Who We Are

Cherwell District Council

Welcome to starting your coaching/mentoring journey with the West Midlands Coaching and Mentoring Pool (WMCMP)!
 
Working with a coach or mentor can make a profound impact on performance and confidence. Coaching and Mentoring are proven to help enhance performance and the speed at which it is achieved.
 
A coach will help you through raising awareness; looking at different perspectives to enable you to think things through in ways you couldn’t do on your own and a mentor does this through sharing their experience and expertise. If could an hour of focused discussion, or over a number of short sessions. If you have something you want to accomplish at work consider wokring with a coach or mentor to help you get there.
 
Coaching from the pool involves working 1 to 1 with someone who can help you look at how you need to be in your role as well as help you establish what you need to do. Coaching can support if you want to:
 
  • make a change, no matter how big or small
  • think through decisions or re-imagine the future
  • constructively review and enhance your approach and working style
  • improve working relationships
  • develop your resilience
If you are looking for someone with relevant skills to help your thinking so you can develop, then coaching could be right for you.
Mentoring from the pool involves working 1 to 1 with someone who has skills or experience you want to develop yourself in, such as gaining:
 
  • practical advice or to deepen your technical knowledge
  • understanding of how a service area or organisation works
  • knowledge about how to work strategically or politically to get the job done
  • a way to develop your networks
If you are looking for some development from someone with credibility and experience to support your professional development, then mentoring may be right for you.
 
Accessing trained and accredited coaches and mentors from the range of organisations represented with the West Midlands Pool offers a unique opportunity to focus on specific issues within professional and confidential setting with someone from an external environment. It enables reflection, promotes understanding and brings forward fresh insights to reach the desired outcomes.

Who could benefit?

All staff can benefit from coaching and mentoring to help with change and personal performance. Have a look at  some of the examples below:  

  • A manager who has been given more responsibility/changed role as a result of restructuring 
  • A manager involved and leading staff through transformation and change programmes 
  • A manager undertaking a service review  
  • A manager looking to reflect on and change your management, communication style,  relationships with colleagues and build staff morale  
  • A newly appointed or promoted manager  
  • Seeking to lead/manage in a more effective way  
  • You may be wishing to increase your own personal performance or the performance of others 
  • You may have returned from maternity leave, career break or long-term sick 

Accessing Coaching or Mentoring

We want you to make the best use of this service. You can read more about how to do that here or if  you would prefer a discussion about how to make the right choice for your development please  contact Learning and Development at learningdevelopment@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

If you decide coaching is for you please register as a coachee on the online matching site, if  mentoring then register as a mentee.   

You’ll be invited to complete a registration form and outline what you are looking to gain from  engaging with a coach/mentor. Your request will then be reviewed and if approved you will be given  access to search for a coach or mentor from the pool.

Find out how we can help you