Sunita Harley (she/her) Collective Insight’s Post

Looking for recommendations for employment lawyers who specialise in the healthcare sector. Get in touch if you would like to be mentioned in my recommendations list. This is for one of my previous HR leaders clients and the large care home company is looking for a new employment law specialist to work with.

"I also wanted to check in to see how you are." Sharing important words from one of my amazing clients and DEI Manager at a law firm. She didn't just want to share an update on the project I'm delivering for her firm - she genuinely wanted to check in with me. I'll be honest - it's been a heavy time. So I'll do my best to explain why. ⚠️ I've been incredibly worried about so many people as they have to continue to navigate open racism and subtle racism in the UK. Many of us have had to experience this most of our lives and not just in recent weeks. I've had to think twice about a number of things. I'll be honest, many of these I've had to consider way before the recent examples of racist violence and Islamophobia. ⚠️ Think twice about where I'm going and how I'm getting there (and also how am I getting home). ⚠️ Think twice about whether we should take our daughters to watch their football team for the first time ever. My husband meticulously planned our travel home and we also left the match early to avoid the crowds. ⚠️ Think twice about whether to travel to a South Asian Heritage event in the evening on my own the evening after the planned far right riots. ⚠️ Think twice about accessing our local supermarket as the main way to the entrance from the car park is down some very secluded stairs with little space. ⚠️ Think twice about not missing my weekly self-defence martial arts class as I know it equips me with critical life skills and is good for my "physical being out and about on my own" confidence. At my recent session I asked my coach to cover techniques for a particular scenario I often worry about. ⚠️ Think twice about which playground I take my daughters to on my own if we want to head out after dinner time. The other Sunday my husband said "I'm coming with you". I knew exactly why Mr H said this. ⚠️ Think twice about what I'm going to wear to travel back from awards ceremonies when I wear traditional Indian outfits. I've always had to do this (some of you may have even spotted that I change into trousers and a tshirt after awards ceremonies). ⚠️ Think twice about holding hands with my husband in public. Trust me, not everyone out there supports interracial relationships and marriages even when you live in a fairly ethnically diverse area of London. ⚠️ Think twice about sharing how I feel, in the fear of gaslighting or people questioning why I am having to think twice. Thank you again to everyone who has been checking in on their friends, colleagues, chosen family members, neighbours and connections who are ethnically diverse. Keep checking in throughout the year as I'm afraid this heaviness doesn't go away for us. Image description: Sunita, a tall Brown Mauritian-British-South Asian woman with long black hair wearing a cream jacket over a red football top, pointing to a mureil of one of her football heroes and role models Ian Wright by Emirate Stadium, one the first people Sunita heard talk about open racism.

Dear leaders, team managers, HR contacts, DEI and wellbeing leads, please dedicate time to providing genuine anti-racism support to your colleagues who may be directly or indirectly impacted by the open racism, Islamophobia, harm and violence in the UK. Sharing 10 actions or next steps to consider in management conversations, team meetings and your working week. I'll be honest, it's been a heavy time for many and I could share even more thoughts or actions on what you can do. However, I'll leave you with these 10 for now. Racism and Islamophobia is a reality for so many ethnically diverse and Muslim colleagues. I also know some leaders, managers and HR contacts may be unsure about how to approach this all. You're welcome to get in touch with me if you want a quick chat or phone call - I'm not expecting anything in return - I just want to support so your colleagues receive the best support right now. Here's a summary of my 10 suggested actions: ➡️ Acknowledge what is happening with a message of support from leaders on your intranet or via an organisation-wide email. ➡️ If you haven’t already arrange a call to discuss your ongoing plan of anti-racism support for colleagues with leaders, HR teams, your diversity, inclusion and wellbeing experts. ➡️ Involve your inclusion network leads or representatives in discussions about your anti-racism support plan (but don't expect them to come up with all the ideas). ➡️ Proactively share sources of support available for Muslim and ethnically diverse colleagues should they wish to use these at any point during the year. ➡️ As a team manager check in with your ethnically diverse colleagues in case they wish to talk about how events are impacting them (directly or indirectly). ➡️ Ensure all of your non-ethnically diverse colleagues are aware of how to support their colleagues impacted and understand the importance of anti-racism allyship. ➡️ Remember that racism and Islamophobia in the UK is what individuals may have to navigate throughout the year and not just in response to recent events. ➡️ Do not assume that everyone who is ethnically diverse is impacted in the same way and respect that experiences and feelings may vary. ➡️ Encourage your teams to attend inclusion sessions during the year to understand their responsibilities to embed anti-racism and real allyship. ➡️ Please don’t let the “fear of saying the wrong thing” stop you from offering your support as a manager, colleague or leader. There are so many more actions and steps I could share but I'll leave you to consider these for now. Thanks for reading and just get in touch if you have any queries. Sunita

