1872 Courses in Edinburgh

2 day Portrait Workshop in acrylics inspired by Dante Gabriel Rossetti   Join well known Edinburgh artist and tutor Suzanne Kemplay and model Beth Davison to create a portrait in the style of the pre Raphaelite Brotherhood. Expect an atmospheric set and romantic lighting in keeping with the Rossetti’s style, with a few modern touches thrown in.   On Day 1 Suzanne will give a short talk on how to approach your composition and how to capture the spirit of the artist’s technique. You’ll plan and sketch out a drawing in the morning before moving on to painting in the afternoon and on day two.  All materials are supplied (or feel free to bring your own) and the class is kept small to ensure everyone gets some individual attention. This course is most suited to those who have some drawing experience but we welcome beginners. Over 14s only. The workshop will run from 10 - 4pm on 1 and 2 April.

This half day or whole day course is designed to support both novice and experienced trustees in providing effective governance within their organisations. It considers their roles and responsibilities in general before looking at particular areas in more detail. The half day course covers all the essential information; the whole day session includes specific exercises and case studies to develop the participants’ problem-solving skills.

Often your recruitment and induction processes determine whether you retain your staff and volunteers. A poor induction often leads to a lack of productivity and motivation. This half day course is designed to help participants ensure that new staff receive a comprehensive and welcoming induction so that they can settle into their job or role quickly and with confidence. The course can be run as a one-off session or can be incorporated into a series of sessions on managing staff.

In some organisations appraisals are seen as an annual chore that has to be undertaken and neither the manager nor the staff gain any real benefit from it. This half day course is designed to help managers appraise their staff effectively so that both parties develop more insight, motivation and a better understanding of each other. It will help participants work with their staff to create work plans that are effective and realistic. This course can be run as a one-off session or as part of a series of sessions on staff management.

Understanding, working with and leading systems that promote patient safety in this way will become increasingly important for all health care providers and this course will help to build a solid foundation in this crucial subject to enhance your career and improve your patient care.

This half day course is designed for those people working or volunteering in groups or working on projects who would like some practical tips on making their marketing and publicity more effective.

This half day course is designed to help managers and supervisors to develop or hone their interviewing skills and ensure that your organisation’s recruitment processes are rigorous but fair. It will cover how to develop an efficient recruitment process, how to read a CV or application form to ensure that you choose the right candidates for interview, how to organise and conduct the interview process and the follow-up procedures. It can be adapted to cover the needs of organisations, statutory agencies or small businesses. Although scheduled as a half day course, it can be extended to cover a whole day to include some role play interviews.

This half day course is designed to help participants learn more about the new legal form for charities, the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which was introduced in January 2013. The session will set the context and background to the introduction of the CIO, explore its potential benefits (and weaknesses) when set against the company limited by guarantee structure and introduce the two constitution models – the Foundation version (where only trustees are members) and the Association model (where the organisation’s membership is wider). By the end of the course participants should have a deeper knowledge of the subject so that they are able to make a more informed choice as to whether this legal entity might work for their organisation.

This half day course is designed for new treasurers, general trustees and management committee members or staff who work in smaller organisations to understand the basics of how to manage the finances within a voluntary or community organisation. It covers all the essential issues ranging from drawing up a budget to ensuring that the organisation has sound financial procedures.

This half day course looks at practical methods of saving time and prioritising work so that participants are more productive. It considers a wide range of strategies to overcome some of the physical and mental barriers for those working in an office or home environment.