Our courses

A half-day, or a full-day, course providing an introduction to Social Marketing. Participants are introduced to the basic principles of the approach (e.g. customer-focus, developing actionable insight, using behaviour change theory, target audience segmentation etc.), and online tools and resources that they can use. Participants are encouraged to consider how they can apply this thinking to improve their own practice.

A rounded, full-day, practical course designed for practitioners who are responsible for initiating, developing, implementing and evaluating behaviour change projects. A key aim is to develop skills that will ensure that projects are developed and delivered to a high quality level and that project outputs are closely aligned to goals and objectives. Participants are introduced to, and work within, a nationally recognised ‘Total Process Planning’ social marketing model.

A half- or full-day, practical, ‘how to do it’ course that equips participants with a rounded understanding of the importance and purpose of evaluation, and introduces them to a range of tools and resources to use. Participants are encouraged to think about evaluation at an early stage of the planning process and to develop an evaluation plan as an integral part of the overall project plan. The Logical Planning Framework is used for this purpose and participants are able to set projects from their practice within this framework.

A half- or full-day course introducing the importance of and challenges/opportunities arising from working effectively in cross agency partnerships, and how this both demands and supports behaviour change. It will consider the ever-increasing policy demands of partnership working within and across the public sector, and with third sector and private organisations. It will consider the common challenges of working effectively in partnership, and identify some practical approaches to addressing these.

Getting more people to make sustainable and active travel choices can help Local Authorities deliver aspects of their transport policy, such as cutting congestion and improving air quality, at the same time as improving the health of their resident population. This half- or full-day course will show how to design and to deliver a local campaign to get more people travelling sustainably and actively. Drawing on behaviour change theory and social marketing principles, it will show how a campaign should be put together and executed, and how to monitor its impact.

There is a major opportunity for Councils and other large organisations (NHS, Universities, corporates) to significantly improve the way in which they manage business travel. Several bodies have shown that a robust, well-designed business travel policy will typically reduce business mileage by 25-33% and generate significant financial savings, as well as reducing emissions, improving the safety of staff while travelling, reducing admin and increasing staff productivity. This half- or full-day course will show the stepped process to developing a new business travel policy to achieve these aims and how to engage staff positively in changing business travel arrangements.

Lots of organisations have challenges with their staff travel to work. Often there will be problems associated with excess demand for car parking and an over-reliance on single-occupancy car drivers driving to work. This half- or full-day course will show how to develop an effective company travel plan and how to enact measures that will generate behaviour change amongst the workforce. It will start by identifying the company’s objectives and existing problems with staff travel, and then discuss the range of practical measures for influencing travel behaviour, and how to design and implement them.

A recent addition to our training portfolio is Leadership training for SMEs, including social enterprises and third sector organisations. This includes a range of modules, such as: Developing Ambition and Psychometric Testing to determine leadership style.

To support staff to make every contact count, this course builds confidence, knowledge and skills required for good conversations in these very challenging times.

Each course caters for between 6-12 participants in a highly interactive online Zoom session lasting 1hr-2hrs (depending on participant availability). The course covers:

• Sharing experiences and reflecting on what makes for a good conversation.

• Introducing key skill areas that are intrinsic to a good conversation.

• Modelling good conversation skills using a selection of scenarios and video simulations.

• Resources to support good conversations, including ensuring staff are aware and comfortable using key online resources relevant to their service and locality.

Through prior contact with Service Leads, and enabling staff to share stories and recognise what they are already doing well, each course is tailored to the needs of each group of participants.

A half-day RSPH-accredited MECC skills training course, that trains to recognised MECC competencies at Levels 1 & 2. This rounded MECC course covers delivering Brief Advice and Signposting, and Brief Interventions. Participants are introduced to the background to MECC, why it is important, the 3As model, key healthy living messages and advice across a range of core MECC topics, a model for a motivational conversation and a selection of behaviour change tools.

A 2-hour module that introduces attendees to the key public health challenges and the importance of early intervention and prevention through healthy conversations. By the end of this session participants will:

1. Be able to identify and discuss causes of poor health and ways in which early intervention could contribute to improving them
2. Be able to describe how lifestyle choices and other factors impact on health and wellbeing
3. Understand how all frontline staff can have a role in helping people stay well through the day to day conversations that they have.

A 2-hour conversation skills session focusing on very brief, healthy conversations using the 3 As model (Ask-Advise-Assist). The session trains to recognised Level 1 MECC competencies.

A half-day conversation skills training session focusing on delivering brief interventions using key elements from motivational interviewing. The session trains to recognised Level 2 MECC competencies, introduces the underlying spirit and principles of a motivational conversation, a range of behaviour change tools and techniques and enables participants to use these tools in role play exercises.

A short, 1-hour introduction to MECC and its strategic fit with current public health policy and strategy, including early intervention and prevention. The class will cover: recent history of MECC programmes; policy context; advantages for service providers; and top tips for successful implementation. This master class is perfect for key decision makers within service delivery organisations, public and third sector, such as leadership teams, senior officers, service directors and leads.

A half-day course introducing the basic principles of motivational interviewing and some of the key behaviour change tools available. The course design encourages participants to identify opportunities for motivational conversations in their day-to-day practice and builds from there.

A half-day course designed to enable staff to become competent and confident in using basic motivational interviewing techniques when delivering the NHS Health Check or/and when having other health behaviour change conversations with patients.

A flexible training and support package that is designed to equip staff to deliver selected courses to other staff in their organisation or beyond. It covers the essentials of group training/facilitation, and participants practice delivering course elements in a supportive environment. Bespoke follow-up support is available, such as webinars, help to co-ordinate a trainers’ network, monitoring and evaluation support etc. The initial training is normally one full-day with bespoke follow-up support.

A half- or full- day workshop that uses the concept of establishing and reviewing future organisational visions by developing simple future 'success statements'. These can be used as a review mechanism for existing organisations, or by new ventures and partnerships. A participatory, alternative and interactive session to enable people to come together and recap on core purposes and objectives. The half-day course concludes with an agreed set of 'success statements', and what these mean for future direction. The full day course also reviews progress to date against the statements, and concludes with a related action plan.