Our Amplify group coaching programme at law firm Taylor Wessing UK is nominated for the UK Social Mobility Awards. As Lead Coaches, Julie Gottlieb and I teamed up to co-deliver this unique group coaching programme for any individuals working at at Taylor Wessing who identify as diverse. Sharing a massive thank you to all of the individuals who have participated and who are participating in the Amplify group coaching programme. I know you know how much Julie and I feel honoured to be working with you all. We're in our second year of co-delivering the Amplify programme. In 2023, we delivered the programme for trainee lawyers and associates. In 2024, we're delivering the programme for Business Services specialists at Taylor Wessing. Tailoring each coaching programme for client organisations and for the individuals taking part is key. When designing a programme which makes a real impact for individuals and for the firm, Julie and I always enjoy sharing our honest perspectives and insights so that we can deliver practical and inspiring group coaching sessions. We listen to our group coaching clients, act on their ideas and work collaboratively with the programme's sponsors. Thank you to Char Erskine | Robin Panrucker FRSA, FLPI, MInstLM, Assoc. CIPD for making this inclusive and intersectional career programme happen at the firm. You have paved the way for something unique, progressive and impactful. It's also brilliant to know and see in-person how this programme has been authentically championed by the Inclusion Board at Taylor Wessing. Sharing shout outs to Managing Partner Kirstie McGuigan | Talent Director Wendy Tomlinson and Partners Jo Joyce | Tandeep Minhas | Tom Foster | Paul Leamy | Richard Viegas | Emma Jordan for actively sponsoring the Amplify groups coaching programme. Paul Leamy has also been nominated as Champion of the Year at the SOMO Awards and Taylor Wessing has also been shortlisted for their overall commitment to progressing social mobility at the firm. Congrats to everyone across sectors who has been nominated for any of the SOMO Awards. We look forward to celebrating everyone's commitment and achievements to progress social mobility at the awards ceremony organised by the awesome Tunde Banjoko OBE this October.

Sharing 3 honest learning lessons during my time studying my Masters. You have until Sunday 21 July to vote for me for the Outstanding Achievement Westminster Alumni Award. Thank you to everyone who has voted for me so far - it still feels a bit uncomfortable asking connections, colleagues and clients to vote for me (and even friends and family) especially as I know how busy everyone is. It only takes a couple of minutes and you can choose whether to vote for the other award categories such as the Entrepreneur and Social Impact awards. Link to Westminster Alumni Awards 2024 voting form https://lnkd.in/ePAFc3Un All of the finalists are amazing. Being a finalist is an achievement in itself - especially as there are only 4 finalists in each award categories. I hope you also enjoy reading about the finalist's inspiring career stories. For me, being asked to sum up your career of 20+ years in a few paragraphs wasn't easy. So what were 3 honest learning lessons during my time studying my Masters in HR Management? 📝 If you put in the hard work, you WILL be able to make progress. I loved studying in the library in between working. However, hard work means - determination - acting on constructive feedback - always improving your organisational skills - making time for focused activities and - saying no to things (or invites) which don't help you make progress. 📗The more I read, the more I learn about what it's like to work in organisations and the people development space. - I loved studying at the University of Westminster library at the Baker Street campus. - It felt privileged to access to so many practical books sharing real-life case studies and career experiences. ⭐️ Diversity of career backgrounds and life experiences brings ideas and innovation. - I will always feel lucky to have studied alongside a diverse group of individuals at University of Westminster. - We were of different ethnicities, differing social mobility backgrounds, different genders and different religions. - Trust me, I didn't always experience this powerful diversity when studying my BA in Human Geography and Anthropology at UCL in the late 90s. - During my BA there was pressure to "fit in" with the majority so I had to work extra hard at finding my supportive (and more diverse and inclusive) circles. Thanks again if you have time to share your vote for the Outstanding Achievement Award - many of you, who know me well, will know how grateful I am for your support. Image description: Sunita, a talk South-Asian Mauritian-British woman with long black hair is smiling as she has popped back to the university which changed her career. Sunita is wearing a colourful patterned dress and standing by the bright yellow welcome sign at the University of Westminster entrance on Baker Street in London. The word welcome is in capital letters.

