Course type
One-day, face-to-face course.
Who attended?
This course is designed for managers, team leaders and senior support staff.
Course Description
Supporting people with a Cognitive Disability who are involved with the Criminal Justice System can have significant impact on staff. This Management Course developed an understanding of the difficulties staff experience working in environments where clients can present with challenging and complex ways of being. It explored the concept of vicarious trauma – and trauma informed care offers a range of strategies and supports for teams operating in this environment.
Using realistic examples, the workshop assisted participants to unpack common yet often complex scenarios that can present in the workplace and impact on staff and their capacity to maintain good working relationships with the people they support, as well as other staff.
It explored the role, style and benefits of organisational support processes such as mentoring, coaching, supervision, performance appraisal and employee assistance programs, as well as discussed the role of organisational and personal values in shaping behaviours in the workplace.
Outcomes from the workshop:
The course anticipated that as a result, managers, senior staff and leaders attending would be better able to engage with their front of service workers to help both reduce incidents experienced and the adverse impact of such experiences.
In addition, to help these workers understand their roles in providing a critical contribution to the lives of their clients it acknowledged the valuable role that trauma informed practice plays in promoting safety across organisations.
Course materials
- The following course materials were provided and are available for download:
Supporting Staff in Difficult Situations – Facilitators Guide (to provide the trainer with how the course was to be delivered)
Supporting Staff in Difficult Situations – Participant’s Notes (for the attendees to take away)
Supporting Staff in Difficult Situations – PowerPoint Slides
- Links to Videos used During the Course: