Archive for category: Estate Services

Meet Ali Kteich, Senior Fitness Instructor at the University of Leeds. Ali is an ambassador of the Facilities Directorate’s Staff Voice programme, a forum where volunteer representatives from the directorate discuss ideas, questions and concerns raised by their colleagues and work together to find solutions.

Can you describe your job in a few sentences?

I work at the Edge as a Senior Fitness Instructor. I supervise a team of fitness instructors and work daily to improve the service we provide in Sport and Physical Activity.

Can you explain what the FD Staff Voice is from your perspective?

The FD Staff Voice is about coming together as a group to raise issues and improvements into the right channels, and then feeding back the actions that have been taken to improve our working environment to the wider service.

It’s almost like a bridge between the managers and the rest of the service. It’s already helping to enable two-way communication between senior people and the rest of the service.

How did you become involved in the FD Staff Voice?

Joining the FD Staff Voice was recommended to me by a manager, and I felt like it was a way I could make a difference.

I’m part of the service’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion panel, so I felt that I could bring some of my experience from that to Staff Voice to ensure everyone is being treated equally and fairly.

I also wanted to make sure that more staff felt empowered within the FD, and that more attention was given to details that would help to improve the working environment.

What does your role in the FD Staff Voice involve?

We gather the concerns and suggestions that have been raised to us by colleagues and make sure that they’re passed on to the right people and channels.

We also make sure that the right people are available to provide support for colleagues if needed.

What do you find to be beneficial about being a part of the programme?

I believe being a part of the FD Staff Voice is helping to improve my own performance. It’s beneficial for me to be able to feed back concerns and improvements from colleagues in terms of improving my own communication skills.

I work reduced hours due to my disability, so this programme is really helping me to progress on a personal level. It’s helping to meet more people and know more about the campus and how the university operates, which is really important and beneficial for me.

Why is the FD Staff Voice important for colleagues?

It is helping to improve the communication channels we have within our department, and to help facilitate communication and feedback between colleagues and their managers.

It’s also helping to make decisions easier for decision-makers, because they now have that direct channel of feedback from colleagues.

I can feel the willing among senior colleagues to resolve the issues that have been raised. I can see the impact that is being made, which makes it easier for people to tell us what they need.

What is your ambition for FD Staff Voice?

I want to make the workplace better for everybody, by making sure that it’s an enjoyable and comfortable place for people to work.

I want to see this scheme improving year after year. It’s just the first year, so I’m really hopeful that we’ll continue to get that support from managers across the department to make more genuine changes to the service.

Read our 10 minutes with FD Staff Voice champion, Matthew Whiteley and FD Staff Voice ambassador, Carla Tucker.

Meet Carla Tucker, Sustainability Project Co-ordinator. Carla is one of the Facilities Directorate’s Staff Voice Ambassadors.

The FD Staff Voice is a forum where volunteer representatives from the directorate discuss ideas, questions and concerns raised by their colleagues and work together to find solutions.

Read our interview with FD Staff Voice Champion, Matthew Whiteley.

Can you describe your role in a few sentences?

I’m the Sustainability Project Co-ordinator and a member of the Sustainability Service. My role is to manage our certified Environmental Management System (EMS), alongside the Environmental Compliance Officer. It’s a framework that the university uses to minimise risk and maximise opportunities with regards to the potential environmental impact of its activities.

My day-to-day includes building inspections, audits, reviewing EMS documents and providing EMS information to staff and students.

What is the FD Staff Voice?

The FD Staff Voice is almost like an experiment that looks to bring about positive culture change within the FD. It’s a group of people working together to make the working experience for everyone in the FD better.

Why is the FD Staff Voice important for colleagues?

It’s self-empowering. Yes, we can’t change everything, but here’s an opportunity where you can have actual input, which could potentially bring about lasting change. I know people can be sceptical when programmes like this start, but it’s something worth doing and having input in. It could make a difference.