For the L&D professionals in my network - sharing this L&D Adviser opportunity in Manchester to work with the fabulous Charnell W. at Kennedys. I've worked with Charnell and her colleagues a number of times and I really value their commitment to progressing professional development and inclusion. #Manchester #LearningAndDevelopment #L&DJobOpportunity

I know I need to do better, learn more and do more. What is your organisation or workspace specifically doing to "bridge the gap between the disabled and non-disabled communities"? Thank you Kris Foster, Founder of Open Book, for this guidance. Kris also reminds us that diversity, equity and inclusion goes way beyond the initial financial investment. I've seen how many of the organisations and clients I work with are challenging themselves to do better, learn more and do more regarding various DEI strands including disability. However, I am someone who becoming more and more curious about what organisations are doing to "bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled communities". I love that at my office space, as we wait for our coffee to be made, we can watch a video on loop educating us how to use British Sign Language to order our coffee. When I walk around an office building or public space for the first time, I do a sense check of whether it's also wheelchair-friendly or whether quiet spaces are available for those with varying neurodiverse needs. Kris also talks about "understanding". This is incredibly important. When people love different lives, have different backgrounds or different identities, we need to gain more insight into what it's like for the other person in their week. This is also why raising awareness of what non-disabled people can do to support disabled communities is critical (and shouldn't just be a thing during Disability Awareness Month 16 November to 16 December in the UK or Pride Disability Month in July). If you want to learn more, do better and do more, I'm sharing some resources and sources of guidance regarding disability awareness. Please remember that there is not one form of disability, so yes this means we have to work hard at building our own knowledge and awareness. ✅ Check out the work of Open Book which disrupts societal norms by shifting the conversation towards strengths and inspiring an inclusive future. ✅ Look into how your organisation can learn from the Business Disability Forum in the UK which helps organisations to play their part in a disability-smart world. Access expert advice and support, knowledge and resources and opportunities to share best practice with others. ✅ Check out the work of Isaac Harvey MBE, Disability Advocate who runs his own consultancy advising organisations on taking practical actions to be more inclusive regarding disabilities. I finally met Isaac for the first time last year and it's epic what he's doing in this space. ✅ Check out the work of Emma Gardner, Founder of With Not For - a talent and content agency that exclusively represents Disabled creatives. Emma often shares her lived experiences of being a parent and carer with her daughter who thrives with disabilities. I always feel honoured that I first met Emma many years ago through one of my Lucky Things women's networking events. Emma's work is incredible. #DisabilityAwareness

Thanks to everyone who voted for me as one of the 4 finalists for the Outstanding Achievement University of Westminster Alumni Award. You can read more about all of the amazing nominees here. https://lnkd.in/es2Zvv8K.. I have encouraged people's votes to be authentic and not just to vote for me because we've worked together, you've seen me in action at a workshop, we've collaborated, navigated careers alongside each other, you appreciate my LinkedIn posts or you're a part of my LinkedIn community. Why is being a finalist important to me? Non-Russell Group universities aren't always given the spotlight and should equally be viewed as destination universities. Without my studies at University of Westminster, I would not have (successfully) career transitioned from fashion/music to my corporate HR/learning and development career. Here's a story for you. At the start of September 2000, I was walking down Dean Street in Soho when I received a call from my agent (senior leader of fashion modelling agency). I'd been selected to participate in Milan Fashion Week for the designer brand Armani. I was over the moon as it was incredibly difficult for someone of my heritage to be selected for Milan Fashion Week in those days. I previously spent time working in Milan. It felt like the hard work and endless casting appointments were paying off. However, I checked my little Filofax diary (yes, paper diaries were the thing as we didn't have smart phones). In fact, my Uncle lent me his mobile phone for when I had to work in Milan. I had to make a decision about whether to say yes to the Armani opportunity and quickly. My heart sank as the dates for Milan Fashion Week clashed with the induction week for my MA in Human Resources Management. Let's face it, for those who know me well, I'm a geek and I was excited to return to studying for a year. So I decided to follow my instincts. I remember calling a couple of people to ask for their advice #CallAFriend. What did I do? I politely declined the opportunity. I knew I may regret that decision later on in my career. The leader of the agency was disappointed. I could have easily said yes to make everyone happy at work but then I'd regret missing out on the first week of my masters degree. #AcademicFOMO To this day, I wonder what it would be been like to work for Milan Fashion Week but I also love the fact I made the right choice for me and the right choice at the time. Congratulating all of the finalists on their careers so far - you're all amazing.

