Education Budget Increases but there are still concerns for BME senior leaders and teachers.

Oct. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- According to Integrity Coaching, [www.integritycoaching.co.uk] a leading London based coaching company   which works in this field. Many BME leaders feel an increased sense of loneliness with the stress of having to live constantly under the spotlight, once they have climbed to the top of the career ladder. Unfortunately this is not commonly understood or addressed by some LA’s. Hence many BME leaders have short careers at the top.

In order to reverse this trend, it is essential that LA’s put in the correct forms of personal and professional support for our current and future BME leaders. The adoption of such measures will have a profound positive impact not only on the public purse, through inevitable recruitment savings that will be made, but also on the fulfillment of the hopes and dreams of many.  

Director of Integrity Coaching and former headteacher Viv Grant says. “In the current economic climate when LA’s are seeing their budgets cut quite dramatically, it is imperative that strategies to reduce racial inequalities in the workplace are not overlooked it will be sometime before we can assess the true impact of the coalition’s spending review on the educations sector’s efforts to increase numbers of BME school leaders. Regardless of what time will reveal, it is essential that all eyes remain on the ball and that every effort is made to ensure diversity exists across all levels of school leadership.

Viv Grant adds, “Essentially any strategy that is seeking to create long term change and increase numbers of BME senior leaders, must assess the costs [time, financial, personnel] that are often invested in, advertising and campaigns to recruit BME staff and whether these activities provide a good return on investment

Viv Grant says, “Integrity coaching’s work with BME leaders has demonstrated that culturally sensitive coaching plays a key role in terms of how well individuals adjust to and perform in their roles.”  She adds, “When this support is provided individuals are more likely to feel understood and motivated to stay in their jobs. As a result they feel supported by their LA and ‘spread the word’ that their LA is a good place to work. As a result LA’s experience a return on their investment that often far exceeds their initial financial output, a staff feel valued, are more motivated to succeed and achieve maximum levels of performance.

A former successful headteacher, since 2002 she has worked as leadership consultant and coach; for the National College for School Leadership, the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, the DfES, a number of local Authorities and on a wide range of independently commissioned leadership development programmes. Viv Grant explains, “We understand that for senior leaders and managers, often working in complex and demanding contexts that the above challenges are all too real. We are here to aid and support all those who want to raise standards and achieve the very best for their staff, pupils and the communities they serve.”

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Viv Grant [ www.integirtycoaching.co.uk] who is a Director of Integrity Coaching and has a wealth of experience and expertise in developing strategies to maximize the performance of individuals from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

She has used her wealth of experiences to set up Integrity Coaching, a company specializing in providing bespoke support for BAME senior leaders. Integrity Coaching also offers a range of coaching services to help teachers and school leaders, and those who work in children and young people’s services, develop their leadership skill and expertise. “The company is the market leader in offering ILM vocational coaching qualifications for the education sector.”

http://www.integritycoaching.co.uk/

For further information, contact Nikki Garriques, on 0208 767 7664 or pressoffice@integritycoaching.co.uk