Community engagement training for the voluntary sector

Master the subtle art of authentic connection

Understanding the needs of vulnerable community members with a complex range of problems requires a different kind of conversation.

Too often, in a hurry to fix everything at once or tick procedural boxes, we bombard people at their most vulnerable with a range of overwhelming questions and acronyms.

Instead, to truly help, we need to start by creating a safe space for people to share on their terms. And then, we need to listen – not just to respond, but to understand.

How? By creating an authentic connection.

At Basis Training, we’re passionate about helping organisations improve the lives of people who need it most – and we know you are too. Whether you’re a counsellor, politician, community-based health worker, or emergency responder, the principles of safe, authentic, and empowering conversations are the same.

So, how do you:

Enhance your ability to quickly build relationships?
Form a holistic understanding of the challenge at hand?
Co-create solutions to overcome challenges?
Experiment with alternative approaches to having meaningful conversations?
Reflect on your own practice and learn from others in a safe environment?

The answer? Community Engagement training.

Community Engagement training with a difference

Our Community Engagement training programme equips you to engage your community like never before, recognising that every conversation has the power to make a difference.

What sets our Community Engagement training programme apart?

It’s Purpose Built

Built based on the experiences of hundreds of frontline experts, it’s tailored to the public and voluntary sectors.

It’s Immersive

Through the use of forum theatre and role plays, we enable you to experiment with alternative approaches to having meaningful conversations, reflect on your own practice, and learn from other delegates in a safe environment.

It’s Applied

Implement practical improvements to your own practice to take back to your organisation. Leave on the front foot, knowing exactly what to do next.

It’s Accessible

Delivered in person or online, you can access the training wherever you are in the world. 

It’s Supported

Need extra assistance to facilitate community engagement projects post your training? Our Basis Consulting firm can help.

Our Community Engagement training programme

Core Conversations

In the midst of the first coronavirus lockdown, Newham Council realised many of its residents were falling into deprivation. They were struggling to afford food and many were at risk of homelessness.

It was clear that people’s needs stretched far beyond getting access to a hot meal. They needed help applying for benefits, finding employment, support with their mental health, new clothes, accommodation, help with their visa status, and in many cases, all of the above.

The question was, when someone arrived at a foodbank, how could practitioners build the relationship needed to begin to understand the complex range of problems that weren’t visible on the surface?

Working with nearly 200 frontline experts from the public and voluntary sector in Newham during the pandemic, we co-created eight principles for great Core Conversations.

This powerful, interactive 2-hour training course will equip you to build relationships quickly based on trust and open up meaningful conversations so you can help in ways that matter most.

Key takeaways

Recognise seven conversational flaws you already know but may forget in the heat of a Core Conversation.
Know how to build empathy when interacting with community members.
Acknowledge any unconscious bias that may exist. Be equipped to explore the residents’ queries holistically.
Feel confident deploying the necessary skills to build trust with residents, by listening and not judging or generalising situations.
Learn the art of conversation beyond words with body language.
Compare your current practices with peers working in similar roles.
Implement at least three improvements to your own practice to take back to your organisation.

Ready to find out more? Get in touch!

Results that speak for themselves

Our Community Engagement training programme has been attended by 264 delegates and counting from across the public and voluntary sectors.

An external review of Core Conversations was conducted by researchers at UCL (University College London) as part of a wider programme and model of interventions, with positive feedback.

Frontline workers were very positive about the Core Conversations training, which helped them build empathy when interacting with customers, acknowledging any unconscious bias that may exist and exploring the residents’ queries holistically.

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Through the training sessions, interviewees felt more able to deploy the necessary skills to build trust with residents by listening and not judging or generalising situations.