Mark Waddington has extensive experience leading therapeutic work with traumatized children and in residential sector leadership. He offers leadership coaching to support leaders in navigating the complex dynamics of organizations serving traumatized children. Coaching is a collaborative process to help prioritize strategic decision-making over anxiety-driven responses. Mark is currently working as a consultant for several organizations providing leadership coaching, staff training, and business planning support. He is also conducting PhD research on complexity and inter-agency collaboration.

1. Leadership Coaching with Mark Waddington
“The driving factor that makes change happen at a necessary pace is leadership….We
have seen good leadership and management transform work with children……”
p6 Ofsted Social Care Report July 2016
Mark has extensive leadership experience in the residential sector operationally and as
a clinician leading therapeutic work with traumatised children and young people. He
has particular expertise in inter-agency working and joint commissioning processes.
Mark is currently conducting PhD research around complexity and inter-agency
working in this sector.
This twin perspective allows Mark to support leaders as they navigate the complex
dynamics that characterise the function of organisations that work with traumatised
children. Mark offers the opportunity to consider the multiple, urgent, and often
contradictory demands experienced in leadership roles and to identify the processes
that underpin them.
Leadership coaching is a shared enterprise - a collaborative process that helps sort the
wood from the trees to establish a vantage point of confidence from which decision-
making can be strategic rather than anxiety-driven. Collaboration will necessarily be
personal and evolve to fit the particular circumstances and personality of each
individual. It is therefore crucial to establish that there is a good fit and to be confident
in a good return on investment, both in terms of time and thinking. Mark offers an initial
consultation at a reduced rate to check this out.
Current Projects
Consultant at Motivations Child care in Birmingham offering leadership coaching to
director and managers. Group work with staff teams to improve team function and
therapeutic practice. Motivations was referenced in the report from Martin Narey’s
independent review of residential childcare July 2016.
I am contracted to provide Leadership Coaching Relationship for new Responsible
Individual.
Trustee at National Association of Independent Reviewing Officers leading their
training arm to develop a modular accredited training course for IROs, and to develop
and market a comprehensive training portfolio to generate income for the organisation.
Consultant to team developing therapeutic residential provision for UASC preparing
business plan, mission statement etc.
PhD research on complexity and collaboration including presenting at this year’s
BPS conference in Nottingham
Presenting on discourse analysis in inter-agency meetings at Leicester University
Post Graduate Research conference.
mark@mwcollaborations.com  http://mwcollaborations.com  07751 702814