SKiLDbites - Learning news for development workers who support third sector groups

bites

Skills and Knowledge for Local Development

7 April 2009 - Issue 16

Learning news for development workers who support third sector groups

In this issue

• SKiLD summer learning programme
• News from SKiLD
• Other NAVCA training for development workers
• National improving support workstreams
• Other information relevant to development workers
• About SKiLD bites

For latest news see our website at www.skild.org.uk

SKiLD summer learning programme

Updates on SKiLD Summer Learning Programme

Negotiation skills for development workers - 22 April 2009, Birmingham
A course which includes:
• Understanding the principles of effective negotiation;
• Discovering your negotiation style; and
• Dealing with difficult situations and people.

Coaching for development workers - 13 May 2009, London
A day for development workers wanting to support the learning of others in a genuine and empowering way. The session also covers:
• What makes a question really powerful;
• Learning to challenge 'limiting language'; and
• Being clear about achievements.

Options for premises - 18 May 2009, Manchester
A practical day for development workers supporting groups that have premises, or are thinking of getting premises. The day includes covering legal requirements as well as identifying criteria for suitable premises.

Tools for development workers - 2 June 2009, York
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 of be adapted.

Assertiveness for development workers - 9 June 2009, London
This course gives development workers a chance to learn key skills, including:
• Saying no;
• Setting boundaries;
• Recognising how you react under stress;
• Dealing with challenging situations; and
• Having more options to choose from.

The course will give participants the chance to share their experiences with the group.

Human rights and equality - 15 June 2009, Birmingham
Run in partnership with the National Equality Partnership and the British Institute for Human Rights

The third sector can play a key role in ensuring that human rights are made real and meaningful in society. It is becoming increasingly important that we and the organisation we support have a good understanding of human rights ideas, language, law and practice. It can make the sector more effective in:
• Empowering communities
• Advocacy and advice giving
• Campaigning
• Service provision.

Human rights principles and standards are increasingly used as a basis for various health and social care regulators, inspectorates and commissioners.

Being a new development worker - 23 June 2009, Manchester
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; and
• 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; and
• The 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.

Being a new development worker - 23 July 2009, Birmingham
For people who are new to supporting groups, or are revisiting the job after time away.

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

This introductory session will help to develop the personal knowledge and skills of development workers to help tackle inequality and discrimination within their own organisation, and the organisations they support.

Facilitation skills for development workers - 6 August 2009, London
A course that will give 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; and
• Capturing information, discussions and decisions.

New perspectives for experienced development workers - 11 August 2009, London
To 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 a copy of the skild learning programme electronically see www.skild.org.uk
For details of individual courses and booking procedures see www.skild.org.uk/training

Local delivery and custom delivery of SKiLD Training

SKiLD is able to deliver its courses locally to development workers where a local organisation has identified at least eight development workers who want a course. SKiLD will provide a trainer, work with the local organisation to identify a venue and book refreshments, undertake the bookings administration and promote the course throughout its networks to fill the remaining places.

The advantages of this are:
• Receiving the courses delivered locally at no extra cost (prices per person that same as in the current training programme and are inclusive of VAT)
• A saving on travel costs and time
• SKiLD will pay venue and refreshment costs
Local delivery of SKiLD training is a good opportunity to bring the resources of SKiLD and NAVCA to your local area.

SKiLD is also able to provide fully customised training and facilitation to development workers where a local infrastructure organisation has identified a need. This has all the advantages of the local delivery described above. However, the cost is higher to reflect the additional work required by the trainer (contact the SKiLD programme team to discuss costs).

To find out about either local delivery or customised delivery please contact the SKiLD programme team:

Alan Turner, Learning and Development Officer on 0114 289 3970, email: alan.turner@navca.org.uk

Helen Oparinde, Learning and Development Officer on 0114 289 3966, or email helen.oparinde@navca.org.uk

News from SKiLD

SKiLD framework video walk-through
The SKiLD framework website www.skildframework.org.uk has tools and information to help development workers who give hands on support to groups to do their job more effectively. It is free to register and helps you to assess the skills and knowledge you need to do your job and obtain resources.

A video walk-through guide to help make better use of this site will be available to view shortly.
The skild programme team will be updating the resource bank during the coming year, so if you have recently used a website, book, DVD or any other tool that you found invaluable please suggest it to be added to the bank. You can do this by visiting: tinyurl.com/caw8sn

SKiLD development worker's survey
Thank you to everyone who completed the SKiLD programme questionnaire, we had 130 responses and are currently collating this information and will circulate all findings in a future edition of SKiLDbites.

