Spotlight on – Frances McGill

When she is not training people to train, Fran McGill is coaching clients in life skills. The 31-year-old’s “double life” provides a perfect harmony which bolsters her role as a NAPPI uk trainer, passing the company’s core values to the care and education sectors. It adds confidence-building techniques to the text-book knowledge which reduces trainers’ nerves and increases their effectiveness. Fran knows – because she was once a nervous trainee trainer herself, at the start of her care career. Her elder brother Matthew, now 35, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He was the first student at the specialist Condover College in Shrewsbury founded by their late father Steve. Matthew is still there as a resident and his mother Bernadette is on the board.

Fran joined the college in 2009 because of the family connection and rose from support worker to registered manager of its respite home. 

In 2017 Fran left Condover to pursue another dream to get involved in the fitness industry, as an instructor and personal trainer.

“I soon realised that, when people are looking for fitness, I was talking to them about their lives in general. It led me to do life coaching, as people wanting to get fit are also wanting to gain confidence. Sometimes it is body confidence, but sometimes they need help with mental strength too, such as making a career change or taking on a new venture,” said Fran.

She does her life coaching via a mixture of online courses, video calls and personal meetings. Then alternate weeks she is a NAPPI trainer.

Fran did a NAPPI train the trainer course in 2013, and she remembers: “It was daunting on that first day, so I know exactly how they feel.

 “I used to get stage fright from standing up in front of people. If you are in the care sector that is not something you are used to.

“So as well as providing training, it is important to coach trainers in tips, and some perspective, to overcome their nerves – including that it doesn’t matter if you make the odd slip, so long as you are getting across the main messages.”

In 2019 she joined the NAPPI team and is enjoying her trainer role, underpinned with her coaching skills and the experience of working with adults with disabilities at Condover, where care was very person-centred and majored on good communication, just like NAPPI.

Outside of work Fran enjoys outdoor adventure such as hill walking and caving but also quiet nights in playing board games with her partner and friends.