LCS consultants offer both mentoring and facilitation for local authority, public services and third sector organisations.

Mentoring

Mentoring is a long standing form of training, learning and development and an increasingly popular tool for supporting personal development. In the workplace it usually describes a relationship where a mentor uses their knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of another member of staff.

Two of our consultants have a wide experience of mentoring and coaching top managers:

Mick Lowe, managing director, of LCS Ltd has mentored at an executive level, working with Directors in a range of local authorities.

Susan Bennett trained and gained experience as a mentor with the Audit Commission between 2003-04.In 2008, she completed a part Masters qualification in Mentoring with Sheffield Hallam University and as a result is registered with SOLACE Enterprises as a mentor. Susan is also an approved mentor for Business in the Arts:North West.

Recent mentoring contracts she has entered into include those with:

• A director of a not-for-profit business.
• A senior manager of a PCT.
• A Chief Executive of an Arts organisation.

Facilitation

Mick Lowe has developed extensive experience of facilitating high level events for local authorities such as:

• Top team development days as part of leadership development programmes
• Community consultation events
• Local Strategic Partnership strategic reviews
• Local authority councillor events

Phillida Miles facilitates consultation events from small specific focus groups to large stakeholder conferences as part of the planning and review of public services. Her use of solution focused techniques has often helped manage conflict and direct diverse groups to find common goals. This approach has also proved very useful in facilitating teams and service development events.

Examples include:

• In 2005 facilitation of a stakeholder event to consult on a Commissioning Strategy for disabled people in Halton Borough Council
• In 2008 facilitation of a multi stakeholder consultation event about the future of advocacy services in a London Borough. Service user feedback was very positive about being involved as an equal partner to professional participants
• In June 2008 facilitation of a development day for a disability service for which there were a number of active complaints in regard to the management from practitioners in the team.
• In July 2008 focus groups with users of a community mental health service resulting in a successful bid for additional funding from the local council to sustain the service at risk of being terminated
• Also in 2008, facilitation of team development sessions for a service where formal complaints were being investigated against the manager. The away day was successful in that it helped to focus the team on their service outcomes as well as address team issues.

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