Working collaboratively helps Witherslack Group go the extra mile for their employees.
The Challenge
The Witherslack Group is the official OFSTED number one leading provider of education and care to children and young people with additional needs ranging from complex learning needs to those affected by trauma. Established 25 years, they are committed to delivering engaging and inspiring learning environments for children up to the age of 18.
The Witherslack Group delivers engaging and inspiring learning environments for children to learn and thrive. With 18 day schools and 32 children’s homes across England and a team of carers, teachers and administrative employees, the Witherslack Group is made up of a cast of thousands. The demand for good committed employees within the care industry is high, particularly after the global pandemic. The Witherslack Group needed to find ways to retain its employees and, most importantly, help them grow.
The Solution
Total Excellence Centre met with the Witherslack Group to discuss their needs in more detail. They also engaged directly with the course trainer, who made a series of recommendations to help Witherslack Group move forward. For their first course, it was decided that a cohort of 12 Witherslack Group employees would be formed to undertake an ILM Level 4 Accredited funded programme in Managing and Leading People Performance.
The ILM Level 4 programme was recommended as it provided formal training to help the Witherslack Group employees needed to help improve their abilities and to grow. The Managing and Leading People Performance programme is designed to develop effective and confident managers and leaders. The programme is comprised of 7 units – developing people, managing yourself and personal skills, providing direction, facilitating innovation and change, problem-solving and decision making, resilience and emotional intelligence. Total Excellence Centre and Witherslack Group then tailored the content of the programme, to best suit their needs.
Due to the global pandemic, Total Excellence Centre had to deliver the course online initially, with further follow up online coaching sessions to help complete the coursework. This required an experienced trainer with significant skills to ensure that the delegates remained engaged.
The Results
The ILM Level 4 programme proved to be a huge success for the Witherslack Group and resulted in 5 of the 12 members of the original training cohort being promoted to Deputy Managers within the organisation. Further promotions are also expected to filter through in the coming months.
Employees who undertook the course reported how valued they had felt by the Witherslack Group, leading to improved morale and employee retention.
After the success of the first programme, Witherslack Group wanted to build on the success of the programme and is working collaboratively with Total Excellence Centre to deliver further courses and programmes to its employees. It has since invested in a further two ILM Level 4 programmes, to provide the same development opportunities for its management and leadership community.
“As always it was a pleasure to work with Marie and the Witherslack Group. They truly understand the longer-term benefits of investing in their employees, and we enjoy helping them create opportunities to up-skill and re-skill their people.” Michelle Mercer, Director, Total Excellence Centre
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Partnerships & Accreditations
