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2955 Educators providing Awareness courses

Wills & Wills Mentoring

wills & wills mentoring

Wilmslow

BOSTON – MENTOR, the unifying champion of the mentoring movement, announces the expansion of its leadership team with the addition of Tim Wills who joins as the organization’s first Chief Impact Officer on March 7. Tim will drive strategy, coordination, integration, and effectiveness of MENTOR’s teams focused in the areas of training and technical assistance; product design, development and ongoing usage; field research and evaluation; strategic partnerships and systems innovation; and Affiliate partnership, support, effectiveness, sustainability, and expansion. MENTOR CEO David Shapiro says, “We are so fortunate Tim is bringing his decades of experience as an advocate for youth, an innovator, a communicator, and local leader in one of the nation’s oldest and most expansive youth development organizations to our team and the mentoring movement. His personal and professional journey, commitment to supporting others’ development, community building talent, and deep commitment to young people will be such key drivers in our expanded and dynamic efforts to ensure all young people have the relationships they need to strive and thrive.” A native of Ferguson, Mo., Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. As a college student, he developed his passion for youth by covering human interest stories as on-air talent for his college television and radio stations which led to a 17-year career in youth development, including at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Chicago, the District of Columbia, and Harford County, Md. In 2016, because of his extensive experience in organizational transformation and increasing club membership, quality improvement, innovative programming and funding, Tim was named the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama. In this role over the last six years, Tim led twelve year-round sites, three summer only programs, a 150-acre campground, and POINTE Academy, a school for detained and adjudicated youth. He’s received several honors and awards, including Boys & Girls Clubs Professional of the Year for his leadership, Mobile Bay 40 Under 40, and Benjamin Mays Excellence in Mentoring Award. Tim is an active member of the Lion’s Club and a member of the board of directors for Voices for Alabama’s Children and Linking All So Others Succeed (LASOS) in Maryland. He’s completed executive-level training in leadership, non-profit management, and advanced philanthropy from Harvard Business School, Stanford University, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. For 12 years, Tim has been a single foster parent and has fostered 20 children. He also has spent significant time teaching in VolunTourism trips to Haiti. “I’m thrilled to join the MENTOR community to continue the work of elevating the voices of young people across our country,” said Tim. “This new role will further deepen our ability to impact systematic change in order to open doors of opportunity and to close the mentoring gap. I am excited to get started working with our team, board, and stakeholders to continue strengthening and expanding the mentoring movement.” The role of Chief Impact Officer provides a critical new link and integration between so many of MENTOR’s core functions, key stakeholders, valued partners, and Affiliate network which provides local delivery, leadership, and innovations in service to the youth mentoring field nationwide. It will drive expanded impact, efficiency, and responsive servant leadership. Currently, MENTOR operates in collaboration with 24 local Affiliates across the country that galvanize their regional or statewide mentoring movements and provide leadership and structure to support quality mentoring through training, advocacy, and public awareness. Operating under the framework of One MENTOR, MENTOR Affiliates share resources and strategies to strengthen the national mentoring movement. Sadiq Ali, Executive Director of MENTOR Maryland | DC and a member of the CIO interview committee added, “I am greatly excited about Tim joining our One MENTOR family in such a critical role and at such a critical time. His perspective, having been on the frontlines of both local and national youth serving work, will be invaluable as he helps lead us into our next chapter as an Affiliate network, champions for young people, systems change advocates, and a sustainable, impactful organization.” ABOUT MENTOR MENTOR is the unifying champion for expanding the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships across the United States. 30 years ago, MENTOR was created to expand opportunities for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement. The result: a more than 10-fold increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships. Today, MENTOR is the expert voice representing a movement that meets young people everywhere they are – from schools, to workplaces, and beyond. MENTOR operates in collaboration with 24 local Affiliates across the country. For more information, visit mentoring.org.

