Autumn Programme
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We can now assist you with your application! Please contact us to find out more by emailing:
lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk
New! Leadership and Building Effective Teams – Tuesday 7th Sept (Newquay)
This workshop is designed for team leaders and managers who want to take time out to think about their leadership style and how to get the best results from team working. Delegates will learn how to maximise effective working relationships with their staff. We will discuss the difficulties of moving into the role of team leader and explore team dynamics, supervisory and leadership styles and how to manage 'awkward' people in a team. We will also explore the reasons why some teams achieve outstanding results while others struggle – and what to do about it! This practical workshop will give you the opportunity to practice dealing with team situations and learn techniques to help you feel more confident in your role and your relationships with colleagues.
Full programme here
New! The first in our ‘In a Nutshell’ series of half-day workshops.......
Introduction to Board Governance for ‘not-for-private-profit’ Enterprises - Thursday 9th Sept (Puxton Park M5, junc 21) Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm Cost: £75
The aim of this half-day workshop is to give Board Members of charities, social enterprises and other VCS groups an introduction to good governance through an overview of the topic. By the end of the workshop participants will feel confident they know what is expected of them and how they can develop their own skills, knowledge and understanding in the role in future. For new or prospective Board Members, this workshop will provide a ‘lightning tour’ of good governance and for the more experienced, a good refresher that will support improved Board performance.
Full programme
here
New! The second in our ‘In a Nutshell’ series of half-day workshops.......
Risk Management for Board Members of ‘not-for-private-profit’ Organisations
- Thursday 9th Sept at Puxton Park (M5, junc 21)
Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm Cost: £75
The aim of this half-day workshop is to give directors of social enterprises, and trustees of charities, a thorough grounding in the area of risk management, and to equip them with the understanding and tools to put a risk management policy – and processes - in place. The workshop will use a case study, based on a typical not-for-profit organization, to demonstrate some obvious and less obvious risks. For new or more experienced Board Members, this workshop will provide an introduction to risk management and the foundations needed to ensure good practice in this important area of governance.
Full programme
here
***Book onto both of the above half-day courses and receive a £10 discount and free lunch!***
New! A Practical Approach to Fundraising: maximise your success and explore new income streams
– Tuesday 14th Sept (Taunton)
This course delivers essential knowledge and skills for those new to fundraising, but will also appeal to more experienced fundraisers, who are looking for fresh ideas, and to managers and trustees who have an overall responsibility for maximising income and need a good understanding of fundraising. As well as learning about the basic principles of fundraising, participants will gain a greater understanding of the different sources of funding available - and knowledge of how to best ‘tap’ them. Those who book onto the course will receive a pre-course questionnaire asking them which areas of fundraising they would like to explore in more depth.
Full programme
here
Managing Lone Workers – Thursday 16th Sept (Sparkford, Yeovil)
This workshop is aimed at managers and team leaders with responsibility for staff who work on their own - whether in community outreach or home-based roles. Lone working presents particular challenges, both for the staff and for the managers who are responsible for their performance. The particular focus of this workshop will be on strategies to support the morale of lone workers and deal with issues of isolation and demotivation. We will discuss systems and procedures that will assist managers and team leaders to look after lone workers more effectively. We will also explore the particular difficulties of identifying and managing poor performance. By the end of the day you will have a better understanding of the difficulties faced by your lone workers and take away strategies for supporting good performance.
Full programme
here
New!
Managing Staff – the essentials! - Tuesday 21 September (Taunton)
This workshop is a practical introduction to management responsibilities for new team leaders and managers - also a useful refresher for experienced managers, who want to ‘revisit’ the systems they use to manage their staff. In this course, we analyse the policies and procedures which effective managers need to understand and implement in order to make the management job easier! We will explore supervisory responsibilities from induction stage onwards, focusing on how to handle systems for supervision, performance and staff development. You will have an opportunity to consider the wide-ranging responsibilities of the management role and ask the tricky questions in the confidential atmosphere of the training room, without fear of repercussions!
