Dads UnLtd

Interim Management

Dads Unlimted

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Dads Unlimited, supporting the emotional safety of men through times of crisis.

Dads Unlimited is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting men, fathers and non-fathers through challenges such as family breakdown, loss of contact with children, and experiences of domestic abuse. While another significant aspect of their work is to reduce or prevent male suicide by addressing key triggers like relationship breakdowns, debt, homelessness, and domestic abuse,

They are on a mission to enhance the emotional well-being of men and their families through a suite of services and interventions including mentoring, co-parenting workshops, mental health support, court assistance, and community activities.

Established in 2017, Dads Unlimited has grown rapidly, expanding both its reach and impact. In recognition of which and their significant contributions, they received a GSK IMPACT Award in 2022, highlighting their effectiveness in addressing men’s mental health issues and supporting male victims of domestic abuse.

Dads Unlimited services are available across England and Wales, offering resources and support to help fathers improve co-parenting relationships, seek mental health assistance, and navigate challenges such as suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, domestic abuse, loneliness, and isolation.

The Trustees of Dads Unlimited approached Philip during arguably one of the most challenging times in our charity’s short history. As a highly successful and unique charity dedicated to providing emotional support to men navigating family separation and to male victims of domestic abuse, we were grappling with the sudden departure of our founder and CEO, the high demand for the support and services we provide and the need to place the charity on a more sustainable footing.

Philip came to us via a recommendation, and his professionalism, knowledge, and commitment were evident from the outset; he sought to understand our needs and challenges, identifying and placing an exceptional interim CEO who brought calm, clarity, and stability during what could have been a more turbulent period.

Under the interim CEO’s leadership, the organisation swiftly addressed its immediate challenges, fostering a healthier workplace culture and establishing firm financial and operational foundations. These changes, along with the appointment of new trustees, have not only served to stabilise the charity but also positioned it for growth, ensuring we can continue to support vulnerable men in need.

Philip’s ability to connect us with the right interim was instrumental in helping to shift us to a better place and as such we would have no hesitation in recommending Philip and the services he provides through The Hiring Dept. to other charities.”

James McComas, Vice Chair

 

The Brief

In the summer of 2024 Dads Unlimited was at a pivotal moment marked by the stepping down of its founder, and characterised by a significant increase in service demand, and the need to ensure long-term sustainability, with the Interim CEO playing a critical role in steering the charity through this transitional phase.

They sought an aspiring individual with the ability to provide strong, empathetic leadership to inspire confidence among staff, volunteers, trustees, and stakeholders; with a strong empathy for their work; the ability to effectively oversee daily operations; lead efforts to diversify funding streams through grants, partnerships, and donor engagement; act as the face of the charity; assess the current organisational structure and recommend necessary adjustments to support future growth and resilience; and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and adaptability.

All of which would demand an outstanding individual with proven experience in leading organisations through periods of change, preferably in the charity or social impact sectors, strong financial acumen, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the men we support and the resilience, empathy, and a solutions-oriented mindset to navigate complexity and inspire confidence.

Widely acknowledged for the quality of the business solutions we deliver and the impact our interim managers achieve, the Hiring Dept. was proud to have led the search, the success of which resulted in  the appointment of:

Kerryn Wotton, Interim CEO

A well-respected charity and social enterprise consultant with an interest in leadership, strategy and organisational effectiveness.

Kerryn is an experienced  Charity CEO, Chair of Trustees and Charity Consultant, working for 20 years in various operational and strategic
roles across the charity sector, including literacy, young people’s services, criminal justice, substance misuse and homelessness, who at the time of her appointment was serving as part-time CEO of a UK-wide prison charity and Chair of Trustees of another criminal justice organisation.

Throughout her career, she has worked with charities both large and small  to improve their effectiveness, define their strategies, articulate their
vision, and reach their potential through tailored consultancy, interim leadership and facilitation,

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