Episodes

  • Louise Brown: Excelling in Employee Engagement
    Sep 4 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Louise Brown.

    Louise Brown is Vice Principal Corporate Services at Wigan and Leigh College, a large General FE College in Greater Manchester, where she has been part of the senior leadership team for over 10 years, a portfolio that includes HR and the People Strategy, Estates, Capital Projects, Safeguarding, Additional Learning Support and charity fundraising.

    She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a qualified performance coach with NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming). Her recent work with the HR Team at the College has led to the team being shortlisted for the prestigious Personnel Today Awards in the Health and Wellbeing category.

    Louise is a key influencer to the work of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, including contributing to research papers, panel discussions, webinars and podcasts as well as supporting new and prospective members. Her activities in this area resulted in her being awarded the prestigious Greater Manchester Charter Leader of the Year Award in 2023.

    On the podcast, Louise chats to Louise about the employee engagement at the college, what their wellbeing initiatives are, and what it means to be part of the Manchester Good Employment Charter.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    ...

    Connect with Louise Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-brown-fcipd-1a9140a8/

    Wigan and Leigh College: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/

    Manchester Good Employment Charter: https://www.gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk/

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Natalie Collins: Empowering Women at Work
    Aug 14 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Natalie Collins.

    Natalie is an international speaker and trainer on issues of violence against women and wider gender injustice. Having written numerous training programmes and resources for a wide range of audiences, she is regularly requested as an expert in the field of violence against women, focusing on consciousness and awareness raising, providing quality services to those who have experienced abuse and domestic abuse resources for young people.

    Her theory and practice is founded in direct work with survivors of abuse and was developed through strategic work with the statutory and voluntary sectors and working with perpetrators.

    On the podcast, Louise and Natalie chat about the amazing work that Natalie does, and how she helps to empower woman from all walks of life. Natalie also shares how she is working with businesses to provide courses for women to partake in, and why she thinks it should be more accessible for women to be able to access this training.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    ...

    Connect with Natalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-j-chandler-ctg/

    Website: https://www.nataliecollins.info/

    Own My Life Course: https://www.ownmylifecourse.org/

    Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Control-Couples-Conflict-Capacity/dp/0281078904

    Resources: https://www.ownmylifediscovery.org/

    Day Programme: https://www.dayprogramme.org/

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Helplines:

    Findaway

    National Abuse Helpline

    Respect Helpline

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Emma Chandler: Learning to PIVOT
    Jul 24 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Emma Chandler.

    Emma Chandler is an award-winning leadership coach, inspirational speaker, and author. She is passionate about developing people, changing the face of leadership, and creating inclusive working communities, with a goal of improving wellness, wisdom and winning at work. Emma holds a CIPD accreditation in learning and development and is an accredited resilience coach.

    In 2018, Emma founded her business, HR and leadership consultancy, Choose to Grow. Choose to Grow are resilience experts providing executive coaching services and learning and development interventions to organisations. Emma created the PIVOT leadership programme, a unique leadership model which gives organisations a proven framework for leading change, so they can pivot as required and instil resilience in their teams.

    In 2023, Emma was included in the prestigious NatWest 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch list. She was also named Best Coach at the 2022 Best Businesswomen Awards.

    On the podcast, Louise and Emma chat about Emma’s journey into leadership coaching and what she teaches on her PIVOT leadership programme. They also delve into the neuroscience of leadership and explore strategies for empowering leaders to maximise their team’s potential.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    ...

    Connect with Emma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-j-chandler-ctg/

    Website: https://www.choosetogrow.co.uk/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pivotleadershipwithemma/

    Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-pivot-leadership-podcast/id1750924026

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Fay Wallis: The Power of Coaching in HR
    Jul 3 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Fay Wallis.

    Fay is a career coach and HR Coffee Time podcast host. From her background in HR, she knows what a rewarding, but challenging, career it can be. So, she founded Bright Sky Career Coaching to help ‘People people’ have a happier working life.

    After founding Bright Sky Career Coaching in 2016 and spending several years helping hundreds of people across many sectors and levels with their careers, she realised that she got the most joy from coaching HR and People professionals. So, in September 2022, she decided to focus all of her efforts on supporting them.

    On the podcast, Louise and Fay discuss Fay’s professional career from working in HR to becoming a coach. They also discuss the benefits that having a coach can bring, as well as deciphering the difference between coaches and mentors. Fay shares some brilliant tips on how to set goals and how this can hugely benefit not only your professional life, but your personal life too.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR?

