Chris Croft

Accreditation, your licence to operate. Professional accreditation from The Forum shows your commitment to excellence, innovation and learning. Whether you're at the foundational level or an industry leader, each accreditation level signals your credibility, capability and impact. 3-ways to get Accredited 1. The Forum Learning Academy: Complete any learning modules, Box Sets, or 6-month Assisted Learning Pathways programme. 2. Events & Community Engagement: Attending events, virtual or in person, then send a learning log reflecting on what you’ve learned and what you will do differently. 3. Bespoke Routes for Specialist or Professional: Tailored accreditation combining modules, events, networking, and external validation can be arranged for experienced practitioners. Accreditation reflects your commitment to learning. ·  Aligns with four cornerstones of professionalism: lifelong learning, excellence, trust & credibility and making a difference. ·  Reaccreditation each year ensures you stay current and develop continuously. ·  Combines structured learning, real-world application and professional recognition. Professional accreditation is important because it validates ability, drives growth and builds both personal and organisational credibility. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/enMn7gtK Contact: advice@theforum.social #RaisingStandards

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Standards Benchmarking & Business Accreditation Our Professional Accreditation is a personal tracker for learning and growth, it builds confidence, validates capability, and supports your development journey. Our Business Accreditation does the same for your team, function, and organisation. It helps you review how decisions are made and, most importantly, provides a clear roadmap for improvement. For some organisations, Standards help establish the fundamentals: clear ownership, defined processes, and a shared understanding of how planning supports the strategy. For others, they create the space to step back, challenge what’s become “business as usual”, and ensure operational decisions remain aligned to strategic intent. Standards connect: * Strategy to operating model * Plans to day-to-day decisions * Insight to action They help answer the questions that really matter: 1. Are we implementing our strategy in the way we intended? 2. Are operational decisions consistent, joined-up, and evidence-led? 3. Are we learning fast enough, and feeding that learning back into future plans? The value isn’t the score. It’s the shared understanding Standards create across teams, functions, and leadership. Whether you’re setting a baseline, transitioning to a new structure, or pressure-testing your current approach, Standards provide a practical way to assess where you are today and build a focused, credible improvement roadmap. Position yourself in the industry. Review the design of your operating model. Focus on best practice, strategic and operational opportunities, backed by objective evidence you can share with stakeholders and influencers. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ezVa4qAT Join our Community of Best Practice: https://theforum.social/ #RaisingStandards #LearningCulture #ResetRedefining

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For businesses to benefit from training, sessions must be adequately facilitated by skilled trainers 👇 If you're serious about change through training, then this is crucial! If you or your staff are standing and "telling", you're wasting time and money repeatedly. 💲 Same training, same problems, time and again. ❌ Invest in learning facilitation skills to transfer skills and knowledge training into the workplace. ✅ Want to get these skills for your trainers to transform your business? Get in touch. #training #learning #business #publicspeaking #hr #trainthetrainer

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Skill vs Strategy Training alone doesn’t drive performance. Strategic training does. CPD-certified programmes aren’t just skill-building, they align with your team’s goals, metrics, and real-world application. Train with purpose or don’t bother.

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🔑 What’s the difference between SMEs that plateau and those that scale? A clear, actionable strategic vision. In our latest blog, I explore: ✔️ Why SMEs without a vision stay stuck ✔️ What a great vision looks like ✔️ 3 ways to execute your strategy with clarity 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g2wgVQjZ #sme #leadership #strategy #vision #businesscutthrough #smallbusinessgrowth

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Day two of The Sales Accelerator and its ‘growth’ focuses. Business Development Strategy: Covering... - Current Clients: Protecting and developing those key accounts - Acquisition: Bring new clients onboard - Targeted List: Ensure you have a list of target clients (business name, persons names) - Webs: Who knows who - who can introduce you - Elevator Pitch: What value does your organisation bring a client, be clear and concise - Mindset: Acquisition is certainly a mindset game; ensure you are in the right ‘state' - Network: How to work that persons ’network’  - Set Time: Batching time to focus on BD means it happens Learning this and much more today! #BusinessDevelopment #AddValue #BeHelpful

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Today’s training course was distinctive because the client requested an IPAF eLearning MEWPS for Managers course at our satellite centre in Hitchin, along with the presence of an invigilator to assist students with any questions or technical difficulties they might encounter. Will theory led courses be a thing of the past in the coming years ?? What is MEWPS for Mangers course? MEWPs for Managers is aimed at those who plan, supervise or manage work at height with Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). * Course Content:
Covers health and safety regulations, accident prevention, safe operating procedures, pre-use checks, and the responsibilities of managers regarding MEWP use. 
 * Upon successful completion, participants receive an internationally recognized IPAF certificate, valid for 5 years. Those with a valid IPAF Powered Access Licence (PAL) for operating MEWPs can have the MEWPs for Managers category added to their PAL card.

