Training
Chris Bertinshaw has developed a suite of workshops to help company directors and school councillors to understand their duties and responsibilities. He also designs tailored workshops to address specific needs that face boards from time to time.
The workshops go far beyond the compliance ticking feature of on line courses. These are bespoke; designed to lift the performance of your board or council to function at a higher level and deliver better outcomes.
Specialist school workshops are accredited with NESA, the NSW non-government school regulator. School clients are:
- All Saints College Bathurst
- Arndell Anglican College
- Claremont College
- EAVC Bligh Park
- EAVC Broken Hill
- EAVC Kincumber
- Danebank School for Girls
- Loquat Valley School
- Macquarie Anglican Grammar School
- Mamre Anglican College
- Nowra Anglican College
- Oran Park Anglican College
- Orange Anglican Grammar School
- Penrith Anglican College
- Rouse Hill Anglican College
- Richard Johnson Anglican School
- Roseville College
- Shellharbour Anglican College
- St Luke’s Grammar School
- Shoalhaven Regional College
- Thomas Hassall Anglican College
- Trades Norwest Anglican Senior College
- Wollondilly Anglican College
Workshops
The following suite of workshops has been created to enable directors and councillors to tailor their professional development requirements to their needs. The suite of workshops is divided into four categories:
- The 100 series being the essential or core learning
- The 200 series explores various tasks and principles that directors need to be across
- The 300 series develops an understanding of more complex matters essential to the good governance of organisations.
- The 400 series are targeted at specific types of boards such as school councils, church boards, strata committees etc.
Corporate Governance Essentials
This workshop explains the role of the Director and the Board in establishing the governance of the organisation. It outlines the duties, responsibilities and rights of directors under the Corporations Act and Common Law.
It discusses the roles of various regulatory bodies.
It explores how boards and directors fulfil their roles through good governance.
Corporate Financial Reports Essentials
This workshop is an introduction to financial reports. It reviews the three key financial statements: the Balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement and discusses how directors use these statements in monitoring financial performance.
It explores the financial and non-financial indicators of company performance and the role of audit committees.
Corporate Strategy and Risk Essentials
This workshop provides an overview of strategic planning and the director’s role in formulating strategic plans.
It also introduces the concept of risk and the fundamentals of risk management in the board room.
Writing Board Papers Essentials
This workshop introduces directors to the concepts of good board decision making and the role of Board papers in that process.
It matches the responsibilities of directors to the information provided for decision making.
Meeting Procedures Essentials
This workshop introduces the essential procedures for board meetings. It explains the principles of business meeting procedures and the acceptable variations from them.
It introduces the different methods of decision making from formal voting through to consensus methodologies.
Role of the Chairman
This workshop outlines the additional responsibilities of Board Chairmen, outlines their various roles both inside and outside the boardroom and explores the concept of Board leadership.
Role of the Managing Director
This workshop aims to give insight into the demanding role of the managing director, to assist directors and Chairmen to understand the MD’s challenges and to assist MD’s to clarify the boundary between their management and director responsibilities.
Board Committees
This workshop outlines the role and contribution of board sub-committees. It explores how to set them up so that they know what is expected of them, both in terms of activity and reporting.
The workshop also covers how to select committee members and the value of non-board members on committees.
Risk Management Systems
This workshop covers the theory and practice of developing risk management systems. It’s a practical workshop that informs directors of the process of establishing a risk system and concludes with a review of the obligations of directors in regard to risk.
Joining a Board
This workshop offers an insight into the challenges of joining a board. It begins with a review of the director CV, through sourcing potential opportunities, the use of recruiters, the interview process and due diligence issues.
Corporate Governance Systems
This is a comprehensive workshop on corporate governance and the practical challenges of creating a corporate governance system. Participants in this workshop will take away practical methodology that will enable them to create a corporate governance system in their organisation.
Writing Annual Reports
Annual reports are essential stakeholder documents. They inform investors, bankers, funders and donors about the company, its services, governance systems and financial position. This practical workshop examines annual reports produced by Australian companies including public listed and not for profit. Participants will take away a clear understanding of what their stakeholders need to know and how to communicate it in the Annual Report.
Regulators and the Compliant Organisation
This workshop begins by examining the compliant organisation. Where the concept comes from and what it means in practice. Then participants will examine a range of regulators and develop an understanding of what they do and how they can impact an organisation. Participants will take away a clear understanding of their responsibilities as a company director in relation to regulator.
Strategic Plans and the Board Room
This workshop begins by outlining what strategic plans are and their relevance in the board room. Participants will learn how strategic plans are developed and how they are communicated throughout the organisation. The workshop concludes with an examination of Board reporting in relation to the strategic plan.
