Training

Pictures Speak currently offers the following:

	Training programme A
	Training programme B
	Taster Workshops

Training programme A
Communication Support Training

This training programme involves students learning skills and techniques for giving communication support by:

	having actual conversations with people with communication difficulties;
	video-taping of those conversations;
	analysis by a Communication Support Trainer;
	discussion of issues arising and evaluation.

1. The Students: health or social care workers committed to giving communication support (e.g. health and social professional and non-professional care workers, day centre and residential care assistants volunteers etc)
2. The Programme: 5 consecutive weeks* - 1 full day; 4 mornings.
   Morning sessions: include confidence-building workshops by Pictures Speak (based on the concept of Art Conversations†); discussion; conversation practice and analysis
   Full day: Learning to be a Conversation Partner (all students must attend this day)
3. Venue: Wheelchair-friendly venue. Must be local.
4. After Training:
   1. Each student recieves VIDEO TAPE of their conversations and a CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION (valuable evidence for their NVQ portfolios or CVs)
   2. Each person with communication difficulties who helped as a conversation partner receives a VIDEO FILM (helpful for subsequent evaluation).
   3. Evaluations are done by everyone including people with communication difficulties (independently supported, e.g. by their own speech and language therapists) and students' managers
   4. 3-6 months after training we return to students to ask what affect training has had on their practice.

* Working with Connect, Pictures Speak is currently formulating a shorter model more suited to in-staff training for social and health services, taking into account different staff levels and needs.

† Art Conversations is based on the concept that when words are lost, communication continues through the brain's mirror area. We can replicate the tools used in the mirror area (such as colour, movement, shape) to support non-verbal communication.

Training programme B
Training resident Communication Support Trainers

Communication Support Trainers are health or social care workers (professional or non-professional) with experience of working with people who have communication difficulties. They would have done

1. Pictures Speak Training Programme A
   
2. Training the Trainers course at Connect, the Communication Disability Network in London
   
3. further training

Afterwards, the resident Communication Support Trainers would deliver training to your organisation using the Pictures Speak template

Taster Workshops

1½ - 3 hours. Up to 50 people.

1. Saying how it is to live without words - by a patient
   
2. Confidence building:




	how not to be embarrased of communicating without words
	how to have meaningful conversations without words



3. Building on the concepts of dignity/respect + inclusion
   
4. Seeing Training programme A in action