In one sense most of our work is about education. It is concerned with developing people’s skills and competencies, about helping to get the very best out of them; in fact it is about helping people to become the best that they can be.
We also work in a more formal way with educators. We are currently (2010/2011) delivering a major piece of work for the Training and Development Agency for Schools in the North West. This innovative scheme, rolled out in collaboration with seven Higher Education Institutes across the region, offers newly qualified teachers (NQTs) the chance to do a Masters degree in teaching and learning (MTL) which is practice based. An integral part of the scheme is for each participant to have a school-based coach to help them develop their classroom practice and responsibility for their own future learning and development. Our role in this has been to train senior teachers (over 600 of them so far) to become coaches for the NQTs.
We have recently delivered Action Learning Sets and coaching to GP’s in Milton Keynes in another innovative programme that dovetails with other learning inputs designed by NESC (NHS Education South Central).
We have a wealth of expertise in facilitation and work as facilitators in many educational settings to help run seminars, conferences, training sessions and learning sets.
We have delivered coaching for senior members of the Royal School of Nursing, to Deans and Professors at Dundee University school of Nursing and Midwifery, as well as to Dundee University Centre for Continuing Education, Colchester, Carlisle, Chester FE college and elsewhere in Higher Education,
For several years one of our Associates has run the Lancaster University Certificate in Mentoring Practice programme for senior NHS finance professionals (members of the HFMA). He also tutors on a ‘Business and Executive Coaching’ programme and a ‘Manager as Coach’ programme, both accredited by the University of Central Lancashire.
Another Associate has pioneered work-based learning for unqualified staff. She initiated and led the Open University’s work-based pre-registration nursing programme as a widening participation initiative. As Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care (2000-2003) she led a process of workforce development for the growing Faculty. She subsequently joined The Health Foundation as Assistant Director responsible for development and delivery of the Foundation’s substantial Leadership Programme (www.health.org.uk)
One Associate currently works with a London Trust to assist them in developing education pathways for Band 3 staff to develop competencies to fit them for Band 4 roles.
One was commissioned by the Department of Health to review work-based learning for unqualified staff in health care organisations in the Thames Gateway in 2007/8.
We have designed and run a mentoring programme for lecturers to coach and support new lecturers at Carlisle College (now University of Cumbria)
Several FRA Associates have written in the academic press and lectured at Universities and conferences on a wide variety of topics related to our work.