Return Ready
New Group coaching programme to support the return-to-work experience
MAMA Coaching has supported hundreds of women at this point in their career. We have worked with a range of sectors, and with women at different levels of seniority.
Building on ten years of 1:1 coaching experience, we’re responding to business needs to support mothers more effectively in three key ways:
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We work with organisations to design a return experience that starts before mothers go on their mat leave, ending when they are settled back to work, clear on their long-term professional goals.
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Like an NCT group for the return experience, we offer community and support around the return experience, with mothers at different points on their return journey sharing insights and wisdom, from a range of sectors.
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We have built in milestone conversations and training with employers to help mothers navigate the smooth and steady return period they need. Raising awareness on some of the core challenges, and encouraging innovation where possible, we aim to positively impact company culture and the long term diversity of your teams.
Mothers returning to work represent the highest, and most costly, point of attrition in the female leadership pipeline today.
– Women leave to find roles that better fit their careers as parents
– Recruitment costs far exceed short-term support that ensures staff retention
– Companies lose talent to competitors invested in family-friendly practices
– DEI is often seen as a tick-box exercise, contributing to dissatisfaction with organisational culture
The problems
Internal support is often inconsistent, managers are undertrained, and policies often fail to translate into practice.
– Managers may not have experienced a primary care role
– A limited understanding of the personal and professional pressures involved
– Policies are seen as progressive, but do not translate in practice
– Women often return to the same level, or lower, rather than where they could or want to be
Competing demands, unchanged expectations and changes in identity and purpose can lead to under-performance, reduced confidence and burnout.
– A lack of role models and clear career progression creates disengagement, driving exits
– Companies invest heavily in talent, then lose staff within 6–18 months of maternity leave, due to an unstructured return period that fails to meet the needs of both returning mothers and the business
– This is an expensive, avoidable business drain, through the loss of key organisational knowledge and insight
Our solutions for…
Mothers
Design and control
A full return-to-work experience. From pre-maternity leave, to a settled and structured transition back into work.
Professional opportunity
Short, medium and long-term goal setting – to know what is needed to succeed in all areas of life.
Explore and share insights
Wisdom gathering helps innovate systems that remain stubbornly ill-designed for women who want to have a family.
Managers
Supported reintegration
Enable others to support women returning to work – and help them get back into teams effectively and consistently.
Increase satisfaction
Create a trusted and reliable process of supporting parents – raising employee satisfaction and loyalty.
Long-term benefits
Minimal return-to-productivity time, whilst ensuring long-term well-being, avoiding burnout and over-expectation.
Organisations
Retain talent
Keep your best employees and build strong, high-quality pipelines to leadership for returning mothers.
Thriving reputation
Become a company that considers staff experiences and aspirations – ensuring DEI policy thrives in practice.
Career progression
Be known as an attractive company to work for, and for women employees to see opportunity for CPD at all points along their career trajectory.
If you would like more information or would like to join our trial group (starting July 2026), please get in touch.
How our coaching works in practice
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Mothers follow a pathway of pre-recorded tasks, independently in their own time. We recognise how full women can feel with their parenting responsibilities, as well as the prospect and planning around their return – and have designed content to suit this.
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Celebrate milestones together in our weekly group sessions. Some may be specially designed to initiate communication and action with colleagues – managers or HR in particular. Others may unlock 1:1 coaching or coaching tools for progression.
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We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication. Designed to start before a mother returns and including planning to make the most of KIT days and touch points before the return.
The transition period is mapped across a 6+ months return period, based on our experience and knowledge of some of the challenges faced. It’s not just what we do – it’s how we do it that sets us apart. We offer personalised support to mothers and companies as there is no one-size-fits-all.
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Mothers have access to community, conversation and support in our online weekly space. With a rolling intake of returning mothers, the community is made up of people at different points of their return. I help your employees make sense of the stage they are at – along with participants from other companies, who may be further along the same journey.
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Check progress, hold participants accountable and create space to go deeper where needed – whilst keeping the conversation about peer learning and community support.
Mothers have access to 1:1 coaching in addition to group support – and can access appropriate support at any point - via email, phone calls or voice notes.
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Though community we regularly share insights, stories and experiences to normalise anxiety, find positive solutions, and design helpful conversations with employers. All in a confidential and non-judgemental space.
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Opportunities for 1:1 coaching are available where needed, plus, bolt on modules that might explore career progression, leadership and career change.
Those in leadership are also provided with the information they need to offer a consistent, reliable return experience for mothers.
