School of Business
Inspired Villages
Established in 2017, Inspired Villages aim to significantly transform the later life experience in the UK by developing living communities in suburban and rural locations. An award-winning company who have experienced phenomenal growth and expanded its portfolio to 11 retirement villages, with ambition to provide around 5,000 age-appropriate homes for older people through 34 villages.
The University of Leicester School of Business designed a series of growth-focussed programmes drawing on a thorough understanding of the developmental needs of differing management-level groups at Inspired Villages, including:
2020: Board Director’s Development Programme (7.5 days across 7 months) – focusing on a ‘strategic business problem’, board members undertook an assessed group consultancy assignment including group coaching. The series of workshops featured topics such as Laying the Foundations, Building a Customer Focused Organisation, Creating a Values-based Company, Strategic Planning from an Inter-functional Perspective, Board Effectiveness, and Building Innovative Capacity.
2020: Future Leaders Development Programme (12 days across 7 months) – designed for talented employees demonstrating the potential to drive strategic change and progress into senior positions. Workshop topics included Managing and Developing People and Organisations, Managing Marketing Communications, (the IVG) Brand and Relationships, Managing Value Creation Processes, Managing Human Resources Strategically, Research Methods for Understanding the Later Living Sector, and Measuring Success. The programme culminated in an assessed consultancy assignment based around a ‘strategic problem’ within the business.
2022: Line Management Excellence Programme (4 days across 5 months) – a bespoke line management development programme delivered face-to-face and online across four key themes: Situational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Managing and Recruiting People, and Sustainability Leadership with an overarching aim of embedding the purpose, values and culture of Inspired Villages. Sessions focused on applying the knowledge gained from the concepts to line management challenges and issues faced by the delegates.
2023: Negotiating for Value (two-day residential course) – designed to develop high-level negotiation skills for commercial managers to support Inspired Villages’ ambitions for rapid growth. Experiential training workshops were led by an expert tutor in the field of commercial negotiation and delegates benefitted from actionable insights into their own negotiation process and guidance on best practice to help them to strategise, plan and execute more successful commercial negotiations.
2024: Line Management Excellence Programme (4 days across 5 months) – developed for new line managers to build confidence and equip them with the necessary competences, skills and behaviours to manage their teams and functions effectively. Delivered face-to-face focusing on Situational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Managing People for Sustainable Growth and Conflict Management, this programme will lead to creation of a reflective personal growth plan.
Lawrence Cramer, People and Culture Director, Inspired Villages
“The relationship with Leicester University is important to the growth of Inspired Villages. The University provides thought leadership underpinned by academic rigour and research. All colleagues have commented on the value gained by attending the programme, which has enabled them to grow and reflect on their personal journeys as a leaders and managers. Many have applied their learning directly in to their roles which has led to improved performance of their teams.
We look forward to future cohorts experiencing their time at the University of Leicester, returning with renewed vigour and enthusiasm, improved skills and confidence, and a readiness to make a difference to their teams and the future of Inspired Villages.”