Children’s charity
Senior Social Worker
“The CMI Level four course has helped to expand my perspective of managing a team and has improved my communication skills at all levels within the organisation. I feel more confident in my decision-making and I have acquired new skills that will support my personal development as a manager.
I think the percentage of women in management, particularly women of colour, needs to be greater. I would recommend any aspiring or new female managers to complete a CMI course at Edge Hill to help strengthen and build your ability to progress with confidence, in your career.”
Samantha Wakefield – Senior Social Worker, Children’s Charity
CMI Management and Leadership Level four – benefits and impact
- Developed new skills to support decision-making and to address challenges
- Time to reflect on current management practices
- Challenged self-awareness and impact on individuals
- Noticeable improvement in communication and how to get the best out of others
About Samantha
Qualified Senior Social Worker, Samantha Wakefield has over 12 years experience working in Local Authority Children’s Services, and more recently took on a new role managing a “Leaving Care” team within a children’s charity.
Entering an established team in the role of manager was not without its challenges. This was compounded further by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Necessary changes to the service were required in order to comply with the new restrictions. This was met with staff resistance to the shift towards a new model of working. Samantha recognised the need to develop her management skills and knowledge to support her decision-making when addressing challenges and staff-related matters and activities.
Building leadership and management capabilities
Samantha took the opportunity to join the fully-funded, online, CMI Management and Leadership Level four qualification. The course provided her with time out of her busy working schedule to reflect on her current management practices, to develop new skills, and build her knowledge.
Outcome and impact
The course has challenged Samantha’s self-awareness and made her more mindful of the impact that she, as a Manager, has on others. The modules helped to develop a better understanding of human nature and how to get the best out of individual people and meet the needs of the team. Samantha developed from constructive feedback and appreciates how to give feedback to others in a palatable way, to support their growth.