The Virtual Staff College (VSC) is pleased to announce that they have been awarded the ongoing grant for the development and delivery of leadership provision for Directors of Children’s Services and other senior leaders who are stepping up to the role, up until 2014-15.

Carol Chambers, Chair of the VSC Board and DCS in Rutland commented, “I am absolutely delighted with this outcome and believe that the sector will continue to benefit from the range of world class leadership development opportunities already being delivered by the VSC. I know that the VSC will continue to reflect the needs of the sector in everything they offer and will work closely with the community to develop a legacy of self-sustaining support for the future.” The VSC has recently closed the application round for Cohort 3 of the Aspirant DCS programme and will be re-launching the DCS Leadership programme for serving DCSs shortly.

The third and last Summit will take place on 28-30 May 2012. It will be the third opportunity for school superintendents and other top level school leaders to meet and learn more about global trends and changes in school policy worldwide and draw conclusions for school improvement together with researchers.

Continuing themes from 2008 and 2010 – leadership in change, globalisation, systems for assessment and follow-up, evidence based school improvement and research as driving forces for change. This year, also added is the responsibility to know and learn about the conditions for learning. Therefore, there will be the opportunity to share the latest developments in brain research. One of the leading researchers in this area, Dr Martin Ingvar will be attending.

There will be seminars and speed networking sessions, and a social programme and the venue is the Hotel Hilton.

For more information, visit www.stockholmsummit.se

The Virtual Staff College Scotland is the professional development arm of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES).

VSCS exists to help build the capacity of local authorities by the development of staff. It has a close association with the VSC in England and Wales which allows access to the wide range of developments taking place elsewhere in the UK.

The  Staff College organises and facilitates a range of professional  development opportunities for ADES members and other senior staff in education and children’s services in Scotland.

For more information, please click here

‘Leading on Health for Children and Young People’: A strategic seminar for DCSs who have participated in the DCS Leadership Programme.

Thursday 22nd March (4.00pm) – Friday 23rd March (2.00pm) at the National College in Nottingham.

You are invited to join the latest in the series of strategic seminars that the VSC is providing for alumni of the DCS leadership programme*.  At the last seminar, on ‘New Business Models Part 2′, a number of you requested that a similar event should be arranged with a focus on the implications for DCSs of the changes taking place in the NHS.

The keynote for the seminar will be provided by Bill McCarthy, Managing Director for the NHS Commissioning Board. Bill has spent most of his career in the health service, but was recently the Chief Executive of the City of York council, and understands both the health service and local government from the inside.

Although the seminar will rely heavily on the experience of the participating DCSs, other sessions will be led by Anthony May (DCS in Nottinghamshire) who is co-ordinating a learning set for the DH on the early experience of Health and Wellbeing Boards, and Duncan Clark (DCS in Kingston) who has worked at a senior level within a PCT, as well as in children’s services.

The purpose of the seminar will be to share emerging practice in terms of commissioning, public health and the operation of the health and wellbeing boards, and to explore the distinctive features of the kind of leadership required by the new agenda for health.

All of the costs of the seminar, including overnight accommodation, will be met by the VSC through the DCS leadership programme. 25 places are available, and will be allocated strictly in order of application. If you wish to attend, please email Kirsty Foster-Jennings at DCSleadership@virtualstaffcollege.co.uk

A two day residential: 20th – 21st February

The Virtual Staff College invites applications to attend a 2 day residential for Black and Asian middle managers seeking to make the move into more senior leadership roles in children’s services.

With presentations from inspirational speakers, practical sessions and time for discussion and personal reflection, the programme will cover the following topics:

• Exploring your potential to be a senior leader
• Promoting yourself and being promoted
• Welcome to the new job
• Changing organisational cultures

In advance of the residential, participants will be asked to undertake a 360/self assessment which will be used to support individual and small group work.

Application is by letter (no more than one side of A4) and brief cv to:

The Black and Asian Leadership Initiative
VSC Plus
University of Nottingham Innovation Park (UNIP),
The Sir Colin Campbell Building,
Triumph Road,
Nottingham,
NG7 2TU

The deadline for applications is Friday 23rd December. 30 places are available on the programme. Should it be oversubscribed, priority will be given to applicants who are able to make the most compelling case for being offered a place. This will be judged by reference to the following criteria:

• Your commitment to a career in children’s services,
• Your potential to become a senior leader in children’s services,
• The match between this programme and your own development needs,
• Confirmation that your line manager supports your application.

Priority will be given to previous applicants for the joint Ofsted/National College BALI programme offered earlier this year.

The costs of this event are being wholly met by the Virtual Staff College. Accommodation will be at the National College for School Leadership, and the event will take place in the University of Nottingham Innovation Park.

The initiative is being co-ordinated by Patrick Scott, National Lead for Succession Planning at the VSC, who is available on patrick.scott@virtualstaffcollege.co.uk.

What is the offer?

• Six telephone coaching sessions generally spread over 12 weeks
• Weekly e-mail contact and support
• A “Personal Performance Success” final report
• A copy of the powerful “The 7 Cs of Successful Leaders” manual which includes 4 CDs
• A copy of the organisation-changing “Developing a Coaching Culture in Your Organisation” resource which includes a CD

Click here to download the flyer.

The Virtual Staff College has now joined the Twitter community. For the latest developments within children’s services and news on new VSC programmes follow @vsc_uk.

Latest news will be broadcast through this account not just about the VSC but also about the wider children’s services sector.