Welcome to Integrity Coaching

The Sikh Times
Published: 26th May 2009

In a bid to overcome the predicted future shortage of school leaders and to address the current lack of head teachers from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, Wandsworth Borough Council has enlisted London's leading coaching company for BAME professionals, Integrity Coaching. The organisation is delivering a bespoke programme for aspirant BAME leaders who already have successful teaching careers and wish to progress to the highest level.

Wandsworth Borough Council identified a range of options to address the problem, one of which focused on increasing applications from a wider talent pool which included under-represented groups at leadership level.

Brendan Ryan, Recruitment and Remodelling Manager at Wandsworth Borough Council said:

"We are delighted to partner with Integrity Coaching, whose Learning for Leadership Transformation (LfLT) programme has encouraged participants to talk openly about their experiences, in a manner which enables them to feel listened to and understood. The decision followed an in-depth analysis of the teaching workforce across Wandsworth, which showed that while 29 per cent of teachers in the borough are from minority backgrounds, the number in leadership positions (8.7 per cent) was not representative. These findings indicated that BAME teachers may face unique barriers to securing positions of leadership."

The LfLT programme designed by Integrity Coaching began in January and is run with both teachers and a cohort of aspiring BAME leaders from Specialist Social Care.

Viv Grant, Director of Integrity Coaching, said:

"It is often the case that in order for BAME individuals to take control of their career paths and successfully move forward, a form of continued professional development is needed that addresses both personal and professional needs. Our work has shown that coaching enables BAME individuals to gain deeper insight into and understanding of personal experiences that may be specific to their context. This increased personal knowledge can then be used as a tool for growth and career progression.

"The benefits of mixing occupational groups in our sessions have been noteworthy and have helped in identifying common barriers to succession as well as raising awareness of peer roles across Children's Services."

The mid-programme review has already received consistently high evaluations from participants, with one teacher already landing a Headship at a school within the borough.

Colette Morris, now Head teacher at Christ Church CoE School, Battersea said:

"With the ongoing support from highly skilled and qualified BAME coaches, who were sensitive and understood the challenges of professional development within the BAME context, I was able to increase my awareness and confidence. I really feel that the coaching I received has allowed me to constructively break down barriers that had previously felt insurmountable and confidently progress my personal development, alongside my career, as a teacher in Wandsworth."

Brendan Ryan added:

"We are very impressed with the outcomes of the programme so far and are seeking to both re-commission the programme for 2010 and increase its scale to include six of our Local Authority partners in South-West London."

Viv Grant continued:

"As Trevor Phillips has highlighted in the past, the problem does not necessarily stem from overt racism, but rather from systems that do not adequately support BAME teachers. Government admits the need to advance the cause of minorities and in order for the pace of change to quicken, it is imperative that Local Authorities take a far more strategic approach to the issue."

Integrity Coaching provides guidance to help Local Authorities become employers of choice for BAME professionals in the education sector, by enabling them to develop a more holistic approach to the recruitment and retention of BAME teachers.

Notes to editors:

Integrity Coaching (www.integritycoaching.co.uk) is London's leading coaching company for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) professionals working across the children's workforce. The organisation was set up in 2007 to provide team, management, leadership and performance coaching services to maximise the performance of managers and leaders in the public and private sectors. The coaching is based on the principle that in order for adults to be effective in the workplace they need to be given the opportunity and support to reach their full potential.

Integrity Coaching was set up by Viv Grant, when her own experience as a headteacher and those of her fellow BAME leaders convinced her that coaching could be key to supporting BAME teachers and helping them achieve their full potential.

Since 2007 Integrity Coaching has successfully provided coaching services for BAME teachers and school leaders in Islington, Westminster, Wandsworth and Hackney. The company has plans to extend its services in 2009, so that BAME teachers in the majority of London Boroughs can access their services as part of local authority recruitment and retention strategies for BAME teachers and school leaders.

Previous to Integrity Coaching, Viv Grant provided consultancy services for a number of local authorities, the DCSF (formerly the DfES) and the National College for School Leadership.