Training

Below is a list of training courses which may be of interest to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations. The courses are run by a variety of providers in the county and further afield.

Gloucester Association for Voluntary and Community Action (GAVCA) run a variety of courses in both Gloucester and Cheltenham for VCS groups in the county. Please see here for details.

GAVCA have an arrangement with Gloucestershire Enterprise Ltd to offer places on a range of courses at a reduced rate for voluntary and community sector organisations. See the Training and Learning pages on the GAVCA website for the full list of courses. Please note that any booking needs to go through GAVCA to obtain the reduction.

Training news
Training in Autumn 08
Multi-session courses and general information

Training News:

New GAVCA Training Brochure out
The new GAVCA Training Autumn 2008 Brochure can be found on the GAVCA website www.gavca.org.uk

Public Contract Opportunities, A New Approach – date and venue tbc
Cost: £35

Janet Roberts is to be holding a series of workshops about Public Contract Opportunities specifically for third sector organisations and SMEs. Dates and locations are to be confirmed.

To register your interest in attending, complete a pre-registration form.

Working For A Charity: New Charity Induction and Online courses
Working for a Charity has opened enrolments for its online course ‘Effective Voluntary Sector Management’, which is aimed at people who have recently joined the voluntary sector or who are looking to make a career move into it. Costs: from £575.

Working For A Charity is also launching a new ‘Charity Induction Course’, which is aimed at people newly appointed to positions of responsibility in the voluntary sector - as paid staff or trustees. Costs: £420 for NCVO members.

For more information, visit the Working for a Charity website.

Third Sector Peer Coaching Programme, cost: free
NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) is offering free coaching to voluntary and community organisations which are either already providers of learning and skills, or which are about to become providers. The peer-coaching programme offers short-term support and guidance tailored to meet the needs of each individual organisation.

For an application form and further information about the Third Sector Peer Coaching Programme please contact Rachel Hughes at NIACE by emailing rachel.hughes@niace.org.uk

Safe and Sound: an introduction to child protection – dates September to December
Barnados TLC is running a one day training course, designed for anyone who has contact with children within their working environment. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of how to provide a safe setting for children and how to recognise and respond to abuse.

For more information about dates throughout the South West, download the flyer, ring Kat Hartley on 0117 937 5500 or email tlcinfosouthwest@barnardos.org.uk

Training in Autumn 08

Gloucester Community Learning Champions training session - 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Thursday 11 September in the Learning Centre of GL1 Leisure Centre.
The Gloucester Community Learning Champions are preparing for their third year of supporting local people to access learning and community activity opportunities in the centre of Gloucester. In the past year the group of volunteers have recorded assisting over 100 people with their learning needs and have given far more informal and encouraging support. They have also gathered information on learner needs and passed it along to providers and development workers in the area.

If you would be interested in learning more about volunteering, then please come along to the training session or contact Patricia for more information or details of next FREE training course this autumn by emailing gloslearningchamps@googlemail.com or ringing 07980315014.

‘Appropriate Responses to Domestic Violence’: Accredited Training Programme. 15 and 16 September (Unit 1) and 13 and 14 October (Unit 2).
Venue: Hester’s Way Community Resource Centre, Cheltenham. Cost: £195.00 (discounts available for VCS).

Sea Change is a leading provider of Domestic Violence training and consultancy. The last few places are available on this four day programme, delivered in two units. The programme is fully Accredited by Open College Network to Level 3.

For more information, contact laura@seachangedv.co.uk or 01242 580702.

Training at Gloucestershire Enterprise
Gloucestershire Enterprise are offering a range of courses during August and September, all based at their training centre at Chargrove House, Main Road, Shurdington, Cheltenham GL51 4GA.

For more information, visit the Gloucestershire Enterprise website or ring 01242 864137.

