This new programme draws on the rich experience of the third sector and aims to give development workers the skills to enhance and liberate leadership in the groups they work with.

Participants will be introduced to the concepts of a new model of leadership which will give the groups a stronger voice, improve their effectiveness and help them to become more efficient.

Being a new development worker - 23 June 2009 Manchester, 23 July 2009 Birmingham

For people who are new to supporting groups, or are revisiting the job after time away.

Topics covered will include how to:

define the difference between community and development work;
access the SKiLD competency framework to evaluate your personal skills;
evaluate the impact of ethical dilemmas development workers may encounter in their work;
access the support and resources available to development workers.

From development worker to manager - 1 July 2009, York

Are you working with groups, but wonder what it would be like to move into management?

Topics covered will include:

the skills you need to be a good manager;
management in the third sector;
teams, and being part of a team;
tricky things that managers have to do.

Tools for development workers - 6 July 2009 - London

For people who have been supporting groups for a while, and want some new ideas and techniques. At the end of the day you will have a stock pile of tools that are ready to use or be adapted.

Equality impact assessments - 14 July 2009, Manchester
Run in partnership with the National Equality Partnership

Equality impact assessments (EQIAs) are a tool for finding out the potential impact of a policy, function or service (or one which is proposed).

EQIAs try to ensure that, as far as possible, any negative consequences for a particular group, sector of the community or staff of the public body are identified and eliminated or minimised.

Diversity - making it real - 29 July 2009, Birmingham
Run in partnership with the National Equality Partnership

This introductory session will help tackle inequality and discrimination within their organisation, and the organisations they support.

Facilitation skills for development workers - 6 August 2009, London

A course that will give you ideas on how to improve your group facilitation skills and encourage creative thinking, including:

how to deal with challenging people;
setting and agreeing aims and objectives;
an introduction to group dynamics;
capturing information, discussions and decisions.

New perspectives for experienced development workers - 11 August 2009, London

This will provide development workers who have been in post for some time with new perspectives and ideas to continue their professional development both from the course materials and through peer support and input.

For more information on these courses, or to book, see SKiLD website http://www.skild.org.uk/training

Update on ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives in Voluntary Organisations) learning programme

Promoting effective asset management - 8 & 9 June 2009 Liverpool, 23 & 24 June 2009 Plymouth

A new two day training programme for advisors to frontline community groups about management of buildings and other community assets.

At the end of the course you will:

be more knowledgable about the diversity of legal and technical aspects of managing community buildings and other community assets;
be better able to advise and support frontline groups; and
receive the new Community Assests Matter resource handbook.

Over the course of the two year programme the training course will be delivered in each of the English nine regions and is currently taking bookings for Liverpool and Plymouth.

For more information email Annie Jenkins annie.jenkins@communitymatters.org.uk

Community sector trading project - Autumn 2009, 24 hour residential to be held at the Royal Foundation of St Katherine, London

Aimed at development workers this residential and online course enables them to gain practical skills by working alongside frontline third sector organisations.

The first session will be residential, all other sessions will be held online. A deposit of £100 will be payable from all participants on joining the action learning set. This will be refundable on completion of the programme.

For more information and to apply, contact Vicki Papworth on 07525 236796 or email v.papworth@dta.org.uk

Update on bassac (British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centres) learning programme

Collaboration support skills - throughout June, July and September, various locations

Run by the Collaboration Benefits programme

This free training is being offered to development and support workers working with local third sector groups across England. The programme is designed to equip you with skills to improve collaborative working amongst the organisations you work with and support.

See http://tinyurl.com/ryp3vh to find and book on the nearest training session to you. To find out more about Collaboration Benefits visit http://www.bassac.org.uk/collaborationbenefits

Update on Charities Evaluation Services (CES) learning programme

Introducing performance for support providers - 4 June 2009 Leeds, 11 June 2009 Taunton, 18 June 2009 Cambridge

Consider different approaches to performance management to find those appropriate for the organisations you support.

Strategic planning: supporting groups - 9-10 June 2009 Cambridge, 23-24 June 2009 Leeds, 14-15 July 2009 Bristol

Help your groups to become more effective and efficient by clarifying their purpose and developing a plan to achieve it.

Quality: supporting groups - 16 June 2009 Leeds, 30 June 2009 Bristol, 7 July 2009 Cambridge

Help your groups choose the right quality system and support them as they implement it.

Monitoring and evaluation: supporting groups - 2 July 2009 Leeds, 9 July 2009 Taunton, 16 July Cambridge

Explain and help set up monitoring and evaluation systems enabling your groups to learn, develop and demonstrate their value.

For all courses prices start from £45 per day which includes

A free copy of the support manual Performance improvement: a handbook for mentors (RRP £75)
Lunch and refreshments
Follow up support from CES to help you put what you learn into practice

For more information, or to book a place, please contact Peter Norgate on 020 7078 9394 or peter@ces-vol.org.uk or visit http://www.performancemanagement.org.uk

Update on NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) campaigning learning programme

Work is led by NCVO being delivered by a wide range of partners

Directory of Social Change Charity Fair - 24 & 25 June 2009, Westminster

A limited number of bursary places are available for the campaigning for political and social change workshops. Contact Kajol for further information by emailing kkochar@dsc.org.uk

Human Rights Based Approach workshops - various dates and locations

British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) will deliver the workshops were a toolkit will be piloted at these workshops and the organisations trained will be used as case studies for the development of the toolkit. For more information see http://www.bihr.org.uk/events/upcoming-training

Update on NCVO governance learning programme

Governance Hub's Code Toolkit

Using the toolkit NCVO can provide training and free resources for those who support frontline organsiations and wish to know how to use the Code as a framework for governance. Contact Carrie Deacon, carrie.deacon@ncvo-vol.org.uk if you are part of a group or network that would be interested in this training.