TRAINING COURSE

Family Liaison - Standard

This course prepares those selected to liaise and support families in significant crisis, whether directly or indirectly. Learn about the most likely issues to impact a family, an appropriate decision-making structure and procedures to be followed.

This course can be followed up with Family Liaison Advanced, a fully immersive experience where delegates interact live with family members of a violent crime victim.

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Course Contents

Selection of roles, advice, and support

The role of a family liaison representative can be a stressful one. The instructors will share best practice for ensuring the right person is deployed in the right situation and offered the correct level of support.

Trust

Building trust takes time and requires the demonstration of your reliability. We will explore what can damage trust and how you can create it. Lose the family’s trust at your peril!

Threat and risk assessments for family visits

Visiting a family brings with it risks. The family liaison representative will have to consider the environment they are entering, the mood of the people and plan for contingencies. Delegates will be given advice on how to prepare for such meetings and how to mitigate risks.

Assessment and record keeping

Accountability and decision making are key to effective family liaison. Examples of what to record and where to document are examined. A grading system of success will also be introduced.

Effective communication with families and participants

Empathy and rapport building are critical to gain the trust and the acceptance of your advice from families. The skills necessary are demonstrated by our instructors.

Dealing with trauma, mental health, and wellbeing

Communicating bad news and dealing with the stress of a crisis incident needs careful management. So you are able to mitigate the trauma felt, you will be presented with the courses of action to take and how to deal with intense emotions.

Post incident support

Families require advice on coping skills and informed about possible effects and outcomes post event. This knowledge and best practice will be shared.

Who is this course for?

For any person who may be engaged with families going through a stressful period; either privately or as a result of a work related incident. This course is specifically designed for those within a company that may be given responsibility for family/partner management during a corporate led event or crisis incident.

Whilst Human Resources or People Services leaders may form the core audience, the content caters for those with little or no previous experience who may find themselves with a delegated role at short notice, providing support, guidance and direction. This module will also benefit those within a company with Mental Health First Aid or employee well-being responsibilities.

Companies will be able to demonstrate their commitment to their people and their responsibilities pertaining to legal duty of care; thereby protecting their key assets: People, reputation, property and information. This is of particular benefit when legally challenged post incident.

Key benefits

Delegates will be better equipped:

To show empathy and a non-judgemental attitude to those in distress

To effectively manage challenging family requests

To act as the conduit between the family and external stakeholders

To deal with the emotions that present themselves during such incidents

To better understand and manage the personal impacts

Course delivery

This course is two hours in duration and is delivered online via an appropriate platform. There is full interaction between tutors and delegates. There is no limit to the number of attendees on line.

“Chris and Martin deliver their material with total professionalism backed by years of practical experience which just cannot be matched.
Thank you.”

Senior Global Consultant, 2020

"...the most robust course I have ever undertaken. It involved in depth distance learning, experiential learning, scenario-based learning...The instruction given by Martin and his colleague was exceptional."

Director, Angela Wilson Consultancy Ltd

“I have just come off a hostage negotiation scenario...Absolutely brilliant stuff that challenges you and really makes you think on your feet...First class skills that are transferable to business and personal relationships”.

Marketing Leader 2020