Leadership Forum /Programme
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Darwin Conference Suites
The only constant is change
Please see below for an overview of the schedule for the day and further detail on the facilitators
and sessions they are leading.
We would like to encourage you to join as much of the day as possible and especially to take the
available opportunities to network with colleagues at lunch and the end of the day. You may attend
only for the network sessions but will need to complete a booking form for these aspects.
Arrival and registration (10.00 -10.30) – Refreshments available
Welcome and Introduction (10.30 - 10.45)
Martin Atkinson, Assistant Director - Employee Relations & Business Partnering
Key note speaker (10.45 – 11.45)
Kenton Lewis – “Embracing Change, encouraging buy-in”
Transit between rooms
Workshop 1 (11.50-12.50)
Workshop 2 (11.50-12.50)
Kenton Lewis
Ali Whelan, Learning & Organisational Development
“Resilience during change: helping
yourself, helping your staff”
“On the precipice – staying on the right side of
stress.”
This workshop is repeated in the afternoon
Networking Lunch (12.50 -14.00)
Workshop 3 (14.00-15.00)
Workshop 4 (14.00 – 15.00)
Kenton Lewis
“Resilience during change: helping
yourself, helping your staff”.
Cindy Vallance (LFHE)
“Moving beyond the change curve: increasing
influence when change is the only constant”.
This workshop is a repeat of the morning session
Transit between rooms
Mini Workshop (15:05 – 15.45)
Mini Workshop (15:05 – 15.45)
Mini Workshop (15:05 – 15.45)
Jena Dady, Learning &
Organisational Development,
“Mentoring to support change”
Dr Louise Naylor, Unit for the
Enhancement of Learning &
Teaching
Dr Scott Wildman,
Centre for Higher & Degree
Apprenticeships
‘Teaching Excellence
Framework (TEF) – Challenges
& Opportunities’
Overview of higher and
degree apprenticeship s and
the University’s provision.
Transit between rooms
15.45 – 16.00 Closing session
16.00 – 16.45 Networking
Leadership Forum /Programme
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Darwin Conference Suites
Session Details
Kenton Lewis – Keynote speech “Embracing change, encouraging buy-in”
This keynote address will explore the relationship between change and transition, offering a model
to help explain why fear, resistance and denial are such common reactions during times of
transformation. Additionally, the session will consider the relevance of social influence in building
acceptance and active commitment in moving forward.
Cindy Vallance, Leadership Foundation for Higher Education - Workshop
Moving beyond the change curve: increasing influence when change is the only constant
This one hour workshop session will focus on the principles of shared leadership and network
development in supporting individuals and organisations through change and will take us beyond
the well-known concept of the change curve. Through the consideration of frameworks, questions,
examples and group discussion, we will look more closely at how we work through change and how
we can assist others to do so.
Kenton Lewis – Workshop (two sessions available)
“Resilience during change: helping yourself, helping your staff”
This interactive workshop will help participants: gain a shared understanding of the language of
resilience; build awareness of the traits and behaviours commonly demonstrated by the highly
resilient; and explore cognitive models for building resilience in oneself and in one’s team.
Ali Whelan –“On the precipice” - Workshop
This short session will aim to get participants thinking about the difference between the beneficial
impacts of pressure in relation to the negative impacts of stress and how we can help maintain
the balance and veer away from tipping over the edge. It will look at how to recognise the signs in
both self and others and identify when the balance is starting to tip and potential ways to stay in a
positive space and mindset.
Jena Dady - “Mentoring to support Change” - Mini Workshop
This workshop will introduce the principles of Mentoring and the University of Kent Staff Mentoring
Scheme, and explore how mentoring can be a used as an effective change management
support tool. It will look at how adopting a mentoring approach can have a positive influence
on enabling staff to lead and influence their teams to deal with change.
Dr Scott Wildman - Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships – Mini Workshop
This session will provide a recap on higher and degree apprenticeship followed by a status report
(i.e. current and future delivery by the University) and details on an emerging USP for the
university’s provision. This will be followed by presentation of a case study pertaining to the
university’s approval, development and delivery of a new apprenticeship for delivery in
September 2017.
