Welcoming Alumni
IPC was delighted to host a conference for former students of the Welsh leadership courses (Team Manager, Aspirant Middle Manager and Middle Manager programmes) on 15th September in Cardiff.
With a theme of ‘the Human Face of Leadership’, IPC welcomed alumni and colleagues from Social Care Wales and Academi Wales. Our keynote speaker, Jenny Williams, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Conwy County Borough Council, opened the conference with her reflections on her leadership journey and the importance of the IPC programmes, personal reflection as a leader, as well as modelling good leadership behaviour.
Delegates enjoyed a packed programme of workshops exploring new course content, including radical candour and Lencioni’s theory of trust within high-functioning teams, alongside practical leadership support from Academi Wales.
Inspiring conversations and fresh learning
The sessions were well attended, with three motivational speakers sharing their personal experiences of each of the three programmes. They also offered their top tips for making the most of the opportunities available through the IPC leadership courses.
The personal stories resonated with delegates, with one commenting: “The speakers who discussed their personal journeys made the session very inspirational and more personal.”
The day concluded with networking sessions, giving delegates the opportunity to connect with peers, share experiences and explore some of the common challenges facing adult and children’s services. Discussions included how to evidence the impact of social care services and the importance of values-based recruitment across the sector.
Delegates highlighted the value of “continued development for organisation” and “the need to promote social work”. Overall, the event was described as “inspiring”, providing valuable “time to reflect” and an opportunity to network with colleagues, share ideas and refresh their learning.
Shared experiences
IPC’s Welsh leadership programme leader, Dr Caroline Dowson, commented:
“It was a positive and energising day, bringing people together to learn, reflect and celebrate the importance of continued development. We’re always pleased to see how our past students have progressed and look forward to welcoming the next group of managers onto our programmes.”
