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DRINK & DRUGS NEWS :: Q&AYou ask the questions - you answer the questions. Please keep your answers coming, and feel free to email a new question. Thanks to this issue's respondents for their contributions. Question:I've been in my job as a drug and alcohol worker for four years
now, and want to move into management. Could you suggest what sort
of training and qualifications I should look at doing? [Caroline,
Sheffield] Your replies...Dear Caroline Are you sure you want to get into management? You may not find it all it's cracked up to be. Instead of working with clients and helping people on a daily basis you will soon find your days involve filling out reports, dealing with staff problems and attending meetings, meetings and more meetings. It won't be long before you wont even be able to remember what helping a client is like. Is that what you really want? Name and address supplied
Dear Caroline Moving into management is not just about having the right qualifications but is all about demonstrating that you are ready to take on the extra responsibility that goes with managing people and projects. The first thing that you could do is volunteer for extra responsibility in your current position: you could take the lead on a new project or offer to help induct new members of staff, anything that shows initiative and a willingness to take responsibility. Doing this will definitely be a benefit to your career, as either it will impress your present managers if you apply for any vacancies arising in your current organisation or you can document it on your career portfolio for future interviews. While training and qualifications are extremely useful there's no substitute for experience. Good luck, Bernie, by email
Hi Caroline Begin your professional portfolio if you haven't already - it's a great way of realising the skills and experience you already have. I bet you have more management skills than you realise! Yours Frankie
Dear Caroline I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago. I was extremely busy at home as well as in my job, so found it hard to schedule training courses, but was very keen to move on. I explained my career ambitions to my manager, and we worked out ways in which I could gain new experience and build management skills. I was able to mentor a new member of staff and was given control of a departmental project, which was a huge learning curve in terms of managing and motivating people from different teams to work together. You may need specialist training in different areas - and my suggestion is not a replacement for this. I still plan to top up my skills in some areas with professional training when I can. But my communication skills and time management have improved considerably, and I feel much more confident to apply for a management role in the near future. I would urge you not to wait any longer for your opportunity to progress - but to find it. Sheila Wheeler, Lancashire
There is a range of options for managers - it partly depends on where you work and at what level of management. If you wanted to be able to run a residential service covered by the Care Standards, you will need a Level 4 NVQ or equivalent covering both management and care. The NVQ for Registered Managers is one option here, and with the focus on demonstrating competence within the Care Standards, may be the most appropriate one. Contact your local college for more details. For most other roles you don't have to have a particular management qualification - but the NTA has set a target that by 2008, 90 per cent of people in management positions should have received at least some management training. Your local college should be able to advise on training courses available locally. It might also be worth looking at the training section on the www.drinkanddrugs.net site. In addition, there is a range of generic NVQs in management - again, speak to your local college to find out what is available locally. And there is the Open University/FDAP competence award in management and supervision of drug and alcohol professionals - see www.fdap.org.uk for more details. Simon Shepherd, chief executive, FDAP
Guidance on training and qualifications for workers in the drugs and alcohol field can be found on www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/danos/getuserfile.php?id=108. This guidance focuses on training and qualifcations for practitioners, but it does list a number of higher level qualifications that might be appropriate for managers in substance misuse services. If you are considering moving into a management role, I would recommend you consider a generic management certificate or diploma offered by one of the professional bodies. The Chartered Management Institute's qualifications can be found on www.managers.org.uk/content_3.aspx?id=3:157&id=3:152 and the Institute of Management and Leadership's qualifications can be found on www.i-l-m.com/qualifications/ qualifications.ilm. These Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQs) are offered by local centres across the UK and provide a broad foundation of the knowledge and skills required for first line management positions. If you already have management experience, I would recommend you consider a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Management and Leadership, available from CMI, ILM and a wide number of other awarding bodies with centres across the UK - Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are available in Scotland. The NVQ has two major advantages:
If you hold either a VRQ or an NVQ/SVQ from CMI or ILM you will be entitled to become a member of these professional bodies. CMI also has a continuing professional development scheme by which you can maintain and continue to develop your managerial competence and use the title 'Chartered Manager'. I hope this helps. For further information contact me at www.themsc.org Regards, Trevor Boutall
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