Skild Network Advisors Group (NAG)
NAG is for the chair/representative of networks of development workers.

On 26 March 2009 there was a meeting of six network co-ordinators with the SKiLD programme team in Sheffield.
Mark Bailey from Involve - Voluntary Action Mid Devon wrote the following about the benefit of attending the network:

"I belong to the Devon Association of CVS Development Workers Network. We meet quarterly and have an informal email network for questions. Meeting other coordinators and having the opportunity to talk to NAVCA staff about upcoming topics and issues was invaluable. I was able to pick up useful web resource links and take a wealth of information back to feed into our Devon development workers (i.e. building resilience). To be able to discuss how other networks operate gave me ideas of how to improve our network meetings."

If you are a chairperson or representative of a development worker's network and would like more information about NAG please contact the SKiLD programme team:

Alan Turner, Learning and Development Officer, 0114 289 3970, email: alan.turner@navca.org.uk

Helen Oparinde, Learning and Development Officer, 0114 289 3966, email Helen.oparinde@navca.org.uk

What's new in the learning and skills world?
John Harris, NAVCA's workforce development manager provides an update on learning and skills issues and implications for local infrastructures in issue 408 april/may circulation document. This can be accessed by NAVCA members
www.navca.org.uk/publications/circulation

Children's Workforce Development Programme
The SKiLD programme, in partnership with the children's workforce development programme undertook research regarding the tools and resources used by generic development workers who support children and young people's groups. Thank you for all those that volunteered. The report has now been concluded and will be shared with you in due course.

In the meantime a tool has been designed by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS). It is a set of probing questions and prompts to help specialist workforce development staff within local infrastructure organisations conduct a workforce development health check with a third sector organisation who works with children, young people and/or families
The tool can be found at: www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?page=684

SKiLD network grants scheme
One of the ways the SKiLD programme team was able to support networks of development workers during 08/09 was by using funding from capacitybuilders for a SKiLD network grant scheme. The scheme provided grants of up to £500 to enable support worker networks to hold a networking or training event.

Two of the groups that were successful in receiving funding were Clapham Park Project and Salford CVS.

Clapham Park Project used their grant to pay for a facilitator for a networking event that enabled those attending to think more strategically and think about long term sustainability plans.

Salford CVS used their grant to hold a workshop for development workers in Salford to introduce them to action learning and its benefits. As a result of the workshop 70% of the participants felt that they now had a good knowledge of action learning.

Other NAVCA training for development workers

Supporting offenders programme
Three workshop events on raising awareness of the criminal justice system, working with offenders and volunteering with a criminal record are being run for development workers and volunteer centre staff

All workshops will run from 10am - 1pm with lunch and networking to follow at the following venues:

• Leeds - Tuesday 9 June, West Yorkshire Playhouse
• Nottingham - Tuesday 23 June, Hilton Nottingham
• Taunton - Tuesday 30 June, Exchange House

Information covered at the workshop will include:
• Increasing understanding and awareness of the criminal justice system (CJS) and the various agencies within the national offender management service (NOMS), (prison and probation services.)
• Increased awareness of the impact that third sector involvement has in helping to reduce re-offending and what that means to the community
• Identification of volunteering opportunities in the CJS
• Increased knowledge and confidence to challenge preconceptions about crime and offenders
• Being prepared for the new vetting and barring procedures

For more information on this event contact Debbie Brashaw, 0114 289 3986 or email debbie.brashaw@navca.org.uk

For more information about the supporting offenders programme visit: www.navca.org.uk/supportingoffenders

Every Child Matters programme in partnership with Community Matters
A joint event is being held on top tips on providing successful commissioned services on 21 April 2009 in Liverpool.

The event is for:
• Third sector organisations wanting to explore new funding opportunities and secure contracts from local authorities for children and youth services
• Regional district or local level support organisations for the VCS
• Third sector representatives on Children's Trusts
• Local authority and PCT commissioners for children and young people's services
• Third sector organisations who want to know more about current developments around service commissioning
• Community organisations delivering services for children and young people.

The events costs just £35 (inc. VAT), though small community organisations with income below £250,000 pa can apply for a reduced price of £10.

For more information and booking visit tinyurl.com/cf7moy

Defending local grants: resources you can use
The defending local grants: resources you can use leaflet has been produced on behalf of the local grants forum which provides development workers with resources to help convince councillors, commissioning officers and procurement professionals that grants should continue to be used to fund local organisations and groups.