Guidepost Montessori

guidepost montessori

Development takes the form of a drive toward an ever-greater independence. It is like an arrow released from the bow, which flies straight, swift and sure. The child’s conquest of independence begins with his first introduction to life. While he is developing, he perfects himself and overcomes every obstacle that he finds in his path.” MARIA MONTESSORI Founder of the Montessori Method of education The Montessori approach Montessori helps your child develop a fundamental, enduring love of learning and the deeply ingrained social, emotional, and academic skills they need to succeed as an adult. Montessori combines highly intentional learning materials, rich social development, and a joyous approach to practiced independence. Our mission Our singular mission at Guidepost is to guide and empower each child as she grows in her independence. In every child lives limitless human potential. For the child to realize that potential is to confidently grow and to joyously learn. It is to create and to love herself while gaining the knowledge to form a unique vision of her singular life. It is the security to live that vision, to dare greatly, to love others. The Montessori approach to human development is based on the belief in the potential of the child, and on the belief that it is only the child herself who can realize this potential. To grow up well is to grow up to be increasingly independent — to be increasingly capable, increasingly confident, increasingly secure, increasingly able to meet one’s own needs, forming one’s own values, and authoring one’s own life. Our job as caretakers is to understand and to love this process as it unfolds for children in our care, and to support the child in blazing her trail. The circumstances of children are as varied as children themselves. The specific needs, the precise resources available, the particular constraints faced by each child and each family are different. As times change, there is a need to keep step and to ensure that the application is timely. But the fundamental need is timeless: to help the child achieve her own development. So, too, is the fundamental method: to provide the child with material, environment, and guidance that is lovingly optimized to support her in that work. The support a child’s caretakers can provide for her burgeoning independence is multifaceted: We can provide materials and inspiration for her to do the work of growing and learning. Every child learns to walk, but not every child learns to walk in a way that feels like an exciting challenge, that redounds upon her confidence. So it is with all of human development and knowledge. The child achieves her own development by engagement and by practice. From grasping an object for the first time, to eating independently, to toileting, to putting her world to words—to the whole world of knowledge, of nature and quantity and life and culture—the effort that children put in can be magnified by thoughtful learning materials and guidance. We can carefully support a child’s environment, creating a wonderful world for her in which to grow up. Children are constantly interacting with and absorbing experiences from their environment. One of the best things we can do for a child is to set up a space where she can be maximally independent and efficacious, a space that is to her comprehensible and enticing, a space that is aesthetically and pedagogically rich. Whether it’s at school or at home, the principles are the same: a world that is accessible, orderly, and enticing is a world that is supportive of a child’s growth. We can prepare ourselves as caretakers of the child. Raising children is as demanding as it is rewarding. It requires that we spend ourselves in understanding and love, that we thoughtfully navigate the stages of a unique child’s development, and that have the self-awareness to manage our own lives, motivation, and energy as we do so. It is tremendously beneficial to both the child and her caretakers to elevate a teaching and parenting philosophy to consciousness, to take an integrated approach to the infinite texture of a child’s growth toward independence. Finally, we can connect with others, other parents, other teachers, other developmentalists and pedagogues, each of whom adds their own experience and wisdom to our accumulated knowledge about child development. Montessori is not just a philosophy of human development. It is also an applied pedagogy, one with over a century of validation, refinement, and grassroots international growth. Guidepost, and each member of our community, benefits tremendously by participating in that movement and history.

