Reach Communication Skills Training

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