Empowering Practice: Lead Worker Practice Essentials. July 2026. “The way the information is delivered is fun and interactive and we all know we learn best when having fun!"

Lead Worker

Greetings one and all,

It will soon be time for my summer break, but before I do that, I thought I’d just share some of the feedback that I’ve received from my course for Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership, the course is: Empowering Practice: Lead Worker Practice Essentials.  What’s that all about, well let me enlighten you…

Aim: The aim of this session is to equip learners with the skills required to become an effective lead worker, benefitting, and improving the lives of families across Staffordshire.

Objectives: By the end of the day’s training:

1.      A clear understanding of the principles of being a leading worker.

2.      Describe how to coordinate a multi-agency team around the family.

3.      How to build strong multi-agency relationships and a shared response- acting as the trusted professional for the family and ensuring professionals work collaboratively towards shared, sustainable outcomes.

4.      How to promote participation of family members- voice and inclusion of all family members and those who are involved the child’s life e.g. fathers not living with the child but shared care, grandparents who look after the child.

5.      Identifying with families about non-engagement, such as missed appointments, concerns, whilst maintaining positive working relationships.

6.      Managing non-engagements and resistance to change, understanding that often it could be fear or feeling vulnerable that results in non-engagement behaviours.

7.      Recognising strengths, not only worries and how to build on these.

8.      Problem solving skills to teach families.

9.      How to develop and review outcome-focused plans WITH families ensuring actions are clear, proportionate and recognise successes.

10. Understanding what a successful closure looks like. To look at the root causes and reduce the revolving door of families returning to services.

11. Explain how to connect with others using Emotional Intelligence.

And here is a smattering of what the learners had to say:

“Engaging and interacting with others and support provided at all times.”

“A very motivated trainer.”

“The possibility of self-reflecting on professional and nonprofessional life.”

“Engagement, networking, opportunities to participate in group and partner work.”

“I LOVED Steven and his presenting style.”

“The interaction and the trainer. Steven was fantastic.”

“This training was made enjoyable by Steven, he delivers in a way that fun, relatable and honest! Thank you!”

“The training was so interactive and was able to get involved and I stayed engaged.”

“Inspirational trainer.”

“Yes, very enjoyable training, interactive and full of interesting information.”

"The delivery and the trainer himself as he’s amazing! I had the pleasure of attending two training sessions.”

“The way the information is delivered is fun and interactive and we all know we learn best when having fun!"

“The interactive sessions, a great presenter and very knowledgeable, personable, and enjoyed learning about this session.”

“Everything, Steven was really good and motivated everyone. He had a positive energy and able to make the session fun and interactive.”

“Highly interactive and engaging, great learning style with the right amount of moments to pause and reflect.”

“Face to face training would allow for better discussion, teamwork, and practical activities, which would make it easier to apply the learning to real workplace situations. There is more connection in trainings F2F. And I adore Steve anyway!”

“To be honest I enjoyed everything therefore particularly difficult to answer this. It was all fabulous!”

“I enjoyed every part of the session.”

“Steven is a fantastic at training and very motivated”

“Nothing it was absolutely fantastic!”

“It was all fabulous!”