Masterclasses

Our Masterclasses are designed for helpline managers, service coordinators and experienced helpline workers. Focussing on specific areas of helpline work they will give you an in-depth understanding, allowing you to develop robust working practices and policies to better support your team, service users and the service provision.

As the membership body for helplines in the UK and Ireland, Helplines Partnership is in a unique position to listen to the needs of the sector and to respond accordingly.

Prices for each course start at £175 (+VAT) for members.

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Safeguarding for Helplines

Safeguarding is becoming more prevalent within the helpline sector. No matter what kind of service you deliver, everyone has a duty to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk of harm or abuse. This Masterclass will help increase your knowledge and understanding of safeguarding, not only in the broader context, but also in relation to understanding key safeguarding terms and signs and indicators. It seeks to develop awareness and examine legislation that can directly be implemented into practice, procedures and policy provision. It aims to build confidence and awareness and offer guidance surrounding confidentiality, recording and information sharing in line with GDPR and safeguarding sensitivities.

Responding to Suicidal Callers

How to respond to service users who present with suicidal thoughts or plans is a common concern for helplines. It is essential that your service is equipped to identify those at risk and that your team know how best to support them. This Masterclass will explore how to identify risk, practice different techniques and set up internal processes, policies and supervision. Service managers and co-ordinators attending this course will leave with greater knowledge, confidence and awareness alongside practical skills and actions to take back to their helpline.

Vicarious Trauma - having a healthy workplace

The accumulative effect of handling emotional and distressing contacts can negatively impact on a person's social behaviours, emotional wellbeing, physical health, behaviour and cognitive reasoning. If unaddressed vicarious trauma (VT) could harm not only the helpline worker but also has serious implications for your service users. Based on recent research, this insightful and practical Masterclass will explore the implications of compassion fatigue research within helplines, helping you to establish and review strategies and procedures to effectively manage and address the personal and professional consequences.

Measuring Outcomes in the Helpline Sector

Measuring outcomes presents real challenges for the helpline sector. Funders and commissioners often require evidence to demonstrate the impact your helpline will have on potential service users. Whether you are a new service or an established service this Masterclass will provide an opportunity to explore how to evaluate and measure outcomes in different ways within the context of a helpline service. Using case studies, theoretical frameworks and examining current practices you will gain greater understanding and insight of the potential scope and impact effective outcome monitoring has.

Managing Repeat Callers

Repeat callers to a helpline can present serious challenges for both helpline workers and the service itself, absorbing time and resources. This Masterclass will explore how to identify, respond and manage repeat callers within your helpline. The Masterclass covers strategies for managing effective and consistent responses and monitoring the impact on your service.

Working with Volunteers

This Masterclass will explore best practice in recruitment, training and retention of volunteers from advertising to exit interviews. It focuses on the management of volunteers and organisational expectations and, the legal aspects of a volunteer agreement and volunteer rights. The Masterclass will include opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas, as well as some practical resources to take away with you.

Data Protection and your Helpline

Data Protection is a critical concern to all helplines. Your service needs to ensure and demonstrate compliance to current legislation. This Masterclass provides an overview of how the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to helpline work. Through exploring best practice in data sharing, participants will gain a clear understanding of the data protection principles, the lawful basis for data processing and the implications this has on their service thereby helping them comply with the legislation.

Event Cancellation and Non-Attendance Policy