Learning and development calendar 2025/26

Check out the learning and development planner to see what events we are planning over the next year.
Three women sitting around a table looking at paperwork

About this resource 

We have created a learning and development calendar for the year ahead so you can see what training opportunities from us you will have throughout the year.  

We have designed this plan based on your feedback and the Healthwatch core skills framework

Events are now available to book through our training and events sectionPlease always remember to let us know if you can no longer a session that you book in advance, so we can offer the place to someone else.  

Downloads

If you have any problems accessing this document please email us.   

EventEnquiries@healthwatch.co.uk

Learning and development calendar

Many of you requested support with income generation in the 2024 learning needs survey.

This session is an opportunity to learn about exploring fundraising opportunities outside of core organisational contracts and to delve deeper into income generation. It is for people with more income generation experience than the ‘Bidding Basics’ session.

Many of you requested support with income generation in the 2024 learning needs survey.

This session is an introduction to bid writing. It will help you develop your personal skills through the stages of a bidding process and understand how to get an organisation bid ready. You’ll gain skills and confidence to plan a successful bid, and you will take away hints and tips for writing a winning bid.

This session will be led by Healthwatch Bucks for staff and volunteers who answer phone calls from the public. You will find out how to structure your conversation to best help the caller and to support your wellbeing.

This is an entry level course, which can be followed by sessions on how to manage difficult calls and understanding safeguarding and risk. 

Progress has been made to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals (who make up approximately 1.8 million people) in the UK. Yet we know that growing up LGBTQ+ in an intolerant society, experiencing prejudice and rejection, can exacerbate health inequalities and have a negative impact on health outcomes compared to the general population.

This session will help you understand health inequalities impacting the LGBTQ+ community and help you with inclusive language and understanding to support your engagement activities with LGBTQ+ communities.

Neurodiversity is a word used to describe the different thinking styles that affect how people communicate with the world around them. Around 15-20% of all the people living in the world are thought to have a neuro-difference and no two people will be affected by their condition in the same way.

Education, healthcare, and workplace settings can present significant challenges for neurodivergent people, primarily due to a lack of understanding of their needs. But what does good practice look like and what do we need to consider when engaging and supporting neurodiverse people?

Inclusive language is a way of communicating that aims to avoid expressions or words that might exclude or marginalise certain groups of people. It focuses on using terms that are respectful and considerate of all individuals, regardless of their gender, race, disability, age, or other characteristics. It is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging and respect among diverse groups of people. 

This session will help you think about inclusive language in the context of your own work. 

Members of the public contact Healthwatch for advice and information about health and social care services. You might receive calls from people in distress, who could be at risk to themselves or others, or where there might be a safeguarding concern. We have a duty of care to keep the person safe, while getting them the help they need.

Note: this course will discuss suicide.

This session led by Healthwatch Bucks will help you to manage these types of calls

Type of event

Interactive learning session to small audience

Members of the public contact Healthwatch for advice and information about health and social care services. These calls can be complex and at times you may find some or all parts of a call challenging. Find out how to best manage difficult calls in this session led by Healthwatch Bucks.

Type of event

Interactive learning session to small audience. Please come prepared to share examples from your own experience and support your colleagues. Joining in with your camera on will be appreciated.

This session will take you through our visual brand, the key ingredients of using visual design to engage your audiences and how to apply this in your work.

Type of event

Interactive learning session to large audience with time to ask questions.

Who is this event for?

This event is for Healthwatch staff and volunteers involved in communications.

What you will learn?

By joining this session you will:

· know how to apply our visual brand