December 2008

In this Issue

Wish your boss a Merry Xmas...and enjoy a Happy New Year
Download Checklists
Civil Contingencies National Occupational Standards
Performance Management Resource from IDeA
Assess your Management Skills Online
Social Marketing Academy
Standards for Management Consultants
Workshops for managers planning to become consultants
Care Council for Wales launches study on care at home in Wales

Give your boss a copy of the Good Manager's Guide to study over Xmas and have them managing you and your colleagues in line with national and international best practice by January.

Only £7.99 plus postage from www.BeaBetterManager.com. Order before 12 December for delivery in time for Xmas.

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You can now download any of our best practice checklists simply by clicking the "download checklist" button at the bottom of the checklist.

You can then use or adapt the checklist as you want, in line with the terms of our Creative Commons licence, ie you are free to:

• copy, distribute or display the checklist


• make derivative copies of the checklist

as long as you:

• credit www.BeaBetterManager.com as the author of the checklist


• do not use the checklist for commercial purposes


• if you alter, transform, or build upon the checklist, you distribute the checklist only under a licenece identical to this one.

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Skills for Justice has gained accreditation for National Occupational Standards for those whose job it is to plan for and respond to major emergencies such as floods, explosions or terrorist attacks.

The Civil Contingencies National Occupational Standards are particularly relevant to category 1 and 2 responders e.g. police, fire and rescue services, health bodies, local authorities, environment bodies, utilities, transport, oil and chemical industries, and security providers as well as not-for-profit agencies. They are also relevant to individuals and organisations that have a role in civil protection such as those involved in communications, social care, and business management.

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Find out how to develop and lead the people in your organisation with IDeA's revised performance management resource.

IDeA has updated many sections, including the ten-step guide to developing a performance management culture. And they’ve added a new publication which outlines the ‘golden thread’ principle of performance management.

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Test yourself free of charge using our online questionnaire and get colleagues and friends to give you feedback on your management skills.

How to test yourself:
1. Make sure you are registered and logged in to www.BeaBetterManager.com
2. Click "how good a manager are you?" at the top of the screen
3. Complete the self-assessment questionnaire
4. Invite up to five people to give you feedback
5. Receive a comparison of your assessment with other people's perceptions within three weeks
6. Use the checklists and resources on www.BeaBetterManager.com to help you improve

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The Social Marketing Academy is designed to help practitioners gain the insight and skills they need to manage social marketing programmes.

The Academy features a curriculum based around the new National Occupational Standards in Social Marketing.

Taught by experienced practitioners, the curriculum has five initial modules. You can sign up for all five or one at a time.

There are assessment options linked to professional development, and a consultancy option to help you turn the theory into best practice.

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The Management Standards Centre has secured funding to develop National Occupational Standards to meet the needs of management and business consultants.

The Management Standards Centre is hosting five workshops in January and February 2009 to consult on a new set of National Occupational Standards for Management and Business Consulting. To find out how you can contribute please click on the MSC logo above.

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In parallel with the development of Standards for Management & Business Consultants, the Institute of Business Consulting is offering one-day workshops for managers who are planning to become consultants or who are considering such a career move.

The workshops will be help in January and February 2009 in London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. To book your place, click on the logo above.

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CCW has recently commissioned a study into the ways in which domiciliary care is commissioned, provided and received by people of all ages across Wales.

The project will run for 18 months and seek to understand the challenges facing the sector, from the viewpoints of those receiving services and their carers, and those who have an assessment, provider or commissioner role. The researchers will work alongside an Advisory Group intended to support the project and represent the relevant constituencies, ensuring that the work is as grounded and relevant as possible.

The research team will be led by Professor Marcus Longley of the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care (WIHSC) at the University of Glamorgan, and work in partnership with Insight Social Research and The Management Standards Consultancy (TMSC).

The researchers would be very interested to hear from commissioners, providers, carers and service users about their experiences, and to be made aware of any work pertaining to this area currently underway in Wales. If you have any such information, want to know how to get involved in the project or to find out more about their approach, please contact Mark Llewellyn at WIHSC on 01443 483070, or via email – mrllewel@glam.ac.uk.

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