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Social value Women at Serco

Spotlight on women at Serco - Anita's story

Anita Clarke took up her post as Sustainability and Social Value Manager at HMP Fosse Way in July 2023. Fosse Way is one of the UK’s newest resettlement prisons housing approximately 1700 male category-C prisoners. 

In our special spotlight on women at Serco Anita shares her thoughts on living with a long-term health condition, being an ambassador for Serco’s disability network, and why working in a male prison doesn’t faze her.

Anita Clarke, HMP Fosse Way, Serco

Tell us about your current role at HMP Fosse Way. What attracted you to the position?

I am responsible for the sustainability on site. This includes how we divert our waste from landfill, looking at more sustainable products that impact our environment less, and how we can improve across the prison estate. It’s also identifying reduction opportunities for our utility usage, and many other projects that I will be working on over the coming months & years. 

Alongside that I look at social value projects for both residents of Fosse way prison and staff and explore how we can integrate with the local community surrounding Fosse Way. This was a real step change in direction for me from previous contracts I have worked on, but I’ve always been really interested in working in Serco justice and immigration and saw this as a real opportunity to make a difference.

What do you feel are the most important aspects of your role as a Sustainability & Social Value Manager?

There are many aspects, but the main ones are to create a more sustainable environment, to educate and demonstrate by example what we do and how it can impact the environment, and also how we can change things, no matter how small the change.

I want to show the value of how we interact with the local community and charities, and the positive impact it has on others not just for our staff, but also the residents, building an ethos that is carried throughout Fosse Way of hope, health & homeliness. 
HMP Fosse Way exterior
Female prison officer

HMP Fosse Way is a category-C resettlement men’s prison. What is it like to work in such a male-dominated environment?

To be honest whilst it is a highly male dominated environment it doesn’t faze me at all.

And believe me when I say there are some really strong women working here across all disciplines!

You’ve been open about living with ulcerative colitis. How does it affect your working life?
 

When I joined Fosse Way prison, I hadn’t worked directly with people on a day to day basis since having all my surgery and having my stoma, and I was slightly nervous having worked from home for the last four years.Talking about your health can be traumatic. Thankfully, Serco has a Work Adjustment Passport, introduced by our disability network, which enables you to document how your condition affects you and what you need to be able to do your job.

Using this I was able to outline my soft requirements, and these are now stored on my HR file. 

Being in a prison I needed to make sure I could have all my spare stoma kit, a hot water bottle - things which were at my fingertips working from home. And from just doing that in advance of joining the team it put my fears to bed and it was a seamless transition.

In short, I don’t let it become an issue, the team have been great even when they hear the very strange noises that come from my stoma! 
 
Anita Clarke taking picture of her stoma bag

Read on to find out what Anita thinks about the importance of wellbeing support and disability networks in the workplace

What kind of support have you had from Serco in terms of your health and wellbeing?
The support I have had from the teams I have worked in has always been exceptional. From reasonable / flexible adjustments, the ability to work from home when in a flare, or phased returns after my surgeries, to being able to access the Employee Assistance Programme service to get immediate counselling - a service free to all employees. It’s all helped me so much.
You’re currently an ambassador for Serco’s disability inclusion network – Serco Unlimited. What does this involve?

It involves many things. From being a chapter lead for the events & milestones chapter – organising and raising awareness on health conditions, collaborating with various specialist charities to support these events, to talking and sharing my story with front line contracts. It involves sharing and highlighting all the benefits Serco has to support employees that have a long term health condition or hidden/visible disability, as well as providing support to others who reach out to me, giving them guidance to have important conversations with line managers. 

It’s advocating that you can have a health condition but still thrive in the workplace and supporting the network to create a diverse workforce that we should be proud of.

Anita Clarke with colleagues

Image: Anita Clarke (left) with Serco colleagues Robin Mills and Helen Andrews holding their purple torches to signify shining a light on disability.

Why do you think it’s important for organisations like Serco to have a disability network?
It's important because there is a pool of talent that might be overlooked if we don’t have the right tools and mechanisms to support both employees and managers. People with disabilities or long term health conditions want to work, they want to be successful just as those without.
 
And finally, what is your proudest achievement?
I have many and it’s hard to pick just one. But having enjoyed a long and progressive career with Serco - which is 15 years this September – it’s showing that despite all of the hurdles I have had to personally overcome health wise that you can have a successful career – even a total career change and be accepted for who you are! 

Social value at Serco

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