Supporting the professional development of staff supporting researchers (NW)

Since 2009, the Vitae NW Hub has delivered a series of professional training opportunities for researcher development staff in the region. With the ring fencing of ‘Roberts money' coming to a close in 2011, the need for this training is becoming increasingly important as staff supporting researcher development are being called upon to deliver more training themselves without hiring external trainers. The courses enable participants to deliver higher quality training in their institutions by using the well tested methods explored in the programme. They also enable the creation of contacts networks to facilitate sharing of good practice and peer support in the programme areas.

To date, the programme has consisted of:

• Introduction to facilitation
• Advanced facilitation
• Practical coaching skills

All of the courses are extremely highly rated with an average satisfaction score of 97%. Participants views included:

• "Professional and content was refreshing - better than I expected and new information"
• "Having trainers of this experience and quality are vital to ensuring that we as skills trainers learn and improve"
• "Excellent sessions. Raised self awareness, overall awareness in this context. This feels like a beginning now, not "the end" of a course"
• "In all honesty this has been one of the very best workshops I have been to"
• "1st class, very beneficial to me in my continued professional development".

Participants stated that actions they will take as a result of attending this event included:

• "Listen into groups, ensure they are on the right track. Don't be afraid to go "off piste""
• "Remember my duty to whole group and not to be distracted by one individual. Better slides - more pictures less text. Trust instincts more"
• "This workshop will totally change the way I approach preparing for facilitation"
• "The focus on coaching skills will be invaluable when doing group reviews with cohorts"

Planned future opportunities include:

• Thriving through change
• Marketing tips and techniques

Other examples of Hub activities for the professional development of researcher developers

Vitae North West Hub