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Here is an overview of work that Life at Work has delivered for clients from 2005 to 2009. Public Sector Health and Education "A very thought-provoking workshop ... not only have 'the Team' noticed a difference, but my family also!" Clinical Specialist Physiotherapy NHS Trust Our two-day intensive Conflict Resolution (Levels I and II) courses have been popular with a number of Trusts, including Brighton and Sussex Universities Hospital NHS Trust (BSUH) and Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (GMSHA). For human resources staff, we also developed a course to support the human aspects of dealing with complaint procedures or investigations: The Art of Investigating People. Our Multi-Professional Leadership course also proved popular amongst Allied Health Professionals in Great Manchester, with the follow-up Action Learning sets over six months. Medical Education "An essential course for anyone wanting to become a good doctor." F2 Doctor Our course for F2 Junior Doctors is now in its fifth year: 'Dealing with Difficulties and Complaints' and 'Building Respectful Relationships with Patients and Colleagues'. We have now run 62 two-day courses, to a total of 823 junior doctors in two Foundation Schools (South Yorkshire and South Humber, and Trent). As a by-product of the course, doctors have found it useful for forthcoming job interviews, and one Trust changed the timing of the course to pre-date the interviews. You can see the results of self-evaluations, and an article about the course (forthcoming in Medical Education, May 2009) on our page: Communication in Healthcare. Workplace Bullying 'Beyond Bullying: its causes, prevention and cure' is a course for anyone at work, especially those in positions of authority. It is currently being piloted by The Whittington NHS Trust for their Consultants. An exciting new aspect of our work, this course draws on our experience as consultants and mediators where we have helped deal with allegations of bullying and harrassment both within national organisations, and on a local business level. For more information, see our page: Workplace Bullying. Academia A series of courses in Staff Recognition and Resolving Conflicts have now developed into a three-fold, staged course in Conflict Resolution. Over three day-long courses, we cover the skills of Active Listening, Empathic Communication, and Managing Confrontation. For more information, see our page on Conflict Resolution. Government Agencies Team building, mediation, and facilitation at the Environment Agency have played a large part of our consultancy work, for example, helping to rebuild the peformance and confidence of a team rocked by a number of internal difficulties last year. We are also deliver management coaching to a number of key leaders in the Agency. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) A three-day intensive course developing Interviewee Focus in 2005 resulted in a number of successes for CID officers dealing with staged disclosures, relationships with solicitors, and rapport with detainees. Follow-up focus group work has also continued, with one officer remarking that "I've only had one no-comment interview since the course in April", and all participants affirming an improvement in their ability to develop rapport with suspects - as well as managing relationships in their team. A training we ran with the GMP's Crisis and Hostage Negotiating Team was both fruitful and stimulating - and is currently being developed further.
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Private Sector Organisational Consultancy and Mediation Our work continues with both national and local businesses. For example, we have played a major role in helping two national organisations settle out of court, and rebuilding harmony in their workforce. Communication Training One-off and series of courses have been commissioned by a range of clients, such a course for Chartered Accountants entitled 'Meeting the Needs of Clients and Colleagues.' We also worked for the OTIS Management Training scheme, introducing our approach to Repair and Service Managers, alongside their Marketing and Systems Managers. Feedback was that the course had helped smooth some recurrent tensions with startling improvement that continued well after the course as workers put to use their new skills and perspectives. [pdf download available shortly] Coaching and Mentoring We continue with coaching for senior and middle managers - always a frutiful and enriching part of our work. Workshops Open to the Public The variety of workshops has continued this year, covering introductions to Nonviolent Communication™ (NVC), as well as themed weekends covering Empathy, and Dealing Creatively with Anger (including aspects of Buddhism), and Mediation and Reconciliation. A popular aspect of our work is the four-module course in 'LIving and Working with NVC', which this year included an introduction to Focusing, and a week's retreat at a Meditation Centre on Loch Voil, in the Scotting Highlands. For our current public courses, see: Public Courses.
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