To download the leaflet visit: tinyurl.com/dyq8ej

Local commissioning and procurement unit
A new leaflet from the unit outlines the support available and services provided to local infrastructure organisations, including development workers, on supporting good local commissioning and the involvement of third sector organisations.

To view the leaflet visit: www.navca.org.uk/localvs/lcp/news/lcpuleaflet.htm

Children's workforce development programme
The funding guide to workforce development, produced in partnership with NCVYS and Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC), is a comprehensive guide to funding for development opportunities for individuals and organisations working with children and young people. This guide can be downloaded from: www.navca.org.uk/publications/fundingguide

Supporting the children's workforce: a guide to structuring services is a practical case study guide to setting up, funding and running specialist support for organisations working with children and young people. This guide can be downloaded from: www.navca.org.uk/publications/structureguide

Empowering the voluntary sector programme
Refunded by the big lottery fund, this programme will continue to offer high quality services until at least September 2011. A major change to the project is from the 1 April the key point of contact for advice for third sector organisations will be the compact advocacy team based at National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). The advocates will look at the issues and help you to identify the way forward using the compact in the first instance. You will be able to contact the advice line on 020 7520 3161 or email evsadvice@ncvo-vol.org.uk
Workshops are planned for:
• 23 April, Walsall
• 27 April, Leicester
• 29 April, Lincoln
• 1 May, London

NAVCA networks
There are a number of networks useful to development workers, including children and young people network, development workers' network, funding advice workers' network and learning and training network.
For more information on these networks and to register visit www.navca.org.uk/services/networking/networks

Improving local partnership programme
In partnership with the learning and development team a learning resource has been developed to be used by development workers who are third sector representatives, or are providing support to third sector representatives on local strategic partnerships, local liaison forums and other public bodies such as children's trusts, LINks, police authorities and primary care trusts.
If you are interested in accessing this learning resource please complete the form which can be found at: www.navca.org.uk/roistrongervoices Once completed please return to Helen Oparinde, learning and development officer, email: helen.oparinde@navca.org.uk

Goodmoves
There are currently 68 development worker vacancies advertised on the good moves website.
Sign up for job alerts to get details to your inbox. www.goodmoves.org.uk

National improving support work streams

There are nine work streams, working under the improving support banner, and funded by capacitybuilders through the national support service programme. The work streams are based on themes and challenges faced by frontline third sector organisations.

One of the aims of SKiLDbites is to inform individual development workers about what support these work streams are providing. The term development is used to describe anyone who gives hands-on support to frontline third sector groups and organisations.

Campaigning and advocacy work stream

Developing and promoting excellence in third sector campaigning and advocacy, led by NCVO.

The Campaigning and Advocacy work stream, led by NCVO, now offers a course titled certificate in campaigning leading to a qualification in campaigning. It involves 10 separate training days and two written assignments, spread over six months. www.improvingsupport.org.uk/campaigning

Collaboration work stream

Facilitating and supporting collaborative working within the voluntary and community sector, and with other sectors, led by bassac.
No updates this issue.

Equality and diversity work stream

Supporting third sector organisations to champion and address equality, diversity and human rights led by the women's resource centre on behalf of the national equality partnership.
See section on skild summer learning programme

Income Generation work stream

Increasing sustainability and independence for third sector organisations through income generation, led by ACEVO.
The community sector trading project is aimed at development staff from support providers.
A residential and online course enables development workers to gain practical skills by working alongside frontline third sector organisations. This project aims to help development workers support frontline third sector organisations to grow and diversify income, by helping them explore trading activities to generate new income streams.

Dates

Spring 2009		Autumn 2009
Residential	5-6 May*	Residential	5-6 October*
Session 1	19 May	Session 1	22 October
Session 2	2 June	Session 2	5 November
Session 3	16 June	Session 3	17 November
Session 4	30 June	Session 4	1 December
Final face-to-face	7 July	Final face-to-face	15 December

*3pm - 3pm (24 hour residential) to be held at the royal foundation of St Katherine, in London, this initial 24 hour face-to-face residential at the beginning of the programme will help everyone to get to know each other and become familiar with the technology that will be used. All other training sessions will be held on-line.

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, email v.papworth@dta.org.uk

Leadership and governance work stream

Leadership and governance are at the heart of organisational effectiveness, and so we want to build the capacity of support providers to develop, promote and champion excellence in leadership and governance practices in the third sector.

The work stream is led by ncvo, with association of chief executives of voluntary organisations (acevo) and community sector coalition.

