Empowering Leadership: Excel and Emerge Care Managers Thrive with Fully-Funded Help to Grow Course

Excel and Emerge Care and Therapeutic Solutions are two companies which have recently come together to combine their complementary services. They operate residential care homes for children and a special educational needs (SEN) school.

They offer care and therapeutic support to children who often have complex emotional and behavioural difficulties enabling each young person to develop and maintain healthy relationships building upon the skills to manage their emotions whilst processing any previous trauma.

In November 2024 they sourced fully funded learning for two of their managers on a national Government funded management course, delivered locally by Keele University.

Rebecca Clark, head of HR and Danni Clowes, head of education, both enrolled on the Help to Grow management course at Keele in November 2024. The 12-module course is valued at £7500 of which the government were funding 90%. However, thanks to a grant from the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub, the extra £750 per participant was covered to fully fund the learning.

Tori Hill, business support coordinator at Emerge Care said: “We knew there was a need to upskill and heard about the Help to Grow through Steve Rushton of Training & Business solutions who came in to talk about apprenticeships and training opportunities. Steve recommended we talk to the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and the Skills Hub based at the Chambers.

 “I was put in touch with Lynn Aspinall at the Skills Hub who was very helpful. She took me through the enrolment process and helped secure the additional funding. The level of knowledge and support at the Chambers is incredible and we will definitely be joining”

The Help to Grow course twelve modules include strategy and innovation, digital transformation, developing a marketing strategy, employee engagement and leading change, effective operations, finance and financial management and implementing growth plans.

All participants complete the course with a Growth Action Plan, bespoke to their organisation and industry challenges and continued support is then available through the Help to Grow: management Alumni Network with access to events, masterclasses, and seminars.

Rebecca Clarke said: “Attending the Help to Grow management course at Keele has been a game-changer for me. Learning from experts and understanding practical strategies is giving me new tools to drive business growth and innovation. Networking with like-minded peers has been inspiring, and the course is really boosting my confidence as a leader.”

Suzanne Quinn, Project Manager at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “The Help to Grow management course is a high quality for course for leaders, covering a wide range of business topics such a people, finance, marketing, and strategy. The course was just right for Rebecca and Danni at this stage in their organisational transformation and I am delighted that we were able to not only signpost to the course but also to help them obtain the full funding. The skills they acquire and the connections they make will benefit them as well as their organisation.”

To talk to the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Skills Hub about training and funding streams email: skillshub@staffordshirechambers.co.uk