Building Belonging Learning Circle
Welcome to the Building Belonging Living Guide!
This a student-staff space for learning about: belonging, application and implementation of building belonging resources, the building belonging resources, development, and a way for you to share, connect and celebrate building belonging practice.
The Building Belonging Living Guide recognises this space will continue to be updated and developed with your input, to continue to meaningfully support the building of belonging.
The framework may feel overwhelming to begin with, but try out one of the tools below, or read one of the case studies to see how others have used it to directly improve the student experience at Warwick.
Referencing this Work
Warwick Building Belonging Framework by Hide-Wright, Ritchie, Alcock, & Mencarini© 2024 is licenses by CC BY-NC 4.0.
Since the Warwick Belonging Framework is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0, you are free to use and adapt it for non-commercial purposes, provided you credit the authors.
Use reference: Hide-Wright, I., Ritchie, T., Alcock, A., & Mencarini, L, (2024). Warwick Building Belonging Framework.
About the Building Belonging Framework
Feeling a sense of belonging is personal and unique to each of us. Therefore, we haven't tried to define belonging in this framework.
Instead, the Building Belonging Framework draws on four elements - Inclusion, Mattering, Empowerment, and Connection, acknowledging that each are connected by an enabling and foundational factor, Trust.
Integrated within the framework is the recognition of different participation types (For, With, and By), acknowledging building belonging practices differ across audiences and contexts. The framework encourages you to consider what is being or could be done:
- For the audience
- In partnership With the audience
- And, led By the audience.
Belonging is a shared responsibility for all staff and students. There is no-one-size-fits-all approach, and success will depend on understanding the audience and their needs in your area.
Developed with Warwick students and staff, supported by WIHEA (Warwick International Higher Education Academy), Advance HE and WONKHE/Pearson, this framework and resources are designed to support and guide you in building belonging within your context.
Building Belonging Resources: Supporting you in Building Belonging.
The following resources designed to support the building of belonging have been co-developed with students and staff to support the learning, sharing, and capturing of practice to enhance building belonging in action.
The Complete GuideLink opens in a new window
This guide provides in-depth information about the Building Belonging Framework. It's designed for those who want to fully understand the project's principles, implementation strategies, and expected outcomes. Use this resource to develop your knowledge before introducing the framework to your department.
Presenting & SharingLink opens in a new window
This PowerPoint resource is designed to help you introduce the Building Belonging Framework to your colleagues, teams, and wider networks. It's ready-to-use for team meetings and other gatherings where you need to provide a quick, informative briefing about the project. You can adapt the presentation to suit you and your audience.
Snapshot ToolLink opens in a new window
This tool is designed to support you - whether you are designing, reviewing, or participating in initiatives - to discuss and capture opportunities through the lens of the framework. It helps you identify and strengthen the four key elements that contribute to building belonging.
Want to adapt the tool? Use the 'Make it your own'Link opens in a new window version.
Custom BelongingGPTLink opens in a new window
This proof-of-concept AI tool has been specifically designed to help you get started with the Building Belonging Framework when facing a blank page. Developed as part of a Monash-Warwick Alliance Activation Fund project, this experimental tool draws from the framework's core principles to offer contextual support and actionable next steps, making it easier to move from planning to action.
Please note this prototype runs on OpenAI (ChatGPT) rather than the university's preferred supplier Co-Pilot. As we are working to develop a Co-Pilot version please do be mindful of data usage and sharing when testing the tool. Join our CustomGPT Teams Space to connect with colleagues and share insights from your experience with this early-stage tool.
Theory of ChangeLink opens in a new window
This resource outlines our Theory of Change for the Building Belonging Framework, illustrating how specific actions and strategies lead to meaningful outcomes. It maps the pathway from initial implementation to long-term impact, helping you understand the underpinning logic and evidence base for the framework.
Get Involved
Join the Building Belonging Learning Circle to connect with others implementing the framework, share experiences, and develop best practices together. This collaborative community offers regular opportunities for professional development and peer support.
Please note, all the resources on this webpage are being actively developed and are the most up to date iterations.
If you think there is something confusing or missing from a resource or a resource itself, please share your feedback here.
For more information or to become a member, please contact Inca (Inca.O.Hide-Wright@warwick.ac.uk), Sarah Bennett (Sarah.J.R.bennett@warwick.ac.uk) and Tom (Tom.Ritchie@warwick.ac.uk) who can guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.