Full programme
here
Financial Management Demystified – Tuesday 28th September (Sparkford, Yeovil)
This course is designed principally for non-accountants in the Voluntary & Community Sector to help them understand the key elements of Financial Management. As the title implies, it will not be technical and requires delegates to have limited or no knowledge of the subject. It should be particularly helpful to those who need to understand the finances of their organisation but feel daunted by the sheer weight of detail and jargon surrounding financial information and reporting requirements. If nothing else it will give delegates an opportunity to ask basic questions which they can sometimes be reluctant to ask in front of apparently better informed colleagues.
Full programme
here
An Introduction to Project Management - Tuesday 5th October (Taunton)
This course is an introduction to the principles and practice of project management. It is suitable for all managers or project team members who need to know the practical basics of initiating, managing and evaluating the performance of small to medium sized projects. To successfully plan, manage and close a project is something that all managers, regardless of position or role, should be skilled in and feel confident about.
Full programme
here
Tendering for Services: preparing & presenting your bid - Thursday 7th October (Sparkford, Yeovil)
Winning contracts has never been easy – especially when you have to produce a first class, compelling tender document that will make your organisation stand out from its competitors. A good proposal may not necessarily win a contract – but a poor one will lose it in an instant. This course equips managers with the skills and knowledge they need to address issues vital to the process of responding to tenders and Local & Regional Public Organisation procedures for new and existing services.
Full programme
here
New! Survival of the Fittest: creating a simple income strategy that works - Tuesday 12th October (Exeter)
This introductory course is aimed at frontline organizations, new to the ideas and concepts of sustainable funding (for example by relying primarily on donations and grants). With changes in the political landscape and the present financial downturn, the need to diversify your income streams to strengthen your organisation has never been higher! The course will help you identify and develop creative opportunities for future financial sustainability and includes an easy-to-use template for you to set personal goals at the end of each topic session to develop and take back to your workplace.
Full programme
here
Full Cost Recovery: from theory to practice - Thursday 14th October (Newquay)
This course is designed principally for non-accountants in the Voluntary & Community Sector with limited, if any, knowledge of FCR. It will build on the successful ‘Financial Management Demystified’ course introduced by Cascade in 2008 but attendance on that course is not a prerequisite for this programme, which is intended to stand on its own. It should enable participants to grasp the underlying theory of the FCR process and apply it to their organisations in a practical way, with particular reference to the preparation of funding bids.
Full programme
here
New!
Maximise your supporter base: membership management & retention’ - Tuesday 19 October (Taunton)
If you are responsible for managing group membership relationships, you will know how demanding it is to plan and implement the right communications strategies! This course is suitable for anyone who is involved with managing their own membership networks/infrastructure groups. Membership management is not just about recruiting new members – it also involves retaining the members you already have. This course will outline the steps organisations can take to stimulate and retain their current membership, whilst understanding the natural changes in any membership group. This workshop encourages delegates to debate the issues affecting their organisations. You will receive a variety of sample documents and templates that you can take away to use in your workplace.
Full programme
here
Keeping the customer satisfied: effective communication with key stakeholders -Tuesday 2nd November (Taunton)
At a time of funding cuts and all the challenges that go with them, it is more important than ever to think about the importance of effective communication skills! In this workshop, we will encourage you to identify your key stakeholders – internally and externally - and think about how you communicate with them. You will have an opportunity to reflect about the needs and expectations of all your key ‘customers’ and the importance of projecting the right image for your organization. We will explore how the way we communicate with others shapes the quality of our working relationships. This is a chance to talk freely about the barriers that hinder you in the workplace as well as to practice new skills and techniques that will enhance the performance of your organization in this key area. The bottom line is that good internal interactions with colleagues are essential, in order to deliver top quality service to external service users and other agencies.
Full programme here
New! Leading and Managing Change - Tuesday 9th November (Taunton)
This new course is designed to support managers at all levels in an organisation, who are confronting the challenge of planning and implementing change in the workplace. This will be a very practical workshop which encourages delegates to bring a ‘live’ change issue for discussion and work collectively with colleagues to identify good solutions. What is the argument for change in your team or organisation? How will you consult? Who do you need to influence? During the day, you will learn how to lead and manage a change process, and explore the essential skills needed to persuade staff in your organisation to follow your lead.
