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“Thank you to Steven and Di for an exemplary training day." Lead Worker Training with Staffordshire County Council, Sept 2024


Greetings one and all,


Welcome back to the Steven Talbot Consultancy blog posts.  I’ve been incredibly busy throughout the month of September. October and November are extremely busy with more Motivational Interviewing, Compulsive Hoarding training, Lead Worker, Respect and Inclusion, Trauma and Change and Effective Factual Recording.  From Stoke to Burton on Trent, Stafford to Wolverhampton, to Coventry and Salford and beyond… Phew!  It’s all go.  Before we know it, it’ll be Christmas, surely my favourite time of the year. I’m already thinking ahead to Autumn 2025!


A few weeks ago, I launched the children’s services Lead Worker training.  This initiative from Staffordshire County Council ensures that residents of the county have a reliable, genuine, authentic worker.  Rather than the revolving door or numerous professionals interacting with the family, young person or child, the lead worker brings the array of professionals together and can act as an advocate, support or just an active listening ear.  Staff from across various departments at the council have attended the training and feedback has been uniformly excellent. 


Throughout the day long interactive course, learners discuss, debate and engage with various scenarios; all of which are comprised of real lived experience.  I created some brand-new training films for the course and to say that the learners were engaged would be an understatement.  As always, a huge thank you to my actors Gwyn, Heather, Michelle and the legend that is Sarah AKA the horrific ‘Sasha Montpellier.’


This is the course in which I have asked Di Malkin (the extremely knowledgeable Di Malkin at that) from the Vulnerability Knowledge Practice Programme (VKPP) to deliver the vulnerability elements of the training.  Di has been inspirational.  Her familiarity of the subject and the way in which she interacts with the learners, linking practice with real life case studies is wonderful to behold.  Di has been at the forefront of all manner of vulnerability initiates and has used her vast data base of facts to assist me in delivering a very important course. 


I’d like to thank all of the residents of Staffordshire, including Amir, Asa, Ben, Lola and Lynda for sharing their stories with me and allowing me to create training films that reflected their journey with the council.  In each case, they were extremely verbose about their views and the services they expect.  Lynda especially spoke very highly of the family support worker, Julie, who has been instrumental in Lynda diving head first into a new positive life.  As Lynda told me, “I never felt judged, she was always there and told it like it was.” 


Here is the feedback from yesterday’s training: 


“A great day, very informative (and I felt relaxed) and the timings for each activity were great.  Steven included everyone and is SO SO easy to talk to.  I liked the Drama Triangle and I’m keen to learn more about Emotional Intelligence and do the assessment again.  It was also great to have Vulnerability input from Di Malkin from the Police service.”


“Very Informative and engaging training from a clearly inspirational pair of trainers.”


“Excellent training, very engaging and we were all given the opportunity to reflect on our own practice and how we can improve.  Thank you Steven and Di.” 


“A very informative training session, I learnt a lot from the session and as with all of Steve’s training, I’ll put it into practice.”


“There was a lot of information and strategies that I can use when working with my families.  The tutors (Steven and Di) were both approachable and very knowledgeable." 


“I enjoyed this training; it was a good reminder to continue to address positive change and remain empathic and supportive of the families and young people that I’m working with in Staffordshire.” 


“I don’t often enjoy training but I REALLY enjoyed this.  Steven was very informative!”


“Thank you to Steven and Di for an exemplary training day.  I really enjoyed every part of the training.” 


“Steven, thank you for an enjoyable training day, I will be booking onto your Motivational Interviewing training, thanks.  (I was told you were good and you are!)”


“Steven, you are a very knowledgeable and interactive trainer.  I have really enjoyed the training today.  Thank you ever so much.” 

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