Middle Managers: Being a Leader

CMI level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management Award in Being a Leader 5012

Midlands Regional Probation Training Consortium has been running this programme in probation areas and trusts across the Midlands for three years. The programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.  This programme is suitable for all middle managers especially those who have some experience and have undergone some training.  Although it stands alone it would also follow on from Managing People for Sustained Performance improvement.

The programme consists of a mix of taught days and Action Learning Sets. The Learning Sets are an opportunity to work in a small facilitated group to address issues that are challenging the members and to relate the learning on the course to real life situations.  They are an integral and essential part of the course.  Learners will be expected to attend every session except in very exceptional circumstances.

The aim of the programme is to facilitate and support personal and group learning and development in order to develop managers who are more confident and competent to manage performance, cope with changes as they affect them and to perform the full range of management tasks effectively.

Learning Outcomes for Middle Managers: On completion of the programme participants will be able to:

  • Evaluate the impact of the organisation’s culture and values on leadership
  • Discuss how organisational specific, legal, regulatory and ethical requirements impact on leadership demands
  • Evaluate current and emerging social concerns and expectations impacting on leadership in the organisation
  • Evaluate the relationship between management and leadership
  • Evaluate leadership styles
  • Discuss why leadership styles need to be adapted in different situations
  • Develop a culture of professionalism, mutual trust, respect and support within the team
  • Evaluate the impact of a leader’s clear focus in leading the team in the achievement of these objectives
  • Evaluate how the leader supports and develops understanding of the organisation’s direction
  • Discuss how leadership styles are adapted to meet changing needs, and to enable team development and commitment

Learning Methods

The programme (30 guided learning hours) will consist of:

  • 3 training days. These will be interactive and engaging and focus on the real life experience of learners
  • 3 Action Learning Sets (1/2 day) one following each training day. The learning sets will be an integral part of the course and will be run with smaller groups than the training days.  The learning sets will give participants an opportunity to consolidate their learning and to address an issue that is of concern to them, in a systematic way with the support of their peers and the facilitator. Learning sets also teach participants valuable skills such as asking facilitative questions, active listening, being solution focused and problem solving which they can use in supervision and appraisal to develop their own staff.

Learners will be provided with a comprehensive learning manual with support materials for the course and the assessment and space to record their own learning. Previous learners have told us that they keep these on their desks and use them for reference long after the course has finished.

The programme is a generic management skills course and congruent with National Occupational Standards for Managers. It is also congruent with the NOMs Probation Leadership and Management Framework and the Prison Service Leadership Qualities Framework.

Accreditation: The programme is accredited and participants will have the opportunity to undertake assessment for the Chartered Institute of Management Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management Award in Performance Management by submitting 3 1000 word assignments. The Award is a qualification in its own right and this will give you 7 credits towards the full certificate (13 credits).  The qualification is nationally and internationally recognised.  MRPTC offers further units or you could complete the certificate at a local college.