Manager School Online: Exclusive Offer for WISH Members

WISH partnership launches accredited programme to strengthen social housing leadership

WISH is proud to partner with Hayley Gillard, CEO of Compassionate Leaders and long-time leadership consultant, to offer corporate members preferential access to Manager School Online - a Level 5 ILM-accredited, 12-week self-study programme designed to build confident, capable people managers in the social housing sector.

With over 15 years’ experience supporting housing organisations, Hayley specialises in developing managers who have been promoted for their technical expertise but have had little formal training in managing people. She holds an MSc in Psychology with a focus on psychological safety in housing and has designed and delivered ILM-accredited leadership programmes for housing associations across the UK.

“In housing, we often see talented individuals promoted into management without the opportunity to develop the skills they need to lead others. In fact, the WISH training needs survey consistently shows that confidence is one of the key areas members struggle with. Manager School Online bridges that gap, offering an accredited programme that strengthens people management skills, confidence and communication, supporting managers to bring the behaviours and expectations of the Competence and Conduct Standard to life in everyday practice.”
— Hayley Gillard, CEO, Compassionate Leaders

As resident Leadership Consultant for WISH, Hayley has supported hundreds of women through training, coaching and qualifications, bringing deep sector insight and a practical, no-nonsense approach that resonates strongly with housing professionals.

What makes Manager School Online different?

Unlike generic leadership programmes, Manager School Online is built specifically for the realities of social housing and the challenges faced by today’s managers. The programme combines:

• Sector-relevant scenarios and practical tools managers can use immediately
• A strong focus on confidence, self-awareness and psychologically safe team cultures
• Flexible, high-quality self-study learning that fits around busy operational roles
• ILM Level 5 accreditation, giving both credibility and recognised professional development

This unique blend of psychological insight, sector expertise and practical application is why confidence in people management - a consistent priority in WISH member surveys - is a core thread running throughout the programme.

Exclusive WISH Corporate Benefit

WISH corporate members receive an exclusive 10% discount on programme places, making it a cost-effective way to invest in management capability across your organisation.

Enhanced Impact for Multiple Bookings

Organisations enrolling multiple managers also have the opportunity to add in-person accountability and implementation sessions. These facilitated sessions help translate learning into real workplace practice by:

• Supporting managers to embed new skills and behaviours
• Creating space for reflection and peer learning
• Strengthening consistency of management approach across teams
• Accelerating return on investment from the programme

This flexible model allows organisations to combine the scalability of high-quality online learning with the added depth and momentum of live, in-person support.

“At WISH, we are committed to supporting women across the housing sector to step into leadership with confidence and clarity. This partnership with Compassionate Leaders reflects both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity we have to better equip managers with the skills they need. Manager School Online offers a practical, accessible route to developing confident, capable leaders who can create psychologically safe, high-performing teams across our sector.”
— Jayne Entwistle, Managing Director, WISH

Manager School Online aligns strongly with WISH’s commitment to developing confident women in social housing and supports organisations to build more consistent, psychologically safe and high-performing teams.

For corporate enquiries or to discuss cohort bookings, contact Hayley Gillard at Compassionate Leaders.

About WISH
Women in Social Housing (WISH) is a membership organisation dedicated to supporting and empowering women across the housing sector. Through networking, mentoring, events and professional development opportunities, WISH works to inspire the next generation of leaders while championing equity, diversity and inclusion across the industry. With a strong national network, WISH plays a key role in shaping a more inclusive and representative housing sector.

About Compassionate Leaders
Compassionate Leaders is a leadership development consultancy specialising in building confident, capable and people-focused managers within the social housing sector. Led by Hayley Gillard, the organisation combines psychological insight with practical application to deliver ILM-accredited programmes, coaching and consultancy that support leaders to create psychologically safe, high-performing teams.