reach communication skills training
London
Nicki and Lisa met in 2009 – on an advanced communication skills course! Lisa
was a delegate and Nicki was training to be a facilitator. Lisa subsequently
also went through training (she says it’s the most rigorous training she has
ever done) . Their working partnership developed over the subsequent years, and
they began facilitating courses together regularly in about 2012. They have
worked together across England and Wales, and in Ireland. Nicki has had the
opportunity to travel to both New Zealand and Singapore to deliver communication
skills training. Lisa is not at all jealous… It is very clear to them that the
need for communication skills training amongst healthcare professionals is huge,
with doctors, nurses and AHPs being asked to have the most difficult
conversations with patients and their families without the skills that could
make those conversations go as well as possible. The evidence that communication
skills can be learned is clear, but staff are not being offered the opportunity
to optimise their skills. This feels unfair. In order to continue to be able to
deliver training and to develop new facilitators, Nicki and Lisa created Reach
in 2018. Both were still in full time NHS employment at the time, but have since
retired from clinical work to concentrate on training. They both love what they
do
