Welcome
Welcome to this first special Training Bulletin of 2018 - it's a bumper issue! There's almost too much to mention, but we've listed it all below - firstly in summary form and then just a bit more information on each one. All of the sessions below are on our website, where you can book your place online at any time.
We've split the training in this bulletin into 4 sections:
Transforming Fife's Third Sector - a series of specially commissioned sessions to inspire, challenge and prepare leaders and managers in Fife's third sector
Managing People/HR - a series of new sessions, developed with employment lawyers an HR Director and our own extensive experience of the third sector - hugely informative and ideal for people with all levels of HR experience
Managing Volunteers - our tried, tested and trusted sessions for people who are responsible for recruiting, supporting and/or managing volunteers. These are always popular sessions and we get great feedback, so we keep doing them!
Data Protection - there's a really good session on the new data protection regulations (GDPR) which come into effect on 25 May 2018 - this goes beyond the introductory sessions we ran last year.
This bulletin only highlights the sessions we have organised for February and March!
For the full list of upcoming training sessions, including the many sessions being delivered by organisations across Fife, please visit our Training & Learning page.
Remember, you can call us up during normal working hours to discuss any of our training sessions - 0800 389 6046.
All the best,
The Team at FVA.
"Fairness Matters" was published in November 2015 by the Fairer Fife Commission as part of a strategy to tackle poverty and help the citizens of Fife live well and reach their full potential.
We in the third sector have a unique relationship with communities that gives us insight and opportunity to tackle poverty and promote fairness. We make significant contributions to physical and mental health and well-being, employability, disability, loneliness, long-term unemployment and other challenges. We have an increasingly important role to play if we are to achieve our ambitions of a Fairer Fife.
Since 2016 the Third Sector Strategy Group (TTSG) has been developing a new approach to addressing inequalities and promoting fairness through a series of civic conversations and events involving hundreds of contributions.This culminated in a large event in Rothes Halls in November 2016 and wewill be hosting a similar event this year inApril. Preceding this is a series of workshops developed in response to and supporting the principles of "Fairness Matters", geared around leadership development and networking:
- Inspiration - 3 sessions
- Leadership - a 2 day course
- Collaboration - a 2 day course
- Participation - a full day event
- Learning - 5 sessions
- Good Practice - 4 sessions
Below is a short list of the currently established events:
Attendance at these events is free of charge, thanks to funding support from Fife Council. We can also support travel expenses for those using public transport (prior approval is required if you wish to claim).Due to the costs involved, the limited number of places and significant opportunities these session present, we will charge a non-attendance fee if you book a place and don't attend (we won't charge a non-attendance fee if you cancel with notice - full details can be found in the Terms and Conditions).
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are in the process of finalising bookings for key speakers for some additional events - they will be added to the list below just as soon as we can confirm the arrangements.
Leadership Development -9:00 - 5:00 - 13 February and 22 March, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
Led by ACOSVO and Animate
A2 day course to inform those in a senior position in Fife's Third Sector in how to expand and develop the role of the leader.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Inspiring a Fairer Fife- First Event - 8:45 - 11:00 - 19 February,Balbirnie House (near Glenrothes)
Led by Fife's Third Sector Strategy Group
A series of provocations and civic conversations to inspirepowerful, thoughtful and focused actions for a Fairer Fife. Come to one, some or all of them!
The first one will take place at Balbirnie House, near Glenrothes on19 February with guest speakers Dr Carol Craig (Director of the Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing) and Katherine Trebeck (Oxfam and ex-Fairer Fife Commissioner).
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Collaborative Leadership - 9:00 - 5:00 - 26 and 27 February, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
A 2 day course on participation and collaboration in leadership, led by Connecting Scotland
For anyone who wishes to learn practical skills for facilitating great meetings and events, leading to wiser action and stronger collaboration to better serve people and communities in Fife.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Avoiding Legal Problems with Volunteers - 9:30 - 12:30 - 08 March, Volunteer House, Cupar
This specially-developed session looks at the legal implications when recruiting/managing volunteers and how to implement best practice, while ensuring your organisation remains legally compliant. Delivered by experts in both the law and practice, this session will cover:
oVolunteers' legal status
oEquality Act (2010)
oGiving lunch/expenses/gifts to volunteers
oGDPR
oConfidentiality
oDismissal
oRisk of sanction to volunteers
Who should attend:
Trustees, those with supervisor responsibility for volunteers and any other managers.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Managing People/HR
Recruiting Staff
9:30 - 12:30 - 15 February, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
Here at FVA we spend a lot of time supporting organisations who get into employment/HR difficulties - many of these issues could have been prevented through greater confidence and improved practice. The hassle, expense, broken relationships, months of stress could all have been avoided. We strongly encourage organisations that employ staff to ensure their procedures and practice are robust and that staff and Board members responsible for line managing people have the skills and confidence to do so well. Attendance at these sessions would go a long way to achieving that. We can also, between FVA and Square Peg HR, provide additional, customised support to organisations to review policies and procedures.
