Changes to the Leadership and Development Foundation

The Leadership and Development Foundation is undergoing some changes to better support all staff development across the whole of LJMU.

The team will now be known as Organisational Development and their remit will ensure that both the needs of every individual, and that of the whole organisation, are taken into account when identifying and delivering staff development opportunities.  

Part of this wider, and more agile approach will include increased collaboration with colleagues already engaged in the delivery of learning and development for both academic and professional services staff. 

The team will also be looking to increase its consultancy and bespoke offer with teams across LJMU, with emphasis on supporting the development of an adaptive and continually evolving community of staff.

Tina Purkis, Executive Director Human Resources, said: “As we prepare for the launch of the new LJMU 2030 strategy and the themes this will be setting, alongside the recently updated LJMU values, we felt that the time was right to refocus the work of the Organisational Development team. HR will also be setting out our own ambitions as part of our People Plan, and the new Organisational Development team will be a key component in helping to deliver these objectives by ensuring the right development is available for our staff.”

Greg Thompson, Head of Organisational Development, added: “Alongside the new Organisational Development team, we will also be increasing our support on staff engagement, wellbeing and reward, and continuing to develop an inclusive and rewarding environment for all staff members.”

While the team restructures, there will be a temporary pause in the schedule of open courses to allow for a thorough review to be undertaken, however, a refreshed programme will return in semester two.

Jason Boulter, Organisational Development Manager, said: “We are very excited for the opportunities that the new team presents, and look forward to working closely with partners and colleagues across LJMU to ensure that staff are given all the support and guidance that they need.

“This is a growth and enhancement of our offer, and whilst we will be increasing our provision, we will still be providing many of our current services, including our support for researchers through the Activator Programme, leadership and management development, schemes such as the Aurora Leadership Programme, apprenticeship funding, as well as our collaborative work with The Teaching and Learning Academy and other colleagues on a range of development activities including the annual staff conference.”

Jason added: “Although our schedule is temporarily paused, we are still here to help with any development support that you need. Please get in touch with us at orgdev@ljmu.ac.uk if you would like to discuss how we can help you, or if you have any questions about the new team.”