“An amazing training session!" Family Hub Away Day Training with Staffordshire County Council, March 2026
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
Greetings one and all,
Yesterday I delivered the second of my bespoke murder mystery themed away days. I created a fully interactive course for staff from across Staffordshire County Council’s Family Hubs. I think my research paid off as they certainly recognised some of the scenarios I had them investigate. In the morning, we looked at how can equip ourselves with the skills required to encourage, challenge and support families across Staffordshire. We also explored how to work compassionately with both colleagues and customers. A huge part of this was self-care in a hectic, stressful environment.
The learners were most definitely up for the training and although some of them told me they were a tad nervous about speaking in front of others, by the end of the day, every single one of them was exceptionally verbal! Talk about growing in confidence. And that’s what it’s all about. One of the learners highlighted the fact that I like to use quotes on my training to reinforce the learning. One of the quotes was from Bronnie Ware:
“Why do we depend so much on the material world to validate us? The chase for more, and the need to be recognised through our achievements and belongings, can hinder us from the real things, like time with those we love, time doing things we love ourselves and balance in our lives.”
And I think that quote really hit home. I used to be consumed with status. My endless need to be THE best and really, what I’ve learned over time is that all I have to do is to do MY best. I love my job. I love being creative and making a difference, inspiring people to change their behaviour and embrace new ways of working.
In the afternoon, we then dived into ‘Carnage at the East Vale Hub’ my family hub centred murder mystery event. Again, I used my research to create the mystery. Filling it full of laughter, learning and team building activities. The feedback speaks for itself really:
“The most interactive, fun and informative training I have ever attended. I really enjoyed the session. I came away from today feeling far more confident. Thank you 😊.”
“An amazing training session! I really, really enjoyed it. I have learned so much and feel far more relaxed. Steven is fabulous!”
“Wow! 😊 I loved every minute of today. Training that for the first time I did not want to rush though. I feel very lucky to have been involved in the training today. Thank you!”
“Amazing – as always! Steven, you have given me an opportunity to reflect and thank about my impact as a manager on my teams and to think about some of the things I’d like to do differently. Thank you 😊.”
“Absolutely the best training I’ve had. Really insightful and Steven was amazing!”
“A fantastic day, very funny, thought provoking and Steven was an amazing presenter. Thank you 😊.”
“A wonderful day, very inspiring and a really good reminder of being ‘kind to yourself’ and to others!”
“Brilliant – varied ways of keeping my attention and a huge amount of interaction. Lots of food for thought, thank you.”
“Today was relaxed, informative and full of lots of useful exercises that got me thinking. I really liked the inspirational quotes.”
“Thank you! It is always good to try and gain a little perspective on self-care 😊.”
“FANTASTIC! Thoroughly enjoyed the day! Some self-reflection too! Thank you Steven.”
“A brilliant course, that has helped me to understand how I look after my own well-being.”
“I enjoyed the training and the murder mystery especially! Steven, you are very entertaining!”
