I know people can change.
My name’s Jerry Gilpin. I set up perception in 2007 because I knew that focused, affirming and yet challenging support does help people grow. It’s helped me grow. And I’ve seen it in my work as a teacher, as a parish priest, as chaplain in Higher Education, and in the change and development that I’ve seen in over 350 individuals and teams in the past 15 years, and the 5000 hours I’ve spent with them.
My professional practice is based on qualification and accreditation as a Coach at Senior Practitioner Level, in the use of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and other Jungian psychological type instruments, Firo-b, several 360° feedback instruments, and the emotional intelligence measure EQi (see the Myers Briggs, EMCC and OCM websites for more details).
I hold full professional indemnity insurance provided by Towergate Insurance.
My name is Elisabeth Gilpin. I’ve been part of perception since 2022, when I retired from secondary school headship. With 30 years’ experience in school leadership, including over 23 years in headship, I know the power that a shared vision in a school brings to staff and students, enabling them to enjoy their work, succeed and transform society for the better.
I also know that leadership in education can be a tough place to be; and it is a privilege to walk alongside some of the most inspirational leaders in our country.
My professional practice as a coach, mentor and facilitator is based on training as a National Leader in Education, co-writing a Masters level course on “Coaching and Mentoring for School Improvement”, facilitating and coaching on National Professional Qualifications in education and my own experience as a headteacher.
Since 2016, and using psychological type and Jerry’s finely tuned insight, Jerry has worked alongside me to develop high performing teams. Through our work with Jerry we have not only improved our collective impact but also developed deep bonds as individuals.
Your coaching has really helped me over the years and I often have an internal voice suggesting I should use one of my least preferred strategies to try to manage a situation!
My meetings with Jerry are immensely valuable. Jerry creates a totally safe and trusted space where I can genuinely and deeply reflect, and feel both challenged and supported.
Time with Jerry is never wasted. He enables the heart of an issue to be opened up and understood in fresh ways, leading to the discernment of new and creative ways forward.
Working with someone who really ‘gets’ us and our aspirations is great and every session leaves us motivated and committed to the next phase…
Our bi monthly meetings have refined strategy, supported personal growth, and been of great benefit to me and the organisation … and probably even more to those in my team who need to live with me as the leader. Jerry’s ability to ask the awkward question has both encouraged and challenged me and without doubt contributed significantly to our resilience as an organisation and to my own ability to negotiate multiple complex situations.
Jerry’s empathy, insight and understanding – shown every time we have met – have never prevented him from offering the challenge to me to be honest with myself, and to make helpful changes to my behaviour and practice when they are needed.
Jerry was my coach supervisor early on in my coaching career. I found his feet on the ground, head in the theory style incredibly powerful. Our meetings were informal and relaxed, but the learning was powerful and stretching. If you’re looking for a coach supervisor, I’d recommend Jerry.
I have always found Jerry’s combination of compassion and clear thinking helpful to get me unstuck. His work with groups and teams using the MBTI has given them a language and a tool to recognise healthy and unhealthy patterns of relating. Particularly useful have been those light-bulb moments when colleagues can put a name to a thing that’s been niggling away in the background.
For fifteen years and more Jerry has provided me with a sustained conversation that has transformed my understanding of my working life. If I had to pick out one gift that he has (amongst so many) it is the startling ability to ask the question that lies beneath all the others.
Working with Jerry was a real pleasure. The value for me was his ability to listen to what I said (and what I didn’t say), think about it and formulate the right challenges and questions to help me grow. As a result, my self-awareness increased considerably and I was able to take braver actions than I would otherwise have considered.