NCVO Sustainable Funding Project Introductory Workshop, 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Tuesday 16 September
Venue: Barton Hill Settlement, 43 Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX.
Cost: £30

This one day workshop introduces the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)’s Sustainable Funding Project, which encourages and enables voluntary and community organisations to explore and exploit a full range of funding and financing options to develop a sustainable funding mix.

For more information, visit the VOSCUR website.

One Race One South West: A South West Racial Equality Councils Network (SWRECN) event, 9.15am to 4.00 pm on Thursday 18 September
Location: Somerset College of Arts and Technology, Taunton. Cost: £25.

The day will have various keynote speakers including Dr Robert Beckford; Colin Port, Piara Power and others.

For more information, visit the Equalities South West website at http://www.equalitysouthwest.org.uk/events/september.html

Advocacy Training, 10.00 am to 3.30 pm on Monday 22 September.
Location: Pineholt Village Hall, Bird Road, Hucclecote, Gloucester GL3 3SN. Cost: £10 administration fee.

Gloucestershire Lifestyles is offering this one-day training course to advocacy staff The training will be provided by John Macarthy. Spaces are limited so please reserve your place a.s.a.p by calling Julie Wilkins on 01452 530184 or email julie@gloslifestyles.co.uk

A booking form can be downloaded here. Please return completed forms with a cheque for £10 made payable to Gloucestershire Lifestyles to GLS Office, Hatherley Day Centre, Hatherley Road, Gloucester, GL1 4PW.

Professional Development for Social Enterprise Advisors, 10.00 am Tuesday 23 September to Thursday 25 September
Location: Taunton. Cost: £545.

This 3 day RISE course fully equips social enterprise advisors with all the knowledge and tools they need in preparation for SFEDI assessment of the social enterprise standards. The new Social Enterprise Link service will require all social enterprise advisors to have up-to-date SFEDI accreditation. This training will enable social enterprise advisors to offer the best possible support to social enterprise clients.

For more information, contact Kat Lee on 01392 456531 or visit the RISE website.

Certificate in managing disability in the workplace, Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 September
Venue: Lion Court Conference Centre, London. Cost: £999 plus VAT.

LexisNexis Conferences are holding an intensive two day course on disability law and practice providing practical solutions to disability issues in today’s workplace.

For more information, visit the website www.conferencesandtraining.com/disability08, ring 020 7347 3573 or email registrations@lexisnexis.co.uk

‘The Sexual Exploitation of Children and the Internet’: One day training course. Tuesday 30 September. Venue: Location tbc, Gloucester. Cost: £90 plus VAT.

Barnados Training, Learning and Consultancy are offering a one day course designed to bring essential information about the online environment to those who work with children and have the responsibility to contribute to keeping them safe.

For more information, download a pdf from Barnados TLC.

The National Drug Strategy Symposium: Building on the Past, Solutions for the Future, Tuesday 30 September
Venue: One Whitehall Place, Westminster. Cost: £295 for VCS.

This one-day national symposium will provide an invaluable opportunity for stakeholders and local practitioners including police, local authorities and health services to assess the key objectives of the new strategy, and consider how improved services can be implemented fully and effectively through a coherent partnership approach at the local level.

For more information, visit the Public Policy Exchange website.

Developing the potential of individuals and groups – dates in October
Location: Community House, 15 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LZ. Cost: free.

Gloucestershire Rural Communities Council (GRCC) are offering training events to both trustees and staff of the voluntary and community organisations and officers and councillors of the statutory sector. The aim of the training is to promote joint learning and share experiences for the benefit of everyone.

For more information, visit the GRCC website at http://www.grcc.org.uk/events/show/262 or contact Marilyn Cox at GRCC on 01452 528491, or by email to marilync@grcc.org.uk

Gloucestershire Local Area Agreement: What is it and why is it relevant to me? 2.30pm to 3.30pm, Monday 3 November.
Location: Gloucester. Cost: free.

The Gloucestershire Assembly Team is holding a free briefing for voluntary and community sector organisations new to the Local Area Agreement.

