House of Commons

Here are some of the photos we captured of the business in the Chamber this week. 📷 Find more images from the Chamber 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekMS8n5H For a comprehensive catch-up of Chamber business with BSL, visit Parliament Live 📲 https://lnkd.in/dC6GP9s Images: ©House of Commons

This week marks the launch of the Speaker’s Apprenticeship Academy. The Speaker met with the new apprentices in Speaker’s House, as they expressed how excited they all are to be learning and working in the House of Commons. Together with local education providers, the Speaker’s Apprenticeship Academy facilitates the opportunity to gain practical in-office experience while also working towards achieving industry qualifications.

Missed today's PMQs? Watch 📲 https://lnkd.in/dzrwn_Fd Listen 🎧 https://lnkd.in/dzBsu4yR Read 📖 https://lnkd.in/dyk74Mxp

What's on in the House of Commons this week? 👇 https://lnkd.in/edUMMfTy

Celebrating our STAR colleagues ⭐ The House of Commons fosters a culture of excellence, where we proudly celebrate the hard work and achievements of our colleagues. Our STAR awards are part of a values-based recognition and reward scheme, which all teams take part in. Colleagues nominate each other, and STAR award winners are chosen every month whose exceptional work demonstrates our values of courage, trust, inclusion and collaboration. STAR awards give recognition to individuals who go above and beyond to make Parliament happen. During our annual staff Town Halls in May, we celebrated STAR award-winning colleagues like Yazmin. Yazmin is an apprentice working in our People and Culture team. She was nominated for a STAR award for her work in guiding candidates through our recruitment process. She said: “Living our shared values at work is essential for a healthy and inclusive workplace environment. I embody collaboration within my role in human resources, working with colleagues to ensure that procedure is followed. Trust and inclusion are cornerstones of my work, from ensuring personal data is secure, to promoting inclusion in our recruitment processes.” Thanks to the variety of roles, training, and progression opportunities, many people choose to build their careers at the House of Commons.  We have opportunities in a variety of roles, search jobs: https://lnkd.in/dhwG2cb

💡 Lighting up Parliament: A story across the centuries. The transition from gas lamps to electric lighting in the Houses of Parliament began in the late 1800s. Today, energy efficiency is balanced with maintaining the integrity and aesthetic of the Palace, as it is a Grade I listed building. Then ➡️ A photo of the lighting department showing a man working in the rafters of the Houses of Parliament in 1905. Now ➡️ A colleague in the reactive works team working on the exterior lighting of the Palace of Westminster in preparation for marking Ukraine’s Independence Day, 2022. Want to learn more about Parliament's transition from gas to electric lighting? Check out this Hansard report from 1929: https://lnkd.in/dxGypTpq Images: ©Parliamentary Archives and House of Commons

Every day, countless individuals work hard to make Parliament happen. We asked our Managing Director of Strategic Estates, Chris Elliott, about his favourite day: “My favourite day in Parliament so far was one of my first: 3 March 2023. On that day, I took part in a site visit and test event with the team behind the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower – also known as Big Ben. This took place at the end of the refurbishment, just before the tower was re-opened to the public for tours. Restoring this iconic landmark was an award-winning project. Its successful completion showcased everything that makes Strategic Estates a fantastic department. It was a huge programme, delivered in a complex working environment. Working across the team and with supply chain partners, we restored the clock tower to its former glory. When I went up the tower, I saw the newly restored clock room. Standing behind the clock face of this world-famous landmark, I saw Big Ben strike upon the hour - it was awesome. I was filled with pride that Strategic Estates had delivered this project and improved the experience at Parliament in so many ways. What an introduction! The House of Commons Administration supports democracy by delivering excellent service. In Strategic Estates, we do this by creating the workplace experience needed by people in Parliament. As Managing Director, I am responsible for leading an in-house team of approximately 400 colleagues, from Engagement Officers to Director of Heritage Collections. I also manage multiple supply chain partners working across all Strategic Estates activity. Among my responsibilities are long term asset, property and capital investment strategy and planning. We also deliver major construction projects and programmes, specialist technical design and engineering leadership, and the care and development of our internationally significant heritage collections. Supporting productivity and wellbeing, caring for historic art and furniture, and ensuring safety - these all come down to how we sustain and improve Parliament's working environment. Working at Parliament presents fantastic opportunities to do work which is impactful, interesting, and challenging. It is a privilege to help shape the future of such an iconic estate and organisation. This project, which included protecting and renewing the tower’s exterior, has improved the experience of visitors and colleagues, and means the Palace of Westminster will be safe for years to come. I’m honoured to serve and lead this team every day. I can’t wait to create more favourite days with them and our colleagues across Parliament.” #Teamwork

We are celebrating National Inclusion Week. This year's theme is #ImpactMatters, encouraging every individual to feel they have the power to make a difference in their workplace. As part of our commitment to inclusion: - Parliament has six dedicated Workplace Equality Networks (WENs). WENs are very active, cover a diverse range of experiences, and help make Parliament a more inclusive workplace. - Our accreditations include Royal National Institute of Blind People Visibly Better Employer status, and we are a Disability Confident Leader. - We encourage colleagues to take part in training and activities about I&D throughout the year. We have a programme of events for this week, including an introduction to BSL, understanding Deafness, and creating psychological safety. One of our Business Change Managers said: “I chose to attend the ‘Inclusive Working for Staff’ course to ensure I am up to date with inclusion and diversity. I would recommend the course to all colleagues, as it’s a great way to immerse yourself in the bigger picture and reflect.” - One of the aims in our current Inclusion and Diversity Strategy is “fostering inclusive environments.” Read our full I&D strategy: https://lnkd.in/d6KM7qkg We want all our colleagues to feel that they can be themselves at work, and value their unique perspectives. Diversity in our workplace is vital for representing the wider society that we serve. #NationalInclusionWeek

Look at the view our Clockmaker Andrew captured from Elizabeth Tower 🌈 Did you know that clock mechanics at the Houses of Parliament have been keeping time for over 165 years? Their maintenance of Big Ben and the Great Clock ensures that it remains one of the most accurate mechanical clocks in the world. 🕰️

Where's Philippa off to? 🚆 Our Outreach Officers provide free training sessions to community groups 👩🏾🏫 They explain how the UK Parliament works and how groups can take action on issues they care about. Sessions can be delivered in every nation and region in the UK. Officers work with a wide range of communities and organisations 🏘️ Find more information: Website: learning.parliament.uk 🤳🏿 Email: engage@parliament.uk 📧