Investing in Leadership: Nant’s Managing Directors Build a Coaching Culture

Carl Baker and Richard Deakin have just finished their Level 7 coaching and mentoring qualifications with WELL Training. For Nant’s two Managing Directors, this was about more than ticking another professional development box — it’s part of changing how the whole company works.

Building on what already works

A couple of years back, Nant started something called Elevate. Eight team members spent a year working with external coach Gordon Lord on professional development. The results were clear: people like Georgie Harris moved up to Head of People and Operations, and Jared Darby became Hygiene Supervisor. When Jared took over his team, staff turnover dropped significantly.

“Strong relationships formed early on, allowing a deep understanding of our organisation,” says Carl about the WELL Training experience. “The programme was tailored to allow enhanced learning and application to our everyday roles.”

For Richard, the flexibility mattered: “The programme was structured well, with content that directly linked to the strategic and leadership challenges within NANT. Lianne was excellent, challenging the norm, and acting as a critical friend when needed.”

The benefits of rolling out coaching training

Carl and Richard are already applying what they have learned, introducing six-monthly performance reviews that use coaching principles, and it’s making a real difference to how people develop in their roles.

Richard explains: “We’ve used the learning to support the mobilisation of a coaching and mentoring development system across Nant, aligned to our individual, departmental, and strategic objectives.”

Georgie Harris and Matt Price are currently doing their Level 5 coaching qualifications, and seven more supervisors and managers have started on the same journey. By the end of the year, nearly half the workforce will have some level of coaching training.

Better culture means better business

The proof is in how things work day-to-day. Staff retention has improved, especially in field teams, and Nant’s trial of a four-day working week is going well across productivity, wellbeing, and job satisfaction measures.

“We’ve taken the knowledge and tools gained through the programme and have directly applied them throughout the business,” says Richard. “We’re embedding coaching and mentoring principles into our leadership approach, performance management, and people-development strategies.”

Customer satisfaction scores have also improved from 8.0 to 9.4 out of 10, demonstrating that developing people internally enhances service quality.

Why great team culture matters

At Nant, keeping clients’ water systems safe starts with taking care of the team. When people feel supported and see opportunities to grow, they deliver better service.

Carl puts it simply: “Now we’ve got a structured 6-monthly performance review system which allows us to apply coaching and mentoring to our employee lifecycle. Personally, I’ve applied some of the knowledge gained into my professional practice.”

Richard adds: “The off-site days were well-structured and thought-provoking, helping us to consider all of the theory, based on real life examples. Lianne was really knowledgeable and supportive.”

Next steps for team development

With nearly half the team now trained in coaching principles, Nant is building the kind of leadership that supports long-term growth. In an industry where compliance and relationships matter equally, having people who understand how to develop others makes all the difference.

As the water hygiene sector continues to evolve, this investment in people ensures Nant stays ahead — in both technical expertise and the kind of service that comes from genuinely caring about your team and your clients.

Want to work with a company that invests in its people?

Our approach to water safety compliance is built on strong relationships and continuous improvement. Get in touch to see how our people-focused culture translates into better service for your care home.