I can appreciate that this is a long-term process, and it may take some time before you might see lasting results, but I don’t think people should be discouraged by that. Especially when you’re working in a large organisation with so many different work areas, getting everyone on the same page takes time. But we will get there.

How did you become involved in the FD Staff Voice?

I was already looking to do some volunteering work that would enable me to meet more members of staff from both inside and outside the Directorate, because a part of my role is to promote the EMS.

A manager approached me to ask if I’d be interested in representing the Sustainability Service for the FD Staff Voice programme. I read the description and thought that it sounded interesting. In a previous role, I helped with a social and sports club, so I could see the value of a programme like this and what it can create in the future.

What is beneficial about being involved in the programme?

As I said, a part of my role involves promoting the EMS, and I’ve been able to meet people from different areas to do that. It’s been useful to find out how other teams and departments function and why things are the way they are. I’ve even met someone who was able to give me advice on an issue I found in an inspection.
For me, just meeting and working with people, you really get to see their personality, which I think is really cool.

What would you like to achieve on the programme?

It’s still a new thing, so I haven’t been able to think too much about specific ambitions, but one thing I’d like to do is to work with the rest of the group to formalise processes to help the FD Staff Voice become a sustainable programme.

Even if it allows people to engage with people they don’t usually interact with, it definitely adds value.

Find out more about the FD Staff Voice.

Meet Matthew Whiteley, Residence Service Supervisor at the University of Leeds. Matthew is one of the Facilities Directorate’s Staff Voice Champions.

The FD Staff Voice is a forum where volunteer representatives from the directorate discuss ideas, questions and concerns raised by their colleagues and work together to find solutions.

This is the first in a series of interviews with FD Staff Voice volunteers.

Can you describe your job in a few sentences?

My job is to provide a great service for the students living in our accommodation. We do everything, from maintenance and admin support to welfare. A large part of the job that I do specifically is to organise the accessible equipment for the whole department.

It’s a job that you can make whatever you want out of it – if you prefer more admin, behind-the-desk work, you can do that. Alternatively, if you want to be more practical and hands-on, there’s definitely scope to do that. I think I sit very much in the middle. I like to specialise in everything I can.

Can you explain what the FD Staff Voice is from your perspective?

Staff Voice is a platform for members of the Facilities Directorate to meet and discuss how we can improve the working environment, our connections across the FD and how we can work more closely together. It’s about discussion, it’s about being open-minded and it’s about looking to the future.

How did you become involved in the FD Staff Voice?

My senior management team promoted it when it was first established last summer, and I was encouraged to apply as it would be good for my development.
I was pleased that this initiative was largely marketed at grades two to five as I know some of those colleagues can find it harder to suggest and effect change in their departments.

What does your role in the FD Staff Voice involve?

It’s about taking feedback from colleagues, about discussing ideas and listening to issues and how we can turn that into positive change for the department. It is also about feeding back to my colleagues so they see that their ideas can really make a difference to our working environment.

What do you find to be beneficial about being a part of the programme?

It’s helping colleagues and helps to make a difference and lasting change, and it’s also really good to make connections, both across my wider department and across the FD.
I’ve met so many people from areas that I thought would have nothing to do with my job, and yet, when you meet them and talk to them, you realise that we’re working towards the same goal.

What would you like to achieve as part of the group?

My ambition is to use the platform to be a voice: quite literally what it says on the tin. I want to take feedback from colleagues and to be able to take that to a higher level.
We have a meeting coming up soon to discuss how we can implement changes based on the staff survey that was completed last year. I’m really looking forward to seeing how those changes can positively impact our day-to-day lives at work.

Why is the FD Staff Voice important to colleagues?

It’s about giving people a voice.

It’s already in the consciousness of the department. People are already open to discussing ideas, so we can take that forward as Staff Voice develops, because it is a new thing and is evolving.

There’s a lot of work going on in the background, behind-the-scenes for Staff Voice. It is new, it is still evolving and it’s still developing. Where we’re at now with Staff Voice is not where we’re going to be forever. It will become a much bigger part of the day-to-day experience of working in the FD.

