Scotland the Brave in Action
Sometimes it takes a brave individual, and a brave organisation, to do things differently.
It was right at the start of Lockdown One, in April 2020. Most organisations were focused on survival, getting staff set up working from home, and Learning & Development (L&D) plans were being put on the back burner. Not Victim Support Scotland (VSS). The L&D plans were not going to be stalled by lockdown.
In April 2020, a facilitator at The Development Company, saw a tweet from Kenneth Fee, VSS People Development Business Partner, asking for a provider to deliver a ‘train the trainer’ online course, using MS Teams, ideally with a qualification. We answered the tweet.
The Development Company weren’t familiar with MS Teams as a platform, but if Kenneth and Victim Support Scotland were happy to help with the learning process to transfer interactive training online, we were up for the challenge.
To say that Victim Support Scotland (VSS) made a brave decision is an understatement.
VSS chose a provider they had never worked with previously, for a key staff development programme.
VSS accepted the recommendations of a facilitator they had never used – Adrian Green – who recommended a Certificate in Facilitation Skills as the best approach.
Finally, VSS was using a platform the nominated learners weren’t confident with, and neither was their chosen provider!
Adrian says “Bravery is courage in action. We were happy to say we had never provided virtual facilitation before, and were not familiar with MS Teams. We learned together how to translate the face to face programme with the same involvement and learner led focus. The results speak volumes – all eight of the initial cohort passed with flying colours, and are now facilitating virtual sessions for staff and volunteers across Victim Support Scotland.”.
Sometimes we need to be brave in life. The results have been amazing, and we are proud to be the chosen soft skills provider for Victim Support Scotland.
Kate Wallace, CEO of Victim Support Scotland, said: “Early in pandemic, VSS had urgent learning and development needs, that we were struggling to meet with external companies. The Development Company stepped in, providing bespoke solutions by adapting training courses for video conferencing platforms. They understood how online learning takes place, the barriers learners face and how to ensure participants got the most out of each course. VSS course participants across Scotland are not only better informed but have made strong connections with colleagues on the other side of the country, leading to greater collaboration and knowledge sharing.”
If you need a learning partner who will brave our new Learning & Development territory with you, please contact us on training@thedevco.com or call 01933 227695
