Many will have visited Roffey Park for events without being fully aware of its “day job”. The institute has just completed 70 years of service and it was a pleasure to meet the Chief Exec, Michael Jenkins and other members of staff.
Roffey is a highly rated centre for management training based locally and in Singapore. Ever since the Institute's foundation the UK has been under continuous pressure to improve its economic productivity as emerging nations gained independence and were able to compete fairly against our industries. We have to compete by being smarter, more technologically advanced and above all by investing in our people.
Roffey Park’s management courses help individuals achieve their full potential and help organisations learn how best to develop their team. For much of Roffey’s history the UK laboured under some of the most unprofessional management in the world – this has transformed but needs constant improvement to help us succeed.
This is however only part of the story. From the outset the Institute focused on the “well-being of the workforce” emphasizing both physical and mental health. At its launch mental health was a huge issue for a country emerging from the stress of the War, it continues to be an important research area for the Institute.
Once again there is wide recognition of the importance of addressing mental health. Theresa May launched a long term mental health strategy last week, part of which is a new partnership with employers. One frustration I have is the time it takes to get patients, outside of emergency situations, professional advice. New funds include a digital package so that those suffering stress can go online, check their symptoms and if needed, as a first step, access digital therapy immediately. For those of us brought up before the digital age really took off this seems strange but for many, especially younger people, it is both natural and helpful. It has certainly worked elsewhere and in the same way that the Institute was a radical innovation that prospered we should not be afraid to offer every means to address an undoubted need.
Photo Caption: Meeting with Michael Jenkins, Chief Exec of the Roffey Park Institute