Impakt charity

Impakt Charity Student Name Institution Course Professor Date Task 1: Report Introduction IMPAKT Housing and Support is a charitable organisation dedicated to addressing homelessness and supporting individuals experiencing domestic abuse. Additionally, it operates a no-criteria community larder that serves approximately 100 families daily. The organisation is active in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire and employs around 86 staff members. Its structure comprises a CEO, a board of trustees, and two executive directors, supported by a leadership team that aligns strategic and operational goals. IMPAKT faces challenges related to funding, rising community needs, legislative changes, and collaboration with local authorities. Yet, it strives to maintain a culture of compassion and empowerment. Leadership Current Approach to Leadership Leadership Style IMPAKT Housing and Support exhibit a proactive and strategic leadership approach underpinned by structured planning and decision-making processes. The organisation develops and reviews four-year strategic plans, signed off by the board of trustees and implemented through operational plans by the executive team. Communication flows effectively from the executive team to department heads via monthly meetings and employee forums (Gallo, 2022). The use of a recently introduced newsletter further enhances transparency and engagement. The leadership style reflects elements of both transformational leadership, focusing on the organisation's values and culture, and situational leadership, adapting to specific needs and challenges. Emotional intelligence is a key leadership trait, with leaders emphasising compassion and understanding, particularly in navigating sensitive areas such as domestic abuse support and employee well-being (Issah, 2018). The leadership's collaborative nature is evident in its inclusive decision-making process and prioritising employee input through forums and feedback mechanisms. Key Traits IMPAKT's leaders demonstrate emotional intelligence and collaboration as central tenets of their approach. Given the challenging nature of its services, emotional intelligence is especially crucial in this organisation, which often involves trauma and crises (Price, 2024). Leaders ensure a supportive environment by fostering open communication and actively addressing staff needs through reflective practice sessions to mitigate burnout (Patel, 2024). Collaboration extends beyond internal teams to external stakeholders, although challenges remain in building relationships that are more effective with local authorities. Critical Analysis Using Theory Transformational Leadership The organisation embodies several aspects of transformational leadership. Leaders align their strategic vision with the organisation's core values—Aspiring, Caring, and Empowering (ACE)—to inspire staff and create a culture of trust and compassion (Lai et al., 2020). This leadership style is particularly effective in fostering employee motivation and engagement, as evidenced by the high participation in forums and team-building activities. However, transformational leadership also requires robust external engagement to drive organisational growth (Lut, 2020). While IMPAKT's internal leadership fosters a strong culture, its limited success in influencing local authorities and navigating bureaucratic hurdles highlights a potential gap in its external transformational efforts. Situational Leadership Situational leadership is also evident in IMPAKT's approach to navigating specific challenges, such as losing a significant contract in 2022. McHugh (2024) describes how the leadership used its expertise to secure additional domestic abuse service contracts elsewhere in the country. This adaptability shows that the leaders can assess the environment and create strategies that fit this environment. While further refinement of this approach is needed, particularly to address external challenges like funding constraints and project delay proactively, the approach holds significant promise in both process and performance. Strengths and Gaps Straightforward strategic planning, inclusive communication practices, and an emotionally intelligent leadership style are the key strengths of IMPAKT's leadership. However, these elements lead to a compassionate organisational culture and high employee engagement (Schuetz, 2017). The organisation also invests in coaching programs for department heads and the ILM Level 3 training for first-line managers. However, notable gaps exist. The need for more consistency in collaborating with local authorities to realise housing projects suggests that building advocacy and stakeholder management skills is necessary. Another gap, though, is employee engagement within the organisation, which, while necessary, could be filled with more structured leadership training programs focused on external influence and relationship management. Evaluation of Impact Alignment with Organisational Goals IMPAKT's leadership is in sync with its mission and values, and it has an aligned culture that supports its commitment to serving the diverse community's needs. The focus on emotional intelligence and collaboration allows for team cohesion and staff morale to be maintained at high levels despite an operational context being challenging as it relates to maintaining high levels of service delivery (Kim & Ko, 2021). Opportunities for Improvement While internal leadership strategies have proven successful, the organisation must vastly improve its external leadership capabilities. The advocate efforts can be enhanced, and relationships with local authorities can be strengthened to speed up project approvals and reduce congestion through the expansion of housing projects (Vitálišová et al., 2021). In addition, leaders would be trained in the advanced techniques of stakeholder management and public policy navigation to address bureaucratic challenges more effectively. Broader Implications The current leadership approach strengthens operational stability and employee satisfaction. However, organisational growth has more potential to be unlocked if external challenges are addressed. Examining IMPAKT's advocacy strategies and situational leadership capabilities could improve the ability to raise more funding