Relational Working with Stoke on Trent City Council, Oct 26. “Fabulous training delivered amazingly by Steven."

Greetings one and all,

I’m back!  Yes, with more collated feedback from ‘Building Relationships’ Relational Training with Stoke on Trent City Council.  How I have LOVED delivering these sessions.  I had a packed room of learners, some of whom were initially a tad suspicious of this bouncy man at the front, I soon won them over.

We learned, we laughed and we practised our skills. 

You can feel the positivity in the air, even with a restructure!  I do love being on my old stomping ground. For those of you at the back, still unsure as to what the training is all about, I have added the aim and objectives at the bottom of this blog post. 

Yet again Nina (my actress and all-round wonderful human being) Sophia, Phil and Lawrence were the stars of the show. 

Onwards, ever onwards, more Relational to come. 

Now, on with the feedback, 100% positive:  

“Thank you Steve, the course was brilliant and you have evidently put a lot of thought into it.  The films really brought the training alive, and we certainly learned how NOT to do relational.  You make training fun and then I remember it all.  Thank you for a remarkable day.  Nina was a star actress too!”

“Fabulous training delivered amazingly by Steven.  A really good balance of theory, tasks and group work.  The discussions led to my understanding more about the other teams on the training and that can only be a good thing!  Networking!  Humour, honesty, real life situations and the importance of working relationally.”

“Steven, this has been amazing training.  I have had time to reflect and practice the skills required when embedding relational working into everyday social care practice. You have really made me think about the language I’m using and how that can be an unconscious barrier to a good working relationship with my young people and families.  Thank you.”

“What can I say other than FABULOUS training, I’ll be puttying what I have learned into my everyday practice. It was fascinating hearing the stores of Nina and her identity as a mixed race woman in Stoke, Lawrence, Phil and Sophia.  Very inspirational.”

“As always with Steven, brilliant training.  I have a lot to go away and think about.”

“I really enjoyed the training, thank you Steven.  The session was informative.  You were extremely knowledgeable.  I understood the objectives.  You created a respectful training arena. And my learning improved.”

“A great day!  Really informative training day.  Steven conveyed a positive message about our work in Stoke and did so in a brilliant way.  Steve – you’re a legend!”

“What a great session! It was nice to be able to reflect on my current practice and learn some new strategies to get the families to understand that reciprocal relationships lie at the heart of what we are doing. The room was a little small (for such a big group) and water next time please!”

“Excellent training session, Steven is very knowledgeable and creates a lovely nurturing learning environment.  Thank you.”

“Amazing training.  Really informative and easy to follow (unlike some other training recently).  Thank you Steve. 😊”

“This has been a brilliant day of training, very interactive, the videos that Steven has made for us were great at getting us to learn, reflect and laugh.  It was a reminder of what good practice really is about.” 

“I thoroughly enjoyed the training session today and how interactive it all was.  I never once wandered off in my own head.  The interviews were brilliant - Sophia, Phil, Lawrence etc.”

“More of this please!  We need more Steven!  Fabulous training, delivered in a lovely atmosphere by a great tutor.  Thank you.”

“This has been the most fun training I’ve ever encountered. 😊 The videos were interesting and also more importantly thought provoking.  The whole day was really interesting.  Lots of group work and working in pairs.  I feel REALLY motivated!”

“Both fun and engaging training.  Steven has given me a lot to think about and reflect upon.  Steven you were excellent.”

“Very informative and engaging training.”

“Excellent training.  Entertaining and Steven explained the theory well, by backing it all up with practical activities.”

“A fun and informative session.”

“Steven is the best trainer.  Fun, informative and knowledgeable. Steven keeps the training engaging throughout the day.  Thank you 😊.”

‘Building Relationships’ Relational Training

Aim: The aim of this session is to equip learners with the skills required to offer effective support, benefitting, and improving the lives of families across Stoke on Trent.

Objectives: By the end of the day’s training, all learners will have:

1.      Explored how paradigm shifts have changed modern society.

2.      Described what is meant by ‘relational’ working in relation to supporting and promoting good relationships with families.

3.      Explained respectful and inclusive behaviour.

4.      Analysed the pitfalls of communication, especially in relation to language and choice of colloquialisms.

5.      Examined any conscious or unconscious beliefs that inform our reactions.

6.      Determined how to think rationally rather than ‘reacting’ and ‘feeling.’

7.      Examined the various ways in which families may respond to probing and / or involvement from the local authority.

8.      Identified effective communication strategies to support people and reduce the revolving door of families returning to services.

9.      Advocated for and challenged families using consistency and confidence.

10. Explained the importance of self-care through reflective practice.