Full programme here
Managing Performance: how to deal with poor performers - Thursday 11th November (Sparkford, nr Yeovil)
This workshop is aimed at team leaders and managers who currently supervise staff and are concerned about poor performance issues. In this very practical workshop we will discuss the warning signs of potential problems, such as verbal challenges, non verbal communications and absenteeism patterns
We will address various examples of poor performance in the workplace and the impact on team morale. You will learn new strategies to ensure you address potential problems at an early stage, in order to improve working relationships and avoid costly and time-consuming staff turnover! We will also explore ‘final resort’ disciplinary procedures and discuss the importance of consistent and fair procedures, to ensure you deal with performance issues fairly and legally.
Full programme here
New! The third in our ‘In a Nutshell’ series of half day workshops.......
Marketing Plans Made Simple: how to create a simple and useable strategy that works for you!
- Tuesday 16th November (Taunton) Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm Cost: £75
Have you ever wanted to create a marketing plan, but been put off by the thought of a long and difficult process, resulting in a document that you just put in a drawer and allow to go dusty? Well, in this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a quick and easy marketing plan that you can actually use! We’ll be talking about why some marketing activities don’t work for some organizations and what you can do to improve your PR - as well as demonstrating how you can put together your plan in just half an hour!
Full programme here
New! The fourth in our ‘In a Nutshell’ series of half day workshops.......
Get into Social Networking: a quick and easy way to maximise your online PR for free!
- Tuesday 16th November (Taunton) Time: 1.30am – 4.30pm Cost: £75
The last couple of years have seen an explosion in social networking sites like Twitter and Linkedin. If you’re not sure how to use them or how they could benefit your organisation, this workshop is for you!
We’ll be covering which sites are the best ones to use, how to get support for your cause from them, and how to update your profile and other information, without spending too much time doing it!
This workshop is a beginner’s guide to social networking so if you’ve been putting off investigating this increasingly popular method of increasing your online presence, come along and find out more!
Full programme here
***Book onto both of the above half-day courses and receive a £10 discount and free lunch!***
New! Supporting Your Staff: effective supervision & appraisal - Tuesday 23rd November (Taunton)
This workshop is aimed at team leaders and managers who want to focus on the topic of staff development and learn how to support staff more effectively. Carrying out regular supervision and appraisal meetings with staff are a crucial element of staff development - but this can be an uncomfortable task - particularly if you are dealing with awkward working relationships and below par work standards. We will explore the supervisory and appraisal process in detail to help you understand how to manage the process with your staff and how to deal with potential problems. You will learn how to appraise members of your team effectively, practice the skills required and understand why good staff development makes your job, and theirs, less stressful and more enjoyable!
Full programme here
Effective Negotiating Skills - Tuesday 30th November (Exeter)
In an increasingly competitive environment a significant part of managers’ and leaders’ responsibilities involve negotiation. Typically this will relate to contracts, service level agreements and other funding, but it frequently extends to colleagues and working partners. It has to be recognised that many counter-parties in negotiations will have received extensive training to hone their negotiating skills and it is therefore vital that managers in the Voluntary & Community Sector are adequately equipped to ‘fight their corner’. NOTHING IS MORE UNFORGIVABLE THAN TO LOSE A PERFECTLY WINABLE DEAL THROUGH POOR NEGOTIATION. This course will provide participants with practical and ‘non-academic’ help in planning their approach to negotiation and optimising their chances of achieving successful outcomes.
Full programme
here
• All courses run from 9.30am - 4.30pm at fully accessible venues
• Full day courses cost £129 unless otherwise specified
• The cost of 3 bookings made at the same time by the same organisation, is reduced by 10%
• Certificates confirming course completion will be provided
• Cascade is the social purpose training & support service run by Lindy Booth and Lauren Evans
Feedback from Spring 2010 courses includes:
.….‘thoroughly enjoyable - will recommend to others’; ’great value for money’; 'fantastically practical and engaging’; ‘handouts and discussions most useful’; ‘lots of very welcome food for thought!’; ‘left with lots of useful practical tips’; ‘it was great to share learning with others in the sector; ‘entertaining presenter – I wasn’t bored once!’…..