Liberating leadership
15 & 16 June and 16 July 2009 Birmingham
8 & 9 July and 20 August 2009 Birmingham

It is a one day and a half residential with a one day follow up session 4 - 6 weeks later.

This new programme draws on the rich experience of the sector, its own values, challenging assumptions about leadership and leaders and suggests a new model that focuses on:

• Embedding leadership within a set of eight principles and emphasises taking actions to achieve social change
• Exploring the collective ownership of leadership within the group through sharing roles
• Builds on existing skills and experiences of the group
• Concludes that effective leadership is a learning journey, which is both challenging and empowering.

Participants (development workers) will be introduced to the concepts in the new model and try out practical tools that they can then use to liberate leadership in the groups they work with.

By enhancing leadership, the impact of community groups can be strengthened giving them a stronger voice, improving their effectiveness and accountability, and help them make change happen.

For more details please see www.skild.org.uk/training

Modernising volunteering work stream

Modernising volunteering to overcome barriers, maximise opportunities and explore new forms of involvement, led by volunteering england.
No updates this issue.

Marketing and communications work stream

Using marketing and communications to support third sector organisations in making themselves seen and held, led by media trust.
No updates this issue.

Performance management work stream

Helping third sector organisations become more effective, efficient and sustainable through improving performance management, led by charities evaluation services(CES).

Find the best IT system for your outcomes monitoring
Organisations using monitoring and evaluation IT systems show huge time savings and increased effectiveness, yet relatively few organisations access these resources. On 21 May 2009, the National Performance Programme is co-hosting a conference in London with M&E Consulting and preponderate network to help you assess what your organisation needs, identify the best systems to capture your outcomes and manage the process of change in implementing new systems. For more information visit www.outcomesandit.org.uk

Supporting groups with performance management
The national performance programme offers training on supporting the organisations you work with to focus their plans, demonstrate their effectiveness and manage quality.

Strategic planning: supporting groups - Run by Stella Smith, independent strategy and change management consultant
Monitoring and evaluation: supporting groups - Run by Anastasia Mihailidou, performance consultant, CES
Quality: supporting groups - Run by Graham Baker, quality consultant, Qualitygb Ltd

For an overview of these approaches, how they work together and when each is most appropriate, try their Introducing performance for support providers course. All National Performance Programme courses run across England, throughout the year. If you can't make the dates or locations of their open training, they can come to you. To find out more about open and in-house training visit www.improvingsupport.org.uk/performance

Responding to social change work stream
Helping organisations to face the future confidently with greater insight into trends shaping the sector and their implications, led by ncvo
No updates this issue.

Other information relevant to development workers

Campaigning National Occupational Standards
Did you know that the uK workforce hub at ncvo are currently developing a new set of standards for campaigners. From 2 March 2009 - 2 June 2009 the current draft, that has been compiled by a steering group of 20 campaigners from the sector, will be out for consultation across the UK. If you want to be kept informed about this piece of work, or get involved in having your say as to whether or not the standards fully represent the role of a campaigner, please take a look at our website where further information can be viewed: www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/cnosconsultation

Demonstrating the difference
This research, carried out by ces for the national performance programme, investigates how infrastructure organisations are approaching the challenge of demonstrating the difference they make. The report explores the use of monitoring and evaluation tools in the sector; theoretical and practical difficulties with demonstrating difference; and suggestions from respondents on what would help them better demonstrate the difference they make. Click here to download your copy.

Skills survey commissioned for third sector workforce - justice sector
There is less information available on the UK third sector workforce than any other organisations in the justice sector. Therefore, skills for justice have announced a new third sector skills survey to be conducted during April 2009. The survey will cover a sample of organisations from all of the relevant areas in UK justice, including both paid and voluntary staff and data will be collected through pre-arranged telephone interviews with individuals who are responsible for learning and development. Interviews will cover: vacancies, training, skills gaps and shortages. ncvys urges members to contribute: tinyurl.com/cz4t7b

About SKiLDbites

SKiLDbites is a free e-newsletter specifically aimed at development workers.

Their work might be offering general development support to groups, or specialist help such as funding advice or training.

They may work at a local, regional or national level and be based in any sector.

The SKiLD programme team sends it out every six weeks.

To join the mailing list for information about SKiLD activities, please email skildbites@navca.org.uk

We are happy for SKiLDbites to be
• forwarded to other development workers who support groups
• used in newsletters by not-for-profit organisations - in particular those for local infrastructure organisations
• put on websites of interest to development workers who support groups.

SKiLDbites is not to be used for commercial purposes.