Enrol now to become a Qualified Veterinary Leader. 

Welcome to the VMG/ILM Level 5  Certificate (CVLM) and Diploma (DVLM) in Veterinary Leadership & Management!

Created by VMG, experts in veterinary leadership and management training with years of proven experience, these qualifications are designed to help you develop your leadership and management skills at every level – starting with leading yourself. Whether you’re a practice manager, head nurse, nursing assistant, clinical director, marketing lead, regional support manager, receptionist – or aspiring to one of these positions – you can build a qualification that fits your career goals and professional ambitions.

Throughout your course, you’ll be introduced to fresh concepts, encouraged to lead yourself with confidence, and apply your learning directly to your work. You’ll also have the opportunity to dive deeper into the areas that matter most to you, all while being guided and supported by your expert tutor. Gain the skills, confidence, and recognised credentials to stand out as a leader in your field.

Why study with us?

  1. We are the only veterinary association in the world accredited to award ILM qualifications in our own right!
  2. Our ILM courses have been written specifically for the veterinary community meaning all the course content is relatable to you!
  3. You become DUAL qualified and achieve renowned post-nominals exclusive to VMG
  4. You can build a qualification to suit you! Once you have completed the compulsory modules (max of 2) you then decide which modules you want to take, building a regulated qualification as unique as you are!
  5. You are allocated a tutor who will be by your (virtual) side the whole way!
  6. We are entirely online! We understand the balance of juggling work, life and education so our courses are delivered entirely remotely so you can study wherever in the world you are, at times that work best for you!

VMG is the ONLY provider offering dual qualifications

Our qualifications are internationally recognised and we are the only veterinary association in the WORLD accredited as an ILM Approved Centre.

ILM Accreditation and VMG expertise: The best of both worlds

At VMG, we’re proud to be the only not-for-profit veterinary association in the world accredited to award ILM qualifications in our own right. As a mission-driven organisation, every step we take is focused on elevating our profession – not generating profit. That’s why we’ve invested in a rigorous accreditation and inspection process, ensuring our qualifications meet the highest national standards in leadership and management training.

Our ILM-accredited Level 5  Certificate & and Diploma give you something uniquely powerful: dual qualifications. You’ll earn a veterinary-specific VMG credential tailored to the realities of our sector, alongside a globally recognised ILM leadership and management qualification – perfect whether you want to deepen your impact in practice or explore new opportunities across the wider professional landscape.

We would be genuinely delighted to welcome you to the programme and support you on the next step of your leadership journey.

Choose a level to suit you

Choose from CVLM or DVLM (Certificate, and Diploma) qualifications in Veterinary Leadership & Management.

The Certificate consists of the first compulsory module A1 Understanding Yourself as a Leader, plus one further compulsory module (C1 – Understanding Your Organisation) and your choice of any two further modules from the C list (making four modules in total).  You may be able to take a D module towards a Certificate, depending on which options you choose – please contact the Office if this is something you are considering.

The Diploma consists of the Certificate, plus your choice of any four further modules from the C or D lists (making eight taught modules in total).

Term Dates

We run 4 terms per year, namely Spring (starting 9th Feb 2026), Summer (starting 27th April 2026), Autumn (starting 17th Aug 2026) and Winter (starting 16th Nov 2026) and offer a variety of modules every term.

Meet the Team

Led by Amy Martin, we have a fantastic education team at VMG who develop and deliver our courses, and support all our learners as they work through their qualifications. All ILM students are allocated a tutor for the duration of their studies, who all have a wealth of knowledge and experience in Veterinary Leadership and Management. Find out more about them here.

