29:03.990 Pat Duckworth: Because then i'm, particularly in an organization like yours, where everybody's in uniform seeing the guy with the biggest uniform, who says this is really important.
00:29:05.370 --> 00:29:09.150 Pat Duckworth: It really sends the right signal through the organization.
00:29:11.070 --> 00:29:18.000 Pat Duckworth: Absolutely, and I did love his T shirt i've actually got a picture on my desktop of standing next room with T shirt.
00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:32.730 Pat Duckworth: Amazingly we're off to the break again we haven't even started talking about what you've been doing so join us after the bright when we've been talking about how Cheshire fire have introduced a mentor pools policy and adjustments into the workplace see you after the break.
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00:31:35.760 --> 00:31:46.440 Pat Duckworth: Welcome back to the hot women rock radio show empowering women leaders at menopause where my guests today are Hannah fulfilled and benji evidence from Cheshire fire and rescue service.
00:31:47.100 --> 00:31:56.250 Pat Duckworth: So what started this journey towards introducing a menopause policy in the fire service where did you get going on why hammer.
00:31:58.800 --> 00:32:03.960 Cheshire Fire Service: And I think the main drivers really where it was it was driven primarily by.
00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:09.870 Cheshire Fire Service: Our net women's network which is called limitless and i'm sitting there as a charity said earlier.
00:32:10.260 --> 00:32:19.890 Cheshire Fire Service: And it was kind of a little bit maybe selfishness in terms of looking at my future in the fire service, you know i've got i've gotta wait till i'm 60 so how is it going to affect me.
00:32:20.280 --> 00:32:26.940 Cheshire Fire Service: And what's what's the support level, going to be, can it really concern me the more I read about the men of course and.
00:32:27.390 --> 00:32:30.630 Cheshire Fire Service: You know i'm not suggesting that i'm going to have a Batman, of course, but if it did.
00:32:31.080 --> 00:32:39.600 Cheshire Fire Service: You know how would it, how would it be and how would I would be perceived and how Would I be altered and those are the sorts of things I really wanted to.
00:32:40.080 --> 00:32:49.200 Cheshire Fire Service: To look at just to make sure that it was going to be okay, and I mean is that that although it sounds selfish it's actually not that is that people are networks for it's about.
00:32:49.500 --> 00:33:01.140 Cheshire Fire Service: identifying and anticipating barriers and then addressing them, which is exactly what we've done and and it's going to benefit everybody in our fire rescue service because it's, not just for those.
00:33:01.800 --> 00:33:14.430 Cheshire Fire Service: who are going to experience perimenopause menopause is actually going to support those your colleagues of mine benji you know we all have somebody who's going to have a menopausal experience so it's going to benefit everyone.
00:33:15.360 --> 00:33:20.580 Pat Duckworth: I remember having that called associate one of those meetings with mark cashing the chief fire officer.
00:33:21.690 --> 00:33:32.100 Pat Duckworth: where he was saying about having a meeting with a Member of Parliament and some other chief fire officers were they were talking about the challenges of.
00:33:32.700 --> 00:33:40.830 Pat Duckworth: people staying longer in the service, because I I don't know if this is just a perception, you can tell me whether i'm right or not, but.
00:33:41.340 --> 00:33:48.840 Pat Duckworth: That fire officers or firefighters used to retire in the early 50s they seem to go much earlier.
00:33:49.230 --> 00:33:56.910 Pat Duckworth: And so they were talking about well, what are the challenges of people staying on longer, and I was talking about fitness and health and everything.
00:33:57.300 --> 00:34:13.740 Pat Duckworth: And he dropped into the conversation, and of course there's men upon us and he said, there was a silence like he dropped a bomb in around me, you know, because nobody had really thought about that, so it is this business of if you want to be equal.
00:34:13.770 --> 00:34:15.480 Pat Duckworth: Diverse inclusive.
