Helping public sector and community organisations deliver great outcomes for the people they serve

With more than 20 years of public and community sector experience, my work draws on my extensive facilitation, strategy, and delivery experience. I combine this with a focus on relationship building, strength-based working, and developing connections that deliver great outcomes.

I provide the support organisations need at various touchpoints in the change process - from strategy development to community facilitation. Building the long-term capacity of your teams to deliver sustainable and impactful services is a vital part of how I work.

To learn more about my background and some of the work I am most proud to have been a part of, head over to About Tom.

Putting connection at the centre of the work

Projects, ideas and initiatives require strong connections to have the impact we strive for. A key part of my work is understanding your context and supporting you to strengthen vital connections in a range of areas, so your ideas produce great outcomes.

  • I provide a range of services from a day’s support to help you unblock a challenge or train your team, to longer-term engagements, helping you design and deliver new projects or services.

    The first part of my work focuses on understanding your ambitions, what works in your organisation, and what you think could be changed or improved. I do this by making space to listen and tune in to your needs.

    I have trained 100s of frontline practitioners to build the relationships required to support change and work in a strength-based way. These skills and qualities underpin the understanding phase of any client engagement. Once we have a shared understanding of what you are trying to achieve, we can work together to strengthen the connections in your team or organisation.

  • How we build meaningful connections is at the heart of successful teams, services and organisations. I help people strengthen these connections and develop the human qualities that support these connections to grow.

    Areas of expertise:

    Building your understanding of the key human connections that support your service, project or activity to be successful. This includes the communities you serve and the people in and outside your organisation that will be vital to achieving positive outcomes.

    Designing and facilitating face-to-face and online workshops that build relationships between stakeholders and create shared purpose.

    Development of the core skills that build connection in your team using practical and impactful learning approaches, with a focus on - reflection, listening, asking questions, and empathy.

  • My earliest roles were working to ensure communities could influence how services were delivered and that they were part of designing the solutions. Throughout my career, I have always held the connections between organisations and the people and communities they serve as a fundamental pillar of success.

    Areas of expertise:

    Designing and facilitating face-to-face and online workshops that build a shared understanding of the hopes and ambitions of the people you serve.

    Co-designing services with the people who will use them, so they better meet the needs of communities.

    Working alongside voluntary and community sector partners to build their capacity, support the development of strategic priorities, and build resilience.

  • There can often be a disconnect between people working in frontline roles and those working in policy and strategy roles. I help join the dots between people and ideas at all levels. This means fewer ‘lost in translation’ moments and a greater sense of shared endeavour.

    Areas of expertise:

    Developing theories of change that are grounded with local insights, are flexible and support people to truly understand the impact.

    Navigating potential obstacles that prevent ideas and projects from meeting the expectations of our people or our communities

    Delivery of complex projects and programmes, using a responsive approach that can adapt to emerging needs and priorities - using a combination of project and programme management approaches,including the best og Agile and waterfall methodologies.

    Creating mechanisms that measure what really matters, without burdening people with unhelpful bureaucracy. This includes the development of reporting tools, dashboards and data analysis.

  • “Tom has been brilliant support as we’ve worked together to build a new service. He regularly helped me to tidy my mind and captured my thoughts and ideas to help build a clear and cohesive plan. He is someone I hold in very high regard.”

    Sally Glossop, County Lead for Graduated Response (SEND)

  • "Tom was great. He stepped in at the last minute to facilitate a strategy and planning day when a colleague couldn't make it, and his flexibility and ability to deliver a creative and enjoyable session with very little notice was really good. Our day was fun and useful and we came away with tangible actions for development of our charity programme."

    Sarah Watson, Hackney Giving

  • “We enjoyed your passion, your flexibility, and how approachable you were. We know that there were blockages and last-minute issues, but you found solutions and developed a thorough piece of analysis that will be vital in informing the Local Plan.”

    London Borough of Newham Planning Policy Team

Organisations I have worked with