Law Society launches WIDEN network

The Society's Equality and Diversity Manager, Elaine MacGlone, provides an update on the recent launch of a new network to support best practice in equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing.

Last week saw the launch of the Law Society’s new network which brought together more than 30 colleagues across the legal sector who lead on diversity,  inclusion and wellbeing in their organisations. 

WIDEN – Wellbeing Inclusion Diversity Equity Network -  aims  to be a space where firms and organisations can showcase their initiatives, discuss issues, and hear from experts in their fields.  The network will meet every two months, alternating between a wellbeing focused theme and a diversity, inclusion and equity focused theme with network members invited to submit their ideas for topics of interest. 

The network was born of conversations with colleagues working in these spaces who expressed the need for a group where they could share with each other. The Law Society’s reach across the profession leaves us perfectly placed to offer this space. While we aim to include those leading on wellbeing, inclusion, diversity and equity we also recognise that not all organisations have the resource or capacity to work in these areas as much as they would like to. For that reason, we envisage the Network becoming a space where those colleagues can tap into bigger resources.

The first WIDEN event on Monday, 24 March was themed around “Proactively protecting wellbeing”, and we welcomed two great speakers: Claire Joseph and Laura Malik.

Claire is Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager at Pinsent Masons and came to share some more detail around the  firm’s new approach to tackling overwork through an automated alert system. Using a data driven approach the system brings together all the data on time recording across their business to ensure a consistent process of checks and follow-ups for those who have been flagged at risk of burn-out based on their time-recording.

Laura is Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer at the Faculty of Advocates, a newly created role at the Faculty.  Laura shared her priorities to improve the wellbeing of the Faculty members and employees, and how her background and experience as a Mental Health Counsellor and Psychotherapist has fed into how she approaches her role.

The next network meeting is being held June and will have a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.

If you are leading on wellbeing, diversity, equity and inclusion in the Scottish legal sector, or in a smaller organisation whose resource doesn’t stretch as far as you would hope in this space,  please do get in touch at diversity@lawscot.org.uk We look forward to welcoming you to a network meeting very soon!