Creative Arts Mentoring

creative arts mentoring

London

Artist Mentor enables contemporary artists and creative professionals to make significant changes in their work and lives. We have mentored and coached hundreds of creative clients from across the globe to improve their work, lives, businesses, and their careers. We love helping creative people be more successful. Take your moonshot! Ceri hand talks about the services that Artist Mentor provides, and how, with the right kind of tailored coaching, you can achieve creative, professional and personal goals that may have previously eluded you. [The video will open in a pop-up window] Whether you want to make better work, attract more studio visits, exhibitions, build your network, create a more compelling website, make more income, or get that new job, we can help you shine. Together we take stock of your work and creative journey to date, clarify your strengths, purpose, and opportunities, and define the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. We work with individuals over an agreed period, as a challenging, critical friend, providing accountability to ensure lasting transformation. We plan with you how to integrate what you’ve learned within your everyday life and schedule, ensuring you continue to thrive. We provide one-to-one and group sessions, providing learning and skill sharing opportunities through expert led classes, resources and free community events and resources. We also have a network of Associate Mentors we provide regular work to - a diverse mix of experienced artists, curators, educators and gallerists, enabling us to respond to increased demand and support a growing range of client and sector needs. All sessions are confidential and your Artist Mentor mentor or coach will be a committed, trusted critical friend. Why get a Mentor or Coach? If you’re a creative, chances are you’re an introvert, deep thinker and highly sensitive - great qualities for realising innovative work! Unfortunately, we know that a high percentage of creative people can often feel isolated, rejected, and suffer from self-doubt, negative self-talk, or imposter syndrome. Old stories may weigh heavily and inhibit your growth, or you get stuck in a fear of failure loop or suffer from self-destructive habits. It might be that you simply can’t see the wood from the trees and have lost sight of your priorities or strengths. Having a trusted champion, committed to helping you flourish, helps you identify and make the changes necessary to reach your goals. A mentor or coach believes in you, recognises your special sauce, identifies opportunities, new tools, and growth potential with you, setting you challenges or targets to help you take the appropriate steps. What's the difference between Mentoring and Coaching? Mentoring A Mentor can serve as a critical sounding board at critical points throughout your creative career, providing an insider's perspective and guidance you may not be able to get from other sources. The role of a mentor is to listen, learn, and advise and is usually a longer-term relationship. A mentor can help you excel in your practice and career, and become the best version of yourself, helping you achieve your goals, introducing you to new ways of thinking, challenging your limiting assumptions, signposting, and offering critical feedback. A mentor will often draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help advise and encourage dialogue with their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story, tools, resources, or lessons learned from a challenge they overcame in their career. This kind of personal dialogue is encouraged in a mentoring relationship. Coaching A Coach encourages self-discovery and growth to secure lasting change. Together we assess your current situation and challenges, identify limiting beliefs, interrogate, and address perceived obstacles. We create a safe thinking environment, ask incisive questions and devise a custom plan of action designed to help you achieve specific outcomes. We nurture creative strategies based on what fits best with your goals, personality and vision and foster accountability to increase productivity. Coaching partnerships are usually more short term than mentoring relationships, as they are usually objective driven and more structured. Someone may seek out a coach to help them develop a specific skill or work through a particular limiting belief. The coaching could well end once that skill or objective had been acquired. A coach can help increase your self-awareness: identifying areas for improvement, and challenging assumptions that may be preventing you achieve your goals. Coaching is often used for the development of leadership skills, where they may train you in the art of questioning to equip you to manage others better or identifying limiting beliefs in yourself. The relationship between a client and their coach is a collaborative creative partnership.

