Management and Leadership in Befriending Projects

Starts Wednesday 19th August 2026
Multi-Day Event

£355.00

E-learning and Zoom

The best thing about this course was the reflection pieces and the opportunity to discuss these reflections with peers. I really appreciated our coach adapting to our needs each week for every session. The online platform allowed me to study when I needed to – and when I could. Work is always busy, so being able to do ten minutes here and there allowed perfect flexibility for me. – Participant 2025

Purpose of the course

This course supports staff working in befriending projects to build practical skills and confidence for career development and leadership roles. Participants receive tailored 1:1 coaching from Befriending Networks staff to apply learning directly to their work and goals.

Flexible assessments fit around work commitments, with personalised written feedback and email support. Interactive webinars encourage discussion, peer learning, and shared insight, alongside full access to course materials and best practice guidance throughout.

The course content

Participants will access our learning platform to complete their independent learning across the five weeks. The core elements of Management and Leadership in Befriending Projects are delivered through e-learning, completed by participants independently.

During the weekly classes, discussion topics are selected by participants, ensuring each course run is tailored to the unique needs of the cohort. During a 1:1 with the course coach, you will have the opportunity to advocate for your needs. This is your chance to request specific topics, explore relevant management theories, or find solutions to common challenges you may be facing as a team leader.

Selecting a question below will reveal the answer.

What topics are covered in the e-learning of this course?

Defining a Manager and a Leader
Responsibilities of operations
Monitoring and Managing Others’ Performance
Inducting a new team member and volunteers into your project
Motivating your team
Good practice in delegation
Conflict management
Calculating the capacity of your befriending service
Setting boundaries as a manager
Reducing stress in the workplace
Developing a time-management procedure for your befriending service
What is the cost of a team meeting?
Reflecting on our management style
Creating a positive workplace culture
Providing inclusive support, without bias or discrimination
Risk management – its purpose in your project
Developing an understanding of charity funds
Identifying the appropriate charity governance code for your service
Contingency planning and project development

What topics have previously been requested by participants for the class discussions?

Staff development and empowerment
Workplace culture
Neuordiversity and capability
Impact measurement
Staff and befriender appraisals
Conflict with the board
Project design and development
Handling broken boundaries in befriending

Duration and Time Commitment

Five-Week Course
One-hour commitment before the course begins to complete a pre-course interview and survey to ensure content is tailored to your needs
Two hours a week for live sessions with class peers (10hours in total)
Dedicated time across five weeks to complete independent e-learning (Average completion time of previous students is 11hours)

Support and Resources

Over five weeks, participants complete flexible self-directed e-learning alongside five mandatory weekly live webinars (2 hours each), totalling 10 hours of interactive online learning. All modules and sessions must be completed to receive a certificate of completion.

Participants also receive tailored 1:1 coaching from our Learning and Development Manager, Victoria, beginning with an introductory session to set goals and followed by personalised support to apply learning in their befriending context.

Course materials, guidance, and example documents are available to download via the training platform, with a full course booklet provided at the end. Live sessions are shaped by each cohort’s needs, making every course delivery unique.

Dates and Times

The course dates and times are across five Wednesday mornings:

30-minute 1:1 introductory session with the course coach (flexible to participants’ schedule)
Session One: Wednesday 19 August 10:00 – 12:00
Session Two: Wednesday 26 August 10:00 – 12:00
Session Three: Wednesday 2 September 10:00 – 12:00
Session Four: Wednesday 9 September 10:00 – 12:00
Session Five: Wednesday 16 September 10:00 – 12:00

Accessibility: All Zoom events have live closed captions available. Please notify our Learning and Development Manager, victoria@befriending.co.uk, if you have accessibility requirements to help us be inclusive of your needs.

This event is facilitated by

Victoria

Learning & Development Manager

Cancellation Policy

Please check your diary before committing to any dates. We understand that your circumstances may require a change of training dates. If you need to cancel or defer your order:

Up to 48 hours before the course begins: your order will be refunded, subject to a £15 administration fee. Alternatively, you can defer your order to the next occurrence of the same course.
Within 48 hours of the course beginning, including non-attendance: your order is non-refundable and cannot be deferred.

Please note that all courses operate with a minimum number of delegates. If this number is not obtained, we reserve the right to cancel or reschedule the event date. Your event facilitator will contact you to discuss options. In such cases where we cannot fulfil your order, a full refund will be given. You can contact the facilitator of your event, or victoria@befriending.co.uk to discuss your booking.

5 tickets available

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