Frances and Carolyn of Square Peg, supported by senior FVA staff, will deliver the sessions. Between all of them, they bring decades of experience at HR Director/Consultant level and as a specialist employment solicitor, representing employers and employees in disputes. All the trainers have expertise of directly working for third sector organisations and their Boards. Please note that this is one of five linked training sessions being delivered, please click here for more information.
This particular session will look at: setting criteria, advertising, shortlisting, assessment tools, avoiding bias, candidate feedback and the job offer.
Click here for more information and to book a place
Employee Performance Management
9:30 - 12:30 - 28 February, Craig Mitchell House, Glenrothes
This particular session will look at:setting criteria, dealing with poor performance, support & supervision, increasing personal accountability and alternative approaches to appraisals.
Click here for more information and to book a place
Managing Employee Absence
9:30 - 12:30 - 14 March, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
This particular session will look at:managing malingering and/or long-term absences, good practice around minimising absence, return to work interviews.
Click here for more information and to book a place
Managing Difficult Employee Situations
9:30 - 14:00 - 29 March, Craig Mitchell House, Glenrothes
This particular session will look at:resolving conflict, dealing with bad behaviour, allegations of bullying, team negativity, avoiding discrimination, understanding and issuing formal warnings.
Lunch will be included - please advise us of any dietary requirements.
Click here for more information and to book a place
Managing Volunteers
Volunteer Management Course 2, Effective Volunteer Recruitment
9.30am-1.00pm - 14 February, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
Here are some of the very positive comments made by previous participants, who attended this training last year:
- "Found it really worthwhile"; "Really useful"; "Really informative"; "Thanks, actually really helpful information"; "It's really great to hear other people's negative and positive experiences"
- "Good support services offered by FVA"
- "Good to think about things from a different perspective"
- "Chance to discuss questions"; "Liked group discussion"
- "All very informative"
Despite the constant interest in new and better techniques to recruit volunteers, the true challenge in the volunteer field is first having meaningful activities for volunteers to do. Without preparation you run the risk of attracting people who do not really meet your needs and therefore are the wrong volunteers for you; and having the wrong volunteers may be worse than having no volunteers at all.
Included in the course:
*Motivations for volunteering
*Developing opportunities
*Methods of recruitment
*Recruitment messages
*Recruitment strategies
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Volunteer Management Course 3, Supporting Your Volunteers
9.30am-1.00pm - 01 March, Volunteer House, Cupar
This course will help participants to develop their ideas, skills and strategies regarding offering support to volunteers.
Topics to be covered on the course are:
*What is support;
*Methods of support;
*Methods of supervision;
*Managing difficult situations;
*Dismissing/counselling out volunteers.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Volunteer Management Course 4, Fair and Equal Volunteering
9.30am-1.00pm - 13 March, New Volunteer House, Kirkcaldy
This course will enable you and your organisation to feel more confident in understanding the difference between equality and diversity. This can then enable your organisation to recruit volunteers who can potentially bring along a vast amount of varied skills and knowledge that may support the skill set that you already have as well as boosting the services you provide.
Included in this course:
*The difference between equality and diversity;
*What is meant by the 'protected characteristics';
*The benefits of promoting diversity in your volunteer team;
*Overcoming barriers/stereotypes;
*How we can support you.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Volunteer Management Course 5, Managing Risk in Your Volunteering Programme
9.30am-1.00pm - 28 March, Craig Mitchell House, Glenrothes
You have a moral responsibility to ensure that volunteers are protected from physical, financial and emotional harm arising from volunteering. This course will support your organisation by ensuring you have the tools and the knowledge to ensure you manage risk effectively.
Included in the course:
*Duty of care and the law;
*Your rights and responsibilities;
*What is risk?
*Risk identification and management;
*Risk register;
*Risk assessments;
*Health and safety policy;
*Insurance.
Click here for more information and to book your free place
Data Protection
Complying with the New Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
2:00pm - 4:30pm - 01 March, New Volunteer House
This is a new, specially developed session for third sector organisations.
It builds on the 'Introduction to GDPR' we held last year with the Information Commissioner's Office. This new session is more practically focused and goes into some detail around implementation of the key parts that will more directly affect third sector organisations. For example, we'll look into the requirements to provide a notice to employees before 25 May 2018 or you run the risk of being in breach of the law and subject to huge fines.
There will be plenty of scope to ask generic questions, follow-up support to help with particular issues and implementation may be possible.
Click here to book your place