Effective communication is cornerstone to the work we do with people. We often focus on our verbal and non-verbal skills, however putting information we have gathered down on paper is a skill in itself. We need to ensure our writing is inclusive, relevant, appropriate, to the point, respectful and written in a way that people from different backgrounds can read.

In this one-day course we will look at:

• The 7 C’s of Communication
• First person language
• The power of language
• Spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Impact of worker values on the people we work with
• Impacts of helpful and unhelpful language
• Purpose of case notes
• Writing objectively
• Documentation in the workplace
• Contemporaneous notes versus verbatim notes
• Readers of writing

Writing is one of the ways in which workers can help the people they are working with. Even routine paperwork can have a huge impact on a person’s life.

This course is designed to equip you with knowledge, skills, and approaches on how to use writing that is clear, accurate, and respectful. These are best practices that apply to any piece of writing, whether it is a case note, a policy, or a court report.

Language changes over time, with conventions coming and going, we need to keep updated with our skillset to ensure that we are up to date with changes and that we consider the context in which we are writing, the intended audiences and who else might access the information. We will also look at the reason for writing in practice, the purpose and any possible unintended consequences.

The course involves theory, activities, audio visual and can be held online or face to face.