00:34:15.600 --> 00:34:18.780 Pat Duckworth: And you've got women of all ages in your.
00:34:18.780 --> 00:34:35.910 Pat Duckworth: service, how is it that you're going to help them and how are you going to support the people who support them as well, so it started with your limitless group and what other women raising the issue or did it start off fairly reserved and not really talking about it.
00:34:37.230 --> 00:34:41.970 Cheshire Fire Service: and say it was fairly safe, because people, as you say, were talking about it but.
00:34:42.450 --> 00:34:50.430 Cheshire Fire Service: And it was quite difficult actually to get people to get involved with the working group, and I think it was just because people weren't you know used to.
00:34:50.790 --> 00:35:02.850 Cheshire Fire Service: Get out there and talking and not necessarily want to disclose that much about it and because helmets you know I suppose it was perception that you put your hand and say yeah actually i'm going through it, or whatever so.
00:35:03.450 --> 00:35:16.740 Cheshire Fire Service: It was it was difficult but for those you know, and there were some there are some people in the service, who are you know, in the early 20s who you know, not even thought or considered it and again and but for those people that.
00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:26.610 Cheshire Fire Service: could see the value it's going to add for those people who are either in the situation or it we've gone through it, I think they were just kind of relieved that it was finally on the table.
00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:36.510 Cheshire Fire Service: That is going to be addressed and we're going to look at different ways to support people in and just really get an acknowledgement around the fact that it could have some potential issues.
00:35:37.170 --> 00:35:52.650 Pat Duckworth: yeah and benji i'm sure you've seen this with other issues of people initially pushing back of bullets not talk about it, because that raises our profile and perhaps we don't want people thinking about it too much.
00:35:53.130 --> 00:35:57.930 Pat Duckworth: How do you kind of bring these things out into the open and get people talking about them.
00:35:59.250 --> 00:36:16.470 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah I think well there's an open open, transparent culture been tested fire and a very much growth mindset in the sense of look into how we can always improve on the think with majority of our particular operational staff member majority of our firefighters are male.
00:36:18.540 --> 00:36:29.760 Cheshire Fire Service: And all those males may not directly how experience or symptoms themselves in terms of managing or working with colleagues on station because female representation.
00:36:30.930 --> 00:36:42.180 Cheshire Fire Service: In the build up to developing our policy was still quite low I mean our female representation is higher than it was 234 years ago but back then, you know the conversations around.
00:36:43.080 --> 00:36:50.580 Cheshire Fire Service: staff have a willing to explore opportunities, so the fact that the women's network raised it in the first instance at least start that conversation.
00:36:50.910 --> 00:37:01.410 Cheshire Fire Service: So, whereas it wouldn't organically happen in maybe the predominantly a male dominated team it's great that we've got these signing boards, if you like, for the women's networks to discuss it.
00:37:02.460 --> 00:37:08.490 Cheshire Fire Service: So, like lots of lots of progressive work that we've done it's it's happened for the startup.
00:37:11.430 --> 00:37:11.850 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah.
00:37:15.090 --> 00:37:15.660 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah.
00:37:20.790 --> 00:37:27.660 Cheshire Fire Service: he's actually, you know as a male Member colleague I do need to be a better person all around as well, so.
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:43.770 Pat Duckworth: yeah yeah absolutely and Hannah how did you go around about developing the policy because it's really important that the policy reflects what employees want rather than what employees, want to give.
00:37:45.870 --> 00:37:53.010 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah absolutely so I mean there was a little bit of debate around whether it should be a policy or should be guidance and.
00:37:53.310 --> 00:38:01.650 Cheshire Fire Service: And we thought that there was benefit and having it in in a policy because primarily that's that's the way that we kind of work and, but it also.
00:38:02.370 --> 00:38:09.540 Cheshire Fire Service: gives those guidelines and and the responsibilities for each individual, whether it be there, the individual experience.
