Close Menu
  • News
  • Home
  • In Profile
  • Finance
  • Legal
  • Technology
  • Events
  • Features
  • Wellbeing & Mental Health
  • Marketing
  • HR & Recruitment
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
Trending
  • Handheld Laser Scanners Drive New Growth For Sep Geospatial In Unlikely Sectors
  • Loughborough’s Here Self Storage Hits 65% Occupancy As Local Demand Grows
  • Tool theft legislation and steps to protect your tools
  • Why Digital Excellence is key to transforming Business Culture
  • Busting myths about Asset Based Lending 
  • Self-driving cars could hit UK roads sooner than you expect, says Heligan Group
  • New Venture Aims To Help Propel Growth For Start-Ups
  • Building community, one cause at a time
X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
SME Today
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
  • News
  • Home
  • In Profile
  • Finance
  • Legal
  • Technology
  • Events
  • Features
  • Wellbeing
  • Marketing
  • HR & Recruitment
SME Today
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Events Calendar
  • Business Wall
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • 0843 289 4634
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
You are at:Home»News»New programme to tackle domestic abuse and boost employment

New programme to tackle domestic abuse and boost employment

0
Posted By sme-admin on February 11, 2025 News

TWO Belfast based leaders have launched a new programme for UK companies aimed at tackling an often-overlooked issue in the business world.

Laura Kearney – who is the founder and Inclusion IQ – and Shelly Higgins – who is Operations Manager at Springvale Learning have created the NICE Framework, a programme aimed at not only supporting professional women back into employment but also championing the benefits of part-time working to employers.

Laura says that the programme will help to boost productivity in the UK economy, unlock the ambition of women who want to return to work and help companies offset the looming rise in National Insurance, which many experts say could fuel a spike in unemployment numbers.

She also explains that the programme is particularly aimed at females who are coming back into middle to upper tier roles on a part time basis in companies, something that is often overlooked.

The initiative can also help tackle an even more important issue. In Northern Ireland since 2020, 24 women have been violently killed, all but one by a man, with 41 confirmed femicides since 2017. Sadly, Northern Ireland is also the number one in the UK and third in Europe per capita for instances of domestic violence.

Shelly and Laura say the programme will help victims of domestic abuse to gain a pathway to independence and financial sovereignty.

The NICE Framework stands for nurture, integration, culture and employment and is a twelve-month programme.

Laura comments: “You could call it the hidden middle – professional women who have left employment whether it is to have a child, because of illness or a host of other reasons looking to come back into employment but requiring flexibility or part time work. This is easier to do with entry level roles which is great – but what about those who are a rung up the ladder?

“I know of a senior partner in a law firm who had to care for one of their parents with dementia and then couldn’t come back into a similar role part time. This is having a triple negative impact because it is hurting her career prospects, depriving the sector she works in and hurting the economy. Yet for this woman the solution is simple – part time work.”

Laura goes on to say that many women are having to also pay for their own qualifications if they want to go back into work, something which the NICE Framework will help with too.

Shelly Higgins has long been an advocate of part-time work and in her own organisation has seen the benefits: “It’s a productive group and we’re not have the attrition of people leaving and then the cost and burden of having to recruit again. It’s not about letting people work when they want and a free for all but taking a common-sense approach and unlocking the talent of these forgotten contributors to society.”

With rising employee’s national insurance set to hit businesses in April, employing two people on a part-time basis can mitigate the cost for businesses as they can split a £35,000 salary for example.

The programme will last up to twelve months and provide training around AI, communications and social media – ensuring that participants are fully up to date with the demands of modern work; as well as helping with confidence and resilience.

Those who take part will also have a full-time mentor and eventually be placed in a new job role. Laura will also work with employers to ensure they are filling the skills gaps impacting their businesses.

If you are an employer or employee, get in touch by emailing Laura@Inclusioniq.co.uk shelly.higgins@springvalelearning.com or calling 07843141841.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Loughborough’s Here Self Storage Hits 65% Occupancy As Local Demand Grows

Self-driving cars could hit UK roads sooner than you expect, says Heligan Group

New Venture Aims To Help Propel Growth For Start-Ups

Comments are closed.

Follow SME Today on Linkedin and share all the topics you find interesting
Verify your identity for Companies House

The Newsletter

Join our mailing list for the best SME stories, handpicked and delivered direct to your inbox every two weeks!

Sign Up
Events Calendar
    • Marketing
    July 7, 2025

    Bold Business Marketing Specialist Speaks In Swindon This Week

    July 4, 2025

    How Generative AI is Giving SMEs a Marketing Edge

    • Finance
    July 14, 2025

    Busting myths about Asset Based Lending 

    July 10, 2025

    How to build a £1 million pension and ISA portfolio

    • Health & Safety
    July 1, 2025

    Temperatures Soaring: Is Your Workplace Becoming Unsafe?

    January 29, 2025

    UK takeaways guilty of shocking hygiene failures:

    • Events
    July 4, 2025

    £20k grant for female-founded SME up for grabs

    July 2, 2025

    As Seen on BBC Panorama – Brad Burton to Headline The South West Expo in Swindon

    • Community
    July 11, 2025

    Building community, one cause at a time

    June 23, 2025

    Celebrating One Year In Fairford Supporting The Community

    • Food & Drink
    June 23, 2025

    England Cricket Captain, Ben Stokes OBE, takes a stake in Spencer Matthews’ alcohol-free spirits brand, CleanCo

    June 16, 2025

    Hospitality industry risks collapse

    • Books
    April 24, 2025

    Values-Driven Professionalism: A Path to Client Loyalty

    December 2, 2024

    Banish the banshee boss: how to lead without fear – addressing the issue of fear-based management and how NOT to be this manager

    About

    SME Today is published by the same team who deliver The Great British Expos’. We have been organising various corporate events for the last 10 years, with a strong track record of producing well managed and attended business events across the UK.

    Join Our Mailing List

    Receive the latest news and updates from SMEToday.
    Read our Latest Newsletter:


    Sign Up
    X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    Most Recent Posts
    July 15, 2025

    Handheld Laser Scanners Drive New Growth For Sep Geospatial In Unlikely Sectors

    July 15, 2025

    Loughborough’s Here Self Storage Hits 65% Occupancy As Local Demand Grows

    July 15, 2025

    Tool theft legislation and steps to protect your tools

    July 15, 2025

    Why Digital Excellence is key to transforming Business Culture

    July 14, 2025

    Busting myths about Asset Based Lending 

    Categories
    • Books
    • Community & Charity
    • Education and Training
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Features
    • Finance
    • Food and Drink
    • Health & Safety
    • HR & Recruitment
    • In Profile
    • Legal
    • Marketing
    • News
    • Property & Development
    • Sponsored Content
    • Technology
    • Transport & Tourism
    • Wellbeing & Mental Health

    Copyright © 2020 SME Today.

    • ABOUT SME TODAY: THE GO TO RESOURCE FOR UK BUSINESSES
    • Editorial Submission Guidelines
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    Copyright © 2025 SME Today.
    • ABOUT SME TODAY: THE GO TO RESOURCE FOR UK BUSINESSES
    • Editorial Submission Guidelines
    • Privacy
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.