Dr Louise Naylor - Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (UELT) – Mini Workshop
This workshop will explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the Teaching Excellence
Framework (TEF).
Leadership Forum /Programme
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Darwin Conference Suites
Facilitator Details
Dr Kenton Lewis
MBE
Kenton is an educational sociologist and an experienced manager,
trainer and executive coach. Prior to becoming an independent
consultant, he worked for 18 years in higher education administration,
management, leadership and governance. He has been a Trustee at the
AUA, is a founding member and Trustee of The Bride Group (an
independent, charitable social mobility policy association), and is a Lay
Observer for the Ministry of Justice (PECS). Kenton holds Fellowship of
the AUA, CMI and RSA, and is a Principal Fellow of the HEA. He has won
multiple national and international awards for educational innovation,
including the Lord Mayor of London Dragon Award, two e-Learning Age
Awards, and the Guardian Public Service Award. He was recognised in
the 2014 New Year Honours with an MBE for services to Higher
Education.
Cindy Vallance
Assistant Director, Membership
Leadership Foundation for Higher Education
In her role at the Leadership Foundation, Cindy liaises with higher
education institutions in Greater London and across the South and East
of England, developing relationships with LF members that support and
complement individual institutions’ strategies and the changing higher
education agenda. Prior to joining the LF, Cindy worked in universities
for 15 years in roles encompassing human resources and organisational
development at the Universities of Cambridge and Kent and in research
and leadership development consultancy for the public and not for
profit sector at the University of Victoria in Canada. Her previous
experience includes eight years at consultancy firm Accenture and six
years in the arts as well as first class Bachelor of Fine Arts and MBA
degrees.
Ali Whelan
Interim Learning & Development Manager, University of Kent
Ali currently leads the L&OD team and delivers training on key
leadership programmes and modules for the University. A fully
qualified MCIPD member, Ali has worked at the University of Kent since
2004 working in a number of roles within the HR department, leading
to a sound knowledge of policies, practises and people within the
organisation. Being a long standing member of staff Ali has experienced
and supported many managers through change within the organisation
in the last 10 years. Combining experience in employee relations,
learning and development with a personal passion for health and
wellbeing, Ali is keen to support staff and managers in understanding
and managing stress.
Leadership Forum /Programme
Tuesday 27 June 2017
Darwin Conference Suites
Jena Dady
Learning and Organisational Development Adviser, University of Kent
Jena is a member of the University’s Learning and Organisational
Development team and an experienced L&OD professional with over
10 years’ experience in various sectors including private investment
finance, construction, engineering, manufacturing, and higher
education. Jena is the current project lead for the University’s staff
mentoring scheme.
Dr Scott Wildman
Centre Director, Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships,
University of Kent.
Scott joined the University of Kent in 2011. Since then, he has
validated, managed and developed several programmes for workforce
development, many allied to the pharmaceutical industry. One
programme, the FdSc in Applied Bioscience for Laboratory Scientists,
has been praised for its workforce-friendly approach by SMEs and large
Pharma in the UK. Through provision of this programme, the
University of Kent has twice been runner-up for the UK Life Sciences
Provider of the Year award from the sector skills council Cogent
Skills. Scott established, and now heads, the university’s Centre for
Higher and Degree Apprenticeships. The University of Kent has
delivered higher apprenticeships since 2011, working with industryleading employers including GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca,
Novartis and Unilever. Kent launched the Centre for Higher and Degree
Apprenticeships in 2016 to build on this experience. The centre works
in partnership with regional and national employers to develop
apprenticeships tailored to their needs. The centre also has an
important role to play within the University, supporting academic
schools on all aspects of delivering apprenticeship training.
Dr Louise Naylor
Director, Unit for the Enhancement of Learning & Teaching (UELT)
Dr Louise Naylor has a wide range of both academic and administrative
experience in higher education and interests in supporting learning,
teaching and research. As Director of the Unit for the Enhancement of
Learning & Teaching (UELT), she has operational responsibility for the
Education and Student Experience Strategy and leads 4 teams
responsible for academic and curriculum development, student
support and quality assurance.