00:38:09.990 --> 00:38:17.820 Cheshire Fire Service: Or whether it's line manager so everybody's really clear about their responsibilities in terms of actually getting it to to come to fruition.
00:38:18.390 --> 00:38:28.170 Cheshire Fire Service: We set up a working group, as I said before, and this sort of consisted of different women with different experiences different ages different roles within the service.
00:38:28.830 --> 00:38:40.350 Cheshire Fire Service: Who do have different experiences, obviously, but, and you know because they're working different hours, and you know the the effect it could have on somebody who works in an office be different.
00:38:41.010 --> 00:38:47.730 Cheshire Fire Service: To somebody who's actually on a fire truck so it was really important for us to get that site diversity into the group.
00:38:48.360 --> 00:38:53.820 Cheshire Fire Service: And then we just had some meetings where we would discuss what it was that we wanted to come out of the policy.
00:38:54.210 --> 00:39:04.920 Cheshire Fire Service: And we looked at different all the different symptoms and there is a plethora of them, so what could we actually physically do anything about you know and most cases is a case of going to.
00:39:06.270 --> 00:39:14.430 Cheshire Fire Service: medical practitioner, but in there were some practical realities that we could change and some reasonable adjustments that we could introduce and.
00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:23.670 Cheshire Fire Service: there's no reason why not to you know, none of them are particularly difficult and so yeah it was really just about identifying those symptoms, what we can do.
00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:34.110 Cheshire Fire Service: getting an HR to write policy in there, the policy holders and then it was consultation with lots of different other people like health and safety occupational health benji.
00:39:34.470 --> 00:39:42.330 Cheshire Fire Service: And, and then the trade unions as well, so, and then the final sign off with the s&t their senior management team so.
00:39:42.720 --> 00:39:46.800 Cheshire Fire Service: it's not it took a long time to get there, but we did and i'm so glad we have.
00:39:47.220 --> 00:39:55.050 Cheshire Fire Service: Another thing as well that we added in part, was that we consulted with the other stuff networks, to make sure that Policy considered intersection ality.
00:39:55.440 --> 00:40:03.870 Cheshire Fire Service: And we were looking at the policy from different perspectives and different quality land, you know from a quality perspective through different lenses that make sense.
00:40:03.930 --> 00:40:13.830 Pat Duckworth: yeah yeah absolutely and I think you're quite innovative in some of the adjustments that you made as well, so some of the things that you've.
00:40:14.160 --> 00:40:22.650 Pat Duckworth: practical things you've put in place, I think you've been quite innovative like you know what you keep in the fire appliances, could you just say a bit about that.
00:40:23.760 --> 00:40:30.060 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah so and we do have a list of reasons adjustments and different things that will be applied, but.
00:40:30.540 --> 00:40:42.330 Cheshire Fire Service: It is an exhaustive and and obviously everybody's medicals is going to be different and everybody's experience and needs are different, so we do manage it on a case by case basis, but what we have in the appliance now which we've never had before was.
00:40:43.350 --> 00:40:53.220 Cheshire Fire Service: Like a solitary pack, so we have you know, in case of that and wanted visit or unexpected visit we actually do have some provisions that intemperance and Sergey towels and.
00:40:53.580 --> 00:41:05.970 Cheshire Fire Service: wipes and things like that on via appliance now and so that's been a yeah there's something so simple and, but we also have that in in the vehicles that are used by the other departments as well, so.
00:41:06.330 --> 00:41:23.340 Cheshire Fire Service: Everybody should be catered for there and what we are other things we have with additional uniform people can use showers and you know see as a toilet whenever they need to we've got desk fans and hamptons available if people need it and and occupational health actually introduced.
00:41:24.540 --> 00:41:34.350 Cheshire Fire Service: The discussion around us osteoporosis, and the reason for the health question and it's conducted for people who are over 45 in the service so.
