Purpose
The Bolton College Voice Framework is designed to secure and live our core values— Inclusivity, Excellence, and Collaboration—while complementing our Communication Strategy and aligning with the College’s Strategic Plan: Work Ready, World Ready, Future Ready. It ensures that feedback from team members, learners, and stakeholders informs decision-making, strengthens engagement, and drives continuous improvement across all areas of the College, embedding our values into everyday practice.
Key Principles
• Inspiring Excellence: Strive for the highest standards in everything we do.
• Championing Inclusivity: Ensure every voice is valued and respected.
• Driving Innovation: Use feedback to shape forward-thinking solutions.
• Empowering Voice: Give stakeholders the confidence and tools to influence change.
• Leading Responsiveness: Act swiftly and transparently to feedback, setting a sector benchmark.
Why Listening Matters
• Continuous Improvement: Feedback helps us identify strengths and areas for development, ensuring learners are Work Ready.
• Engagement & Inclusion: Stakeholders feel heard and valued, fostering a culture of collaboration that prepares learners to be World Ready.
• Responsiveness: Acting on feedback demonstrates accountability and builds confidence in our leadership, supporting Future Ready adaptability.
• Innovation: Insights from team members, learners, and employers shape curriculum and services to remain relevant for future careers.
How We Listen and Respond
We use multiple channels to ensure accessibility and inclusivity, embedding strategic priorities throughout.
Team Members
• Pulse Surveys twice per academic year to capture overall engagement, wellbeing, and satisfaction across all roles - not just teaching - ensuring Bolton College remains sector - leading in staff voice and culture.
• Principal’s Drop-ins monthly with the College Leadership Team for open dialogue, creating a culture of trust and collaboration that reflects Further Education sector excellence.
• Principal’s monthly updates, with QR codes for continuous feedback.
• Principal’s briefings and address to provide updates and gather feedback.
• Weekly Team Meetings every Wednesday to share updates and feedback, embedding transparency and responsiveness across all departments.
• Communities of Practice to encourage team members to voice and share best practice and find solutions together.
• Team member vision ambassadors who share messages internally and amplify voice externally via social media.
• Structured quality assurance processes that combine course reviews, self-assessment, and quality improvement plans to drive continuous improvement. Teams will have dedicated time to reflect, share feedback, and collaboratively create actionable solutions that address current challenges and anticipate future needs.
• Additionally, we have established working groups, such as the Wellbeing Group, to ensure team members have a platform to voice their opinions and contribute to shaping initiatives.
Learners
• Start, Mid, and End Surveys to capture feedback throughout the learning journey.
• Termly Learner Voice Forums for structured discussions on learner experience.
• Monthly Head of Area Forums for direct engagement with leadership, driving Future Ready improvements.
• In-Class Open Forums and QR codes displayed around campus for instant feedback, supported by team member and learner Vision Ambassadors.
• Parent/Guardian Forums for learners under 18 to ensure family engagement and holistic learner development.
Employers & External Stakeholders
• Employer Surveys at start, mid, and end of apprenticeship, to shape curriculum for Work Ready graduates.
• Industry Advisory Boards termly to align programmes with local, regional and national trends, supporting World Ready learners.
• Curriculum Specialist Panels and Sector-Specific Roundtables for Future Ready innovation.
• Employer Networking Events and Recognition Programmes to strengthen partnerships and encourage feedback.
• Annual Stakeholder Survey: Conducted once per year to capture overall satisfaction, strategic insights, and partnership feedback, ensuring alignment with Work Ready, World Ready, Future Ready priorities.
Governance
We use a Meeting Evaluation Survey after every committee and board meeting to gather meaningful feedback from our governors. Across the year, there are 14 meetings in total, including three full board meetings. Each board member serves on at least one additional committee, providing a minimum of three opportunities annually to share insights, offer feedback, and engage in constructive challenge. This ensures every voice is heard and contributes to continuous improvement.
Our approach includes:
• Strategy and Training: Supporting governors to provide informed input and challenge effectively.
• Link Governor Opportunities: Creating channels for governors to influence decisions and listen to stakeholder perspectives.
• Board Principal’s Update: Keeping all members aligned with governance priorities and best practice.
Community and Digital Engagement
• Local Community Forums and Open Days to understand community needs and prepare learners for diverse contexts.
• Social Media Listening to capture real-time feedback and respond promptly, reinforcing Future Ready adaptability.
Feedback Loop and Accessibility
• ‘You Said, We Did’ reporting across all channels to demonstrate transparency and accountability.
• Accessibility measures including multilingual options, paper and digital channels, and mobile-friendly QR codes.
Team Member and Learner Vision Ambassadors
• Communicating key updates from leadership and forums to team members, learners, and stakeholders.
• Encouraging participation in surveys, forums, and feedback channels.
• Acting as champions for the strategic vision and values of Bolton College.
• Amplify voice on social media: Share key messages, feedback outcomes, and success stories online to celebrate engagement and demonstrate responsiveness.
• Supporting the implementation of ‘You Said, We Did’ reporting across departments.
Celebration and Recognition
• Annual Awards for Excellence: Recognising outstanding contributions across the College.
• Termly Values Recognition Awards: Celebrating individuals and teams who exemplify Bolton College’s core values. Open nomination system to listen to the voice of our team members and learners who want to celebrate each other.
• Star Award and Principal’s Award featured in the Principal’s Address: Highlighting exceptional achievements and commitment to our vision.
Governance and Reporting
• Voice Framework monitored termly via Executive meetings and reported to Governors.
• Owner: Executive Director of Strategy and Growth, ensuring strategic alignment and oversight.
Performance and impact reviewed regularly
Compliments and Complaints
• We operate a dedicated Complaints and Compliments mailbox, monitored daily to ensure timely feedback and action. Outcomes and trends are reported to Executive monthly and Governors on a termly basis, reinforcing transparency and accountability.
Compliments@boltoncc.ac.uk
Complaints@boltoncc.ac.uk
College info@boltoncc.ac.uk • www.boltoncollege.ac.uk