For more information contact Jess Mace on 01452 522600 or email JessM@glosassembly.org.uk To book a place contact Lorraine on 01452 522600 or email LorraineK@glosassembly.org.uk

Involving Men as Fathers, Monday 17 November
Location: Taunton Conference Centre, Wellington Road, Taunton TA1 5AX. Cost: £150.

Involving fathers in the delivery of services is high on the government’s agenda, and is referred to in numerous documents, including Every Child Matters, Every Parent Matters, Children’s Centre Guidance, and the Gender Equality Duty. This is a ‘taster’ day that aims to increase practitioners’ awareness of the issues of involving men when delivering children’s services.

To find out more, email Gailyn Groves at gailyn.groves@continyou.org.uk or phone 024 7658 8452 or write to: ContinYou, Unit C1, Grovelands Court, Grovelands Estate, Longford Road, Exhall, Coventry CV7 9NE.

Mental Capacity Act – training in Gloucestershire (various dates)
Locations: Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud. Cost: free.
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) provides a statutory framework to empower and protect vulnerable people who are not able to make their own decisions. This one-day workshop is aimed at providing ‘decision making’ staff with an awareness and understanding of their roles and responsibilities within the Act, which was implemented in April 2007.

The workshop will take place from 9.30am to 4.00pm on:

The Frith Room, County Archives, Gloucester. Wednesday 8 October.
Hesters Way, Cheltenham. Wednesday 5 November.
Subscription Rooms, Stroud. Wednesday 10 December.

For more information, contact please contact: Jan Ellis on 01452 425132 or email jan.ellis@gloucestershire.gov.uk

For an application form and further information about the Third Sector Peer Coaching Programme please contact Rachel Hughes at NIACE by emailing rachel.hughes@niace.org.uk

Introduction to Islam & the Muslim Culture Course, 9.30am to 4.00pm on Thursday 18 December
Location: Barton Enterprise Centre, 9 Barton Street, Gloucester, GL1 4HR. Cost: £135 plus VAT.

AKSAA Management and Training Consultants are offering this course which is designed to increase your knowledge of Islam & help you to promote equal opportunities & equal access in service provision.

For more information, visit the website www.educationislam.org or ring 01924 466117.

Multi-session courses and general information

Models of Care – Introduction to Substance Misuse, 9.30am to 4.30 pm, various dates
Venue: GDAS head office 4 – 6 College Street, Gloucester, GL1 2NE. Cost: free (but cancellation charges apply)

The Gloucestershire Drug and Alcohol Team (DAAT) has commissioned Gloucestershire Drug and Alcohol Service (GDAS) to provide training for non-substance misuse services e.g. primary care, social workers, teachers, and people working in homeless persons services. This training will provide basic training in the identification of drug misuse problems and set out clear criteria for referral to specialist services.

The course is being offered on the following dates:

Tuesday 15 and 16 July 2008
Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 September 2008
Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 September 2008

For further information, including a booking form for the events, please contact admin.cs@gdas.co.uk

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) Performance Improvement For All Project (PIFA)
Are you a voluntary and community sector organisation looking to achieve an accredited quality standard? Or do you want to demonstrate to funders that you are an effective and well run organisation that can deliver? Or do you want to find out more about appropriate quality standards for the voluntary and community sector?

If so, the GRCC Big Lottery Funded PIFA Project can help. This project offers support through mentoring and coaching for voluntary and community sector organisations in Gloucestershire to improve performance and gain accredited quality standards. A small bursary is available for organisations working with the PIFA Project.

For further details please contact the PIFA Project Manager, Elin Tattersall at GRCC on (01452) 528491 or email elint@grcc.org.uk

Employment Law Breakfast Clubs, various dates
Cost-free to local businesses
HR Champions are running Employment Law breakfast club meetings on a range of dates in across the region. These meetings provide a brief presentation of a current "hot-topic" followed by the changes and updates in employment law that are likely to affect local businesses. Breakfast Club meetings are free to local businesses.