00:41:34.770 --> 00:41:46.440 Cheshire Fire Service: And yeah lots of lots of work and but in addition to that we've got a mental health advisor in a fitness advisor we can all give advice on nutrition fitness and and just good mental health.
00:41:47.100 --> 00:42:00.840 Pat Duckworth: yeah I think the first time I came up was on a mental health day event that you were having and really recognizing how many couples can affect mental health, but some women feel more anxious than they ever felt.
00:42:01.230 --> 00:42:12.960 Pat Duckworth: Part of that being due to lack of sleep, or you know going on a bit of a mood roller coaster or just the fatigue and, as I say, then then knock on to their partners or you know.
00:42:13.350 --> 00:42:27.660 Pat Duckworth: family members from them going on this roller coaster so addressing that and bring it out into the open, so benji have you got involved in these discussions that women open with you talking about this.
00:42:30.300 --> 00:42:36.930 Cheshire Fire Service: Absolutely, I think, I think, obviously the limitless meetings, and I do attend those meetings.
00:42:38.310 --> 00:42:47.730 Cheshire Fire Service: They are for meetings take place on a quarterly basis, but there are sort of safe spaces for females, maybe don't know me to have conversations with.
00:42:48.060 --> 00:42:55.230 Cheshire Fire Service: With limitless members outside of those meetings but generally i'm sort of involved, and one of the gang really in many ways that's.
00:42:55.920 --> 00:43:02.430 Cheshire Fire Service: I think I think it's a case of where you know sort of gender doesn't really come into in many ways, although the we have got.
00:43:02.970 --> 00:43:09.780 Cheshire Fire Service: manifolds champions majority of those are females females that do you feel more comfortable to come speak to females, but.
00:43:10.230 --> 00:43:15.990 Cheshire Fire Service: I think it is some some women may be fair to go and speak to to a guy as well, so there's myself.
00:43:16.560 --> 00:43:26.490 Cheshire Fire Service: And my colleague Lawrence, who is the mental health advisor that are very active in terms of being manacles champion, so I think yeah not on people do come through advice as well.
00:43:26.970 --> 00:43:34.260 Cheshire Fire Service: Sometimes, no good my sports background, some people know that you know some advice around nutrition, or some fitness type stuff as well.
00:43:35.160 --> 00:43:37.110 Pat Duckworth: But yeah because.
00:43:37.710 --> 00:43:40.920 Cheshire Fire Service: comes to be quite openly i've not seen experienced any barriers so.
00:43:41.550 --> 00:43:58.500 Pat Duckworth: that's really good and, as I say, I think it comes from the top, when women know that there isn't a stigma attached to it that there's no taboo around talking about it, then it can be really good and i've had men come on my online workshops and.
00:43:59.550 --> 00:44:06.900 Pat Duckworth: Because they wanted to support their partner of birth, I just need to know about this stuff so I can help my partner.
00:44:07.260 --> 00:44:17.370 Pat Duckworth: or in the workplace, you know if somebody mentions it to me I don't feel embarrassed and I can talk about it, or I know what the words mean that they're saying to me.
00:44:17.700 --> 00:44:27.420 Pat Duckworth: So, but the education has to be for everybody, and if you know if you're not living with a female partner you've got a mom or a sister or a friend, or whatever.
00:44:27.870 --> 00:44:39.150 Pat Duckworth: So join us after the break when we'll be talking about where Cheshire fire going in the future with their plans and what they're efficient is for menopause in the future, see you after the break.
00:44:42.660 --> 00:44:53.850 www.TalkRadio.nyc: A buddy D, the nonprofit sector can actually coming at you from my attic each week here on talk radio dot nyc I hope the program will advocate for nonprofits impact us.
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00:46:37.680 --> 00:46:50.160 Pat Duckworth: Welcome back to the final quarter the hot women rock radio show empowering women leaders at medicals where my guests today are Hannah fulfilled and benji Evans from Cheshire fire service so.
