CVSL offers a fresh take on leadership in the voluntary sector, exploring everyday practices, and the actions and interactions that ultimately get things done. On this page you'll find information about free courses from CVSL, along with other recommended content from OpenLearn on relevant topics.
Leadership courses
Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
This free course, Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations, provides an opportunity for people who work within voluntary organisations, as paid employees or staff, to develop energetic, practical and thoughtful leadership practice.
Learn more ❯Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
This free course, Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations, will help you to reflect on and develop collaborative leadership practices that will make a difference. The course is aimed at people who work within voluntary organisations as paid staff or as volunteers or for people who work regularly with voluntary organisations, such as public sector staff or politicians.
Learn more ❯Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
Involving volunteers
This is a short course on volunteering developed by Volunteer Scotland and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership at The Open University Business School. This course is about the essential things you need to consider to ensure a positive experience for individuals engaging in volunteering.
Read more❯Involving volunteers
Getting started in the voluntary sector
Introducing the voluntary sector
This free course, Introducing the voluntary sector, will guide you through some of the distinctive features and values of the voluntary sector, how organisations are funded and involve volunteers and other ‘stakeholders’ in their work. It will also provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering as well as your everyday life.
Learn more ❯Introducing the voluntary sector
Working in the voluntary sector
This free online course, Working in the voluntary sector, will introduce you to some of the main activities carried out by volunteers and staff, will give you some background on how different organisations work and will provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering, as well as to your every day life.
Learn more ❯Working in the voluntary sector
Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market
This free course, Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market, explores how engaging in voluntary work can enhance your employment opportunities
Learn more ❯Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market
What do you know about volunteering?
Do you want to get into volunteering? Have you got what it takes? Test yourself with this quiz...
Take part now ❯What do you know about volunteering?
What is the national learning hub for volunteers?
The national learning hub for volunteers takes you on a journey with tools, resources and courses, to help you gain the confidence and recognition you deserve as a volunteer or someone working with volunteers.
Read now ❯What is the national learning hub for volunteers?
Skills for collaborative leadership
Effective communication in the workplace
This free course, Effective communication in the workplace, explores the importance of communication as a skill in the workplace. It aims to increase your understanding of communication skills and to help you to consider how your communication could be perceived by others. You'll cover areas such as verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication and using your communication skills to overcome challenging situations.
Learn more ❯Effective communication in the workplace
Working in diverse teams
This free badged course, Working in diverse teams, will help you consider your experience of working in teams and the different roles you play in them. It will increase your confidence in marketing this key skill to employers as well improve your ability to perform well in teams you are currently part of.
Learn more ❯Working in diverse teams
Leadership challenges in turbulent times
Welcome to Leadership challenges in turbulent times, a free course offered by the Open University. We are excited to join you on your journey to explore leadership in the turbulent times that we live in. In this short course you will have the opportunity to understand and explain how leadership changes in accordance to the needs of the turbulent environments that we experience. You will also explore the leadership challenges that can affect leadership effectiveness and will seek ways to successfully face these challenges. We really hope that you will enjoy studying this Open Learn course.
Learn more ❯Leadership challenges in turbulent times
Leadership and followership
This free course, Leadership and followership, will help you to explore what makes a good leader, recognise common leadership challenges, and identify the skills you need to develop if you want to enhance your own leadership experience.
Learn more ❯Leadership and followership
Managing relationships
Do you find fundraising difficult? Are others around you making your role as a fundraiser more difficult than it need be? This free course, Managing relationships, will help you to understand your role by analysing a variety of issues about fundraising and the dilemmas and problems that organisations involved in winning resources and support are likely to face.
Learn more ❯Managing relationships
Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
This free course, Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis, is designed to develop your writing skills for business. You will be taken step by step through the process of writing a SWOT analysis, with clear advice on selecting key information from a case study text, making concise notes, choosing an appropriate structure and using language effectively. You will learn how to write a formal report including recommendations, based on a case study analysis of the British company, Brompton Bicycle.
Learn more ❯Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
Safeguarding
Keeping Volunteers Safe
This course is part of a collection of courses called Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership. There are 4 courses in this collection so you may find other courses here that maybe of interest to you.
Read more❯Keeping Volunteers Safe
CVSL offers bespoke packages of leadership development. Visit the CVSL website for more details.
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