8 Dec 2020
The VMG has reviewed and rebuilt its flagship qualification to ensure it remains at the forefront of 21st century veterinary leadership. Here, the association explains the reasons for this and what it means for the sector.
Veterinary Management Group
Job Title
Future leaders. Image © VMG.
The VMG’s Certificate in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) has been the industry standard qualification for a quarter of a century.
Developed from the early days of our predecessor the Veterinary Practice Management Association, the CVPM demonstrates that holders are capable of being dropped into any veterinary practice and succeeding.
Consisting of a set of gruelling written and in-person assessments, the CVPM exam is a real test of operational management, prioritising, strategy and thinking on your feet. Holders are an elite group.
However, the veterinary leadership landscape has been changing. We now recognise that leadership comes in many different forms, and leaders have many different roles.
The launch of our Leadership Standards Framework in October was the culmination of a year’s worth of dedicated research into what today’s veterinary leadership and management best practice looks like.
We therefore felt the time was right to review and rebuild our flagship qualification, to ensure our provision remains at the forefront of 21st century veterinary leadership and management. So, how have we done this, and what does it mean for the veterinary sector today?
One of the first things we looked at as part of our review was the syllabus. The CVPM covers six key areas: general management, personnel, finance, communication, marketing and strategy.
Leadership and management thinking, training and teaching have developed rapidly into the 21st century, and we wanted to make sure that our curriculum included the very best in modern business thinking.
While the foundations of management theory are, of course, still there, we’ve added new units to cover topics most needed in 21st century practice.
For example, we’ve developed two new modules covering the principles and practice of coaching and mentoring to support and encourage people leaders in developing their teams. We have new optional modules looking at contemporary issues in practice leadership, such as sustainability and environmental performance, organisational culture, diversity and inclusion, and a fascinating sociological exploration of society and community in a veterinary context.
The year 2020 marks the first year in which more than half the UK workforce is millennial or younger. We recognise that patterns of work are changing, with more people having non-linear or patchwork careers, running their own “side hustle”, wanting more flexibility and being more likely to change jobs more frequently.
With that in mind, we wanted to ensure that studying with us provides learners with more than a veterinary-specific qualification. We have gone through a rigorous process of accreditation, meaning that our learners will be dual-certified when they finish their studies, with both a VMG and Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualification.
Now part of City and Guilds, the ILM is recognised worldwide, meaning that our graduates will have a transferable qualification should they decide to diversify or move on.
This year has seen record amounts of work move online. The new qualifications make the most of digital technology and online platforms to deliver engaging teaching and learning that is interactive and accessible. All participants are supported and encouraged by experienced tutors.
Covering the theory, practice and evaluation of business, leadership and management topics, assessments will make the most of learning and allow participants to demonstrate real impact in their role, workplace and wider community.
As well as the veterinary leaders of today, the VMG represents and supports all those with aspirations of a leadership role, at all levels. The new qualification suite offers a completely bespoke set of modular courses, meaning learners can build the qualifications they need from a range of core and optional modules, and get credentialled to support either their role now or a role they are aiming for.
The modular structure allows everyone to build a learning programme to suit them, while ensuring they can demonstrate achievement across all six areas of the Leadership Standards Framework. Pay-as-you-go options are available for those who need to budget for their CPD.
We also offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to those who are under-represented in veterinary business, leadership and management roles, as well as those with the potential to have significant impact in their future careers.
The new VMG Certificates and Diplomas in Veterinary Leadership and Management are developed, taught and supported by our own experts – those who work at the coalface of veterinary leadership, rather than an outside agency. We’re really proud of these qualifications and would love for you to join us.
Let’s look at an example. Sam is a registered veterinary nurse who’s been at Station Road Vets for 12 years. When the previous head nurse left, Sam was promoted as she was the most experienced nurse in the practice.
She’s very clinically competent, but concerned about her lack of experience in leading a team. She has interests in mental health and well-being, and in the role of animal welfare in wider society.
The award module, “Developing Yourself as a Leader”, will allow Sam to explore her own strengths and weaknesses, and build confidence. At certificate level, Sam can choose the HR modules to deepen her knowledge of leading people, and support her interest in mental health. At diploma level, she broadens the subjects studied to support her future career development into a wider practice leadership role. She graduates with an ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, as well as her VMG DipVLM.
The new suite of qualifications will launch in January 2021. To find out more, visit www.vetmg.com/cvlm
