Dardan Security gives insight into members CIPD Level 5 Qualification

Dardan is thrilled to share the recent news that its Head of Client Services, David Leonard, and Head of Human Resources, Rita Golovina have both recently completed a CIPD Level 5 in People Management. Both David and Rita have critical roles in our business when it comes to People Agenda so these qualifications go one step further towards gaining a deeper understanding of the professional behaviours that lead to organisational success.

Through this course, David and Rita would study 3 core units + 3 specialist units + with the choice 1 optional unit. The Head of Communication, Lindsay Batoryk, spent some time with David to get feedback upon completing the course. 

Course and application 

CIPD Associate Diploma qualifications are classed as Level 5 qualifications, meaning they’re roughly equivalent in difficulty to a foundation degree in HR practice, where users can specialise in a people-related discipline. Both Rita and David have completed a level 5 in People Management. They started in October 2020, but users are given 15 months to complete it.

Dardan offered them the opportunity to pursue this as part of an overarching determination that as leaders of people in a people industry, they should be proficient in that role. Rita and David hold the highest HR Qualifications in the business, while other Operational Managers and Contract Managers have been offered the opportunity to complete level 3 qualifications, as well as ACAS training. 

Reason for doing the course

David has a sense of achievement developed through managing people, leading/designing change programmes

For David, it was the sense of achievement and the validation of years of core knowledge David has developed through managing people, leading/designing change programmes, and otherwise operating as an HR professional in all but name.

Critically, it is the highest-level qualification David has ever completed, and it has been several years since he last engaged in anything academic.

Biggest challenge

Time and scholastic ability. All work was undertaken in their own time. Compiling 4000 to 5000-word bodies of work when out of practice and not being particularly strong academically was extremely challenging, often done late at night and early mornings over the weekends, whilst balancing the role of parent and spouse.

What’s next?

David will complete IOSH next and would like to look at completing level 7 in Learning and Development. 

This industry places a great amount of value on the men and women who work in the industry being both passionate and knowledgeable about risk and security, however not until working for Dardan have David worked for a security company that has recognised that the chief commodity is people and that in professionalising managers, they make them better leaders, who ultimately enable their teams to succeed.