View publication - Chartered Institute of Housing

PART TWO: LEADING TOMORROW
We are not happy just to provide opportunities for skills development, we are also
highly focused on helping learners achieve recognisable outcomes. We provide
opportunities for learners to achieve nationally recognised qualifications through each
path. For example, as part of Irene’s development, she completed an ILM-accredited
Governance qualification. At the ‘passing-out’ celebration dinner, which was attended
by 150 people, including NHF-chief, David Orr, Irene volunteered to speak on behalf of
all the graduates, writing and delivering her own words! This was a transformational
achievement.
But outside of the framework for corporate development are the personal development
achievements – and Irene gives an insight into this with her confession to me that until
working with Gateway she had never travelled to London on the train on her own – her
own gold medal!
Key points
• The involvement of tenants at all levels of the organisation is critical to the
success of CGA. This is why CGA provides a range of opportunities to
support personal development.
• The Community Gateway model means that involved customers have
significant responsibilities in ensuring the success of the organisation, but
this also means they have significant development requirements.
• Because no two people bring the same experience, skills or personal
behaviours with them to CGA, any support and development they receive
should be as individual as they are.
• The ‘Purple Pathways’ programme is based on the principle that CGA will
empower our people to take ownership of their own development. This is
led by them. It is not something which is done to them. Our people are
active learners.
• By developing our people they become more competent and confident in
the work they do with us but this also has a personal transformational
effect, raising their aspirations and improving their opportunities within
our communities.
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