Facilitation

Even when we deliver ‘training’ people always remark on how easy we make it for them to share their own ideas, how ‘safe’ they feel. That’s what facilitation is all about.

There are times when it is necessary or appropriate to have an independent professional to help your team explore issues, develop ideas, find a way forward. It might be that you want our ideas and specialist input, or simply to ‘make it happen’. Either way we love to help people and organisations develop.

We have experience of:

Reviews, away days, development days
‘Service user’ consultations
Resolving team issues
Motivating or refocusing teams
Establishing core values
Forming working agreements
Developing policy and strategy

Example 1.

A national public sector agency was introducing a new system of staff welfare support, with more emphasis on telephone contact. We worked with staff to think through the impact this would have and find ways to prepare for the change. By making reference to best practice guidance and combining this with the team’s own experience we built confidence in the new system:

"Helped me to change my perspective/point of view. I will focus on the positive aspects of telephone work and understand the value of it."
"Some points were made that I somehow didn’t realise were possible."
"Very useful and informative day"

Example 2.

A further education college and community education centre had been running courses in partnership for many years, but with increasingly divergent views on whether and how to continue working together. After full consultation with managers, staff and students we presented ways for each organisation to contribute to and benefit from the relationship. Both parties were satisfied with the recommendations we presented and the relationship moved onto a new footing, cemented for the first time by a formal working agreement, written and facilitated by us.