Celebrating Hartford Care’s Leadership Development Programme graduates

Despite lengthy delays due to the pandemic, Hartford Care is celebrating the graduation of nine employees who have completed their Leadership Development Programmes.

They are: Jo Aitken, manager of Tegfield House, Winchester; Catherine Emekwuo, manager of Burnham Lodge; Repeka Taukei, manager of Bethel House, Barton on Sea; Michelle Presdee, manager of Hartford Court, Portsmouth; Claudia Cullen, deputy manager of The Laurels & Pine Lodge, Poole; Camelia Gogoasa, manager of Springfield Nursing Home, Shanklin; Lesley Wise, manager of The Elms, Bembridge; Angela Merrick, Facilities & Contracts Manager and Ellen Cattell, Peripatetic Manager.

This, Hartford Care’s fourth LDP cohort, started in 2019. The programme’s main objective is to develop our leaders, giving them the knowledge and competence to be effective, strong and courageous. It also aims to develop our leaders of the future as means of succession planning.

Each delegate is allocated a mentor throughout the programme to help them to develop their individual visions within the organisation.  There is no time limit on the mentoring with sessions continuing long after the programme has finished

The final workshop included an element in which the delegates reflected on the past year of the pandemic, the challenges they faced while also finding the positives through developing wellbeing, resilience, and leadership.

Angela Merrick says: “The workshops and coursework were thought-provoking and challenging but made enjoyable, with lots of interaction and support between our group. Participating in this course has been hugely beneficial to me, not only for my career development but also for my personal development, as I’ve learnt a lot about myself and my leadership style which has given me more confidence and changed me as a leader.”

Lesley Wise comments: “The course was excellent as it made me realise my strengths and weaknesses as a manager.  It taught me that I am not just a manager but a leader.  For me reflection on each day, what went well and what didn’t  were  key to staying focused.”

Camelia Gogoasa adds: “I found it very useful because it helped me understand what sort of leader I am, and the differences between a leader and a boss. The one to ones with my mentor have been so good, it has helped me understand the importance of listening and asking my team for ideas when it comes to improving and changes that need to be made.”

The graduates received their awards at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester and celebrated their achievement with the wider Senior Management Team of Hartford Care, which included Sean Gavin, CEO, who presented the graduates with their awards.

So far, 73% – nearly three-quarters – of Hartford Care’s care home managers and deputy managers, together with members of the senior management and head office team, have undertaken the programme.

A feature about Hartford Care’s Leadership Development Programme appeared in The Care Home Environment magazine. You can read it here: