Partnership Initiatives
The National College (formerly NCSL), Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) / Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC)
In December 2008 as part of the 2020 Children and Young People’s workforce strategy the National College was asked to:
Lead on a development programme which will offer structured training and support to every DCS and those close to stepping up to that role in partnership with the ADCS, CWDC and the Virtual Staff College;
Chair a group of partners to develop proposals for a more coherent offer of support for senior and middle managers throughout the workforce.
Since January 2009 the VSC has been working closely with National College/ADCS/CWDC to provide support to the planning, design and delivery of the extended remit for leadership in Children’s Services. For the whole of 2009 its Chief Executive will be part of the Leadership Consortium which is one of the three governance groups outline below which have been established to oversee this major initiative.
- The Guiding Coalition - the decision making group chaired by Steve Munby, membership includes ADCS, CWDC, C4EO.
- The Expert Group - providing challenge and critique, including serving DCSs and leaders from other sectors.
- The Leadership Consortium - the design, development, commissioning and delivery team, including National College Programme Director, Principal Advisor from the Virtual Staff College and a Strategic Advisor (ex DCS) and a growing extended team of support from the National College and partner agencies.
Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA)
Over the past five years the VSC has worked in partnership with I&DeA to design and deliver a training programme for Facilitators of Action Learning Sets.
To date over forty colleagues from the wider children’s workforce including the Third Sector have completed the training course.
The Youth Workforce Reform Programme and the Leadership and Management Development Programme
Following a commission from the DCSF, CWDC is taking forward a significant programme of workforce reform for a range of professionals involved in Integrated Youth Support Services. The developments consist of eight workstreams, relating to leadership and management development, a skills development framework, youth professional status, common apprenticeships, a common foundation degree, a common code of conduct, graduate recruitment and third sector capacity building, which are all at different stages of implementation.
One of these strands is ‘New programmes for leaders and managers of services for young
people’.
CWDC has contracted a consortium, led by FPM Training to develop these programmes. The Virtual Staff College of ADCS is consortium partner. FPM will be approaching LA workforce leads directly about these programmes. For further information please contact Kevin Ford, Chief Executive, FPM Training, on 0116 2495000 or kevin.ford@fpmonline.co.uk.
Leadership Development Programme: for aspiring senior leaders
The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) appointed a national consortium led by FPM Training to deliver the Youth Workforce Leadership and Management Development Programmes, with the Virtual Staff College being a partner. These programmes represent the biggest single investment in the youth workforce, with over 5,000 managers and service leaders receiving training over three years, with all places being fully-funded by CWDC. 2009 has already seen the successful delivery of both the Leadership Enhancement and the Management Development Programmes.
The third in the series is the Leadership Development Programme. Aimed at middle managers who are looking to take the next formal step up in leadership, it is therefore specifically for members of the youth workforce who are at the early-to mid-stage in their careers.
The programme is offering 150 places nationwide, with allocation being split equally between the statutory and voluntary sectors. Applications are limited to one per local authority or voluntary organisation. Courses are taking place between January and March 2010.
For more information, contact robert.weatherhead@fpmonline.co.uk or visit www.fpmonline.co.uk