SSG25: Getting Better All the Time: Sharing Journeys to Excellence in IT Support
Primary Sponsor
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Date
3 July 2025
4 July 2025
Book Before
6 June 2025
Share on
#SSG25
About the Event
In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education IT support, excellence is not a destination but a continuous journey. The UCISA SSG25 Conference invites you to join us in Liverpool on a Magical Mystery Tour exploring the myriad ways our community is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in IT support.
This year’s theme, Getting Better All the Time, celebrates both the incremental and transformative steps that lead to excellence. From overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to adapting to remote work and navigating sector shrinkage, our sector has shown remarkable resilience. Now, it’s time to move beyond survival and strive for the highest standards in our work.
Join us at SSG25 and give your work Day in the Life a remix! Let your peers’ insights Help! you on your Long and Winding Road to excellence. With A Little Help from UCISA, you’ll find All You Need Is Love (and great IT solutions). The path to excellence? If we Come Together, We Can Work it Out!
What to Expect
First and foremost, you can expect to have the best opportunity of the year to meet with your colleagues from across the sector, share experiences, and tackle the challenges we all face together. It's not just about learning – it's about discovering how others solve the same problems you encounter every day.
Our sessions are designed by people who do what you do, ensuring they’re directly relevant to your work. While we’re still finalising the schedule, here’s a sneak peek at the topics we’re covering:
- Best Practices: Proven methods and strategies that can help you to achieve and maintain excellence.
- Service Management: How you can coordinate and optimise your service delivery to ensure consistent, high-quality experiences for all.
- Staff Development: Insights from leaders and team members who’ve been part of successful staff development initiatives.
- End-user Computing Lifecycle Management: Exploring the shift to a managed approach in response to growing demand.
- Looking after ourselves: Prioritising self-care and well-being has never been more challenging yet never more important, find out how other institutions do it.
- Diversity and Inclusion: How to foster an inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
- Educational Technology: A real-world case study on implementing an AV monitoring system that streamlined room support and improved the student experience.
- Service Culture: Embedding a resilient, customer-focused culture while keeping teams motivated.
- Delivering services in challenging times: Real-life stories of overcoming hurdles like legacy tech, financial pressures, and staffing shortages.
Don’t Miss The Great AI Debate
Join the conversation as we explore what AI means for the future of support, higher education, and the world. Is it the dawn of a thousand-year utopia or a path to chaos? Have your say!
After a day of thought-provoking discussions, enjoy evenings packed with fun activities themed around our fantastic host city, Liverpool. It’s the perfect chance to unwind, network, and soak in the local culture.
Book now to avoid disappointment – we can't wait to see you there!
Speakers
Fola Braimoh She/Her
Associate Director of IT Operations and Support
Goldsmiths, University of London
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Event Schedule
Wednesday - Night Prior
Pre-event 'Wear Your Passion' Social
Come Together for a fab evening of fun at our "Wear Your Passion" social! Before the conference gets into full swing, join us at the Liverpool Hilton bar from 6:30pm for a relaxed night where your outfit does the talking. Whether it's a band tee, a film-inspired badge, or your team's colours, come dressed in something that shows what you're into. Its a great way to spark conversations and connect over shared interests - no need for small talk when your clothes say it all! So don't just Let It Be - dig out that beloved tee or quirky accessory and come share what makes you tick.
We can't wait to see what you're into - it's going to be a Magical Mystery Tour of passions!
Informal Pub Grub at The Bierkeller (opposite the hotel)
Thursday
Registration and Exhibition opens
Newcomer's session
Led by Antonia Jones, Customer Success Manager, University of Leeds
If this is your first UCISA conference, or your first for a while, please join us for a session describing how to make the most of the Conference.
Welcome and introductions
Jake Dovey, Incident Response Team Manager, University of SouthamptonEmpowering Neurodiverse Individuals Through Agile Service Management Practices
Faith Thomas, Lead IT Service Management Practitioner, University of BirminghamNetworking Extravaganza
Antonia Jones, Customer Success Manager, University of LeedsMeet the exhibitors
Refreshment break
in the ExhibitionFrom Silos to Service: UCL's Journey to Seamless Enterprise Service Management
Paula Kirby, Director of Service Management, Scott Everid, Product/Platform Owner, University College London and Martijn Adams, GM EMEA, XurrentTravel time
Breakout sessions 1
- Mentoring Matters: Building Connections and Careers in IT
Tilly Beech, Head of IT Partnering, University of Bristol - Knowledge on Tap: Delivering Answers When It Counts
Adrian Moore, Head of IT Customer Support and Emma Lutkin, Service Management Specialist, University of the West of England Bristol
Lunch
in the ExhibitionRedesigning Frontline IT: Creating Agile, Student-Centred Service Management at London Metropolitan University
Liz McNaughton, Head of Service Management, London Metropolitan University and Elizabeth Pecsi, FreshworksTravel time
Breakout sessions 2
- Transforming Our Web Presence and Creating a Service Catalogue
Simon Bower, IT Service Desk Manager, Harriet Sutcliffe, Web Content Developer and Lily Day, IT Communications and Content Developer, University of York - Why Wait? Automate!
TBC
Refreshments
in the ExhibitionThe Great AI Debate
Close of Day 1
Pre-dinner drinks reception
Dinner
Friday
Welcome to day 2
Adrian Moore, Head of IT Customer Support, University of the West of England BristolSurprise, Surprise! Enhancing Customer Service and Team Culture: From Complaints to Collaboration
Antonia Jones, Customer Success Manager and Bex Cattran, Associate Operations Manager, University of Leeds.session TBC
Disaster Recovery Planning: Because disasters find a way
Vicky Wilkie, IT Services Operational Assurance Officer, University of YorkRefreshments
in the ExhibitionService Experience Management at UCL
Paula Kirby, Director Service Management and Casey Tolaini, Head of Service Design & Experience, University College LondonTravel time
Lunch
in the Exhibition"Talk Nerdy to Me: How UWE Built a Chatbot That Talks Back" Implementing a GenAI Chatbot at UWE
An Essential Quality for Thriving in Customer Service, Teamwork and Professional Development
Fola Braimoh, Associate Director of IT Operations & Support and Mindy Bour, Deputy Head of IT Operations & Support, Goldsmiths, University of LondonRefreshments
in the ExhibitionEnterprise Service Management (ESM) - Making Service Management Work Across Multiple Lines of Business
Mark Temple, Assistant Director, Service Management, University of Glasgow and Iain McCracken, Director of Service Delivery, LSEClosing remarks
Jake Dovey, Incident Response Team Manager, University of SouthamptonConference Close
Other Sponsors
Exhibitor Information
UCISA Group
- Support Services