Home Cook School

home cook school

Kirkoswald

I’m a foodie through and through! I like to eat! I like to cook! Variety is the spice of life, and we shouldn’t get stuck in a rut when we cook. Cooking is a creative process and should be one of life’s great pleasures. I am a big fan of the local Ayrshire seasonal produce, and recently demonstrated dishes at the Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink 2020 and Newmilns Food Festival, 2017. I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the world. Maybole is sandwiched between Culzean Castle and Country Park and Alloway where Robert Burns was born. The area is steeped in history and an abundance of local artisan produce. Farm shops sell Ayrshire meat, cheese, vegetables and all manner of other products. Of course, the coast is close by too with a fantastic array of seafood. With all of this on my doorstep, its not hard to be inspired. I believe it is important that we can all cook at least a few great dishes from scratch. Unfortunately, so many people don’t have the skills or confidence in the kitchen. Many people are short of time, and for some, cooking skills simply haven’t been passed down to them. There is an increasing awareness of the health benefits of eating nutritious home cooked meals. Furthermore, I think its very important that people eat together, in order to socialise and share time. BACKGROUND Prior to Home Cook School, I worked as a Lecturer within the Creative Industries Department at a local Further Education College. My role involved working with various student groups – both advanced and non-advanced, community groups and school classes. I love teaching people and seeing them develop knowledge, skills and confidence! Since I was very young, I have been a keen cook. I have travelled extensively, and learned from many different international cuisine styles. My husband and I love to eat out and plan our holidays around breakfast, lunch and dinner! I have attended many cook school classes including Tuscan and Croatian styles. Lindsay demonstrating at Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink Lindsay Demonstrating at Ballantrae Festival of Food and Drink I love cooking lavish dinner parties, but more recently, my focus has been on cooking nutritious, economic, family meals. I am a strong advocate of reducing food waste by shopping thriftily, planning and using leftovers and often integrate these principles into my lessons. For years, many friends and family would ask me to share my recipes and cooking tips – this combined with my years of teaching experience, consequently gave me the idea to launch Home Cook School. For a long time, I was keen to become self-employed however, due to work and family commitments, I was never able to fully devote myself to the concept. In 2014 I gave up my Lecturing job (after 12 years) to focus on bringing up my young family. The following year I moved to Maybole, South Ayrshire and finally had a kitchen big enough to run classes from! In 2016, I decided to launch Home Cook School. I feel passionate about sharing my love and knowledge of home cooking with anyone who is keen to realise their ambition to become a better home cook! A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO COOKING LOCAL PRODUCE As an active member of the Ayrshire Food Network, we pride ourselves in using locally sourced, fresh produce. Not only that – we run cooking courses promoting both Scottish and Ayrshire produce, connecting our clients with local suppliers, supporting the local economy and teaching our clients where they can buy local! Click here to link with some of our suppliers. LOOKING AFTER OUR ENVIRONMENT In our lessons we promote ways to avoid wasting food. We are certified to deliver Zero Waste Scotland Love Food Hate Waste Cascade Training. We recycle our waste and when clients require disposable plates and cutlery for buffets, we use biodegradable products. We also car share where possible! GROW YOUR OWN We encourage our clients to try growing their own fruit, vegetables and herbs in our classes. We use home grown produce in many of our classes and catering. BIOSPHERE CERTIFICATION MARK We proud to hold the business Certification Mark for the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, which is the stunning area of natural beauty that Home Cook School is situated within. Cooking tutor, and business owner Lindsay Guidi is also a Board Member of the Biosphere. South West Scotland is a place of abundant good quality food, drink and crafts which reflect the diversity and unique character of the countryside and region. One of the best-known crops in the Biosphere is Ayrshire ‘tatties’, known for their earthy, sweet flavour. With a reputation for producing high quality beef cattle, lamb and delicious dairy produce and of course some of the best seafood, the Biosphere offers a special, authentic food and drink experience.

