Running training events or courses

If you have decided that a formal course will best meet training needs, try to incorporate the following good practice points:

• Use a variety of approaches to be responsive to the variety of learning styles, for example interactive group work, writing and role-play exercises. Case studies can be particularly useful.
• Where possible, training is best carried out face-to-face – even if the people being trained only come together once and then work on their own for the rest of the time an initial meeting is very valuable.
• Face-to-face training also helps people to network, to feel part of a community, to set up informal mechanisms of peer support and can also help to establish teams.
• Check people’s expectations of the training beforehand or at least at the beginning of any training session to check the right people are in the room and if necessary to adapt the programme / agenda to meet their needs.
• Build in plenty of breaks to allow a comfortable pace and promote networking.
• Provide handouts / folders so people can record their learning and refer back to this material at a later date.
• Use evaluation forms to get feedback from participants after the training and use their responses to improve your programme / sessions.
• Ensure any training event is accessible (see Organising a meeting in Briefing note eight and Diversity and Inclusion supplement) and ensure any materials are provided in a format that is suitable for the participants, for example it may need to offered in large print (see Diversity and Inclusion supplement).