Formal Training and Learning
Training courses provide valuable time away from normal practice to allow you to gain insight into
your communication and relationships skills, attitudes and behaviours. There are a very wide range
of courses and resources available which offer a variety of learning techniques and options including
video review, online learning, and specific aspects of communicating and relating effectively such as
managing emotions, dealing with conflict and communicating risk.
If you are considering attending a training input to develop your communication and relationship
skills, then discuss your options with manager/supervisor first. This guide offers you some issues to
reflect on and you may also wish to review or give your manager the complementary guide for
managers in the Developing Self section of this website.
1. Consider if formal training/learning is the best option for you.
The best courses will help you to analyse your own practice, reflect on your motivation and attitudes
and actively practice techniques to address any areas for improvement. However, even the best
courses or programmes can be a waste of time if the organisational culture and environment to
which you return is not supportive, or if strategies are not put in place to ensure your learning is
embedded into everyday practice.
For this reason it is vital that you engage with your manager to plan how you will be supported to
implement the learning from any formal training you attend. There are a number of useful tools for
managers to consider how they can support you in the Developing Others section of this website.
There are always challenges in finding the time to be released to attend face to face training due to
the pressures and realities of everyday practice. On the other hand, there is a need for adequate
time on a training input for you to feel comfortable and to allow for reflection to happen and
confidence to develop. Notwithstanding this need, there are alternatives to traditional one or two
or three day courses that are worth considering when deciding how you would like to access
training on communication and relationships.
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What can you learn by self-study in advance of training? Are there paper-based or online
materials that you can study in your own time or in professional development time to develop
your understanding of the background, principles and theory of effective communication and
relationships. If so, you might only need face to face training on values and skills development
which could take less time.
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What can you learn by making use of peer support or through everyday practice? Discuss with
your manager if there is someone who could facilitate a programme of support for you (perhaps
with colleagues) to learn through everyday practice rather than a formal training course. For
example, is there someone who could support you to improve your communication skills
through regular small group workshops on site, rather than for one or two full days out of
practice. Perhaps an experienced and knowledgeable practitioner could facilitate this. This may
also be a better way to support integration of learning into practice than one off courses.
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Consider if you could benefit from online or distance learning. Are you or your manager aware
of any online programmes which you could access? What can you learn by reviewing patient
stories and examples on the internet? The online medium offers the advantage of allowing you
to learn largely at your own pace and in your own time. You can also sometimes access peer
support from other learners through discussion groups/fora. This option has the advantage of
supporting learning over a longer period of time than a training course and with the right
infrastructure could be more effective in integrating improved skills into practice. .
2. Think About your Learning Needs.
It is helpful to consider whether you want support on communication and relationships skills
generally or whether there are specific aspects of communication that the training course or
learning opportunity should develop. Consider for example:
a. Is learning needed on specific aspects of communication such as those identified in the
principles section of this website: patient-centred care; structuring; sharing understanding;
enabling decision-making and action; handling emotions e.g. active listening; handling difficult
questions, picking up on cues and so on...
b. Are there interactions with particular groups that need support? E.g. communicating with
children and their parents; communicating with patients of various cultures, ethnicities,
religions, sexuality etc.; communicating with patients with special needs e.g dementia;
communicating with other professional disciplines etc.
c. Are there particular types of interaction that need support? E.g. appropriate approaches and
skills in informal conversations as part of everyday care – these are often missed as not
experienced as ‘difficult’ by staff. Other types of interaction that could be focused on are:
communicating risk; difficult decisions; discussing significant information; addressing sensitive
issues (sexual health/substance misuse/obesity/child protection); lifestyle change; death and
dying; anger/distress.
Any work you have done reflecting and reviewing your own capability will help you to answer these
questions. See ‘Reviewing and Reflecting on Your Practice in Communications and Relationships’.
You can also discuss these questions with your manager/supervisor.
3. Find out what training options are available.
It may be that your hospital, community health partnership, local or national NHS Board run courses
or learning programmes that could meet your needs. They may be able to deliver a series of shorter
courses to fit in with patterns of work or come to your location to deliver training sessions.
Alternatively, it is worth discussing with your manager if it would be possible for you to travel to a
course or for a course to be commissioned by your organisation.