For more information about these and other courses, read the Training pages on the HR Champions website: http://www.hrchampions.co.uk/

Free NVQ training for volunteers
TWL Training are offering NVQ (Level 2 or 3) training in a range of areas completely free to volunteers or employees of local companies. Most of the assessment is done by observing the candidate in the workplace, meaning that there is very little disruption to the work of the company or organisation.

NVQs are being offered in the following areas:

Business Administration
Customer Service
Warehousing and Distribution
Management.
Team Leading

For more information, call the TWL Centre Manager on 01454 325626, or look at the TWL website: www.twluk.com/twl-centres/centre_detail.php?id=20

Free distance learning training course for the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors
The Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers, run by the University of Wales, Lampeter (www.volstudy.ac.uk) has helped hundreds of people over the years improve their interpersonal skills. At the moment the course is available free of charge for UK and EU residents who do not hold (and are not currently studying for) a degree or higher qualification.

If you would like to know more then please visit www.volstudy.ac.uk, call 01570 424785 or email Matthew Scott: vss@volstudy.ac.uk

Free ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) lessons to employees and volunteers in Gloucestershire
Starting in March at GRCC offices in Gloucester

This will be delivered by Brockworth Community College and will be free to any employees or volunteers aged over 18. Lessons are for a total of 20 hours – once a week for 10 weeks.

For more information email brockworthcommunitycollege@hotmail.com or call Lisa Nash on 01452 863681.

GLOMAS training
April to September 2008

Gloucestershire Money Advice Service (GLOMAS) has published details of its training programme for the period April to September 2008. Courses, which will be of interest to volunteers and paid workers who advise people with debt and benefits problems, include: Introduction to Money Advice, Benefits and Tax Credits – An Essential Guide for Advisers, Bankruptcy, Relationship Breakdown and Debt, Employment and Support Allowance and Money Advice Update.

Further details can be obtained by contacting GLOMAS on 01242 224859 or by email at david.hawkes@glomas.org.uk

Mobile Internet Café Advice and Guidance Sessions

There are ten free sessions of the Mobile Internet Café (MIC) available in the Tewkesbury district, aiming to provide residents of remote communities in the area with computer training facilities and where available, access to the internet. Each session is led by an education worker who is able to assess the needs of those attending.

For more information phone 01452 863896 or email themic@btconnect.com

Now What? Coping with the loss of a loved one

Are you interested in helping people through the grief process? GRCC is working together with partners to offer 12 individuals the opportunity to participate in FREE bereavement facilitation training in April and July 2008.

This training, delivered by Dr Bill Webster, will focus on grief awareness and grief support facilitation. Once training is complete, successful candidates will work with us and partners to set up bereavement support groups in the six districts. A counselling background would be beneficial, but is not essential.

If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Barbara Piranty at GRCC on 01452 528491 or email barbarap@grcc.org.uk

Climate Change

How many planets do you need? ...more than one at the rate we are going!
If you would like to help others to reduce their demands on the planet and create a better future for everyone, you could become a COMMUNITY CHAMPION.
Can you spare a few hours of your time to help groups in your community to plan simple actions to save energy, travel wisely, shop ethically, save resources, care for your area.

A FREE and accredited two-day course is available to anyone over 18, to show you how to use the toolkit to work with community groups to change their footprint on the planet.

For more information or to register to become a Community Champion, please contact the Community Champions Team at BTCV on 01302 388841 / 388836 or email everyactioncounts@btcv.org.uk
For a list of training dates please visit: www.btcv.org/communitychampions

Match-funding for attendees of HR Champions’ Workshops

HR Champions are offering a range of leadership and management development workshops from March to August 2008. Match funding is available for Gloucestershire-based organisations with fewer than 250 employees: up to 50% of the costs could be claimed back (to a maximum of £1000).

For more information of dates of courses or funding information, please contact Judy Chadwick or Yonna Berry on 01452 331331, or by email to enquiries@hrchampions.co.uk.