Maternity & Paternity Support
The College recognises the particular demands of parental responsibilities and is committed to supporting members of staff in balancing work and family life. Our family leave guidance has been designed to support both staff and managers by leading them through the procedures for the various family leave types – see here for more information.
Parents face particular challenges both before and after the arrival of a newborn. Details of maternity and paternity support are given here.
Babies and Bumps
New parents and parents-to-be are invited to meet other Imperial Colleagues in a similar situation for informal networking and mutual support. HR will be present to answer any questions in relation to maternity and paternity leave.
Emergency childcare
Access to three backup care services – emergency childcare, school holiday cover and backup adult and eldercare.
My Family Care services
…are designed to meet the challenges that working parents and carers face and gives access to a wide range of back up services, advice and information. From specialist one-to one advice from experts, online resources, webinars to news updates, it is everything you need, all in one place.
Workshops for New Parents and Parents-To-Be at Imperial
…the College recognises that the transition into the life changing event of parenthood can be both difficult and stressful for some and so these sessions will look at both the practical and emotional aspects to enable staff to develop in their careers post maternity/paternity through effective planning and communication.
Additional Support for Staff
Silwood Park
A designated Nursing Room is available to use for pregnant women for resting and for staff needing to express or nurse.
Facilities include:
- A microwave, fridge, kettle, cups, a range of teas and a water cooler
- A reclining/gliding chair with a foot stool
- A wash basin
- Emergency milk storage bags & emergency breast pads
Location:
Refectory (the old student union common room – G.26)
Access:
Requires swipe card access – staff who need access should contact Security who will add the reader onto staffs’ access level.
User Responsibilities:
- The member of staff is requested to leave the room clean and ready for the next person to use
- If supplies are low or there are maintenance issues the member of staff should alert the Building Manager (Silwood Park)
- Nappies should be disposed in the accessible
BABY CHANGING FACILITY – SILWOOD CAMPUS
The baby changing facility is located in the accessible toilet on the ground floor of the Hamilton Building.
South Kensington
Facilities include:
- A microwave, fridge, kettle , cups , a range of teas
- A reclining/gliding chair with a foot stool
- A wash basin, mirror, clock
- A radio
- Emergency milk storage bags & emergency breast pads
- A range of parenting books which can be loaned using the library loan out book
Location:
Nursing Room 210 - Sherfield Walkway
Should this designated room be unavailable the OH Service can provide a suitable room, but cannot guarantee access every day of the week. For further information contact the OH clinic on 49401 or occhealth@imperial.ac.uk.
User responsibilities:
- In order to gain access the member of staff should go to the Faculty building reception where there will be a signing in/out book and a swipe card. The room can be pre-booked through Faculty reception on ext. 56677.Should access be required out of reception hours this can be arranged through Faculty reception.
- The expectation is that bookings will not be for any longer than one hour.
- If the swipe card is not returned after an hour a member of reception staff will check on the member of staff for health and safety reasons.
- The member of staff is requested to leave the room clean and ready for the next person to use.
- If supplies are low or there are maintenance issues the member of staff should alert Faculty reception staff who will notify the Building Manager.
Family Support Champions
LIFE SCIENCES APPOINTS DEPARTMENTAL FAMILY SUPPORT CHAMPIONS
Wish to have an informal confidential chat about maternity/paternity/shared parental leave & support available at College & the Department and want to talk to someone in our department who has recent experience?
Contact one of DoLS Champions – see their blurb’s below:
- Giorgio lives in Kingston with his wife and two boys: Pietro (8) and Giulio (4). Giorgio's wife works for an American company and travels abroad for about 1/3 of her time, therefore giving Giorgio the opportunity to experience the thrills and joys of single parenting on a regular basis.
- Giorgio has been involved with the EOC for several years and contributed to the last Athena submission. He is more than happy to discuss any maternity or paternity issue with everyone in the Department.
- Doryen Bubeck is a senior lecturer in Structural Biology, based in the South Kensington Campus. Funded by a Cancer Research UK Career Establishment award, she leads a team of 4 to understand how the immune system can be targeted to fight cancer.
- Doryen has taken 2 periods of maternity leave, 2013 and 2016, each for 6 months. Following the second maternity break she returned to work 4 days a week for an additional 6 months before coming back full time. After both career breaks she took up an Elsie Widdowson fellowship, which enabled her to focus on her research and rebuilding her team.
- After 4 years at Imperial’s Early Years Education Centre, Doryen’s oldest child now attends school. Her youngest is currently at EYEC 3 days a week while a nanny looks after him and his sister for the other 2 days.
- Doryen would be happy to chat about maternity-related issues.
Cris Banks-Leite - (Silwood Park)
- Cristina Banks-Leite is a lecturer in Ecology, based in the Silwood Park Campus. Cristina is originally from Brazil, and she moved to the UK to take on a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship and a NERC fellowship.
- Cristina had a baby boy in 2015 and took 18 weeks off for her maternity leave. Her husband Robert Ewers (also an academic at Silwood Park), then took another 4 months of paternity leave.
- Cristina followed her maternity leave with an Elsie Widdownson fellowship, which allowed her to devote her time to research and her baby.
- Cristina’s son goes to Nature’s Nursery (across the road from Silwood) and can be often seen chasing rabbits on the Silwood grounds or playing with toys in Cristina’s and Rob’s office. He is a regular attender of social meetings on Friday afternoon, when he enjoys a glass of apple juice and popcorn.