In my first weeks at UCCF, I brought the HR team together to define our goal: shaping how we work to enable all our people to pursue our vision with confidence and joy.
This begins with a person’s first interactions with us and continues throughout their time here. Confidence means clear expectations, having a defined and aligned vision and remit, and trusting our leaders. Joy means finding work fulfilling and meaningful, feeling supported through life’s ups and downs, and working in innovative and inclusive teams. With confidence and joy, our people will help us achieve our vision of giving every student in Great Britain an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I joined UCCF in March with a variety of feelings: excitement for the opportunities ahead, concern for all those impacted in relation to the recent investigation, and a keen desire to spend time listening carefully as I began to understand the breadth and depth of the organisation. I had long been impressed by the work and reach of UCCF, but with little personal involvement before, it was essential for me to spend time getting to know UCCF before diving into the job itself. I have spent time over these first 100 days connecting with colleagues at all levels of UCCF, asking questions and listening to understand. In May we launched an engagement survey to gather insights from staff on our strengths and areas to improve. I also met with individuals who have previously worked for UCCF, and I’m grateful to those who were willing to share their stories with me. Listening and learning is something we must continue to prioritise in our people practices, so that we stay attuned to the needs of our staff and enable them to be at their best.
Listening leads to change
I heard that our vision motivates our people profoundly. This means that people give a lot of themselves and work very hard for something that is deeply meaningful to them. But we mustn’t exploit this commitment, take it for granted or assume that we are limitless in what we can do. I heard that there are times when people need better support and structures to achieve a healthier balance between their work and personal commitments. We need humility, and on a practical level we need clear channels of communication and support to know when to work and when to rest, and to trust that God is at work in us and outside of us.
I heard that relationships are deep, valued and meaningful in UCCF. This means that strong personal connections are highly prized but also means that those without these connections can find it harder to feel a sense of belonging. For some, the level of psychological safety (feeling safe to speak up, share ideas, and express concerns without fear of negative consequences) is wonderfully high. But for others, particularly those with different backgrounds, experiences or who join UCCF through non-traditional routes, it’s harder to feel that. With increasingly diverse university campuses, reflected in Christian Unions and their leaders, there is work for us to do in becoming more diverse and ensuring that all who work for us can experience a deep sense of belonging and therefore shape our culture and practices to reflect the contexts in which we work.
I heard that staff and line managers have been invested in deeply on Bible handling and growing in theological rigour and strategic thinking. Alongside this, I also heard that training on management and supporting people through change has not always been a priority. We want to build on these foundations and consider how we demonstrate excellent care and support for our staff, applying biblical principles at all levels of our work and using these to shape our understanding of leadership and management.
I heard that staff don’t always know where or how to raise questions, feedback and concerns, and that if they do then not all our staff have confidence that we will handle these appropriately. The recent investigation highlighted several areas for improvement, and I was grateful to start in the role and find that my colleagues had been working hard to implement changes and improve the foundations of HR and management practices in the organisation. But there is more to do in opening channels of communication, embedding transparency and helping staff to be involved in the decisions that impact them. We know that it will take time to rebuild trust and lay strong foundations for a culture that prioritises humility, transparency and the highest standards of staff support.
Next steps
100 days in, there is so much for me to reflect on.
The journey ahead involves more learning and adapting for all of us at UCCF. I’ve been encouraged by the warmth, commitment and humility of people across the fellowship, and I am confident that we will emerge from this period strengthened for the future. In all that we do in these areas, we want to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, so that the way we do things gives glory to God and shows honour to the people who work for us. Please join us in praying that all we do would be shaped by the gospel, that we would listen readily, learn continuously and act lovingly. Pray for us:
- As we work to enable all our people to pursue our vision with confidence and joy, pray for the HR team to have wisdom to make decisions that align with our mission and meet the needs of our staff.
- Pray for a deeper sense of belonging and diversity across the fellowship.
- Pray that we can establish a culture of humility, transparency, and support that honours God and our staff.
Get in touch with us: if you have thoughts or comments in this area, I would love to hear from you. You can email info@uccf.org.uk and reference HR in the subject line.