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.
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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.
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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.
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WHS Orientation – Members The Society takes the health and safety of our people very seriously. We believe everyone should be safe while carrying
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Quicklinks
- Login to Vinnies Learning Centre
- Vinnies Learning Centre Essentials – Members and Volunteers
- How to Guide : Discovering and registering for classroom or virtual training.
- How to Guide : Searching for an online course.
Reporting Information
- Vinnies Learning Centre: Team Leader Admin Essentials
- Vinnies Learning Centre: Teams
- Vinnies Learning Centre: Reporting
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