Find out more about the FD Staff Voice.

A state-of-the-art strength and conditioning facility at the University of Leeds’ Cromer Terrace that will become a home for the University’s sports clubs and performance athletes has officially opened.

The newly refurbished space includes a new strength and conditioning floor alongside physio and massage therapy facilities and will allow specialist staff to provide new levels of performance support to students representing the University across more than 65 sports.

It will also be used as an academic teaching space and allow the University to grow its teaching and research agenda with partners across the city.

The space has been kitted out with sector-leading strength and conditioning equipment from BLK BOX, who also supply the Nike HQ in London, Aston Villa Football Club and Irish Rugby.

Work on the building started in early 2023, with its completion providing students with the chance to use the facilities after returning for the start of spring term.

Supporting student athletes

David Oldroyd, Interim Director of Development at the University of Leeds, said: “The refurbished Cromer Terrace is a prime example of how we are implementing our strategy to repurpose and improve the facilities we have on campus.

“This has been a joint project between Estates, Sport & Physical Activity and Leeds University Union, a collaboration that has enabled us to provide a top-quality training facility our student athletes can use to reach their sporting potential.”

Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport at the University of Leeds said: “The development and refurbishment of our facilities will hugely enhance the offer and experience here at Leeds.

“By upgrading our facilities, we can further support our incredibly talented athletes and provide our knowledgeable staff with spaces that allow them to deliver the best possible training.”

Find out more about the services provided by Sport & Physical Activity, including details on facilities, memberships and more. 

Read more about the Estates team. 

Meet Fariha Aasam, Waste Manager in the Facilities Directorate at the University of Leeds. Fariha joined the University in December 2023 and is focusing on making waste management more sustainable at the University.

Describe your job in a few sentences.

I am responsible for managing the waste contract of university and developing and implementing effective waste management strategies to minimise environmental impact and ensure compliance with regulations. I coordinate waste collection, recycling programs, and disposal methods on campus.

I also collaborate with departments to raise awareness about sustainable practices and promotes a culture of waste reduction among students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, I analyse waste data, track trends, and recommend improvements to enhance the University’s overall environmental sustainability efforts.

Can you tell us about a project you’re currently working on?

Right now, I’m working on how we can improve the rates of recycling at the University and how we can make students and staff aware about re-using, recycling and reducing waste.

What aspects of your job do you think are most important to people at the University?

My role is really collaborative in nature because I have to work with departments across the University, like the Cleaning team and the Sustainability team. I work with students and staff to help make processes more sustainable and to raise awareness of sustainable practice. We need to make people aware of how they can reduce waste before it’s been produced by re-using, recycling and re-thinking if we need to buy something.

It’s inspiring to see the campus community come together to make a collective effort towards a greener and cleaner environment.

What part of the job are you looking forward to most this year?

I am enthusiastic about implementing circular economy principles to reduce the University’s waste footprint. I’m looking forward to creating a more sustainable system where waste is being minimised and resources are being used more efficiently.

We are also well underway in our work for the University’s Climate Plan, which is a real priority for the University. It’s exciting to work on something that holds such importance, not just for the University of Leeds, but for everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much progress we make over the next 12 months.

Can you tell us a bit about your background before you joined the University?

I am an environmentalist with over nine years of experience in waste management industry. In 2018, I received an Erasmus Plus Scholarship from the European Union to study a Masters in Urban Climate and Sustainability.

After that I worked with NHS Scotland on implementation of circular economy in procurement to make of healthcare sector sustainable. Most recently, I completed an MSc in Climate Justice from Glasgow Caledonian University.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy the collaborative nature of what I do. I work with students, staff and the different departments within the University every day. I get to speak with so many different people, which is amazing. I’m excited to see how we can work together to create more impact.

Knowing that the work I do today will have a positive impact on the university and the environment for years to come is incredibly satisfying. It’s about leaving a legacy of sustainable practices for future generations.

Find out more about the University’s net zero goals.