Group Leader Responsibilities

Roles of the group leader and LA coordinator vary from LA to LA.The following activities need to be covered by one or the other.

The overall aim is to ensure that the professional educational benefits of the TIPD visit are maximised. This requires an open flexible approach, responding to new experiences as they occur. Working to build the group into a team is important, because in this way the individual skills, expertise and experience of the members before, during and after the visit can be drawn together and used to maximum benefit for all.

The following responsibilities need to be met:

• Convening at least two pre-visit meetings
  These usually take place as “twilight” meetings, with a main aim of refining and objectives and devising research questions. They also enable team members to meet and get to know each other and deal with practical arrangemts e.g. health issues.
• Liaising with the Provider
  This website describes TIPD opportunities managed by HTI-Merganser. HTI-Merganser will identify an appropriate host individual (and organisation) and make all the logistic arrangements. There is 24-hour support from HTI-Merganser during the travel period and when abroad.
• Liaising with the Host
  We very strongly recommend contact with the host before the visit. We will offer advice and support for this.
• Supporting the group during their stay
  The group leader is expected to convene and manage a short professional meeting at the end of each day’s professional programme to provide an opprtunity for support and reflection.
• Report Writing
  The group leader is responsible for making sure that a report is made available within the DCSF timescale (4 weeks). The most effective way to do this is to fully involve all the team members and to plan the report writing and drafting in the course of the preliminary meetings (the least effective way is to not think about it until you get our reminder two weeks after the visit!).
• Co-ordination of follow up meetings
  The Group Leader will also need to convene a follow up meeting, at which outcomes and next steps are reviewed. The group may also want to think about follow up to any contacts they have made through school partnerships.