Community Trainers Workshop 2021
As part of a series of ongoing professional development sessions for Community Trainers, Royal Life Saving WA hosted its 4th Annual Trainers Seminar this week at the Bendat Basketball Centre in Floreat. The event saw 30 community trainers take part in sessions focussed on communication and training aids.
The day began with Philippa Henderson from Evolve Events sharing some important tips and info on Complaint Handling. Our trainers work with dozens of people each and every day, so invariably they do receive the occasional complaint and need to know how best to handle these situations. This session provided them with advice on how to effectively listen to a customer’s complaint and respond in a positive manner.
The day then took on a slightly more dramatic tone, as Nola Pierce from TraumaSim took our trainers through a look at a series of Haemorrhage Control Training Aids. The aids allow a variety of training techniques to be practised on medically accurate and realistic body parts and wounds - preparing students to respond effectively to major real-life trauma events. They’re used by defence, medic and paramedic programs around the world. Nola took our trainers through a demonstration of the Emergency Tourniquet Trainer and the Haemostatic Clotting Trainer, both of which were thoroughly enjoyed by all those attending.
It’s always important for our community trainers to be up to speed on the latest changes in first aid and lifesaving training. Royal Life Saving WA’s Jason Hinton took the trainers through the latest updates to courses and training focus areas from the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), ensuring that Royal Life Saving WA training courses conducted in 2021 meet all the latest standards.
The day then wrapped up with an important session on communication. Vanessa Jessett, 2019 AUSTSWIM WA Access and Inclusion Teacher of the Year, presented a session on adapting your communication style for those with disabilities. Royal Life Saving WA believes it’s important for our trainers to be well-equipped and confident to train people of all abilities and this session provided some great insights that the trainers can take away and put into action.
Royal Life Saving WA’s Community Trainer Coordinator, Francesca Amoroso, says the day was very insightful and enjoyable for everyone who took part. “It’s always a pleasure having the opportunity to organise these Professional Development sessions for our trainers. Their level of engagement during the face-to-face session is very high and I love to see how interested and enthusiastic they are when listening to and participating in these presentations. The annual Trainer Seminar is a great opportunity for the trainers to develop their skills but also to share thoughts and tips that are fundamental for the delivery of quality training courses across the State.”
If you’d like to be a part of the Royal Life Saving WA team why not become a community trainer for us? You can find out more about how you can get involved at the link below.
