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Nottingham public service leaders come together for transformation programme

Leaders from across Nottingham’s public services have joined together to take part in a transformation programme which was created specifically to tackle the needs of the city and its organisations.

    Nottingham skyline with tram
    Nottingham's leaders have come together to grow their leadership skills in line with the needs of the city

    Designed by Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University, the Nottingham Leadership Transformation Programme is aimed at those with responsibility for managing people, projects and innovation within their organisation.

    The first cohort to complete the course included representatives from Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police, and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. The second group has now started the programme and also includes NHS leaders from the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board.

    As part of the course, leaders work together across disciplines on consultancy projects and challenges set by their organisations. They also complete specially designed personal and professional development modules covering different theories, concepts and approaches to leadership and management which can be practically applied in the workplace. This includes practical skills such as project management, crisis management and managing financial risk.

    Dr Ita O’Donovan, Assistant Chief Executive at Nottingham City Council, said: “We joined with NBS to create this programme in order to develop new ways of delivering the services we required for fiscal and service delivery stability, and to create a new set of management and partnership capabilities across the Council. Core to the programme is the principle of learning by doing so that new methods and approaches become embedded in the everyday thinking of managers.”

    Dr Mel Bull, Assistant Head of Postgraduate and Executive Education at Nottingham Business School and programme lead, said: “This programme breaks down silos and encourages leaders across Nottingham’s core public services to work together and understand their own needs in relation to those of the City. The first cohort benefited greatly from the collaborative nature of the course, and we feel this is a format which could work for other cities across the UK.”

    Chief Superintendent Mat Healey of Nottinghamshire Police said: “Too often we hear of partnership agencies not interacting effectively in the aftermath of serious events. This innovative program allows leaders from different statutory agencies in Nottingham to spend time learning together and forging networks to help deliver safer, more efficient, more cost-effective services to people in Nottingham by removing barriers, promoting partnership working and sharing ideas and best practice.”

    Craig Parkin, Chief Fire Officer at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service: “We are very proud to be part of this programme. We are leading in challenging times and so need to ensure that our relationships and networks are stronger than ever. The first cohort demonstrated the high level of talent in the public sector in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and it is critical that we work hard to nurture, develop and retain these great people.”

    NBS is internationally known as one of UK's top business schools providing education and research in business, management and economics that combines academic excellence with impact on business and society. For further information visit the NBS website or email mel.bull@ntu.ac.uk

    • Notes for editors

      Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Public Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email.

      About Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University

      Nottingham Business School (NBS) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a leader in experiential learning and personalisation of business, management and economics education and research, combining academic excellence with positive impact on people, business and society.  NBS has an unrivalled level of engagement with business, public and voluntary organisations. With more than 8,000 students, NBS is also one of UK’s largest business schools.

      NBS is Quadruple+ Accredited by EQUIS, AACSB, EFMD BA for International Business, which are globally recognised hallmarks of excellence and quality for business education. NBS is also accredited by Small Business Charter, providing support and development for SMEs. The school is also a PRME Champion and held up as an exemplar and beacon by the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME).

      About Nottingham Trent University

      Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queens Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.

      The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.

      NTU was ranked second best university in the UK in the Uni Compare Top 100 rankings (2021/2022). It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).

      NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with nearly 39,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.

      Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.

      NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data) It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.

      75% of NTU students go on to graduate-level employment or graduate-entry education / training within fifteen months of graduating (Guardian University Guide 2021).

      NTU is ranked 2nd most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).

    Published on 16 December 2022
    • Category: Business; Press office; Nottingham Business School