Brighter Futures @ Safer Places

brighter futures @ safer places

Essex

Safer Places (formerly known as Harlow Women’s Aid) has over 40 years’ experience in delivering holistic support services to adult and child survivors of Domestic Abuse across Essex and Hertfordshire. Over the years we have grown and adapted our services to meet the needs of the communities we serve. Domestic abuse has both a devastating and radiating impact and affects the survivor and their families, friends, colleagues and communities. Our team take a non-judgemental and respectful approach to their work and we will do all that we can to ensure that everyone who needs our services can use them, how they want to, when they want to, and where they want to. Domestic abuse does not discriminate and happens in every community. We are proud to work inclusively with anyone who has experienced abuse and our services are designed to reach everyone impacted by abuse. To do this we offer a range of services and work collaboratively with our partners in a range of venues. The support that we offer is holistic, trauma informed and individually tailored to each survivor as we know that although there are common behavioural patterns, not one experience is the same as any other and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. We know that survivor’s needs are better met when they are involved in creating solutions as equals so our support is co-produced alongside survivors. Our highly qualified staffs are there to empower survivors, giving them the knowledge and confidence to choose the steps on their journey to recovery. Many go on to achieve things they once thought of as impossible. The foundations of our organisation were built by survivors – as were the foundations of one of our refuges. A former project saw a number of survivors qualify as carpenters, bricklayers, painters, plasterers and amenity horticulturalists. The refuge now accommodates 10 families in separate self-contained flats built solely by survivors, for survivors. We recognise that if we are to see our vision materialise and help to create a world where everyone lives a life free from fear and abuse, we need to respond to abuse together, as one. Our training helps professionals and members of the community to recognise the signs of domestic abuse, understand the issues and respond quickly and effectively when a survivor chooses to access support. From short awareness sessions to full IDVA and ISAC qualifications we are committed to sharing our experience and what works to make more families safer. Safer Places vision is a society where everyone lives a life free from fear and abuse Mission Safer Places exist to drive down the incidence and impact of domestic and sexual abuse and to support those who use our services in their journey to recovery, resilience and independence. Values These are the values we promise to uphold so we never loose sight of our mission: Client Led – We empower our clients to exercise choice and control of their support. We ensure client’s voices are heard and that they impact our decision making and shape our services Accessible – We work inclusively with our clients, partners and communities. Anyone who is at risk of experiencing abuse can access our services when, how and where they need them. Respectful – We adopt a trauma informed, holistic approach to support. We listen and believe, are non-judgemental and open and honest about what we can and cannot do. Effective – We deliver high quality services that work for our clients. Our practice is informed by our clients, research, evidence and learning from experts by experience.

Motivation Matters

motivation matters

Transformational leadership is a leadership style that inspires and motivates followers to achieve extraordinary results. It is based on the idea that leaders can change the way their followers think and feel, which in turn can lead to changes in behaviour and performance. Transformational leaders are able to do this by providing a clear vision, inspiring their followers to share that vision, and providing the support and resources necessary to achieve it. They also create a positive and motivating work environment, where employees feel valued and respected. There are many benefits to transformational leadership. For businesses, it can lead to improved performance, higher productivity, and increased profits. It can also create a better place to work, where employees are more engaged and satisfied. One study* found that transformational leadership was associated with a 14% increase in employee productivity. Another study found that transformational leadership was associated with a 27% increase in employee satisfaction. My own experience is that increased productivity is not a once only event, but rather an annual increase. This comes from a Co-Creative leadership style. Transformational leadership is not without its challenges, however. It requires a high level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness on the part of the leader. It also requires a willingness to delegate and empower followers. Overall, transformational leadership is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the performance of businesses and the lives of employees. If you are looking to improve your business, consider adopting a transformational leadership style. Here are some tips for implementing transformational leadership in your business: CREATE A CLEAR VISION. The first step in transformational leadership is to create a clear vision for your business. This vision should be something that your employees can believe in and that they are willing to work towards. INSPIRE YOUR FOLLOWERS. Once you have a clear vision, you need to inspire your followers to share that vision. This can be done by communicating your vision in a clear and concise way, and by providing evidence that your vision is achievable. PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE YOUR VISION. Once you have inspired your followers, you need to provide them with the support and resources they need to achieve your vision. This includes providing training, development opportunities, and the necessary tools and equipment. CREATE A POSITIVE AND MOTIVATING WORK ENVIRONMENT. A positive and motivating work environment is essential for transformational leadership. This means creating a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration. It also means providing employees with opportunities for growth and development. BE A ROLE MODEL. AS A TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER, YOU NEED TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES. This means setting a good example and demonstrating the behaviours that you want to see in your followers. Transformational leadership is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the performance of businesses and the lives of employees. If you are looking to improve your business, consider adopting a transformational leadership style. *Citation: Transformational and charismatic leadership: Assessing the convergent, divergent and criterion validity of the MLQ and the CKS The Leadership Quarterly [https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-leadership-quarterly], Volume 18, Issue 2 [https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-leadership-quarterly/vol/18/issue/2], April 2007, Pages 121-133 Jens Rowold, Kathrin Heinitz,

