Resources, Articles & Media

Latest information related to our Child Services, Black and Asian Leadership, and Women in Leadership programmes.
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Just Home: Leading in Colour

We are proud to announce the release of our latest publication, “Just Home”. This briefing is powerfully centred around global majority children in care, their lives, their traumas, their needs, and their life-chances. The stark realities are alarming: black children are over-represented in the care system, wait longer for adoption than white children, and are least likely to achieve the lifetime stability and permanency of a loving family through adoption. “Just Home” serves to challenge these bleak statistics and seeks…

New Report: TURNING THE TIDE

A study of place-based school partnerships At The Staff College, we have been committed to championing excellence through equity in education since our inception in 1999. We believe that addressing the needs of those who find learning and socialisation most difficult benefits the entire school community. This belief, combined with our fundamental belief that children and young people learn best when they feel valued, respected and included, has guided our school improvement work. However, recent policy changes in England towards…

Podcast Rosemary Campbell-Stephens on Decolonising Narratives around Race in Educational Leadership

To listen to the podcast, click here.

Leading for Longer: New report issues call to action on high turnover of leadership roles in children’s services

A call for action has been issued by The Staff College after a number of concerns have been raised about the high turnover of leadership roles within children’s services.  With tenures of DCSs averaging around three years, it is feared this is having a direct impact on the ability to improve children’s services. At present, the DCS role remains one of the hardest chief officer roles to fill and retain, yet is a critical leadership role responsible for supporting and…

Systems Leadership – Exceptional Leadership for Exceptional Times

Download the Story of BALI

Three people designed the Black and Asian Leadership Initiative (BALI): Patrick Scott who worked for the predecessor organisation that is now The Staff College; Rosemary Campbell-Stephens MBE who is now a freelance international consultant and coach on leadership, following her role as Principal for the National College for Educational Leadership in the Ministry of Education, Jamaica and me (Meera). Rosemary was an associate with the National College for School Leadership in the UK and I had, due to long term…

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Latest information related to Child Services, Black and Asian Leadership, and Women in Leadership programmes.

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Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence in Leadership Development: The Staff College Anniversary

This year, The Staff College reaches a significant milestone – our 25th anniversary. Since our foundation in 1999, we have been at the forefront of developing leadership and management capacity within local authorities and children’s services. It’s a journey that has seen us evolve from a small team with a big vision to a leading voice in the sector, championing the cause of effective leadership across the UK. Reflecting on this journey, Jane Parfrement, Chief Executive of The Staff College, shared, “Celebrating 25 years is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that have been the hallmark of The Staff College since its inception. We have been committed to empowering leaders who make a real difference in the…

Celebrating Meera Spillett: Gold Lifetime Achievement Award Winner at Social Worker of the Year

It’s a moment of pride and celebration at The Staff College as Meera Spillett, a trailblazer in social work and children’s services, has been awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award (Gold) at the Social Worker of the Year Awards. With an illustrious career spanning over 35 years, Meera has not only been at the forefront of initiatives that have shaped the landscape of social work but has also held various significant roles, including that of Director of Children’s Services. Her leadership and expertise have been instrumental in addressing the underrepresentation of black leaders in the social care sector. Meera’s written works, such as ‘Leading in Colour’, ‘Black Leaders Missing in Action’, and ‘Cultural Competence,’ have sparked essential conversations on race…

Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union

YouTube, October 2021 HBO’s three-part documentary, OBAMA: IN PURSUIT OF A MORE PERFECT UNION chronicles the personal and political journey of President Barack Obama, as the country grapples with its racial history. View the complete season on YouTube

Black kids have to Swim

Beleaf in Fatherhood, October 2021 The history behind the Black community’s relationship with swimming and water is a painful one. We were transported against our will across seas, drowned, and kept out of water throughout our years in America. Why can’t Black people swim? It’s not a question of whether we can, it’s a question of whether or not we will.

Announcement: New Chief Executive Appointment

After just over three years at the helm of The Staff College, it’s with great sadness that we share the news that our Principal, Jo Davidson, plans to step down from her role in the summer. Jo has overseen an incredible transformation in her time at The Staff College, which has seen the team, associates, and most importantly, the impact the college has had on public services, grow & develop. While Jo is stepping down, in her own words, she’s actively avoiding using the ‘R’ (retirement!) word, and looks forward to continuing her work at The Staff College as an associate. Of course, this means that we’re set to welcome a new leader of The Staff College, and we’re incredibly…

Cues for Change, March 2021

The idea that underpins the Cues for change is that as policy-makers and those in leadership roles, within the public sector and local government in particular, you must be able and willing to explore the forces that drive change, to anticipate change and to develop an understanding of the possible impact that these changes may have. If leaders are more aware of the bigger picture, the prize is being better able to plan for uncertainty and become more adaptable in meeting change as it happens. The pace of change facing local government is unrelenting. Budget constraints, increasing demand, assessing more complex needs, technological advances, party politics and constitutional reform all create a turbulence and challenge for the public sector. The…

Video and Podcasts from the Staff College
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Why Middle Management is the Hardest Job | Simon Sine

The middle management team is stuck between strategic and tactical thinking – they’re the translator between the two. Things break when we don’t train people how to lead OR the senior leadership’s focus isn’t aligned with the people below them. Why Middle Management is the Hardest Job | Simon Sinek – YouTube

Courageous Conversations about Race

Does language shape the way we think and ultimately how we behave, as public leaders? How can you start to see leadership models through the lens of different cultures? Where do you get your knowledge and does what you are taught result in a fixed notion of what leadership looks like, with leaders never really bringing their whole selves to work? Who is – the global majority? Introducing a three episode podcast “Courageous conversations about Race” where the host, Sherry Malik asks these and other questions. She is talking to three amazing women – Rosemary Campbell-Stephens MBE, consultant, speaker, coach and author, Kathryn Perera, Director of NHS Horizons, and Jo Davidson, Principal of The Staff College. Together, they are exploring…

Leadership in a Time of Crisis

COVID-19 will not only change our way of life, it will hasten the arrival of a radical new future of work. While for many of us working from home has been a new and unexpected challenge – that is just the start of a much bigger transformation set to reshape the nature of business itself. Leadership in a time of crisis – YouTube

Adapting to the Rise of Authoritarianism: A Conversation with Audrey Tang | 2020 Oslo Freedom Forum

Authoritarianism is on the rise globally – but one resilient country has learned how to push back. In this conversation with Taiwan’s Digital Minister Audrey Tang, learn how Taiwan is protecting its young democracy using transparency, innovation, and open governance. Adapting to the Rise of Authoritarianism: A Conversation with Audrey Tang | 2020 Oslo Freedom Forum – YouTube

Simon Sinek on Empathetic Leadership

Simon Sinek with “Empathy – Best Speech of All Time”

Remembering Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson was not only a passionate educator and gifted communicator. He was a believer in the power of every person’s unique gifts, a committed humanist who knew that our world would be better when we create space for all individuals’—especially children’s—talents to flourish.