The modules available for 2025/26 are:

The purpose of this module is for you to understand management and leadership roles in the veterinary sector, assess your own abilities, develop your personal leadership skills, and plan your ongoing professional development.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Discuss different leadership styles and their impact on organisational performance and staff motivation
  • Evaluate your own leadership capability and performance
  • Adopt effective leadership styles to achieve organisational goals

This module will cover: leadership theories and styles; key leadership responsibilities; assessing the impact of leadership in different contexts; theories of motivation, persuasion and negotiation; verbal and nonverbal communication; emotional intelligence and relationship management; self-assessment and feedback; and personal development planning.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand your organisation, its role, and the different contexts it operates within.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Assess an organisation’s values, vision, mission and purpose.
  • Evaluate an organisation’s macro-environment and the impact different internal and external factors have on its performance

This module will cover: veterinary organisational types and governance; PESTLE analysis and organisational profiling; government and regulatory policy affecting a veterinary organisation; general economics affecting a veterinary organisation; the legal system and general civil and criminal law affecting a veterinary organisation (contract, product liability, employment, health and safety, environmental protection); risk assessment and action planning.

The purpose of this module is for you to be able to understand and implement effective and efficient resource and facilities management.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Evaluate the effective and efficient use of physical resources in a veterinary organisation
  • Assess the procedures for maintenance, safe use and security of physical resources
  • Plan and implement improvements to resource and facilities management
  • Critically review a facilities management plan

This module will cover: capacity planning, purchasing and procurement and monitoring of resource use; acquisition and operating costs; veterinary premises planning, access and services; maintenance and safe use of assets; security measures; energy management; principles of project management, monitoring and reporting techniques; aligning resource usage to organisational goals; stakeholder engagement; and lean vs agile business processes.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand organisational finance, interpret financial statements, and assess and report on organisational performance using financial ratios.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Explain the importance of cash flow management and the purpose of the main types of financial document used in a veterinary organisation
  • Assess the general performance of an organisation using appropriate financial measures
  • Explain and use budget-setting techniques to predict performance and control costs

This module will cover: general management accounting; financial stakeholders and expectations; income and expenditure accounts; calculation and interpretation of accounting ratios; cash, profit and cashflow forecasting; credit control; sources of finance and funding; balance sheets, profit and loss; profitability, financial efficiency, liquidity and gearing, shareholder return ratios; financial benchmarking; and budgeting and budgetary techniques, variance and cost control.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand and be able to use various tools and techniques to manage projects at work.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Plan a project with appropriate stakeholder input
  • Implement a project plan, and set and monitor targets and outcomes
  • Critically evaluate your own ability to manage a project

This module will cover: identifying objectives and context; project sponsors, stakeholders and scope; project management tools and software; project types and life cycles; project progress, outcomes and evaluation; feasibility, resource analysis, scheduling and risk management; teams, roles and critical relationships; and collecting and analysing feedback.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand and be able to manage mental health issues in your workplace including mental illness, stress, bullying and conflict.

On completing this module, you will be able to:

  • Assess your organisation’s approach towards mental health, and identify examples of best practice in the veterinary sector
  • Assess your own mental wellbeing and its potential effects on others
  • Support a staff member with a mental health concern including appropriate communication, signposting, providing reasonable adjustments, return to work, and record-keeping
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of an organisation in dealing with workplace stress, and identify and implement improvements
  • Critically evaluate your own ability to manage stress

This module will cover: common mental health concerns and terminology; organisational responsibilities and best practice in mental health support at work; causes, effects and management of workplace stress; risk assessment and review procedures; creating and implementing wellbeing policies; making reasonable adjustments; communication, documentation and record-keeping including confidentiality; signposting and sources of further support; and promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand the skills, principles and practice required for effective coaching or mentoring in a veterinary organisational context.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Define and justify the use of coaching or mentoring to benefit individuals and/or organisations
  • Explain and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be an effective coach or mentor
  • Evaluate the impact of coaching or mentoring on the individual and/or organisation
  • Identify potential barriers to coaching or mentoring relationships and develop strategies to minimise these

This module will cover: organisational factors affecting coaching or mentoring (culture, values, support); the business rationale for using coaching or mentoring, alignment with individual and organisational objectives; responsibilities, contracting and relationship management, ethics, record-keeping and confidentiality; coaching and mentoring theory and models; key skills and behaviours for coaches and mentors, communication skills; impact assessment and reflective practice; membership bodies and codes of practice.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand and be able to manage the recruitment of staff members in your organisation.