00:46:50.700 --> 00:46:59.460 Pat Duckworth: You put your plans in place you've got your policy you've done your reasonable adjustments, how are you seeing the future, what are your plans now.
00:47:13.380 --> 00:47:13.860 Pat Duckworth: So yeah.
00:47:13.890 --> 00:47:15.660 Cheshire Fire Service: What sorry I forgot to mute.
00:47:19.950 --> 00:47:20.280 Pat Duckworth: myself.
00:47:20.310 --> 00:47:20.880 Pat Duckworth: Yes, I.
00:47:23.490 --> 00:47:25.440 Cheshire Fire Service: Did that little signs and say unmute.
00:47:26.640 --> 00:47:37.620 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah so basically all about having so launch the policy we needed to make sure that you know we brought it to life, so the first sort of step if you like, was to.
00:47:39.120 --> 00:47:46.260 Cheshire Fire Service: was to communicate to our staff policies out there, so an educator sort of all the managers around the procedures within the policy.
00:47:47.130 --> 00:47:58.410 Cheshire Fire Service: So we provide some basic training for staff and more advanced training for for our managers, but in addition to that, we offered some advanced training around manacles to.
00:47:58.950 --> 00:48:12.300 Cheshire Fire Service: As cross section of multiple champions so we've got representatives from various departments, with different levels of experience, some have gone through multiple some haven't yet, and some people generally just got an interest so it's a really good.
00:48:13.470 --> 00:48:21.630 Cheshire Fire Service: sort of group of people, if you like, that have worked together to edge cherry sources and really bounce off each other, but what they are essentially offer is there.
00:48:22.110 --> 00:48:26.340 Cheshire Fire Service: Is some basic advice and some guidance within the boundaries of that role and.
00:48:26.760 --> 00:48:35.880 Cheshire Fire Service: Essentially, same coach people to further information, whether that's to myself, so I could work with them, whether it's the line manager to make those individually adjustments so we've talked.
00:48:36.180 --> 00:48:46.980 Cheshire Fire Service: briefly about adjustments they're kind of general adjustments so there will be individual adjustments that will make for individuals and sometimes you know for those that are experiencing 25% gaming.
00:48:47.790 --> 00:48:53.370 Cheshire Fire Service: Extreme symptoms, you know we will work with those to do everything that we can work with that in terms of.
00:48:54.090 --> 00:49:03.450 Cheshire Fire Service: altering their shift pattern slightly looking at the environment, the temperature of the room, so it might be the it might be the winter, but somebody still really hot.
00:49:04.080 --> 00:49:11.160 Cheshire Fire Service: Whereas, most people would want the window opens that awareness is there, but actually having a bit of air flow really does help so.
00:49:12.840 --> 00:49:21.600 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah so the menopause champions been made a real success so effectively on one more color paint and our staff Internet have a list of all the different mentors champions.
00:49:21.930 --> 00:49:31.860 Cheshire Fire Service: A little bit of a bio on there, so people can sort of if they don't know anybody that's they're already they've got a little bit of information and as a photograph so people carefully selected want to go and speak to.
00:49:32.340 --> 00:49:41.790 Cheshire Fire Service: And there's a series a library of resources on there as well, which are accessible so someone you could download as a PDF document as a word document.
00:49:42.450 --> 00:49:55.410 Cheshire Fire Service: or they there's some podcasts and some audio versions some acknowledging that different people like to receive information that waste that yeah Internet page is a fantastic reference point for people to go and get some information.
00:49:56.280 --> 00:50:13.320 Pat Duckworth: yeah you've also what was gonna be my next question because it was really about a, how do you get the information that the women need to them and so your internets really important and you still talking about it in the limitless group as well, is that another way that they get information.
00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:23.850 Cheshire Fire Service: Yet to benefit it it stays, there is one of our standard items anyways it's them it's always on on the agenda and we also.