Learning Improvement Service

learning improvement service

Bromley Common

Who and what is the Learning Improvement Service? The Learning Improvement Service was set up by Phil Hatton (read about Phil here), an ex-Ofsted HMI and National Adviser. Through his extensive experience in leading inspections, surveys, good practice, advisory work and improvement consultancy, Phil has a unique and wide understanding of best practice in the Further Education sector, particularly in colleges and in work-based learning. He is utilising his knowledge to help colleges and other providers of training improve the learning experience they give to their learners. The LIS only wants to work with those who have a real will to improve their provision, by establishing where you are now and where you would like to be in the future. We do not intend to just help to ‘patch you up’ to get you through an inspection, but to help you make sustainable improvements. We use only the best people, who know what they are doing, because they have done it themselves. Below is a brief summary of the main ways that we can support you (however, please contact us if you require something else not listed below): Consultancy support to improve key aspects of your provision - consultancy support to cover key aspects of quality improvement systems such as self-assessment reporting, position statements, improvement planning, observation of teaching, learning and assessment, sharing of good practice, course reviews and evaluation, the user voice and being prepared for short or full Ofsted Inspections. Phil can also help you to improve English and maths and ensure that your safeguarding is exemplary. Providing a ‘critical friend’ service to check and validate self-assessment, observations of teaching and other key quality processes such as course reviews – confirmation that you are moving in the right direction – we’ll work with you to confirm you are doing the right things in the right way, responding specifically to your needs, keeping you on target to improve your provision. This is one of the key areas of our work particularly from September through to February. Phil will also provide you with support by email or phone if needed prior to and during inspections. Safeguarding, Prevent and British Values Reviews – Phil has developed real expertise in what the best practice of the sector is and can work with you over two days to check out every aspect and leave you with a position statement of where you are and what you can do to be outstanding. Phil can also provide bespoke training and materials to raise awareness of staff, governors and learners Apprenticeships and subcontracting – Phil knows all there is to know about these two areas and has helped transform some of the biggest college and worst performing providers in terms of their success rates. The ideal scenario is a five day visit to check and sample how you do things, suggest improvements and provide you with the resources needed, finishing with a half-day staff development that is bespoke to your improvement needs. Please contact Phil as long in advance as possible to get time allocated for this Internal inspection or review of areas requiring improvement - a tried and tested way to improve an area is to first gain an informed view of exactly where that area is in terms of strengths and weaknesses, using an expert with extensive inspection experience. Unlike an Ofsted inspection, all feedback to staff and managers observed in an area is given constructively to help improve practice for the benefit of learners (while also giving you robust evidence for your OTLA system, SAR and QIP). An internal review could be for an area of learning or for a cross-college aspect such as safeguarding, equality and diversity, or course reviews. All consultants undertaking this work are personally known to Phil Hatton as to their ability to do so. The LIS will only conduct such work when they have the right person to do it (often Phil himself). You will receive a report that focusses on ways of improving the area reviewed, based on the best practice of the sector that is proven to work (not just telling you what has been seen, which is the usual practice of most consultancy companies). Helping individual institutions in the sector achieve good or outstanding teaching, learning and assessment through establishing robust observation of teaching, learning and assessment (OTLA) systems – depending on where your system is we can its validate current robustness by conducting observations (joint ones are best value as they train your staff) and scrutinising the gradings and paperwork historically awarded. If more work is required, we’ll equip you with the tools (training, paperwork and systems) to establish an OTLA system that delivers accurate and well recorded findings by your observers. Your observation system will help keep a focus on promoting improvement, identifying and promoting the sharing and adaptation of good practice by teachers (a reoccurring weakness in Ofsted inspections in the past year). We will provide you with the training, paperwork and systems to move your staff forward, encouraging their collaboration in the development and sharing of resources, so your staff will deliver learning in true teams. We will support you with either graded or ungraded systems. An approach of conducting joint ‘learning walkthroughs’ of 20 to 25 minutes duration is providing many institutions with an overview of their provision and enables the judgements of college observers to be tested out for their accuracy and breadth. Sharing exemplary practice and systems in self-assessment with you, leading to quality improvement planning that moves you forward – we’ll support you in developing your capacity to self-assess all of your work honestly and robustly so that your staff ‘own’ the resultant self-assessment reports and improvement plans, understanding their part in moving you forward. Few are really good at self-assessment, we can make sure that you are and that self-assessment moves you forward. Several colleges and providers have received very positive feedback about their SARs in 2016 following support and the use of LIS templates, particularly the use of a two page Executive Summary SAR that helps focus improvement actions. If you have a 50 page SAR it will not be an effective improvement tool. Helping you to produce position statements – if you think you are likely to be inspected it is important to be able to say where you are ‘now’ as self-assessment looks back on the past year - we’ll support you in writing effective position statements for key areas that tell you and others exactly where you are for that area. They are a great way to demonstrate to inspectors that you know your provision and have helped a number of LIS clients move from a grade 4 inadequate to a grade 2 good. Phil has also helped a number of colleges achieve grade 1s for their leadership and management. An exemplar position statement can be seen here but is not as good as what you will finish up with (samples can be shared)!! Conducting a confidential ‘health check’ of your organisation by one or more of the top and most experienced recent HMIs (and previously lead inspectors with the FEFC, TSC and ALI) – if it is sometime since your last inspection or there have been significant changes in management or what you offer, a ‘health check’ could be invaluable. We’ll examine your leadership, management, performance and quality improvement against and beyond the requirements of the September 2015 Common Inspection Framework in a way that can only be achieved by being carried out by the right people. Depending on institutional size and complexity, this totally confidential and focused ‘health check’ will ensure you know your provision inside out and have no surprises should you be inspected. It will help you to decide and prioritise how to move your provision on.