On completion of this module you will be able to

  • Explain the role and relevance of workforce planning in your organisation
  • Assess the impact of legal requirements and organisational context on workforce planning
  • Identify and justify recruitment needs in your organisation
  • Explain and implement good recruitment practice from vacancy identification to appointment

The purpose of this module is for you to understand and be able to manage the professional development of staff members in your organisation.

On completion of this module you will be able to

  • Carry out skills gap and performance gap analyses to determine development needs
  • Critically assess the suitability of professional development options for an individual
  • Create, implement and monitor a personal development plan for an individual

The purpose of this module is for you to understand how to motivate people, and develop the ability to develop and lead teams to improve performance.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Evaluate the factors affecting performance and motivation in the workplace
  • Assess the effectiveness of measuring team performance against organisational goals
  • Apply motivational techniques to increase team performance
  • Evaluate the role of leadership in supporting teams to achieve goals
  • Critically review own ability to lead teams to achieve goals

This module will cover: theories of motivation; factors affecting motivation and performance; feedback, recognition, reward and incentive systems and their impact; mindset theory; patterns of behaviour and approaches to negativity in the workplace; theories of authority, power and accountability; delegation, empowerment, trust and respect; relationship between team performance and organisational goals; team roles, development and context; techniques to evaluate team leadership performance.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand and be able to implement and evaluate marketing concepts, recruit and retain clients, and understand current and future client needs.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Explain the marketing mix and evaluate a range of marketing strategies
  • Develop and implement recommendations to improve marketing strategies
  • Identify and analyse current and future client markets
  • Appraise the client supply chain and make recommendations for improvement

This module will cover: environmental scanning and situation analysis; primary and secondary data collection and analysis; development, implementation and evaluation of marketing plans; market segmentation and differentiation strategies; marketing mix and extended mix; product, service, B2C and B2B marketing strategies and techniques; client relations and key account management; buyer behaviour and purchase decision-making; customer supply chains, sourcing and procurement, value chain analysis; customer service standards; competitor analysis, identification of best practice and benchmarking.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand how budget construction and control are used to manage performance, review performance, and put together a financial case for a new project.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Explain and apply the financial concepts use to inform management decisions
  • Review an organisation’s financial planning process and make recommendations for improvement
  • Measure and monitor financial performance using a range of financial evaluation techniques

This module will cover: budget planning and preparation; responsibilities of budget holders; budgetary control, organisation and administration; variance analysis and corrective actions; cost analysis, revenue, capital expenditure and break-even analysis; financial evaluation techniques; factors considered in revenue expenditure recommendations; and presenting financial information.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand how to develop a culture of innovation and improvement in your organisation, and be able to effectively lead your organisation through change.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Explain leadership and team responsibilities in shaping organisational culture
  • Support staff to innovate and contribute creative ideas in the workplace
  • Evaluate new opportunities, assess feasibility and viability, and justify managed risk
  • Create, implement and monitor a change management plan in consultation with appropriate stakeholders

This module will cover: organisational culture, leadership styles and their relationship with vision and values; motivation, reward and recognition; stakeholder mapping; types of innovation, phases of innovation activity, promoting creativity; evaluation and validation, feasibility and contingency planning; improvement techniques, incremental vs business process re-engineering; tools for effective critical decision-making; project management tools and techniques; human and financial factors; risk and uncertainty management; and intellectual property.

The purpose of this module is for you to understand the role of veterinary work in contemporary society, the influences on and by workplace culture, and the impact of personal and professional ethics on a veterinary organisation.

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Analyse the nature and purpose of a veterinary organisation and its people
  • Evaluate the impact of the social and cultural environment on the way a veterinary organisation operates
  • Analyse an organisation’s policies, ethics and cultural norms and the impact they have on people and performance

This module will cover: organisational models, structures and types, their roles and purpose; learning organisations and professionals; demographic trends in populations, work and employment; human factors and social attitudes influencing the veterinary workplace; external factors influencing workplace change (technological, competitive and social development); organisational governance, ethics and values; ethics, beliefs and value judgements (personal, professional, business and veterinary sector); organisational subcultures, ‘blame culture’, organisational politics and problem-solving; mapping the ethics and culture of an organisation; and corporate social responsibility.

Cancel