00:50:24.690 --> 00:50:38.460 Cheshire Fire Service: mentioned that we do, step up and step into training, which is part of our talent management framework so anybody any aspiring managers actually get input from benji and myself on metaphors and maternity and other female related.
00:50:40.050 --> 00:50:40.590 Cheshire Fire Service: Issues.
00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:48.930 Cheshire Fire Service: And so we did deliver training right at the beginning, when it does it on the induction as well, so everyone gets a bit of training.
00:50:49.740 --> 00:50:57.390 Cheshire Fire Service: And going forward to think that the idea is for us to then get some training about the process service to absolutely everybody because.
00:50:58.080 --> 00:51:07.080 Cheshire Fire Service: Although we don't want to be some I can excuse, it has a complete spanner in the works and it's it's I see during the pandemic we've been sort of firefighting.
00:51:07.410 --> 00:51:18.780 Cheshire Fire Service: And they stay issues and it's sort of how this up a bit, but hopefully we're learning to deliver the the pandemic and we are to crack on with what we had planned absolutely.
00:51:19.470 --> 00:51:29.670 Pat Duckworth: So for anybody any organization that's listening and we, and we know from a survey, only the other week that only about 28% of organizations have put policies in place.
00:51:30.360 --> 00:51:47.160 Pat Duckworth: And we know that our policy isn't for every employer, you know it depends on your the makeup of your organization policies you've already got in place, but if people listening and thinking about getting started what what's, the first thing that they need to do what's your top tip.
00:51:49.710 --> 00:52:00.660 Cheshire Fire Service: Think mine would be to get the senior managers to buy into it, because you said earlier and I can't achievements, a middle aged man who is more than happy to really open to talking about it.
00:52:01.170 --> 00:52:10.590 Cheshire Fire Service: And it's it's got to be got out there everyone's got to feel comfortable to talk about it and it's the I think for me that's, the only way, you can normalize it something that is it.
00:52:11.700 --> 00:52:21.600 Cheshire Fire Service: Normal, and so I think, to get the senior leaders to buy into it and to get the stuff involved in in developing policy as well, I think.
00:52:22.140 --> 00:52:25.230 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah I think that the business case for having a diverse workforce.
00:52:25.830 --> 00:52:33.060 Cheshire Fire Service: You know it's there's lots of research out there around that so you know 50% of our population is female and so any.
00:52:33.330 --> 00:52:40.050 Cheshire Fire Service: Organizations that aren't tapping into that diverse talent are missing a basically so any organization that does aspire to attract.
00:52:40.410 --> 00:52:48.600 Cheshire Fire Service: More females into their workforce, particularly male dominated environments, which you know finance it construction has lots of industries out there.
00:52:49.020 --> 00:52:59.070 Cheshire Fire Service: A mentee somewhere emergency services still dominated by males within their workforce, so any organizations are serious about attracting the best talent needs to increase.
00:53:00.090 --> 00:53:05.280 Cheshire Fire Service: need to look after their existing workforce and automatically your attraction strategy.
00:53:05.940 --> 00:53:17.040 Cheshire Fire Service: will speak volumes, because your staff will your biggest asset, and they will promote how good it is when we go to work for that employer if they're having a really positive and supportive.
00:53:17.610 --> 00:53:30.660 Cheshire Fire Service: Time at work and so that's the biggest advice overseas managers educating themselves around manner pores they're serious about promoting gender equality monopoles you know it's really important to get that right.
00:53:31.650 --> 00:53:41.190 Pat Duckworth: yeah are you seeing more women coming into the fire service now generally is it more of a career that women are being attracted to.
00:53:42.600 --> 00:53:49.290 Cheshire Fire Service: yeah well across the UK fire service, there is an under representation of females in particular and operational roles.
00:53:50.190 --> 00:53:56.310 Cheshire Fire Service: Here in Cheshire we have seen 3% increase in the last 18 months in operational roles.
