“The legal profession is one of the hardest to work in and it draws on many of your resources-the one thing we can do more of in the work place is exercise kindness”
Valerie Charbit discussed the “Kindness Initiative” at the Criminal Law Friends Society Conference alongside Nicola Shannon KC, Wellbeing Director for the South Eastern Circuit – see video below.
Working with Professor Robin Banerjee (Former Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex and currently Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement) the “Kindness” project was initiated by Valerie and Robin in November 2021 and conducted research with a group of barristers to investigate their experience of kindness, its impact and barriers to kindness in the profession and the workplace.
Research highlighted that kinder workplaces create a more positive environment for productive work with three overarching themes arising from the focus group discussions and Professor Robin Banerjee’s research namely: Explicit and implicit rules of conduct, Workplace contexts and conditions and Individual differences in considering how kindness is demonstrated at the bar.
The project “Kindness at the Bar” co-founded by Nicola and Valerie now seeks to co-create strategies with the Bar and legal profession so as to foster a kinder culture and to work out how we can promote Kindness as an ethos within the profession. Nicola Shannon KC who is also the Chair of the Bar Council’s working party group on wellbeing will work with Valerie and Robin to take the project forward.
See report here: [Kindness at the Bar Feedback ]
Watch video here: [Vimeo]