Learning Opportunities
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Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Learning Opportunities
Race Equality Matters: Safe Space Facilitator Training Workshop (Recording)
This event was to help attendees who were facilitating their own internal Safe Space sessions to understand some of the key considerations when hosting these sessions, it includes:
- Enable brave conversations
- Facilitate uncomfortable discussions
- Drive meaningful change
Why you should get involved in #MyNameIs (recording)
#MyNameIs is a simple but highly impactful solution from Race Equality Matters that ensures the correct pronunciation of people’s names.
The aim is to:
- Get people’s names right, which creates the opportunity for people to feel wanted, to feel like they belong, and to be treated with respect.
- Ensure the meaning, heritage, and identity behind our names are not taken away.
This recording explains why you should get involved in the #MyNameIs campaign.
Race Equality Matters: Ensure your Race Equality Week 2025 is a success
Race Equality Week is a UK-wide initiative uniting thousands of organisations and individuals to break down race equality barriers in the workplace.
This event is designed to jumpstart your planning and ensure impactful, meaningful activities for Race Equality Week 2025 (3-9 February).
- Experience a live walk-through of our brand-new 5-Day Challenge, designed to inspire impactful actions.
- Hear from speakers who have successfully implemented Race Equality Week within their organisations.
- Learn about the four flagship events taking place throughout the week.
- Engage with other members of the REM community to explore and share ideas for Race Equality Week activities.
ACAS: Equality, diversity and inclusion training courses
This regularly ran 3-hour digital event looks at the essential aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion that all organisations need to be aware of, including the legal position and best practice for promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Open Learn: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a free badged course which lasts 8 weeks, with approximately 3 hours’ study time each week. You can work through the course at your own pace, so if you have more time one week you could push on to complete another week’s study.
HR
Mangates Human Resource Management
The Human Resource Management workshop will give managers the basic tools to handle numerous human resource situations such as interviewing, orientation, safety, harassment, discrimination, violence, discipline, and termination. This workshop will provide your participants those skills and assist them with certain Human Resource situations.
ACAS – Free workplace rights eLearning Modules
Acas Learning Online provides a wide selection of courses and resources focusing on workplace rights, rules and best practice. It caters to managers, HR professionals, and individuals seeking to enhance their understanding in this field. Create a free account and choose which courses you want to take, working at your own pace.
Leadership
10GM VCSE Workforce Development Project Open Online Workshop Recordings
10GM’s Open Workshops are an opportunity to develop your understanding of key aspects of leadership and workforce development. Each workshop features speakers from Greater Manchester’s VCSE sector, sharing their experiences of leadership, and successes and challenges in nurturing and supporting their workforce. These workshops provide a valuable learning space for VCSE staff; reflecting the strengths, joys and challenges of working in GM’s VCSE sector and creating opportunities for peer learning.
Recordings include:
- Using Data to Drive Decisions
- Building Inclusive Cultures
- Leading with Values
- Personal wellbeing and Resilience as a Leader
Greater Manchester Moving/Macc/10GM Systems Leadership Workshops
Systems Leadership is all about amplifying a model of leadership that’s not about managing, but about how to make things happen, across sectors, in a collaborative way. It is designed to help you lead when you don’t have positional power, levers to pull, or a large budget to wield.
We can all help people live more active lives. Everyone has a role to play: volunteers, communities and the paid workforce We’re creating opportunities to come together to learn new skills and share our ideas. These are open to anyone who feels like moving matters to you or your work.
NCVO Leading on Purpose Programme
A practical four-month programme for emerging charity leaders from NCVO. The programme will support you to develop the knowledge, mindset and connections you need to create impactful, resilient and effective organisations.
The programme includes both online and in person sessions at NCVO’s London office.
NCVO Short Leadership Courses
NCVO are running a number of short one/two day leadership courses, from January-April 2025.
Topics include:
- Leading external engagement
- Authentic leadership
- Strategic leadership
- Leading through change
Talent – How to Attract the Best
This course focuses on talent attraction and will engage in a combination of collaborative discussions and trainer-led training to ensure a thorough understanding of the concept of talent attraction.
