Client Overview
University of Sunderland in London (UOSIL) is a rapidly growing institution that has evolved from a team of just 12 staff in 2012 to 250+ in 2025.
As a satellite campus of the University of Sunderland, it retains the institution’s core values while navigating the unique challenges and opportunities of operating in a vibrant, urban setting.
Partnering to Shape Culture & Leadership
Our Engagement
Following our successful collaboration with the University of Sunderland’s Organisational Development team, we were recommended to the HR team at UOSIL.
Our partnership began in 2024 with a series of facilitated focus groups, designed in response to insights from the annual staff survey. These confidential sessions created space for staff to share their experiences, surface challenges, and generate ideas for positive change.
Identifying an Opportunity
Through this work, it became clear that UOSIL was at a cultural inflection point.
The size and complexity of the campus had grown significantly, and there was a clear opportunity to strengthen alignment around values and behaviours.
Rather than redefine the institution’s existing values, UOSIL sought to make them more actionable - embedding them into everyday behaviours expected across the organisation.
Our Solution
We designed and facilitated a co-creation process to shape a practical Cultural Framework for UOSIL:
- World Café-style workshops with all staff explored what “living the values” should look like at UOSIL.
- Focused discussions with managers and leaders surfaced expectations for leadership behaviours in a growing, increasingly complex environment.
- Collaborative development with the Head of HR ensured the framework was practical, grounded, and tailored to UOSIL’s context.
The result is a clear, behaviourally driven framework that defines what great looks like - both in peer interactions and in management practice - aligned to UOSIL’s strategic goals.
What’s Next
This foundational cultural work has surfaced key capability gaps and development needs.
In 2025, we are partnering with UOSIL to design and deliver two bespoke leadership development programmes:
- One for less experienced, first-time managers
- One for mid- to senior-level leaders
These programmes will equip leaders at all levels with the skills and confidence to model the desired culture and lead the next phase of UOSIL’s growth.
Impact So Far
- High staff engagement across all workshops and focus groups
- Clear behavioural expectations aligned to institutional values
- Stronger partnership between HR and wider staff community
- Leadership development pipeline shaped by real organisational need