Building Confidence to Lead Meaningful Involvement

On the 28th and 29th January, we were delighted to host our Facilitation Skills Training, a one-day course designed to support people working in health and social care research to confidently plan and facilitate multi-stakeholder involvement activities.

Both training days were fully sold out, bringing together a diverse and engaged group of PPI contributors, academics, postgraduate researchers, and professionals from public agencies. The energy in the room across both days was exceptional, creating an open, collaborative learning environment where participants felt comfortable sharing ideas.

This practical course was developed for anyone new to facilitation or those looking to strengthen their existing facilitation skills. The focus was on building confidence to plan, lead, and follow up on meaningful involvement activities with mixed stakeholder groups.

The training was led by Bec Hanley and Sally Crowe, internationally recognised facilitators with over 60 years of combined experience facilitating group activities in UK and international health and social care research.

Across the day, participants learned about effective facilitation, with plenty of opportunities to apply learning through discussion and interactive exercises. Key topics included:

• Features of effective facilitation

• Preparing to run discussion groups

• Opening discussions

• Energy levels in facilitation

• Action planning for the content of discussion groups

• How to keep momentum going in discussions

• Dealing with challenging situations in facilitation

• Closing a discussion group and following up afterwards.

One of the standout features of both days was the atmosphere in the room. Participants repeatedly highlighted how valuable it was to learn alongside people from different backgrounds and roles. The training created space not only to learn from the facilitators, but also from one another.

What attendees said:

Theresa O'Donovan, Lecturer, MSc Radiation Therapy

"The two trainers were absolutely fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed the venue and the content. But the one thing that resonated with me was the atmosphere. There were so many opportunities to meet others during the day to connect and share learnings. Everyone was eager to learn but also to share their own experiences. The day itself had so many practical tips and tricks that it really surpassed my expectations. Thanks again, it really was fantastic."

Poonam Jaswal, PhD Student 

"It was incredibly insightful, and the chance to network and hear others’ perspectives on facilitation was especially valuable. Bec and Sally facilitated the session beautifully—the pacing was excellent, and the interactive activities made it engaging throughout."

We are thrilled by the positive feedback and the strong demand for this training. If you are interested in future facilitation training opportunities, keep an eye on our website for upcoming dates and events.