The course is open to people working in management level roles. Funded places are limited to one per organisation and your organisation must have at least two employees. This training is open to organisations from across all sectors in Greater Manchester and so is not specifically for a VCSE audience. Delivered by GM Growth Hub/Consensa Learning and Development.
Time Management Training
This course aims to develop excellent planning, prioritising, delegation and decision-making skills which to support you in managing your work and responsibilities. You will leave with an action plan of how to apply these skills to improve personal performance.
The course is open to people working in management level roles. Funded places are limited to one per organisation and your organisation must have at least two employees. This training is open to organisations from across all sectors in Greater Manchester and so is not specifically for a VCSE audience. Delivered by GM Growth Hub/Consensa Learning and Development.
Leaders Plus Podcast for Parents
Big Careers Small Children helps ambitious parents progress careers they love whilst being present with their children. Through honest and informal conversation, leaders share what they have learnt on their own journey of combining big careers with young children.
The Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership
The Open University’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership provides a range of free learning opportunities and resources to help you develop and strengthen your leadership practice in the voluntary sector. Their current offer includes online courses on developing leadership practice and collaborative leadership and opportunities to join online leadership learning clubs to connect with and reflect on your learning with other leaders.
NHS North West Leadership Academy
The NHS North West Leadership Academy provides a range of free resources for health and social care leaders and managers including videos, podcasts and webinar recordings, on leadership topics, including systems leadership and transformational leadership.
Their podcast, Leadership Live, explores a range of subjects including authentic leadership, leading high performing teams, creating a coaching culture and more.
They also offer a range of events and workshops and events for leaders and managers in health and social care.
NHS Leadership Academy Mary Seacole Leadership Development Programme
This programme is designed for first time leaders in healthcare. It is open to applicants form the VCSE sector if your organisation has a health/care focus, however, it is designed primarily for an NHS audience, so you may find that some of the content or examples are geared towards NHS contexts.
The programme is for people who are in a ‘formal’ position of leadership with responsibilities for people and services, and are able to relate what they are learning to a workplace. You must be able to commit to a minimum of 5 hours of study per week.
NHS Leadership Academy Edward Jenner Programme
This programme is designed for anyone aspiring to their first leadership or management role within the health and care sector within the next 1-2 years. This programme is for people looking to build a strong foundation of leadership skills that can help enhance your confidence and competence in your role. The programme has been designed to offer flexibility as a suite of online short courses.
It is open to applicants form the VCSE sector, if your organisation has a health/care focus, however, it is designed primarily for an NHS audience, so you may find that some of the content or examples are geared towards NHS contexts.
The World of Work Project CIC
The World of Work Project delivers one, free, online seminar each month, open to anyone. Seminars last about an hour and cover a range of different topics relating to leadership, management and workforce development.
Coaching for leaders
There are a range of organisations, including several CICs within Greater Manchester, who offer coaching for people working or leading within the VCSE sector. You can find further information about a range of coaching providers within Greater Manchester on the VCSE Workforce Hub Personal Development page.
InStep UK Leadership Lunch and Learn: Make wellbeing the heartbeat of your organisation
This 60 minute session will explore how to place wellbeing at the heart of your organisation. This session is cohosted with Investors in People
Please note that these sessions are open to all businesses and organisations within Greater Manchester and are not VCSE sector specific.
To book your place email: [email protected]
Instep Leadership Support Programme
Instep are helping organisations across the Greater Manchester city-region to develop
their leadership capacity and support their future growth aspirations. This has been made possible thanks to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority securing funding to deliver UKSPF projects, which forms part of the Government’s wider Levelling Up Agenda.
Instep’s Leadership Support Programme enables employed individuals to create a bespoke pathway to strengthen their effective leadership skills.
NHS Leadership Academy Foundation in Systems Leadership
On this five-week course from the NHS Leadership Academy, you’ll explore systems leadership, learn why it’s important in health and care, and develop new capabilities to implement it. You will also recognise where you may already be operating as a systems leader while developing new approaches.
