OUR LATEST ISSUE
Spectrum for Success
Carmen Balza of Spectrum
Spectrum's main business objective is providing advice and support for its LGBT members in the Home Office
"Members feel much more comfortable working with someone who is LGBT"
Now entering its fifth successful year, Spectrum is the Home Office network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual and transgender staff.
Its successful mentoring scheme provides skills development, training on the Home Office’s internal assessment procedures, and a coaching facility for employees seeking promotion. The mentoring scheme is open to all LGBT staff and is just one of many activities designed to ensure that there are no barriers to LGBT staff developing and progressing through all levels at the Home Office. Carmen Balza is Spectrum’s bisexual representative and co-ordinator of Spectrum’s mentoring activity.
‘Spectrum has as a main business objective providing support and advice for LGBT staff and that’s where the mentoring system comes in. The mentoring scheme is set up by the core Home Office headquarters, and earlier this year the Chair, Debbie Browett, and I managed to get agreement that members could be included as recognised LGBT mentors and mentees. It was then launched to our membership and we currently have five trained mentors who we are matching with mentees from the Spectrum membership.
‘The mentor is there to work in a partnership. The mentor is predominantly an experienced and skilled member of Home Office staff whereas the mentee is a staff member looking to learn and develop, in any area.
‘That’s part of what the mentor relationship is about – identifying which areas they want to be developed in, whether it’s through a SWOT [Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threat] Analysis or whichever tool you use. Development can be in any number of areas and it’s completely up to the individual.
‘One of the reasons our mentoring scheme has been quite successful has been because members feel much more comfortable working with somebody who is LGBT. Sometimes, work and personal life can overlap, and it can be quite uncomfortable talking to a non-LGBT person, no matter how LGBT-friendly they are.’
Spectrum also ensures that internal policies and issues take account of the needs and priorities of LGBT members of staff. ‘We get involved in assessments and promoting recruitment, and we have members on regional diversity strategy groups. We also provide learning and development opportunities – or source learning and development opportunities for LGBT staff.
‘It’s a continuous work in progress, whether it’s actual learning, or looking to resource and fund an LGBT action learning plan for staff throughout the Home Office, and that includes all over the UK, and internationally as well. There’s always something more we can do, and it’s now just trying to either source it locally, internally so there is a limited cost, and, where there isn’t, through traditional funding ’
Members of Spectrum have recently won Home Office awards. Paul Bradley, the Spectrum representative for Manchester, won the Home Office Values Award for his Spectrum work. Lee Parrish, the Spectrum representative for Wales, won the Home Office Diversity Award for Customer Service, related to his work in establishing a South Wales network of workplace LGBT organisations.
Spectrum also has a wide range of activities planned for the coming months. These include:
The Spectrum Summer Conference at London Zoo, on 3rd July.
A Home Office float at the Pride London Parade on 5th July.
Attendance at the Home Office Supplier Awards on 10th July.
Presentation to the UK Border Agency Senior Team on 22nd July.
Doncaster Pride, sponsored by Spectrum/ the Home Office on 17th August.
Spectrum’s Autumn Conference in Birmingham on 23rd October.
For more information on Spectrum, contact spectrum@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
