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Getting Buy-in for Compassionate Approaches at Glasgow Clyde College

Author


CLAIRE GLEN
Assistant Principal
Glasgow Clyde College



Summary
 

Glasgow Clyde College set out to embed a Nurture framework across the whole institution, grounded in compassionate principles. To implement the framework, the college ran workshops to obtain buy-in with senior leadership, followed by bespoke, role-specific training for different areas of the college.




The challenge

 

In 2023, Glasgow Clyde College built a strategy to improve student recruitment, satisfaction, and success outcomes, alongside reducing withdrawal rates. While performance was strong in some curriculum areas, persistent challenges were identified in other subjects. To address these, the college implemented a Nurture framework: a compassionate, relationship-centred approach applicable not just to academic or student-facing staff, but to every member of the institution.

 

The primary challenge was securing buy-in across the institution. Adopting a college-wide approach required first convincing the senior leadership team. Subsequently, certain curriculum areas were initially sceptical, questioning whether a nurture-based approach was relevant to their context.


The approach

 

The Nurture framework centred on three key areas: relationships, activities, and environment. The goal was to ensure that every touchpoint in college life felt welcoming, safe, and respectful, guided by six core principles:

 

  1. Learning is understood developmentally: We recognise that every individual has different skills and experiences and learns and develops in their own unique way.
  2. The college is a safe place: We offer a safe physical, social and emotional environment where our staff and students should feel secure and respected.
  3. Nurture is important in developing wellbeing: We understand the multiple aspects of wellbeing are linked, and we promote a range of self-care and resilience-building activities.
  4. Language is a vital means of communication: We are aware that the use of language, whilst not limited to verbal expression, is important in how we build positive relationships.
  5. All behaviour is communication: We recognize that our behaviour, whether planned or unintentional, conveys our thoughts, needs or feelings to others and may be interpreted in different ways.
  6. Transitions: We value and promote smooth and structured transitions for our staff and students to remove any potential barriers to learning and development.

 

Securing leadership commitment took around six months, during which time the team ran workshops with all ten members of the senior leadership team to define and refine the approach. Once leadership was on board, the framework was extended across both curriculum areas and professional services. Importantly, the college recognised early on that a one-size-fits-all model would not work. Bespoke training was developed for different areas of the college to reflect the diversity of roles and contexts, such as Suicide Awareness training for students in client-facing professions including Hairdressing and Sport. A key part of the process was listening to programmes' staff and students and then working with external partners to develop training that suited their needs. All these development opportunities were achieved without a dedicated budget, through free resources and reciprocal arrangements.

 

Throughout, the approach highlighted the value of non-curriculum staff in supporting student wellbeing. Estates teams, for example, are often well-placed to notice students who appear distressed, while finance staff regularly encounter students experiencing hardship. By providing role-specific training to these teams and recognising their contribution, the college moved towards a genuinely joined-up approach, treating every area of the institution as meaningful to the student experience.


The Impact
 

The Nurture framework has transformed the college’s approach to compassionate relationships. Collectively, staff identified 19 action items for 24/25, with three carried over for 25/26. Early withdrawal fell to its lowest ever level, and student recruitment reached its highest. Student satisfaction improved across every measured area, with students describing the college environment as warm, welcoming, and safe — outcomes that staff attribute to a consistent culture of respect.

 

The benefits have not been limited to students. Staff report that their working lives have improved, with noticeably less interpersonal stress. For example, in one area where staff were finding challenges in engaging some students and were initially resistant to change, the approach contributed to a 24% improvement in success rates. In some areas, staff who had doubted the relevance of compassionate approaches to their predominantly male cohorts found themselves better equipped to have conversations about mental health and to support students more effectively.

 

Work is still ongoing to fully embed the Nurture approach: areas of the college still need to fully engage, and ensuring that new staff are reached and trained continues to be an ongoing task. The college also serves the highest proportion of MD20 students in Scotland, reflecting the complexity of the context in which it operates. Nevertheless, the overall picture is one of genuine progress: staff and students alike report a stronger sense of belonging and feeling that they matter.