Asian/Other - Celebrating the Indian Diaspora. It was an honour to join the event hosted by Louisa B. and London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. South Asian Heritage Month in the UK kicks off on 18 July and runs through to 16 August each year. This event shone a light on the Indian heritage in Guyana 🇬🇾 as well as educating us all more about the incredible impact of Indian Diaspora communities in the Caribbean and around the world. I know there were also two of us in the audience from Mauritius 🇲🇺 (Sabrina Tirvengadum). We also heard tunes by DJ sound system Chutney in London. Food is incredibly important to diaspora communities - as it connects you to your roots and your Indian heritage. I loved enjoying the Caribbean saltfish bake and tamarind chutney. Snacks for the evening included green plantain chips and samosas. Let's not forget the Rubicon Mango juice. Thank you to Lainy Malkani who reminded us the importance of recording and listening to our elders' stories about their heritage and lives in different parts of the world. This is something close to my heart and in 2017 I am so glad I filmed my late-Father speaking about Mauritian life and our South Indian roots (being interviewed by me of course). It's important for my two daughters to know where their ancestors are from. Sadly I didn't get to stay for the event's arts workshop led by UAL alumni Ashaana Bheir and the table looked beautiful. Louisa and I first met in my very first fashion show in aid of UNICEF when I was 16. I also ended up going to university with Louisa and her brother at UCL. It was thanks to my below article on the South Asian Heritage Month website which connected me with Louisa again when she recognised me from uni days. Thanks again Louisa and your colleagues for a wonderful event focused on your Guyanese heritage and the Indian Diaspora. This year's theme for SAHM is #FreeToBeMe https://lnkd.in/gqiTanGP

"I will not let that moment or the negativity that I've received this week break me," Bukayo Saka, 2021. The pressure of delivering for the team. If it goes wrong, individual accountability is high. You may also be criticised for who you are, your heritage may be referred to and the response is not just about what you didn't do. I'll be honest, watching the penalties (and on playback) brought me tears - tears of relief for all of the penalty takers. Let's not forget the racist abuse and treatment the England footballers, Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho had to endure after the England v Italy World Cup game in 2021. Only 3 years ago and a reminder that racism is very real. Yesterday, as the England footballers walked up to prepare and score their penalties I wondered how they might be feeling. Did anyone else notice many of the England penalty takers taking a deep breath? If they fail and don't score the goal, they don't just impact their team's outcome - it could result in hate. I know this particular fear of failing will resonate with many - if I don't do my job right, it will not just reflect badly on me, but I may receive additional unfair and harmful treatment, comments or microaggressions in the workplace. I may not be offered the opportunities again. What will they say about me? When you represent ethnically diverse communities, the additional layer of pressure is high to perform at your best. Many colleagues around you may not feel, recognise or see this pressure. For some or many, you may be seen as a role model, inspiration or setting the standard for others who are underrepresented. This post is a reality check but also celebrating the focus, determination and resilience of all of the England team penalty takers - Bakayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Also sending a massive shout to to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for his precision, decisions and following his instincts when saving the goals. This is also for everyone who's had to take that deep breath before or after delivering their work or doing a piece of work for their team. If you know, you know. Rewatch the England V Switzerland penalties here (and check out the deep breaths) https://lnkd.in/e3bksfUN Saka's above quote is from this 2021 article https://lnkd.in/e2T55epM Image description: Sunita's hand holding her daughter's animated art print of Saka where the artwork has a red background and white capital letters Saka at the bottom, with smaller letters saying Arsenal, with a thin black frame. Saka is Sunita's eldest daughter's role model and one of her favourite football players in the world.