Fiona Wernham

Strategic Leadership

• Leadership role for sportscotland's approach to the education and development of coaches, leaders and volunteers in Scotland
• Contribute to the creation and implementation of sportscotland's business and action plans
• Leadership role across lead managers and wider sports development colleagues to ensure focus on and delivery of organisational objectives
• Contribution to organisational direction through leadership group and other relevant strategic forums
• Apply critical thinking to analyse challenges, evaluate solutions and select best decisions.
• Prepared and presented at sportscotland board meetings as required.
• Established and now an advisory member of the Scottish Professional Development Board with a national and local partners.

Partnerships

• Relationship and partnership development across a range of UK and national partners, including home country sports councils, CIMSPA (professional body) and UK Sport
• Developing internal relationship and partnerships which add value and contribute to meeting organisational priorities, including sportscotland institute of sport
• Work with internal colleges to measure progress and monitor impact as required

Accountability

• Management and accountability for budgets and staff resource allocation for specific areas of the business along with contributing to and influencing wider allocations
• Accountable to staff and wider colleagues for leadership, behaviours and approach
• Creation of an open and honest work environment which empowers staff to take responsibility

Integration and Collaboration

• Lead integration and collaboration across sportscotland which have an impact on priorities and actions
• Collaborate with a range of UK, national and local partners, including third sector, as required to understand need and to progress impactful work areas

Impact

• Led the restructure and realignment of the coaching network in Scotland
• Led the consultation and production of 3 iterations of the strategic framework for coaching in Scotland
• Led the development of a new coaching qualification structure in Scotland in partnership with CIMSPA, SQA, SGB's and wider partners through the Scottish Professional Development Board
• Led the establishment of significant project areas such as a new learning management system for coach education, the leadership development programme for professional staff, the re-development of approach to recognition and rewards
• Maintained excellent working relationships across the UK which identify and contribute to common goals
• Supported colleagues consistently, including Senior Management Team, by demonstrating respect and willingness to help

Strategic Leadership

• Led development of sport within the leisure trust in Edinburgh
• Led creation of strategic framework for sport within the trust in partnership with council colleagues and wider partners
• Contributed as part of the senior management team to corporate priorities, decisions and recommendations, attending and presenting to board as required
• Led Edinburgh Leisure's role within strategic and partnership forums, such as the City's Sports Strategy, with third sector organisations and appropriate council departments
• Led integration of sports development priorities across organisation

Management

• Led 70 staff within sports development, including mangers, sports specific staff, active community and health staff and responsible for the delivery of sport across 21 facilities
• Led the restructure and realignment of staff teams to meet business need

Accountability

• Accountable for sports specific and generic development programme income and expenditure across leisure trust - on average £5m income and £2m expenditure
• Accountable for quality of delivery and customer service in partnership with operational staff

Results

• Led the sports and service development team to achieve the highest QUEST (externally assessed quality assurance) score across the UK on 3 consecutive occasions (highest of 85 other organisations)
• Worked with funding bodies to secure £2m per year external funding into Edinburgh Leisure to develop and deliver inclusion projects across the City, mainly in partnership with Big Lottery Fund and NHS Scotland.
• Grew team from initial resource of 8 core staff to 30 staff within 5 years.

Management and leadership

• Operational management and leadership of the services and functions within sports development
• Progressed partnership and relationships which added value and contributed to the priorities of the trust
• Supported the transition process from local authority to leisure trust within the context of sports development

Accountability

• Managed the aquatics, gymnastics, tennis, basketball, athletics and volleyball development programme, working with SGB's and other partners as required
• Managed Edinburgh Leisure's approach to supporting the inclusion agenda, through partnerships with 3rd Sector organisations, Age Concern, NHS, community learning and development, social work and others as required.

Partnerships

• Grew partnerships with SGB's, local partners and internally to agree priorities, focus and delivery of sport and physical activity in Edinburgh
• Represented Edinburgh Leisure on the board of the Edinburgh Youth Social Inclusion Partnership (EYSIP) and the board of Lothian Association of Youth Clubs (LAYC)
• Supported the transition for people from community to club sport through our partnership with swimming and gymnastics clubs in Edinburgh.

Results

• Led the establishment of inclusion projects which are still in place today (Open all Hours for young people) and the Community Access Programme for excluded groups.
• Started Edinburgh Leisure's journey within the Quest for Sports development process, always achieving good or excellent before our latter achievement of highest preforming team in the UK
• Grew our sports coaching programme from approx. 2000 young people per week to 5000 per week.

Delivery

• Understand need and develop programme and sport and physical approaches for older adults in sport in Edinburgh
• Develop range of programmes and events for older adults across the city
• Worked with marketing teams and leisure managers to deliver programmes and events which both generated income and met customer needs.
• Employed coaches and deliverers, managed budgets and logistics for programmes and events

Partnerships

• Range of internal and external partnerships, including teams within the trust, operational managers, along with organisations which worked with older adults - Age Concern Edinburgh, social work departments, care and residential homes as examples.

Results

• Established city wide programme across 18 venues including bowling greens and tennis pavilions for older adults
• Established successful annual outdoor activities programme, attracting 500 people per year
• Established annual events programme within facilities, including open days, tea dances and badminton competitions.
• Secured funding and put in place first Ageing Well NHS funded programme in Scotland - still in place and active across the country

• Worked with disability and 50+ development officers to support delivery and development of opportunities for older adults and people with disabilities in Glasgow
• Carried out bookings and administration task as required
• Attended relevant internal and external partnership meetings as required
• Established events and walking programmes for older adults in Glasgow
• Supported celebration events and theatre productions for older adults