Overview

Arwain is delighted to announce that Winter School 2027 will return to the stunning surroundings of Nant Gwrtheyrn – a place of inspiration, reflection and connection.  

This year’s flagship programme, Building Connected Leadership is designed to create a space for senior leaders to step away from the day-to-day, think differently, build relationships and explore the challenges facing leaders in Wales. This year’s programme will bring together Chairs, Chief Executives and Senior Leaders from across Wales to explore what it takes to lead effectively in an increasingly complex, interconnected and changing environment.

Many of the challenges facing public services do not sit neatly within the boundaries of a single organisation, sector or profession. From climate resilience and inequalities to digital transformation, financial constraint, workforce pressures and wellbeing, the issues leaders are navigating are increasingly interconnected.

Building Connected Leadership will explore what this means for leadership.

The programme will create opportunities for participants to work on real leadership and system challenges generated at the Arwain Symposium November 2026, drawing on different perspectives and the collective intelligence and experience of leaders from across Welsh public services, third and voluntary sectors.

Through immersive learning, expert input, reflective practice, peer challenge and collaborative enquiry, participants will explore how to:

• Navigate complexity: Make sense of complex and changing environments, challenge established thinking and develop the judgement and adaptability to respond differently to different challenges.
• Lead across systems: Recognise connections and interdependencies, look beyond organisational boundaries and balance immediate pressures with longer-term public value and outcomes.
• Connect and collaborate: Build trusted relationships across Welsh public services, third and voluntary, learn from different perspectives and mobilise collective action where authority, knowledge and resources are shared.
• Turn insight into action: Lead with authenticity, compassion, curiosity and purpose, translating new thinking, relationships and learning into practical action.

Building Connected Leadership is about moving from leading primarily within organisations to strengthening our capacity to lead between and across them.

There will be space during Winter School to explore what leadership behaviours Wales needs now and in the future. Participants' experience, insight and challenge will help shape the continuing development of Arwain and its leadership offer for One Welsh Public Service.

Executive coaching

Winter School will include 2 x 1-hour of one-to-one executive coaching, delivered before and after the programme. This tailored support enables participants to explore current challenges, and consider how they make the most of the Winter School experience, apply their learning in context, reflect on their leadership impact, and embed new thinking into everyday practice.

Benefits to you

Building Connected Leadership offers a unique opportunity to step back from the day-to-day, to pause and reflect on your leadership journey, reconnect with purpose and peers, and reimagine the future of leadership in:

• Confidence: Build the confidence and judgement to lead through complexity and uncertainty, challenge established thinking and make purposeful decisions when there is no simple answer.
• Capability: Strengthen your ability to understand systems and turn insight into practical action that delivers better outcomes for people and communities.
• Connection: Develop trusted relationships with senior leaders from across Wales, drawing on different perspectives and building the networks needed for collaborative and collective action.

Thoughts from delegates of Winter School 2026 were:

Speakers include

Leadership behaviours

This learning programme will help you to develop your leadership behaviours in the following areas:

Target audience

Executive leaders: Winter School has been specifically developed for the senior / top-tier leaders and executives, such as Chief Executives and Directors from across the public service, third and voluntary sector in Wales.

Cost

Limited places for Winter School are available and the fee of £600 + VAT includes all learning and development provision, single occupancy on-site accommodation and full board. Successful candidates will receive full joining instructions once they have accepted their place.

Your travel costs will not be met by the programme.

Please note that should you be awarded and accept a place at Winter School and then withdraw from the programme, your organisation may be required to pay an administration charge.

Bursaries

We are offering a limited number of bursaries of up to 100% towards the delegate cost of Winter School 2027. We encourage applications from underrepresented, minoritised, and disadvantaged groups and/or charitable organisations where employing organisations and charities have limited funds. Your travel costs will not be met by the programme.

To apply for a bursary

Please provide evidence (50 to 100 words). Your response needs to align to the criteria below:

• You are part of an underrepresented, minoritised, or disadvantaged group within your organisation, and/or charitable organisations where employing organisations and charities have limited funds.
• The size of your organisation.
• The value of the bursary you are applying for.

How to apply

Arwain equips leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks to solve today’s most complex problems. Alongside the skills and knowledge this course will give you, we are keen to emphasise the power of building connections with your peers in the room.  

There are limited places available for this event which will be offered through a competitive selection process with delegates selected from across the public sector to enable a wide range of viewpoints in the room and to support you in strengthening your professional networks. Places will be awarded to those applicants who provide strong objectives for participating in the Winter School and can evidence their return on investment.

Return on investment is the sustainable impact of the learning for both you and your organisation and how this links to services provided for the people of Wales. It is particularly relevant for those who are working through challenging times and seeking to make significant improvements to their organisational outcomes at a systemic level.

To apply for a place you will need to complete the online application form stating your objectives for attending the event by 7 December 2026.

More information