00:53:57.240 --> 00:54:06.810 Cheshire Fire Service: Which is fantastic and we've seen i'm not sure in the last quarter we've had two new cohorts of staff so be quite interesting to look at the latest.
00:54:07.080 --> 00:54:13.290 Cheshire Fire Service: monitored information, which obviously will will be higher than the famous sent that they just alluded to so it's really exciting.
00:54:13.620 --> 00:54:18.690 Cheshire Fire Service: we've lots of lots of applications females during the whole time recruitment, we can only take.
00:54:19.320 --> 00:54:30.240 Cheshire Fire Service: 12 or 24 any one time so to see a lot more females applying and working with those individual that weren't successful this last in this last recruitment campaign.
00:54:30.570 --> 00:54:37.500 Cheshire Fire Service: Is it really exciting so it's it's really it's good and a lot of fire services across the UK i've created more women into their.
00:54:37.890 --> 00:54:54.450 Cheshire Fire Service: into their services and and non operational roles and i'm conscious that there's lots of roles within the fire service and it just isn't firefighters and it's fantastic to see you know that women do make up the majority of the non not Trolls COs COs the service so.
00:54:56.070 --> 00:55:03.300 Pat Duckworth: I know I know there's only a few female chief fire officer, can we see chief fire officer Hannah one day.
00:55:05.130 --> 00:55:06.270 Cheshire Fire Service: We never say never but.
00:55:08.280 --> 00:55:16.080 Cheshire Fire Service: i'm going to be honest, not just because time is next to me, but I could see Hannah be the chief fire officer most definitely.
00:55:16.800 --> 00:55:18.450 Pat Duckworth: that's what i'm picturing him, and you can.
00:55:18.450 --> 00:55:22.950 Pat Duckworth: Take all this experience with you, and it would be fabulous to do that.
00:55:23.430 --> 00:55:31.140 Pat Duckworth: Thank you, Pat, the time has gone really quickly, as always, thank you for all that you're doing because.
00:55:31.530 --> 00:55:39.120 Pat Duckworth: You know, fight the firefighters and everything you've been doing the past couple of years has been amazing in helping us through Kovac so.
00:55:39.450 --> 00:55:45.030 Pat Duckworth: From a grateful nation, thank you very much, and thank you for joining me today to share your experience.
00:55:45.540 --> 00:55:53.550 Pat Duckworth: Stay listening to talk radio dot nyc where the next program is dismantle racism, this could be one for you to listen to benji.
00:55:53.850 --> 00:56:05.130 Pat Duckworth: dismantle racism with Reverend Dr tlc where today she's talking about maximizing your energy for good and her guest is the amazing Deborah Parliament I love Deborah.
00:56:05.700 --> 00:56:13.230 Pat Duckworth: Best selling author of chicken soup for the American idol soul and founder of yes to success seminar seminars, we love Deborah.
00:56:13.980 --> 00:56:15.480 Pat Duckworth: prosecutor my show one day.
00:56:15.900 --> 00:56:28.350 Pat Duckworth: And if you've missed any of the previous shows go to talk radio dot nyc forward slash hot women rock where you will find all the recordings next week my guest is Elizabeth Pearson and we'll be talking about women investing.
00:56:28.620 --> 00:56:33.150 Pat Duckworth: So they have some pension when they're ready to retire, which is really important.
00:56:33.630 --> 00:56:43.230 Pat Duckworth: And if your organization is going into looking at menopause and you're either at an early stage, or you started working in this area, creating a policy.
00:56:43.470 --> 00:56:52.800 Pat Duckworth: Policy taught to me pat duckworth.com you'll find my contact form and talk to me about what it is you're trying to do and whether I can support you.
00:56:53.250 --> 00:57:05.580 Pat Duckworth: Thank you so much for listening enjoy your week next week, as I said, we're talking to Elizabeth Pearson and thank you again to my guest, thank you to my producer dylan and have a brilliant week see you next week take care now.
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