from the private sector, substantially strengthen ties with key government and private sector partners, and thus ultimately serve more needy individuals. Health and Well-being Current Approach IMPAKT Housing and Support recognises that its work is challenging, that frontline staff are exceptionally hard-working, and that they strongly want to ensure the well-being of all employees. Key initiatives include an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with counselling services, a 24/7 GP service, and bereavement help. Frontline workers can participate in reflective practice sessions on the issues of burnout and vicarious trauma associated with their emotionally intense cases (Grabbe et al., 2021). The organisation strengthens physical health through wellness apps that reward good habits, team-building activities, and social events like barbecues and brunches and promote mental health. These are intended to encourage a supportive, loving environment for the workplace culture. However, efforts have yet to be made with much success so far. It is a demanding work environment, and employees carry an emotional cost, so continuous and scalable support mechanisms are needed. While mitigated by existing initiatives, vicarious trauma and burnout require ongoing investment to prevent long-term burnout, vicarious trauma, and compromised staff well-being and productivity. Critical Analysis Using Theory Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can be leveraged to understand what health and well-being programs IMPAKT needs to focus on. Access to GP services and counselling allows the organisation to address basic physiological and safety needs successfully. Belonging and esteem needs, for instance, are met through team-building activities and compassionate organisational culture. In contrast, psychological needs, such as work satisfaction, freedom of choice, and learning, are less well addressed. Additionally, higher-level self-actualisation needs are met through reflective practice sessions and opportunities for interdependent collaboration so that employees feel valued and supported in their roles. The Occupational Health Model also raises the importance of preventative measures to improve employee health and productivity. This model of reflective practices, however, actively responds to the known risks to mental health from trauma-heavy work by proactively addressing such risks (Marshall et al., 2022). However, the model suggests that more targeted efforts, such as personalised wellness plans directed at individual employee needs, could enhance these efforts with more targeted interventions for those at higher risk of burnout or stress-related health problems. Evaluation of Effectiveness IMPAKT's initiatives positively impact employee morale, retention, and productivity by creating a culture that values staff well-being. Council (2019) stresses that team building strengthens interpersonal relationships and lowers stress. The EAP has resources that are vital for mental health. However, these measures are yet to be scaled. This could introduce the idea of personalised wellness plans for one's personal needs. IMPAKT could improve the effectiveness of its current programs by integrating digital platforms to track mental health and provide customised recommendations. Using reflective practice sessions for all employees, rather than just frontline staff, could widen the access to reflective practice sessions and broaden its approach to mental health. Diversity Current Approach IMPAKT Housing and Support exemplifies a solid commitment to diversity and inclusion, as matched in its workforce. The policies and values of the organisation aim at inclusivity and representation in the organisation, as per ethnicity, gender, disability, and neurodiversity. This commitment aligns with the organisation's core values—Aspiring, Caring, and Empowering (ACE)—embedded in its internal practices and external service delivery (Radu, 2023). While IMPAKT's approach to diversity is commendable, challenges persist, particularly in equipping managers to lead diverse teams effectively. Training on managing neurodiversity and other needs within the workforce remains an area for further development. Critical Analysis Using Theory Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory highlights the importance of managing diversity in a multicultural workforce. IMPAKT's inclusive policies suggest a strong alignment with low power distance, emphasising equality and collaboration across all levels of the organisation. The focus on team-building and employee forums reflects a collectivist orientation, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. The Equality Act 2010 provides a legislative framework that underscores IMPAKT's commitment to preventing discrimination and promoting inclusivity (Gov.UK, 2013). The organisation's hiring practices and inclusive culture demonstrate compliance with this legislation. However, ensuring managers are well-trained to navigate the complexities of neurodiversity and cultural differences could further enhance these efforts. Tailored training programs on diversity management would align with both Hofstede's framework and legal requirements, supporting a more inclusive workplace. Evaluation of Effectiveness IMPAKT's diversity initiatives effectively support its organisational goals by fostering a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. This inclusivity enhances the organisation's ability to understand and address client needs (Tarikhkyzy, 2023). However, gaps in leadership training on diversity management present an opportunity for improvement. Introducing targeted training programs for managers, focusing on neurodiversity, unconscious bias, and cross-cultural communication, could strengthen the organisation's inclusivity efforts (Onyeador et al., 2021). Such programs enable leaders to support a diverse workforce better, fostering a culture where all employees feel valued and understood. Consequently, this may boost employee engagement, lower turnover, and improve corporate performance. Embedding Diversity Training in Leadership Development Initiatives will still help IMPAKT continue to commit to being as inclusive as possible. Task 2: A4 Leaflet: Recommendations for Leadership, Health & Well-being, and Diversity R...