Company Policies and the Board
Companies develop policies to guide staff decision making. This workshop explores the role of the Board in the development and implementation of company policies and their contribution to the development of corporate culture.
Church Parish Councils
This is a basic workshop that outlines the legal structure of churches and the nature of parish councils. It covers the roles of church wardens and parish councillors.
Participants will learn about corporate governance, their duties and responsibilities, their rights and obligations. It also covers matters relating to the Parish Council in action and their reporting requirements and obligations.
School Council Governance
This is a comprehensive workshop that outlines the legal structure of schools and the nature of school councils. It covers the role of a responsible person, the relationship with the Principal and the requirements of the Education Act 1990.
Participants will learn about their duties and responsibilities, their rights and obligations. It also covers matters relating to the Council in action; a review of governing documents, a real ‘how to’ practical lesson in being on a School Council.
This workshop can be tailored to specific school groups and run with a specific school council. It is approved by NESA and meets the 3.9.3.1 governance training requirements.
Governance for SASC School Councillors
This workshop is designed specifically for school councils within the Sydney Anglican Schools Corporation System. It is a comprehensive workshop that outlines the legal structure of schools and the nature of school councils. It covers the role of a responsible person, the relationship with the Principal and the requirements of the Education Act 1990.
Participants will learn about their duties and responsibilities, their rights and obligations. It also covers matters relating to the Council in action; a review of governing documents, a real ‘how to’ practical lesson in being on a School Council.
This workshop is tailored to SASC school councils. It is approved by NESA and meets the 3.9.3.1 governance training requirements.
Effective Leadership of the School Council
This course is designed to address the ongoing professional needs of the school councillor.
Course participants are reminded of the principles of good governance and the role the Chairman plays in delivering it. They consider the legal structure of the school and the duties and responsibilities of Councillors’.
The role of the Chairman is outlined in this context with very practical insights into the challenges Chairmen face in carrying out their role.
It is a practical course in which participants gain practical insights into the challenges Chairing a school council learning both the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of the Chairman’s role. It is NESA Accredited and meets the 3.9.3.4 governance training requirements.
Risk: Issues for School Councils
This course is designed to provide induction and ongoing professional learning for school councillors.
Course participants discuss and learn what risk is and the role it plays in a school’s day to day management and future planning. They learn the principles of a risk management framework and review their own by comparison.
Participants learn to differentiate the role of the school councillor from that of the school executive, the difference between operational risk and strategic risk and the governance role over each. It is NESA Accredited and meets the 3.9.3.4 governance training requirements.
Understanding School Finances
This course introduces school councillors to financial statements and explains how they work and relate to each other.
Councillors will learn about their financial responsibilities and the practical limitations of financial reports.
A substantial block of time is allocated to reviewing the particular school’s financial reports in a practical demonstration of the course material.
The financial requirements of both State and Federal jurisdictions are communicated, and the value of financial integrity is emphasised. It is NESA Accredited and meets the 3.9.3.4 and 3.9.3.6 governance training requirements.
Evaluating the School Council and Principal
This course is designed to address the ongoing professional needs of the school councillor.
Course participants learn the value of evaluations of both the Council and the Principal, how it is done and what to do with the results.
It is a practical course providing a ‘how to’ framework as well as guidance on what to do with the results. It is NESA Accredited and meets the 3.9.3.4 and 3.9.3.6 governance training requirements.
Strategic Planning for School Councils
This course is designed to provide induction and ongoing professional learning for school councillors.
Participants learn about strategic planning and how it creates value for the school. By understanding who does strategic planning and how it is done and authorised, school councillors gain insight into their responsibilities and role with strategy.
Through a review of the school’s own strategic plan the principles of implementation and monitoring are communicated in a practical way. They leave with a clear understanding that strategy requires objectives and that strategic plans are only of use through achieving those objectives. It is NESA Accredited and meets the 3.9.3.4 and 3.9.3.6 governance training requirements.
Strata Executive Committees
Many people today live in strata communities of one sort or another. These ‘bodies corporate’ are usually managed by an Executive Committee (ExCom) of residents with the assistance of a strata manager.
This workshop covers the duties of ExCom members and the special responsibilities that go with the appointment. Participants will take away a good understanding of the practical challenges of ExCom membership, tools for effective management of the role and tips on how to bring real benefits to their body corporate.
The Not for Profit Board
This workshop explains the role of the Director and the Board in establishing the governance of a not for profit organisation. It outlines the duties, responsibilities and rights of directors under the Corporations Act and Common Law.
It discusses the roles of various regulatory bodies.
It explores how boards and directors fulfil their roles through good governance.
*NESA Approved Training Course for NSW Non-Government Schools.
