The Peer Partnership –  Training Opportunities

The Peer partnership have 4 online workshops available in February 2025 for VCSE and health sector workers. They are –

How to Design Peer Support

Peer support can be a hugely effective intervention for people going through complicated life circumstances. Being able to receive empathetic support from people who have been through similar situations can reduce feelings of isolation and not being understood. It can also help people improve their knowledge, confidence, and ability to take control of their situation by learning from the experiences of others who have overcome, or who may still be struggling with, the obstacles and barriers they are facing. This workshop is designed to support health organisations and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to consider, plan, and troubleshoot the introduction of peer support programmes into their services.

Date: 4 February 2025

Time: 9:30-13:30

For more information on this workshop, please visit the Eventbrite page here: How to Design Peer Support Workshop 

Group Dynamics and Facilitation 

Group support can be a valuable and effective intervention for people living with complex or difficult circumstances. The ability to share your knowledge and experiences with others while also learning from the knowledge and experience of others can lead to new ways of thinking and approaching situations, as well as supporting a reduction in feelings of isolation. Groups can be organic and unpredictable, with each instance bringing new personalities and new complications. By learning how groups form, engage, and resist, and by understanding how to create an environment that emphasises the needs of the group as well as those of the individuals within it, support groups can maintain focus, cohesion, and effectiveness. This workshop is designed to support staff and organisations in the voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) to understand group dynamics within a support setting, and to manage and coordinate groups, or supervise volunteers to do so.

Date: 18 Feb 2025

Time:09:30-13:30

For more information on this workshop, please visit the Eventbrite page here: Group Dynamics and Facilitation Workshop 

Boundaries in the VCSE Workplace

Professional and personal boundaries are key to keeping service-users, staff, and organisations, safe, effective, and professional. They help us to utilise our skills in the most appropriate way within our professional roles, and to ensure consistency of service and management of the expectation of service-users. But what are boundaries, and what can make it difficult to maintain them? This workshop explores the various aspects of boundaries in the workplace, using open discussion of our own boundaries, case studies of situations that can arise, and how we can manage the maintenance of boundaries through internal and external policies and personal accountability.

Date: 20 February 2025

Time: 12:30-16:30

For more information on this workshop, please visit the Eventbrite page here: Boundaries in the Workplace Workshop 

Recognising and Responding to Challenging Behaviour

Working with people with complex lives can be difficult, especially when service-users might display strong defensive, aggressive, or disengaging behaviours that can interrupt constructive and meaningful engagement. In order to work effectively with clients who may exhibit challenging behaviour, this workshop explores the causes, biomechanics, strategies, and timings to manage and de-escalate potentially difficult circumstances. This workshop explores challenging behaviour, how to recognise it, and techniques to work out when and how to intervene to try and de-escalate these situations.

Date: 25 February 2025

Time: 9:30 to 13:30

For more information on this workshop, please visit the Eventbrite page here: Recognising and Responding to Challenging Behaviour Workshop

Participation in these workshops can be booked for £50 per attendance through Eventbrite. If you have any questions, please feel free to email at [email protected] or call  on 0117 955 5038.