Lenticular Futures

lenticular futures

Manchester

We're transforming psychotherapy and counselling in three ways: We are re-thinking all therapeutic theory to situate the individual in wider contexts and systems. We ask how everything is connected, by whom and with what consequences! Join us in decolonising, depathologising and ecologising practice, theory and research We can help therapists and training institutes develop future oriented technological competence for more accessible practice. Why is that important? There is a need to decolonise and depathologise the theory and practice of psychotherapy and counselling. We need to understand the problems of the individual as situated in a world which is socially, culturally and economically unbalanced. And we need to have ways of recognising and working with people's complex intersectional community memberships, experiences and talents in therapy. Why now? We are living in a panmorphic crisis (Simon 2021). It's a good time to read the writing on the wall and take action. We can do this by making decolonising and depathologising theory and practice, by responding with EcoSystemic ways of working, by critically engaging with accessible and future oriented technological possibilities. What work do we do? The key areas of our work are Training - Research - Consultancy. We run workshops and seminars to create and support decolonised, depathologised and ecosystemic ways of working. We host conferences on social issues affecting psychotherapy and counselling practice and training. We introduce psychotherapists and their training organisations to new technologies and intramediality to help make learning and assessment more accessible and culturally relevant. We produce research reports on future technology for therapy; neurodiverse therapy; therapeutic space; ecosystemic therapy; indigenous knowing and practice in therapy; new ways of training and assessing counselling and psychotherapy trainees; more... We consult to training organisations and professional membership bodies to help them improve the experience and success of trainees from diverse communities We run leadership and organisational development groups for leaders and managers who are developing inclusive therapeutic services What kind of organisation is Lenticular Futures? We are becoming a Community Interest Company. That means we are a Not For Profit and all proceeds from work support free or low cost projects and research within the organisation. How do we fund this work? We charge for workshops, conferences and seminars we host. We apply for funding. We welcome donations for specific projects or in general What does Lenticular mean? Lenticular Futures is a term borrowed from a paper by Professor Wanda Pillow (link). It's a prompt to hold in mind past, present and future when you meet people or see something. It's an invitation to notice the neurotypical, heteronormative, eurocentric lenses we have been taught to look through and check who-what we are including and who-what we are excluding. It comes from noticing what Wanda calls a "whiteout" in academic and professional literature of Global Majority contributors. This is an era for new curricula and making new theory and practice. Our professions can easily lead changes in the balance of power and develop more user friendly ways of working. What are our philosophical objectives? To theorise and interrogate fundamental taken for granteds in the cultural bias of theory and practice. To develop a lenticular ideology of psychotherapy and counselling which integrates and is led by decolonising, depathologising, ecosystemic, contextual influences of planet and co-inhabitants. To redress the exclusion of knowledge from oppressed population groups. To support therapeutic practices which are generated from within communities. To understand and address systemic influences of capitalism on wellbeing. To critically work with the socio-techno world in which we live. To get that systemic understanding of the world is an overarching metatheory for all our modalities. To decolonise means not having a disordered attachment to theories of disorder. Who are we? The co-founders are