Holding difficult conversations
Learn strategies that can be used to approach challenging topics and manage difficult conversations.
Develop practical strategies to facilitate conversations that may be experienced as ‘difficult’ or ‘uncomfortable’. With an emphasis on self-reflection and reflexive practice, participants will identify, examine and address the power dynamics in conversations between practitioners and the people they support.
The workshop will offer a range of approaches, tools and techniques that can be used to prepare for and facilitate respectful and compassionate conversations.
Designed for
Social care practitioners working directly with adults.
Learning outcomes
As a result of attending this workshop participants will be able to:
- Recognise the ethical principles that underpin effective communication in their practice. Be alert to the impact of emotion and the importance of relationships when engaging in difficult conversations.
- Feel prepared to identify, examine and address power dynamics within conversations throughout their practice.
- Develop some key communication techniques to facilitate conversations.
- Understand the importance of wellbeing practice and supervisor support in holding difficult conversations.
Booking information
This is a full day interactive session delivered via Microsoft Teams and you are encouraged to contribute with the aid of break-out rooms, the chat function and large group discussions. Participants will benefit from having a quiet space to work without interruption. Slides will be sent out after the session.
Research in Practice members can use their membership allocation to book this workshop. Link Officers can use the booking request form to book this workshop. Please only use this form if you are authorised to choose your organisation's membership allocation.
Once your booking is received, our learning team will work with you to confirm a delivery date and provide relevant information.
The deadline for booking this year’s online workshops is Friday 4 October 2024.
Organisations that are not Research in Practice Partners can commission this workshop individually by contacting: learning@researchinpractice.org.uk.
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Communication | Relationships and effective direct work | Developing excellent practitioners | Purposeful and effective social work | Developing excellent practitioners | Creating a context for excellent practice | Person-centred practice | Effective assessments and outcome based support planning | Direct work with individuals and families | Values and ethics | Assuring good social work practice and development
CQC - Caring | Effective
PCF - Professionalism | Values and ethics | Diversity and equality | Rights, justice and economic wellbeing | Intervention and skills
RCOT - Understanding relationship | Service users | Communication | Support development
Difficult conversations in social care: Frontline Briefing (2023)
Social care professionals will often have to discuss emotionally challenging topics with the people they support and their colleagues. This resource contains key messages from research and a range of tools to develop relational practice in this context.