skildbites

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Skills and Knowledge for Local Development

15 July 2008 - Issue 10

Learning news for development workers who support third sector groups

In this issue

• SKiLD summer training courses
• Other training for development workers
• Resources for development workers
• News for development workers
• About SKiLDbites

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

SKiLD summer training courses

Being a development worker
For people who are new to supporting groups, or revisiting the job after time away. Focusing on
• communicating well with groups
• caseload management
• ethical issues of development work
• where to get further support
5 August, Birmingham
15 August, London

Good diversity practices for development workers
For people who support groups working with diverse communities, including
• increasing cultural awareness
• working with diverse groups
• looking at discrimination and oppression, and promoting social justice
Run in partnership with the National Equality Partnership
20 August, Sheffield

Cost: £49 third sector organisations, £79 statutory sector organisations, £99 private sector.

Booking form and details at www.skild.org.uk or contact May Johnson on 0114 289 3964 or may.johnson@navca.org.uk

Other training for development workers

Full Cost Recovery training
acevo and NAVCA have announced the third and final year of training about how to offer support in Full Cost Recovery to smaller third sector local groups. The course is designed for development workers and advisers with a basic knowledge of third sector finance, fundraising and accounting practices.

It is based on the acevo electronic template, so you need basic computer skills. After doing the course, you'll be expected to pass on the training to other third sector organisations.

10 September, London
11 September, Manchester
17 September, Newcastle
22 September, Plymouth
25 September, London
30 September, Leeds
2 October, Nottingham
8 October, Bristol
9 October, London
16 October, Birmingham
22 October, Liverpool
More courses are running until February 2009

Cost: £45 (including CD and book worth £60)
For more information see www.acevo.org.uk/events or contact Hollie Montgomery on 020 7280 4933 or hollie.montgomery@acevo.org.uk

Advising voluntary and community sector groups on funding issues
A three-day training course for funding advisers, run by Charities Information Bureau South & West. It is accredited at either level 2 or 3 with the Open College Network. Level 3 is for people who already give funding advice to groups. Level 2 is for people who signpost groups on to others for funding advice, and who are looking for an overview of the role.
9 - 10 September and 24 September, Plymouth
16 - 17 September and 7 October, Coventry
18 - 19 November and 9 December, Bristol

Cost: £300 (third sector); £600 (statutory sector); £750 (organisations that charge for funding advice).

For more information and bookings, contact Bridie Nelson on 01380 729279 or bridie@cibwilts.org.uk or see www.cibsouthandwest.org.uk/training.php

Empowering the voluntary sector training
Public law is the set of principles that public bodies have to follow when carrying out their public functions such as allocating funding. These one-day workshops will improve your judgement and confidence when dealing with disputes arising with public bodies.

9 September, Winsford, Cheshire
17 September, Hartlepool
22 September, Wansbeck, Northumberland
23 September, North Tyneside
25 September, Islington
30 September, Billingshurst, West Sussex
9 October, Bolton

Cost: £35 including resource pack and lunch.
To book, go to www.navca.org.uk/evs or contact terry.perkins@navca.org.uk to find out more (including if you would like to host a workshop in the autumn programme).

The National Performance Programme training courses
Charities Evaluation Services has a few places left on their National Performance Programme summer training courses.

Quality: Supporting Groups
This course introduces key concepts in quality assurance, helps you to support groups to choose the right approach and then support them to carry it out.
17 July, London
24 July, Manchester

Strategic Planning: Supporting Groups (2 days)
This introductory-level course explores a five-stage model of strategic planning. We discuss and try out lots of practical tools and techniques you can use to support groups to plan effectively.
22 & 23 July, Birmingham

Please contact Peter Norgate for more details on 020 7078 9394, peter@ces-vol.org.uk
Autumn training dates will be available on the CES website from early August.

Resources for development workers

Frame at last
Don't forget the SKiLD framework. The revamped website is getting good feedback - if you give hands-on support to groups, you can assess your skills and
• fill in self-assessment questionnaires that relate directly to your job
• record evidence about your own particular abilities
• create action plans about how to increase your skills and knowledge
• print off a personal skills profile to take to supervision or appraisal
• invite your manager or colleague to assess you, and compare results!

There is also a brand new resources database to find information to support your work with groups, and a section about career pathways.

Have a look now at www.skild.org.uk

Work work work
Download and read SKiLD's new research about What makes a network work? at www.skild.org.uk

Coming soon
SKiLD is launching the Get Skilled Workbook this autumn. It's for people who are working with local groups; in particular, groups needing to develop a strategic and realistic approach to learning. It will include relevant worksheets that you can adapt to use with groups. Watch this space.

News for development workers

All change
The NSS on Change is developing training for chief executives and development workers. NCVO, in conjunction with SKiLD and Cass Business School, will soon send out a survey to ask you what you would want in this training.
• What would you find invaluable?
• What can you do without?
• How would you like it to be delivered?

For more information, please email foresight@ncvo-vol.org.uk

Mind the Gap: developing third sector people and skills
The Workforce Hub is hosting a national skills conference about finding the resources to develop staff and volunteers.

Speakers
• Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector
• Jane Slowey, Chief Executive of Foyer
• David Brindle, Editor of Society Guardian

Meanwhile, the Workforce Hub is looking for people involved in planning and funding learning to facilitate a discussion on the day. All costs paid.

Cost for voluntary and public sector: £147 (NCVO members); £210 (non-members)

For more information and booking, go to www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/mindthegap08 or email workforcehub@ukworkforcehub.org.uk

How did we do?
Read the external evaluation of SKiLD for 2007 - 2008, now at www.skild.org.uk

About SKiLDbites

Not for everyone!

SKiLDbites is a free newsletter specifically written for people whose work involves giving direct support to frontline third sector groups - usually development workers based in local infrastructure organisations.

It's not for local third sector groups themselves.

We send it out every six weeks. To join the mailing list for information about SKiLD activities, please email skild@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.