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Training and Development Article

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s Learning and Development Team provides a range of learning opportunities to help you offer “a hand up” to the people we serve. The Vinnies Learning Centre allows you to complete online learning (e-learning) at times convenient for you. You will also have opportunities to register for instructor-led courses.

Learning Essentials

The Society is an organisation that takes its obligations seriously. We must ensure we comply with all laws and standards that apply to us, including:

- The Catholic Professional Safeguarding Standards

- NSW Privacy legislation

- Work, Health and safety legislation, and

- The Society’s Code of Conduct

For this reason, all new members are expected to complete Child Safe Familiarisation Training, Code of Conduct Training, Privacy and Confidentiality Training and Work Health and Safety Training. Child Safe training ensures that the Society complies with the NSW Child Safe Standards required for all organisations that work with children and families. Code of Conduct training translates our key values into minimum standards, which we ask members to apply in their work. Privacy and Confidentiality training ensures the Society complies with our legal requirements regarding the privacy of both the Society and the people we assist, and Work Health and Safety training ensures our members stay safe while carrying out their visits and other tasks.

Other Learning Opportunities

The Vinnies Learning Centre gives you access to a rich and comprehensive resource library that includes courses to help you:

Develop your understanding and appreciation of the spirituality of the St Vincent de Paul Society
Learn about the cultural aspects of the various communities in which we work
Deepen your understanding of the issues that affect the people we assist
Grow your interpersonal skills, and
Learn administration skills that will help you manage your Conferences more efficiently

If you don’t have access to the Vinnies Learning Centre, please speak with your Member and Community Engagement Coordinator or you Conference President.

How do I…

Organise training for my Conference group?
Find out more information about available courses?
Solve a password problem or another technical issue on the Vinnies Learning Centre site?

Email: learning@vinnies.org.au and we’ll get back to as soon as we can.

Our Code of Conduct

This course will help you understand the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW’s Code of Conduct, the values from the Rule that underpin it, and what’s expected of you. These values guide everything we do to provide a ‘hand up’ to those experiencing poverty and disadvantage – how we act and treat people, and the behaviour we will and won’t accept.Child Safeguarding – Members

The purpose of Vinnies Child Safe Learning is to introduce everyone in the Society to the concept of a Child Safe Organisation and give members the tools and knowledge to implement the Society’s Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy. By the end of this course, you will understand how you can identify a child or a young person at risk and what you need to do. There are fact sheets and resources available for you to download that include important phone numbers and where to get support if needed.Privacy and Confidentiality – Members

In the course of our work the Society collects personal information about the people we assist, much of which is highly sensitive.
All Society Members have a responsibility to help The Society meet its legal requirement to protect the privacy of the people whose data we collect.This course will explain how to be compliant in the way we collect, manage and use this data and how to guard against privacy breaches.WHS Orientation – Members

The Society takes the health and safety of our people very seriously. We believe everyone should be safe while carrying
out our work. The purpose of the Vinnies WHS Orientation is to introduce the Society’s policies, procedures and requirements to meet our health and safety obligations. The course provides an overview of WHS information prior to completion of a site/role specific WHS induction.Effective Communication Skills

Having effective communication skills is vital to the work you do with the Society. Skills like active listening, asking appropriate questions and learning how to ensure conversations flow easily are crucial to developing trust with the people we assist. Good communication also helps meetings flow better and improves relationships with fellow members. These modules will help you to develop these skills.Promoted Courses

Communicating Effectively

Conducting Effective meetings

Leading Team Meetings

Making Meetings Matter

Barriers to Communication Success

Be Assertive the Right Way

Communication Skills with People we Assist

Communication Styles and Emotional Intelligence

Effective Listening

Formation and Spiritual Development

Developing our spirituality is a vital part of being a Vincentian. Therefore, it’s essential that members become more deeply grounded in the Society’s spiritual teachings. These courses offer opportunities to reflect on the Gospels, explore the Spiritual Advisor Handbook, and grow your understanding and appreciation of the spirituality of the St Vincent de Paul Society and reflect on what it means personally to be part of it.Promoted Courses

Facilitating Faith in Action

Spiritual Reflection – Martha and Mary

Spiritual Reflection – No Room at the Inn

Spiritual Reflection – Piglet and Pooh Conversation

Spiritual Reflection – Social Justice

Spiritual Reflection – Walking on Water

Spiritual Reflection – All Souls and Charles O’Neill

Understanding Our Culture

The Rule sets out the Society’s core values, and these values are reflected in our culture. The Society strives for a culture that is inclusive, diverse, respectful, and non-judgmental. Understanding the people we assist, no matter what background they come from is an important if we want to serve them better. These courses will help you to understand the Society’s approach to dealing with people from different groups and provides some key lessons in understanding the different cultural backdrops of the people we assist.Promoted Courses

Culture Series – Being an Ally

Gan na program – Aboriginal Cultural Awareness

LGBTIQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace

Overview of the People We Assist

Understanding Poverty

Update your Computer Skills

It’s never too late to learn new skills. You can learn how to create a spreadsheet for Conference record-keeping, use Word to create professional documents, or PowerPoint to create an attractive presentation to show the rest of your group. These courses start from beginner level and are designed to help you become more confident in using common office applications.Promoted Courses

Excel 2016, Basic, Intermediate or Advanced

Outlook 2016, Basic or Intermediate

PowerPoint 2016, Basic, Intermediate or Advanced

Vinnies: Microsoft Teams

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