experienced psychotherapists and organisational consultants. We bring a vast amount of experience in systemic thinking about organisations, culture, therapy and counselling training, research and management. We also know how to create initiatives from within the margins. The co-founders are Dr Julia Jude, Dr Gail Simon, Rukiya Jemmott, Dr Leah Salter, Kiri Summers, Dr Liz Day, Dr Birgitte Pedersen, Anne Bennett, Naz Nizami, Dr Francisco Urbistondo Cano and Amanda Middleton. Forthcoming events Lenticular Futures: Crafting Practices beyond this Unravelled World FLIP@Brathay 2nd & 3rd May 2022 https://lf2022.eventbrite.co.uk Indigenous and Decolonising Knowledge and Practice Decolonising Therapeutic Practice read-watch-listen-make groups Future Tech to improve experiences for people doing therapy and in therapy training EcoSystemic Return Reading Seminars Professional Wellbeing events Walking and Outdoors Therapy Creating Decolonised Participatory Groups Systemic Practice and Autism Conference Writing Performance as Research Film, podcast, documentary making with people doing training and therapy Watch this page and our Eventbrite page - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - : - Therapy in a Panmorphic World This era of panmorphic crisis requires urgent, creative, ethics-led responses. Most of the professional theories we live by came into being without their ideological foundations being questioned. We cannot take a step further in this world without a commitment to developing awareness of parallel, criss-crossing, multidimensional, transtemporal, transcultural, transmaterial elements of living – and how they interact. No Meaning Without Context The key systemic value of understanding context is paramount to inquiry, to understanding what is happening and how to move as a relational, situated participant-player. But the contexts in play are often hidden, erased, elusive or remote, and it can be plain hard to see-feel-understand the knowledges and experiences specific to other places, people or disciplines. The Individual Is Not The Problem The psych professions confuse this further through the decontextualising practices of individualising and pathologising explanation of why some people see some things one way and not another. Furthermore, the social construction of truth is a debate that transcends academia and has been put to work by political agendas to foster an era of mistrust of truth. People are now aware that “truth” can be put to work for objectives other than the common good. This undermines social justice issues and what counts as information. Voices from within a community, from within lived experience are undermined by voices from without of those contexts often without a critique of power relations. A Fresh Look at Training Counsellors and "Psycho"therapists We cannot train relational practitioners in aboutness-withoutness ways of thinking. It separates people from place and history, and it creates colonisers and pathologisers whose practices become policy and influence the majority’s “common sense”. Opportunities for other kinds of learning are lost. The first language of the psycho professions of “talking therapy”, whatever its modality, is excluding of other ways of moving on safely and creatively together. The psychotherapies are playing catch-up in how people use technology to communicate in their everyday lives. A Paradigm Shift for Therapy and Counselling The Black Lives Matter movement offers a choice. It can be treated as a passing protest or a cultural shift. This organisation chooses to take the position that no-one should choose to be unchanged by Black Lives Matter. The question is how to be changed in ways that will contribute to a better world? This is more than a matter of equal rights. It is about safety now, it is about heritage, rich, stolen, re-interpreted, it is about past, present and future being held in mind, all the time. Professional practice needs to scrutinise its theoretical heritage with its hidden ideological assumptions to study and guide our ways forward into a new era, to meet change with culturally appropriate language, local knowledges, and ways of being and imagining.