Share
Have you used the Building Belonging Framework in your work or context? We'd love to hear about it! Whether you're a colleague who's tried the framework in your department, a student who's been involved in belonging initiatives, or someone who's found a creative way to apply the principles, your experience could help others.
Get in touch to share your experience and use the link below to help build our understanding of how the framework works in practice.
Connect
Join the Belonging Learning Circle Teams SpaceLink opens in a new window to connect with others implementing the framework, share experiences, and develop best practices together.
This collaborative community offers regular opportunities for professional development and peer support.
Celebrate
Champion Building Belonging practice by using and sharing these resources with others.
Click here to share the work you are doing in this area.
Four Elements
The Building Belonging Framework draws on four elements - Inclusion, Mattering, Empowerment, and Connection, acknowledging that each are connected by an enabling and foundational factor, Trust.
You can read more about these four elements below:
Equity, Accessibility, Adaptability.
Creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and they belong. Inclusion celebrates diversity and ensures everyone has a chance to participate and contribute.
Examples of Practical Actions & Outcomes
- Use of inclusive language, avoiding bias: Individuals feel respected, accurately represented and safe to express themselves, leading to increased engagement and self-confidence.
- Valuing diverse perspectives and backgrounds: Open to acknowledging and addressing assumptions. Diversity if visible and celebrated, resulting in richer discussions, greater empathy and stronger sense of community.
- Offer support tailored to different individuals' needs: Each individual feels they have a role in the learning environment or community space, supporting active engagement and peer relationships.
- Create opportunities for everyone to participate and contribute: Individuals receive the support they need to engage meaningfully, (e.g., peer dialogue, differentiated resources and co-designed support strategies), fostering equity and autonomy.
Examples of Application & Implementation
Examples of application and implementation of the Building Belonging Resources, by students and staff to enhance building belonging.
To ensure this framework effective addresses the needs of Warwick students and staff, we are funding pilot projects to evaluate the framework's applicability across diverse aspects of the student experience, from academic support to extracurricular activities:
Disabled Students Champions Network
The Disabled Student Champions Network aims to enhance disabled students' sense of belonging across university departments through collaborative evaluation and action planning. Launching in February 2025, this initiative will partner department representatives with disabled students to assess and improve the student experience using the Warwick Belonging Framework's four key dimensions: inclusion, mattering, connection, and empowerment. With £2000 in secured funding, this project will empower departments to:
- Establish department-level benchmarks and create targeted action plans to improve disabled students' experiences and outcomes
- Implement an updated Student Disability, Mental Health and Inclusion policy with a revised Reasonable Adjustment approach
- Create meaningful partnerships between staff and disabled students to evaluate and enhance the sense of belonging within departments
- Develop a comprehensive overview of good practices that can be shared across the university community
Through this project, we aim to build a more inclusive and supportive environment where disabled students can thrive and succeed in their academic journey.
Reflective Case Studies
What's exciting is seeing how versatile the framework is. It's been used as an audit tool to review existing services, as a planning resource for designing new activities, and as a guide for improving communications with students. Each person has found their own way to apply it, but the common thread is that it's helped them think more systematically about how to create belonging for students.
We're sharing these stories because we know that practical examples help. Rather than just talking about the theory behind the framework, these case studies show what it looks like when it's put into action. They demonstrate the different ways the framework can be used and the kind of impact it can have, even in its early stages of implementation.
These aren't polished success stories - they're honest accounts of work in progress. But that's exactly why they're valuable. They show how the framework can be a useful tool for anyone looking to enhance student belonging, regardless of their role or context.
Jo Pearson, Senior Careers Consultant
Jo has been using the Building Belonging Framework as an audit tool to review her careers service provision. As a Senior Careers Consultant, Jo wanted to take a systematic look at what her service was already doing well and where there might be opportunities to do more.
Jo used the framework "as an audit tool to identify existing and potential opportunities." This audit approach gave Jo a clear picture of where the service stood and what practical steps could be taken to enhance support for students, highlighting both existing good practice and areas for development.
Rather than guessing what might work, Jo found that using the framework provided a structured way to evaluate current provision and plan improvements. The audit process has helped inform decisions about how to develop careers support that better meets students' needs and helps them feel more confident about their career journeys.
The framework's practical approach has made it easier for Jo to identify specific areas for development whilst building on the strengths that were already there