    ...

    Connect with Fay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faywallis/

    Website: https://brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/

    Podcast: https://brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/hr-coffee-time-podcast/

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/

    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • Kimberley Cattin: Creating a Family Culture
    Jun 12 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Kimberley Cattin.

    Kimberley is the co-founder of West Barn Co., the brand that penetrated the beauty industry with the groundbreaking SoapBrows. Kimberley has also recently founded SB1 Group. SB1 Group, under Kimberley's leadership, is dedicated to elevating brands in the dynamic retail space. Kimberley also owns WBCo Clinic, a luxury aesthetics clinic in Durham offering a range of treatments to help clients on their journey with skin and ageing. As an entrepreneur, Kimberley has built strong, dedicated teams which she describes as ‘family’.

    On the podcast, Louise and Kimberley delve into Kimberley’s entrepreneurial journey and the evolution of her business as needs and demands have changed. They discuss culture and talk about the things that Kimberley thinks are most important to ensure a brilliant team dynamic within her businesses. She also discusses the lessons she’s learnt and shares tips on how to hire well.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    ...

    Connect with Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberley-cattin-188805a6/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberleyccattin?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

    SB1 Group: https://www.sb1group.com/

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • Claire Dodds: Adding Value Through Innovative HR
    May 22 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Claire Dodds.

    Claire works alongside Louise at Oculus HR. She is an experienced HR professional and CIPD member and has been working in HR for over 25 years with specific industry experience in Retail, Software Technology and the Automotive industry. Claire enjoys building relationships and supports employers with a variety of projects and activities to offer support and guidance on all HR areas.

    On the podcast, Louise and Claire discuss how HR is becoming more than just transactional support nowadays. They explore how to add more value to your business through building and maintaining a great company culture, why it’s important to look at your people strategy and succession planning, as well as best practises on how to recruit and look after your talent within the business.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    ...

    Connect with Claire: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-dodds/

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Are you interested in finding out what your HR health score is? Take our FREE healthcheck now to receive your personalised report: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Dr Max Draper: Understanding Testosterone Replacement Therapy
    May 1 2024

    What is testosterone replacement therapy?

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Dr Max Draper.

    Dr. Max is the lead clinician at Alphagenix. Alphagenix are passionate about improving the quality of life for men nationwide through education, investigation, diagnosis and the treatment of low testosterone levels.

    Dr. Max is a qualified doctor and passionate about Men’s Health. Prior to joining Alphagenix, he worked as a GP in the NHS for 8 years. Following his own struggles with Low Testosterone, he went on a mission to educate himself on testosterone deficiency, helping other males like himself get diagnosis, education and treatment. Max loves to share his knowledge and personal experiences within the men’s health scene.

    On the podcast, Dr. Max explains how he discovered he had low levels of testosterone and points out the symptoms to look out for. He discusses the difficulties in being diagnosed and why we need to raise awareness on the topic. They also cover what to do if you think you have low testosterone, as well as what you need to be aware of when going ahead with testosterone replacement therapy.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR?

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/

    HR Health Check: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/

    Connect with Dr. Max Draper:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max_your_t?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

    Alphagenix: https://alphagenix.co.uk/

    Alphagenix Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@alpha_genix

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Dr Jennifer Cottam: Neurodiversity in the Workplace
    Apr 10 2024

    In this episode of Real World HR, host Louise Kennedy is joined by Dr Jennifer Cottam.

    Jennifer is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Talk Works. She is serious about making services accessible, which is why, in 2014, Talk Works was set up to give rapid access to mental health support to many. Jennifer’s qualifications include the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a post-graduate Diploma in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

    Talk Works work alongside HR Teams, Occupational Health and Line Managers nationwide to help employees work well, feel well and engage well at work.

    On the podcast, Jennifer shares how companies and leaders can accommodate for their workforce if they present as neurodiverse. She also covers how these changes will bring about positive change for the whole workforce, and how we can ramp up our productivity through good sleep.

    Ready to step into the Real World of HR? 

    Find out more about Oculus HR: https://oculus-hr.co.uk/ 

    HR Health Check: https://oculushr-health-check-linkedin.scoreapp.com/ 

    Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisekennedyfcipd/ 

    Connect with Jen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jencottam/

    Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/talk-works/

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins