Case Study: Integrating Learning Services in Rotherham
Service: enable leaders of public, private and voluntary sector settings to work together to enable lifelong learning for all.
Outcomes
· Built shared clarity regarding the senior management team’s expectations
· Created a robust strategy to deliver the vision and values
· The SMT committed to delivering the strategy and taking the action within and across their services to deliver it
· Service Head and colleagues built greater influence and flexibility to lead change
· Deep understanding and relationships were formed, leaving a sustainable legacy
· The action designed and piloted above was rolled-out across the Borough
Background
Rotherham wanted to
raise the prosperity and well-being of this deprived borough. A key strategy
was raising the level and participation in lifelong learning. Provision across the area showed great
variety with a range of private, public and voluntary providers. This required the leaders of different
agencies, especially FE, adult and community education to work together,
building coherent, high quality provision, accessed by all.
Process
rezolvPS designed and delivered a process involving:
· building joint understanding and challenging leaders
· raising and agreeing expectations for citizens of Rotherham
· strategy formulation labs
· identifying key areas for change which could only be achieved together
· personal interviewing, coaching and developing strategic capability
“The development opportunity we undertook moved our leadership team forward by transforming us from experts in our own field managing our separate teams into holistic leaders of a service with shared vision and accountability for work across the whole team. The synergy between the group development and the individual coaching programme made for a comprehensive and effective learning process”
Helen Shaw, Strategic Head, Lifelong Learning and Well-being.
(In 2011 Rotherham was crowned ‘The Most Enterprising Place in Britain’, beating off stiff competition from across Great Britain in the prestigious Enterprising Britain competition, headed up by Dragon’s Den Star, Peter Jones. Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the initiative promotes enterprise and entrepreneurship throughout learning. Rotherham Youth Enterprise supports young people to start businesses in the town, with 232 youth businesses launched in the last five years.)
Helen Shaw, Strategic Head, Lifelong Learning and Well-being:
“The development opportunity we undertook moved our leadership team forward by transforming us from experts in our own field managing our separate teams into holistic leaders of a service with shared vision and accountability for work across the whole team. The synergy between the group development and the individual coaching programme made for a comprehensive and effective learning process”