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Unlock Your SME’s Full Potential with Leadership & Team Development Coaching and Mentoring! In today’s fast-paced, complex business environment, UK SMEs face constant pressure to innovate, retain talent, and drive performance. One of the most effective — yet underutilised — strategies to achieve this is leadership, team, and organisational development coaching and mentoring. 🔍 Why it matters: - 80% of individuals who receive coaching report increased self-confidence. - Over 70% experience improved work performance, relationships, and communication. - 86% of companies say they recouped their investment - and more - in such programmes (1). 💡 For SMEs, the benefits are even more pronounced. development porgrammes help to: - Boost employee engagement and retention. - Develop high-potential leaders from within. - Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and resilience. - Improve collaboration and team dynamics across departments. 📈 According to the CIPD, coaching is a key driver in building a learning culture and enhancing performance at all levels (2). Whether you're navigating growth, managing change, or simply want to get the best from your people — coaching and mentoring can be the catalyst for transformation. 👉 Ready to future-proof YOUR business? Let’s talk about how tailored coaching and mentoring can help your leaders and teams thrive. Drop me a message or comment below to start the conversation. #LeadershipDevelopment #SMEs #TeamPerformance #CoachingCulture #UKBusiness #OrganisationalDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #AspireMCL 1 - https://lnkd.in/eCgCZsCn 2 - https://lnkd.in/eeD6JktK

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#IOM3Training | Life Cycle Assessment course on 29 October Discover how Life Cycle Assessment supports sustainable development by helping you understand the long-term environmental impacts of products, services and decisions. 📍Delivered virtually on Zoom This CPD-certified course by Dr Sophie Parsons and Louis Brimacombe covers: - Introduction to LCA methodology and tools - LCA’s role in the circular economy and sustainable decision-making - Critical interpretation of LCA results - Use of LCA for environmental product declarations and reporting 💷 Course fees (excl. VAT): £548 for IOM3 members (Save £137 – 20% discount) £685 for non-members Invest in your skills and maximise your membership benefits. Find out more or register https://lnkd.in/estnSgGX

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In Chapter 4 of 'Picture Your Business', I reveal that there can be many different ‘consumers’ or 'customers' associated with the running of your business that 2F Diagram can help you with. In practice I break that down into External Consumers, Internal Customers and Secondary Consumers & Stakeholders. The first two can benefit directly from applying the 2F Diagram. And then again, External Consumers might be broken down into those who actually take and use what is offered and perhaps those who pay for or regulate it. Both of these parties will have ‘wants’ which they’ll tell you about plus ‘needs’ which perhaps they are not aware of or are only partly aware of. The needs might be thought of as the ‘whys’ and understanding these may offer clues for improvements or innovations that could be differentiators that produce competitive advantage.   Then there are the Internal Consumers who could be departments, internal processes or sub-processes, and might be teams or individuals. 2F can help all these meeting their wants and needs particularly from the point of view of actual relationships.   Secondary Consumers & Stakeholders may not benefit from 2F because perhaps they do not directly use the outcomes but may be affected; however, since they could be thought to extend as far as the wider community they do need to be considered.   Chapter 4 is the first step of your reflection on ‘What IS happening’ in and around your business and the possibilities and opportunities associated with its ever-better operation in future.   The activity at the end of the chapter invites you to record your thoughts and conclusions about your consumers/customers.   BTW I’ll admit to using consumers and customers interchangeably. ------------------------------------------------ Ahh… Go on, you know you want to ‘Spark Success’ in your organization by learning about and applying 2F. You can buy ‘Picture Your Business’ from my website. Do please feel free to comment or contact me directly if you have any questions about either Picture Your Business or the 2F Diagram. #2FDiagram #PictureYourBusiness #Consumers #Customers

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Not all coaching engagements deliver the same outcomes. Successful executive coaching is built on several critical foundations. First, trust and confidentiality are essential. Senior leaders must feel safe to explore challenges openly—especially in hierarchical cultures common across the Middle East. Without psychological safety, coaching remains superficial. Second, clarity of purpose matters. Coaching should have clearly defined objectives aligned with both organisational priorities and individual leadership goals. Ambiguity weakens focus and impact. Third, commitment from the leader is non-negotiable. Coaching is most effective when leaders take ownership of their development and actively engage in reflection and experimentation. Finally, organisational support strengthens success. When organisations reinforce coaching goals through culture, feedback, and leadership expectations, change becomes embedded rather than isolated. Successful coaching is a partnership—grounded in trust, clarity, and accountability.

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🟨 Key Funding Streams and Opportunities for the FE Sector 🟨 Here are some UK funding opportunities to be aware of... 🟨 Capital Funding: £200m–£300m+ annually is allocated to FE colleges for maintenance, upgrades, and to improve safety. 🟨 Adult Skills Fund (ASF): Funds training for 19+ learners (non-devolved regions) to gain employability skills. 🟨 Devolved Funding: ~60% of the Adult Skills Fund is managed by mayoral combined authorities and the Greater London Authority. 🟨 Skills Bootcamps: Flexible, employer-focused training programs of up to 16 weeks. 🟨 Advanced Learner Loans: Available for learners aged 19+ studying at Levels 3 to 5. 🟨 16–19 Funding Formula: Core funding for colleges/sixth-forms based on student numbers, provided by the ESFA (merging into DfE in March 2025). 🟨 Multiply Program: Government funding aimed at improving adult numeracy skills. 🟨 FE Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Bursaries: Tax-free bursaries of up to £31,000 for trainees in high-priority subjects like Engineering, Maths, and Science. 🟨 FE Professional Development Grants: Competitive grants for collaborative sector-led initiatives to improve staff development. We'd love to help you through Roemer Barnes Consultancy to get the most out of these opportunities. Connect with me to learn more.

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