Stakeholder Engagement Day: co-designing future pathways for equity in uniformed public services
CEEUPS' Social Sciences Research Laboratory (SSRL) recently hosted a Stakeholder Engagement Day aimed at bringing together professionals from across the uniformed public services to identify the key issues affecting equity within their sectors
The event focussed on identifying the most pressing barriers to equity in the services, and collaboratively designing methods that can support meaningful change by 2035.
Who attended?
The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders whose roles directly influence culture, policy, and wellbeing within their organisations. Attendees included:
- Psychological and Wellbeing Managers
- Armed forces charity representatives
- Heads of Diversity and Inclusion
- Gender Policy Leads
- Academic researchers
This broad participation ensured that discussions were grounded in both lived experience and professional expertise across multiple uniformed sectors.
Research insights and sector-specific challenges
CEEUPS facilitated the day by inviting practitioners to engage with current research on the structural and cultural barriers impacting equity. Research Fellows shared key findings from their respective domains:
- Dr Chris Webber: equity challenges within fire and rescue services.
- Dr Ilda Cuko and Dr Sarah McLachlan: barriers within ambulance services.
- Dr Clare Rawdin: issues affecting equity in the prison service.
- Dr Hannah West: experiences and policy gaps within the military.
- Richard Harding: the broader organisational change landscape across uniformed services.
These presentations provided a foundation for discussion, enabling attendees to compare experiences, identify cross-cutting themes, and consider sector-specific nuances.
Guest speaker: advancing anti-racism in uniformed services
Guest speaker Dominique Walker, Lecturer in Policing Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, shared insights from her work in anti-racism. Her contribution offered a critical perspective on structural inequality, organisational responsibility, and the long-term commitment required to embed anti-racist practice within uniformed professions.
Collaborative exercise: Mapping a Pathway to Progress
The event concluded with a collaborative exercise led by Prof Emma Williams and Dr Emma Murray, titled Mapping a Pathway to Progress. This session encouraged attendees to envision the actions needed today to create genuinely equitable uniformed public services by 2035. Participants worked together to develop a series of actionable steps, highlighting opportunities for innovation, partnership, and systemic change.
Visual minutes graphic showing participants' roadmap of actions to better equality in the uniformed public services by Johnny Glover, More Than Minutes