This programme is open to anyone working in health, care, local authorities and voluntary organisations who would like to explore what system leadership means. Whether you’re new to health and care, an aspiring leader at the start of your journey, or interested in finding out more about cross-sector collaboration, you’re the perfect candidate.
NHS North West Leadership Academy 360 Degree Feedback Tool
The 360 Degree Feedback Tool is designed to give you insight into other people’s perception of your leadership abilities and behaviour. The process includes getting confidential feedback from line managers, peers and direct reports. This can be helpful to highlight strengths or areas for development.
Access to this tool is offered by the NHS North West Leadership Academy as part of their Healthcare Leadership Model. Once feedback is compiled a report is developed. An accredited feedback facilitator will work with you in a dedicated feedback session to help you interpret your report.
Learning and Development for Trustees
Trustees play a key role in many VCSE organisations and in some organisations where there are no paid staff, we know that trustees may carry significant responsibilities in terms of leadership and management. Getting on Board offers a range of support to people to become effective charity trustees, particularly those who are currently under-represented on trustee boards. They offer high quality, free training for trustees, to help people grow and develop in their trustee roles and provide governance to VCSE organisations.
Personal Development
Free Skills For Life courses
Access a range of free courses aimed at developing essential skills. From communication to financial management, these courses empower individuals to thrive.
The Growth Company
Discover fully funded adult courses offered by the Growth Company. These courses provide opportunities for adults to enhance their skills and qualifications, some examples include:
- Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Business and Administration
- Level 3 Certificate in Management Principles (Including Project Management)
- Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health
Directory of Social Change
Visit the Personal Development Page on the Directory of Social Change website for access to online training covering a wide range of topics. Additionally, explore articles and books to further deepen your understanding and skills in personal development.
Recruitment
The New Era of Recruitment
Skill-based recruiting is a hiring method that focuses on a candidate’s skills and abilities rather than their background, education or past work experience. This approach enables organisations to identify and hire candidates based on their ability to perform the job, rather than what is outlined on their resume.
Join Rebecca Percossi, Executive Managing Director at Trimont, as she discusses her own organisation’s strategy on skills-based recruitment and how it was a game changer not just for those who are recruiting, but for all job seekers.
Wellbeing
Personal Wellbeing and Resilience as a Leader
This workshop took place online on 22 January 2024 and explored the importance of personal wellbeing and resilience for Greater Manchester VCSE leaders.
This workshop was part of the GM VCSE Workforce Development Project’s Leadership Open Workshop Series.
Healthy Minds Greater Manchester Online Course
The Royal Society for Public Health and Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership have developed a new mental health and wellbeing online course for anyone working or living in Greater Manchester.
This one-hour course encourages us all to take a proactive approach to caring for our mental health and wellbeing through simple steps that are proven to work.
If you are interested in having this course available on your organisation’s learning platform please email: [email protected]
Wellbeing Workshops: Looking After Yourself and Your Teams
The NHS GM Wellbeing team are relaunching their Looking After Yourself and Your Teams workshops to continue the critical support for all our colleagues during their working day. Learn about how to pay attention to your own wellbeing; and how to support those around you, whether you are a line manager or a team champion.
These workshops are open to people working in the VCSE sector. The tools and approaches shared can be used in any organisational context. Some of the examples shared in the session may relate to NHS contexts specifically.
GM Menopause Cafe
Facilitated by GM Menopause Network, the Café is an opportunity to share your menopause experiences and listen to other experiences with curiosity and
support in the virtual room.
This peer session is for anyone experiencing the impacts of menopause, including all ages and genders.
Trauma Informed Training
Gain insights into trauma and its impact through dedicated courses and resources that aim to enhance understanding and provide tools for support.
NHS England’s e-learning for healthcare and Mental Health team have worked together to develop a new e-learning programme about trauma-informed care.
Recovery Academy
The Recovery Academy provides free courses and resources to increase knowledge and understanding of mental health and related issues. The resources are tailored for different needs – individuals dealing with mental health challenges, a family member, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional.